JPH11232161A - Image data transfer system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To surely transfer image data so that an image can be outputted in a short time in an image data transfer system which consists of plural modalities and plural image display terminals that output an image based on image data which are acquired by the modalities. SOLUTION: Image data acquired by respective modalities 11 to 15 are once stored in server devices 21 to 24 which are provided on the modalities 11 to 15 respectively and also, retrieval information of the image data stored in the devices 21 to 24 respectively and its location information are made database and stored in a storage device 40. When a necessary image is shown on image display terminals 31 to 33, the image display terminal side retrieve the database to the device 40, recognizes a server device which stores image data carrying the necessary image by referring to the location information, reads the image data carrying the image from the device by referring to the retrieval information and transfer, the read image data to a displaying image display terminal through a network.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a data transfer system composed of image devices connected to a network, and more particularly, to an image data acquisition device such as a CT device and a CR device, and an image acquired by the image data acquisition device. The present invention relates to an image data transfer system that includes an image output device that outputs an image based on data, and transfers image data acquired by an image data acquisition device to the image output device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in the medical field, various diagnostic image generating apparatuses (modalities) using X-rays and the like have been used, and CR (Computed Radiography) apparatuses and CT (Computed tomographic images) have been used. Photography) device, M
RI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) devices and the like are practically used.
And the images generated by each of these modalities are
It is displayed on a CRT display (hereinafter simply referred to as "CRT") or output to a film by an LP (laser printer), etc., and is used for diagnosis such as grasping the presence or absence of a lesion or injury at a medical site, etc. Have been.

[0003] Here, the CR device means that when radiation is irradiated, a part of the radiation energy is accumulated, and thereafter, when irradiated with excitation light such as visible light or infrared light, the CR device shines in accordance with the accumulated radiation energy. A stimulable phosphor (stimulable phosphor sheet) that emits light is used to temporarily store radiation image information of a subject such as a human body in a sheet form (a stimulable phosphor sheet).
The stimulable phosphor sheet is scanned with excitation light to generate stimulated emission light, and the resulting stimulated emission light is photoelectrically read to obtain an image signal. In recent years, it has been widely used and put to practical use.

[0004] Further, with the advancement of communication technology and computer technology in recent years, medical network systems using computers (hereinafter simply referred to as "networks") have been constructed in hospitals. Each of the above-mentioned modalities used also constitutes a part of the network as an image data acquisition device, and the CRT or LP constitutes a part of a network as an image output device. A large number of the image data acquisition devices and image output devices are connected to form the entire network. Configuration.

[0005] In such a network (hereinafter referred to as "image data transfer system" in the present application), when transferring image data obtained by an image data obtaining device to an image output device, conventionally, image data obtaining is performed. A method called “auto routing” for transferring data to a device that actually wants to output, out of a plurality of image output devices obtained from the image data obtained by the device, or image data obtained by the image data obtaining device Is stored as an original image data or after being compressed in a predetermined format, a storage device (server device) that temporarily stores the data on an optical disk or the like is connected to a network (usually at one location), and the server device converts the image data. There has been a method of centrally managing data and going to the server device to acquire data from the image output device side.

[0006]

However, in the former method, as the number of image data acquisition devices and image output devices connected to the network increases, the transfer destination of the image data in operation in a hospital increases. In many cases, it is not possible to specify the image output device, and the required image data may not be able to be displayed because the required image data does not reach the image output device. Has to be transferred to an image output device, which is not practical. On the other hand, in the latter method, there is a problem that the load is concentrated on one server device and it is not possible to ensure responsiveness of data acquisition and image display, or when it is desired to immediately output an image based on image data acquired by the image data acquisition device However, two times of data transfer from the image data acquisition device to the server device and from the server device to the image output device are required, which increases the load on the network and reduces the transfer speed of the image data. Therefore, there is a problem that it takes time and the workability is deteriorated.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and in a system in which an image data acquisition device and an image output device are connected to a network, an image output device that needs image data from the image data acquisition device. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image data transfer system that enables reliable and high-speed transfer to a computer.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An image data transfer system according to the present invention is based on a plurality of image data acquisition devices for acquiring image data carrying images, and based on image data transferred from each of the image data acquisition devices. And a plurality of image output devices for outputting the image data, the image data transfer system to transfer the image data acquired by the image data acquisition device to the image output device, obtained by each of the plurality of image data acquisition device The image data obtained is temporarily stored in a storage device provided in each of the image data acquisition devices, and the search information of the image data stored in each of the storage devices and the location information of the image data are registered in a database, and the image output is performed. Sometimes, the database is searched from the image output device side, and the search information of the image data registered in the database and the image data are searched. Recognizing a storage device storing desired image data based on the location information, reading desired image data from the recognized storage device, and transferring the read image data to an image output device. And

Here, the "storage device provided in each of the image data acquisition devices" may be a so-called built-in storage device, or an external storage device directly connected to the image data acquisition device without using a network. It may be a storage device. In this external storage device, a plurality of image data acquisition devices
Two external storage devices may be shared.

The "information for retrieving image data" is information for retrieving each image data, and includes, for example, the date and time of photographing, the name of a patient, the type of examination, the diagnosis site, and the like. In this case, any format may be used as long as the information can specify a desired image.

Further, "location information of image data" is information for identifying a storage device in which image data is stored. For example, an ID code or the like assigned a different number for each storage device is provided. Good to use.

The phrase "registered in the database" means that "image data search information" and "image data location information" are stored in a storage device for a database connected to a network, for example. Alternatively, the image data may be stored in any one of the built-in and external storage devices provided in the image data acquisition device.

[0013]

According to the image data transfer system of the present invention, the image data acquired by the image data acquisition device is stored in the storage device (server device) on the acquisition device side without passing through the network, and is stored. The contents and location of the image data are registered in a database so that they can be searched later. When outputting an image, the image output device first searches the database to know the location of the desired image data, and then outputs the desired image. Since the data is stored in the server device where the data is stored, the required image data can be reliably obtained, and the image data on the network is transferred once from the server device to the image output device. Will be enough. In addition, since image data can be distributed and stored in the server device, the load does not concentrate on one server device as in the related art, and the load between devices and the load on the network can be reduced. Therefore, high-speed data transfer becomes possible. Thereby, for example, when it is desired to immediately output an image based on the image data acquired by the image data acquisition device, the image data can be delivered in one transfer directly from the image data acquisition device to the image output device, The time required for displaying images can be reduced, and workability can be dramatically improved.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of an image data transfer system according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of an image data transfer system according to the present invention. This image data transfer system is based on an image data acquisition device (modality 11 to 15) connected to a network for acquiring image data carrying an image, and image data acquired and transferred by the modality 11 to 15 respectively. And an image output device (image display terminals 31 to 33) for outputting an image by using the same, for example, a medical network system in a hospital, a personal computer communication system, and the like. As the modalities 11 to 15, any other modalities may be used as long as the modalities 11 to 15 can acquire image data. Further, as a mode when the CR device is used, not only a radiation image recording and reading device as described above, but also a finally read image signal (image information) can be input to a network. The information reading device alone may be used.

Each of the modalities 11 to 13 is provided with a built-in storage device (a server device 21 for the modality 11, a server device 22 for the modality 12, and a server device 23 for the modality 13). The image data acquired by the modalities 11 to 13 are stored in the respective server devices 21 to 23. Further, a storage device (server device 24) is connected to the network, and this server device 24 is also connected to modalities 14 and 15, and the modality
The image data acquired by 14 and 15 is stored in the server device 24 (that is, the modality
14 and 15 share the server device 24. ). Furthermore,
A storage device 40 for a database is connected to the network, and search information of image data stored in each of the server devices 21 to 24 and location information of the stored image data are stored in the storage device 40. (Corresponding to “registering in a database”; hereinafter, also referred to as “database conversion”). In addition, this "database conversion"
In this case, instead of the storage device 40, each of the modalities 11 to 15
Using any of the server devices 21 to 24 provided in the
In addition, image data search information and image data location information may be stored.

The operation of the image data transfer system having the above configuration will be described below.

Each of the modalities 11 to 15 captures an image of a subject and obtains image data carrying a subject image. Modality 11 to 15 transfer the acquired image data to modality 11
15 are temporarily stored as image files in the server devices 21 to 24 provided respectively. At this time, the server device 21
Based on the contents of each image data (for example, imaging date and time, patient name, type of examination, diagnostic site, etc.) stored in each of the data 24 to 24, search information for identifying each image data and location information of each image data ( For example, an ID code assigned to each server device) is stored in the storage device 40 to make a database (arrow a in the figure).

The subject image (image) is displayed on the image display terminals 31 to 33.
Is displayed, the image display terminal to be displayed first reads the database from the storage device 40 and searches the database (arrow b in the figure). Next, by referring to the location information of the image data registered in the database, the server device storing the desired image data carrying the image to be displayed is recognized, and the recognized server device stores the image data in the database. The desired image data is read out based on the registered image data search information. The read image data is transferred to an image display terminal to be displayed via a network, and an image is displayed on the image display terminal based on the transferred image data.

For example, image data carrying an image X is stored in the server device 22 and this image X is displayed on an image display terminal.
When the image data is to be displayed on the storage device 32, the image display terminal 32 first searches the storage device 40 for a database, and refers to the location information to obtain the image data carrying the image X from the server device.
Recognizing that the image data is stored in the server 22, the image data carrying the image X is read from the server device 22 with reference to the search information. The image data thus read out is transferred to the image display terminal 32 via the network, and an image is displayed on the image display terminal 32 based on the transferred image data.

Therefore, when acquiring the image data and displaying the image based on the image data, the transfer of the image data on the network is performed from the server device directly connected to the modality without using the network on the image display terminal side. Only one transfer to the network, the load on the network is reduced, and high-speed data transfer becomes possible. As a result, the transfer speed of reading image data is increased, and an image can be output in a short time.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an image data transfer system according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11-15 Modality (image data acquisition device) 21-24 Server device (storage device) 31-33 Image display terminal (image output device) 40 Storage device (for database)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An image processing apparatus comprising: a plurality of image data acquisition devices for acquiring image data carrying an image; and a plurality of image output devices for outputting an image based on image data transferred from each of the image data acquisition devices. An image data transfer system for transferring image data acquired by the image data acquisition device to the image output device, wherein the image data acquired by each of the plurality of image data acquisition devices is Once stored in the storage device provided in each of them, the search information of the image data stored in each of the storage devices and the location information of the image data are registered in a database, and at the time of image output, from the image output device side. The database is searched, and desired information is searched based on the search information of the image data and the location information of the image data registered in the database. An image data transfer system for recognizing a storage device storing image data, reading the desired image data from the recognized storage device, and transferring the read image data to the image output device. .