1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a medical image radiographing system, a method for managing a medical image and a method for displaying a medical image.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, a medical image radiographing system comprising a radiographing apparatus such as a CR (Computed Radiography) apparatus or the like for obtaining as digital image data, a radiation image widely used as a medical image has been developed.
In the above-mentioned radiographing apparatus, for example, a radiation image conversion panel in which a photostimulable phosphor layer is formed (hereinafter, it is called an imaging plate) is used. The imaging plate accumulates radiation energy corresponding to the degree of radiation transmission through each part of a subject, and emits the accumulated radiation energy as fluorescence by being irradiated by excitation light such as infrared ray or the like. A photoelectric converter such as semiconductor or the like photoelectrically converts light signals of the fluorescence into radiation image signals. The radiation image obtained in such a way, after being applied image processing on, is visualized on film, a display device or the like, or is stored along with patient information in a database to be used for various medical practice.
Based on radiographing order information from HIS (Hospital Information System) or RIS (Radiology Information System) each managing examination information in hospital facilities or in a department of radiology, a radiographic operator performs radiography with the use of the above-mentioned radiographing apparatus (hereinafter, it is called a radiographic-room-use radiographing apparatus) that is installed in a radiographic room.
In particular, recently, a traveling-type radiographing apparatus (hereinafter, it is called a portable radiographing apparatus) capable of radiographing at a bedside in a hospital room that holds a patient has been achieved (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Publication (Unexamined) No. Tokukai 2000-107160). With the use of the portable radiographing apparatus, it is possible to easily perform radiographing on a patient who is not able to travel to a radiographic room because he/she has difficulty in walking due to severe illness/injury. Further, if a medical image reading apparatus for reading a radiation image from the imaging plate is installed in a predetermined place at each floor, a nurse station or the like, it is possible for a radiographic operator to easily confirm a radiography result without traveling among floors. Here, the above-mentioned imaging plate is stored in a dedicated case, the so-called cassette, and unique identification number is allocated to each cassette and/or each imaging plate. According to the identification number, a cassette and/or an imaging plate can be identifiable.
The medical image radiographed in the above-described medical image radiographing system is read by the medical image reading apparatus, and stored in a controller with correspondence to radiographing order information. The radiographing order information includes information regarding patient (hereinafter, it is referred to as “patient information”) such as name, sex and the like of a patient to be radiographed, and information regarding radiography (hereinafter, it is referred to as “radiography information”) such as a radiographic part, a radiographing method and the like, and has therein an instruction such as, on which patient, how radiography should be performed, or the like. Then, the read medical image is displayed on a display unit of the controller with the radiographing order information correspondingly, and the controller applies an image process suitable for diagnosis on the medical image. With reference to FIG. 18, an image process screen in an earlier art will be described.
As shown in FIG. 18, in an image process screen 640, a plurality of medical images radiographed per one patient are displayed in the same screen. In other words, in the image process screen 640, placed are an area for displaying therein patient information of one patient, an area for displaying therein the plurality of medical images radiographed per one patient, and an area for displaying therein radiography information corresponding to each medical image, and in the same screen, as many as four types of medical images can be displayed. Concretely, in the area located at the upper part of the screen for displaying therein the patient information, placed are items for displaying patient ID, name, sex, date of birth, and in each area thereof, corresponding data is displayed. In the area located at the center of the screen for displaying therein a medical image, placed are an area for displaying therein a medical image and items for displaying identification information of a radiographing apparatus and resolution of an image. Further, the area located bottom of the screen for displaying therein the radiography information, placed are items for displaying a radiographic part and a cassette ID.
By the way, in the above-mentioned earlier art, there is a problem as following. There is a case where the same radiographic operator all at once inputs a plurality of radiographing order information regardless of the cases of, radiography with the use of the radiographing apparatus for a radiographic room fixedly installed in a radiographic room (hereinafter, it is called normal radiography) and radiography with the use of the portable radiographing apparatus (hereinafter, it is called portable radiography). In such a case, since the content that the radiographic operator is currently inputting differs between normal radiography and portable radiography, it is not clear for the radiographic operator to recognize the content. The more number of patients, the more complicated the input of radiographing order information becomes, and therefore there is a possibility of causing unexpected contingency such as an input mistake or the like.
In addition, in the medical image radiographing system in the earlier art, radiography in a radiographic room is performed on each patient, and each time of finishing a set of the radiography on one patient, medical images are obtained to be displayed on a monitor or the like. Thereby, in the image process screen, it is suitable to use a structure where a plurality of medical images are displayed on the monitor at each patient for benefiting from performing an image process all at once. However, when radiographing a medical image is performed at round visits with the use of the traveling-capable radiographing apparatus, in most cases, radiography on a plurality of patients is performed at one round visit for improving operating effectiveness. Thereby, as mentioned above, when medical images radiographed per each patient are to be displayed, it is necessary to display medical images of each of the plurality of patients respectively. Consequently, there is a problem where, if the number of patients increases, operation becomes more complicated and operationality becomes worse.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds