Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Remote data accessing – Accessing a remote server
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-31
2003-05-13
Vu, Viet D. (Department: 2154)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Remote data accessing
Accessing a remote server
C709S203000, C709S241000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06564256
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an image transfer system, and more particularly to an image transfer system which transfers medical image data on a DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine) standard communication system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the field of medical images, there has been a demand for a system which makes it feasible to transfer medical images between a plurality of systems and use the transferred images for diagnosis, for instance, a system which makes it feasible to store a CT image of company A and a MRI image of company B in an image server of company C and to reproduce for diagnosis the CT image or the MRI image on a CRT by a work station of company D connected to the image server through a network, or a system which makes it feasible to transfer a radiation image of company E to a work station of hospital F and display the result of diagnosis at the hospital F by a CRT of company G and output as a hard copy on film by a printer of company H. However, since the standard for handling medical image data from company to company, when transferring medical image data from a system of one company to a system of another company, the medical image data must be converted so as to conform to the system of the latter company, which deteriorates diagnostic efficiency.
Recently, the aforesaid DICOM standard has come to be used as a common standard for transferring medical image data. Since the DICOM standard supports TCP/IP protocol which is a current communication standard for Internet, by use of the DICOM standard, information on patients and/or medical image data can be transferred by way of a network between systems manufactured by different makers, whereby various drawbacks inherent to the conventional medical image handling system where medical images are recorded on photosensitive material and transferred in this state, e.g., that a large space is required to store medical images, fear of a loss of the film, that it takes a long time to transfer the film, and the like, can be overcome.
FIG. 5
shows a conventional medical image transfer system which transfers medical images on the DICOM standard. The medical image transfer system shown in
FIG. 5
comprises an image server in which a plurality of medical images are stored and a plurality of terminals connected to the image server by way of a network. A request for a medical image (will be referred to as “image request”, hereinbelow) is sent to the image server from each terminal and the image server transfers to each terminal medical image data requested by the terminal. Conversely, it is possible to transfer medical image data created at each terminal to the image server and store the medical image data in the image server.
However in the communication between the terminals and the image server on the DICOM standard, since each terminal can send the image request to only one image server, when the requested image is not stored in the image server, the terminal must send the image request to another image server after it receives a message describing the condition and accordingly the efficiency in transfer of medical image data is low. Further even if the requested image is stored in the image server, the image transfer speed becomes low when access to the same image server is made by a plurality of terminals at one time.
As the protocol for transfer of a multimedia on Internet, there have been in wide use http protocol and ftp protocol and web browser which is software for displaying a multimedia by use of such a protocol has been wide used owing to its inexpensiveness. However software and hardware for displaying and transferring medical image data on the aforesaid DICOM standard communication system must support protocol for the DICOM standard and accordingly are very particular and very expensive. Further in order to carry out transfer of medical image data on the DICOM standard, an exclusive network is required and the construction cost of the network is high.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing observations and description, the primary object of the present invention is to provide an image transfer system which can efficiently transfer medical image data.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an image transfer system which can efficiently transfer medical image data at low cost on a DICOM standard communication system.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image transfer system comprising
one or more image servers which store medical image data, and
at least one terminal for instructing transfer of the medical image data from the image server to the terminal and/or transfer of the medical image data from the terminal to the image server on a DICOM standard communication system,
wherein the improvement comprises
a relay server which intervenes between the terminal and the image servers and makes access to one of the image servers on the basis of instruction from the terminal to execute transfer of the medical image data.
In this specification, the term “medical image data” should be broadly interpreted to sometimes include information on diagnosis of the patient and the like.
It is preferred that the image transfer system of the first aspect of the present invention be provided with a plurality of said relay servers.
Further it is preferred that the relay server be provided with a cache for accumulating therein a plurality of pieces of medical image data.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image transfer system comprising
one or more image servers which store medical image data, and
at least one terminal for instructing transfer of the medical image data from the image server to the terminal and/or transfer of the medical image data from the terminal to the image server on a DICOM standard communication system,
wherein the improvement comprises
a relay server which intervenes between the terminal and the image servers, receives transfer of medical image data prior to instruction from the terminal, and is provided with a cache for accumulating therein a plurality of pieces of medical image data.
In this specification, the expression “the relay server receives transfer of medical image data” should be interpreted to include that an image server and/or a system for creating medical image data makes access to the relay server and transfers medical image data to the relay server as well as that the relay server spontaneously makes access to the image servers and receives transfer of medical image data. For example, the relay server may periodically access to the image servers and receive transfer of medical image data newly stored in the image servers, or the relay server may receive transfer of newly created medical image data when the newly created medical image data is transferred from the system for creating medical image data to the image servers by way of the relay server.
It is preferred also in the image transfer system of the first aspect of the present invention that the image transfer system be provided with a plurality of said relay servers.
In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image transfer system comprising
one or more image servers which store medical image data, and
at least one terminal for instructing transfer of the medical image data from the image server to the terminal and/or transfer of the medical image data from the terminal to the image server on a DICOM standard communication system,
wherein the improvement comprises
a protocol conversion server which intervenes between the terminal and the image servers, transfers medical image data, transferred from the image servers, to the terminal after converting the DICOM standard protocol of the medical image data to a generalized protocol, and transfers medical image data, transferred from the terminal, to the image servers after converting a generalized protocol of the medical image data to the DICOM standar
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