Systems and methods for presenting medical images in multiple contexts - Patents.com

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a system and method for synchronizing the presentation of medical images in multiple contexts. The system includes various contexts that display medical images, and the contexts are connected by a communication channel. When a user edits or otherwise interacts with one of the contexts, a message is sent over the communication channel to the other contexts, and the other contexts can adjust their presentation of the medical images to achieve synchronization.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE This disclosure relates generally to medical images, and more particularly to the rendering and presentation of medical images in various contexts. [Background technology]

[0002] Medical images typically include two-dimensional, three-dimensional, or reconstructed fusion images generated through imaging devices utilizing modern nuclear medicine technologies, such as positron emission tomography (PET), computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), functional MRI (fMRI), radiography, mammography, tomosynthesis, ultrasound, or other modalities. Medical images may be presented to medical professionals and patients during the course of diagnosis, treatment, or other medical care delivery. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In the drawings, identical reference numbers identify similar elements or acts. Sizes and positions in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the shapes of the various elements and angles are not necessarily drawn to scale, and some of these elements may be arbitrarily enlarged and positioned to improve the legibility of the drawings. Furthermore, the particular shapes of the depicted elements are not necessarily intended to convey any information regarding the actual shape of the particular elements, but may simply be selected for ease of recognition in the drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0004] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a network environment in which the techniques of the present disclosure are implemented, according to some embodiments. [Diagram 2] 1 is an illustration of the structure and function of the techniques of the present disclosure, according to some embodiments. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of an exemplary process illustrating the functionality of the techniques of this disclosure, in accordance with some embodiments. [Figure 4]FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating elements of an exemplary computing device that may be utilized in accordance with at least some embodiments of the techniques described herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0005] Medical images featuring the same or related organs, tissues, or other parts of a patient are often displayed in many contexts. When a user edits a medical image in one context, such as adjusting the aspect ratio of the medical image or adding annotation labels, shapes, or text to the medical image, the changes are not automatically reflected in the other contexts. Embodiments of the techniques of this disclosure are directed to synchronizing or otherwise coordinating the presentation of medical images in various contexts.

[0006] The following description, together with the accompanying drawings, sets forth certain specific details to fully understand the various disclosed embodiments. However, those skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the disclosed embodiments may be implemented in various combinations without one or more of these specific details, or with other methods, components, devices, materials, and the like. In other examples, well-known structures or components related to the environments of the present disclosure, including but not limited to communication systems and networks and environments, have not been shown or described to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of the embodiments. In addition, the various embodiments may be methods, systems, media, or devices. Thus, the various embodiments may combine aspects of software and hardware.

[0007] Throughout this specification, claims, and drawings, the following terms have the meanings expressly associated therewith, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The term "herein" refers to the specification, claims, and drawings associated with this application. The phrases "in one embodiment," "in another embodiment," "in various embodiments," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," and other variations refer to one or more features, structures, functions, limitations, or characteristics of the present disclosure, and are not limited to the same or different embodiments, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. As used herein, the term "or" is an inclusive "or" operator, equivalent to the phrases "A or B, or both," or "A or B or C, or any combination thereof," with lists having additional elements being treated similarly. The term "based on" is non-exclusive and allows for based on additional unlisted features, functions, aspects, or limitations, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In addition, throughout this specification, "a," "an," and "the" include singular and plural referents.

[0008] As used herein, references to the term "set" (e.g., "set of items") are to be construed as a non-empty collection containing one or more members or instances, unless otherwise specified or contrary to context.

[0009] As used herein, references to the term "subset" (e.g., "a subset of a set of items") shall be construed as a non-empty set that includes one or more members or instances of the set or multiple members or instances, unless otherwise specified or contradicted by context.

[0010] Additionally, the term "subset," as used herein, refers to a proper subset, which is a set of one or more members or instances that are collectively fewer in number than the set or plurality to which the subset is drawn. For example, a subset of a set of 10 items has fewer than 10 items and has at least one item.

[0011] FIG. 1 illustrates a network environment 100 according to some embodiments in which one or more medical image acquisition systems (one shown) 102 are communicatively coupled to at least one medical image processing and display system 104 via one or more networks 106a, 106b (two shown, collectively 106).

[0012] The medical image acquisition system 102 is typically located in a clinical facility, such as a hospital or a dedicated medical imaging center. Examples of such medical acquisition systems include, but are not limited to, radiological imaging systems, medical x-ray imaging systems, mammography imaging systems, full-field digital mammography (FFDM) imaging systems, magnetic resonance imaging systems, computed tomography (CT) or computed transaxial tomography (CAT) imaging systems, ultrasound imaging systems, positron emission tomography (PET) imaging systems, single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT or SPET) imaging systems, optical imaging systems, and optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging systems. Various techniques and structures described herein allow the image processing and display system 104 to be located remotely from the medical image acquisition system 102. The image processing and display system 104 may be located, for example, in another building, city, state, region, or even country.

[0013] The medical image acquisition system 102 may include, for example, a medical image capture machine 108, a computer system 110, and a medical image capture operator system 128. The medical image capture machine 108 typically includes or is communicatively coupled to a processor-based control system 126 that is used to control the medical image capture machine 108. The processor-based control system 126 may include one or more processors, non-transitory computer or processor-readable memory, drive circuitry, and / or interface components for interfacing with the medical image capture machine 108. The processor-based control system 126, in some implementations, may also perform some pre-processing on data resulting from the medical imaging operation.

[0014] The operator system 128 may include a computer system 130, a monitor or display 132, a keypad and / or keyboard 134, and / or a cursor control device such as a mouse 136, a joystick, a trackpad, a trackball, etc. The operator system 128 may include computer or processor executable instructions or may be read from one or more non-transitory computer or processor readable media, e.g., media 138 such as flash memory, or a magnetic or optical disk. The operator system 128 may enable a technician to operate the medical image capturer 108 to capture or otherwise obtain medical imaging data from a patient. Various techniques, structures, and features described herein may enable technician operation of the medical image capturer 108 without requiring the presence of a clinician or physician.

[0015] The image processing and display system 104 may include one or more servers that process incoming requests and responses, and one or more rendering or image processing and display computers 140. The server(s) may take the form of, for example, one or more server computers, workstation computers, supercomputers, or personal computers that execute server software or instructions. The one or more rendering or image processing and display computers 140 may take the form of one or more computers, workstation computers, supercomputers, or personal computers that execute image processing and / or analysis software or instructions. The one or more rendering or image processing and display computers 140 typically employ one, and preferably multiple, graphics processing units (GPUs) or GPU cores.

[0016] The image processing and display system 104 may include one or more non-transitory computer-readable media 142 (e.g., solid state hard drives, magnetic or optical hard drives, RAID, RAM, or flash) that store processor-executable instructions, data, or other information. The image processing and display system 104 may include one or more image processing and display operator systems 144. The image processing and display operator systems 144 may include a computer system 146, a monitor or display 148, a keypad or keyboard 150, or a cursor control device such as a mouse 152, joystick, trackpad, trackball, etc. The image processing and display operator systems 144 may be communicatively coupled to the rendering or image processing and display computer(s) 140 via one or more networks, such as a LAN 154. While many image processing techniques and analyses may be fully automated, the image processing and display operator systems enable a technician to perform certain image processing or analysis operations on medical image data.

[0017] Although the non-transitory computer or processor readable storage medium 142 is shown as a single non-transitory computer or processor readable storage medium 142, in many implementations it may comprise multiple non-transitory storage media 142. The multiple non-transitory storage media may be co-located at a common location or distributed at various remote locations. The computer or processor readable storage medium 142 may be co-located with the image processing and display system 104, for example, in the same room, building, or facility. Alternatively, the computer or processor readable storage medium 142 may be located remotely from the image processing and display system 104, for example, in a different facility, city, state, or country. Electronic or digital information, files or records or other collections of information may be stored in specific locations within the non-transitory computer or processor readable medium 142 and thus are logically addressable portions of such media, which may or may not be contiguous.

[0018] As mentioned above, the image processing and display system 104 may be located remotely from the medical image acquisition system 102. The medical image capturer 108 and the image processing and display system 104 may communicate via one or more communication connections, such as a local area network (LAN) 106a and a wide area network (WAN) 106b. The network 106 may include a packet-switched communication network, such as the Internet, the World Wide Web portion of the Internet, an extranet, and / or an intranet. The network 106 may take the form of various other types of communication networks, such as cellular and data networks, and Plain Old Telephone System (POTS) networks. The type of communication infrastructure should not be considered limiting.

[0019] Although not shown, the communications network may include one or more additional networking devices, which may take any of a wide variety of forms, including servers, routers, network switches, bridges, and / or modems (e.g., DSL modems, cable modems), etc.

[0020] In the illustrated exemplary network environment 100, the connections 106 may comprise one or more computer networks, one or more wired or wireless networks, a satellite transmission medium, one or more cellular networks, or any combination thereof. The connections 106 may include a publicly accessible network of linked networks, such as the Internet, which may be operated by a variety of different parties. The connections 106 may include other network types, such as one or more private networks (e.g., a corporate or university network that is not accessible in whole or in part to non-privileged users), and may include combinations thereof, such that (for example) one or more of the private networks can be accessed to one or more of the public networks, or one or more of the private networks can be accessed from one or more of the public networks. Additionally, the connections 106 may include various types of wired or wireless networks in various situations, including satellite transmissions. Additionally, the connections 106 may include one or more communication interfaces to individual entities within the network environment 100 and various other mobile, computing and media devices, including, but not limited to, radio frequency (RF) transceivers, cellular communication interfaces and antennas, USB interfaces, ports and connections (e.g., USB Type A, USB Type B, USB Type C (or USB-C), USB Mini A, USB Mini B, USB Micro A, USB Micro C), other RF transceivers (e.g., infrared transceivers, Zigbee® network connection interfaces based on the IEEE 802.15.4 specification, Z-Wave® connection interfaces, wireless Ethernet (Wi-Fi) interfaces, short-range wireless (e.g., Bluetooth®) interfaces, etc.).

[0021] 1 illustrates a representative network environment 100, a typical network environment may include many additional medical image acquisition systems, image processing and display systems 104, computer systems, and / or entities. The concepts taught herein may be employed in a similar manner in network environments larger than those illustrated. For example, an entity providing image processing and display services may operate multiple systems to provide an image processing and display system 104 that may include two, three, or even hundreds of rendering or image processing and display computers 140 and operator systems 144.

[0022] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of medical image presentation in multiple contexts, according to some embodiments. As illustrated, multiple contexts 202 containing medical image(s) are connected via a communication channel 210. The contexts 202a-202c can be displayed using the same software application or different applications. The application(s) can be the medical image processing and display system 104, and in some embodiments the medical image acquisition system 102, or in some embodiments part of the medical image processing and display system, or the medical image acquisition system. The application(s) can be running on the same device or different devices connected by a local network or connected to the Internet. Illustratively, the contexts 202a-202c can be different browser windows, different tabs (e.g., a single browser window or different browser windows), different frames (e.g., a single tab or different tabs, a single browser window or different browser windows, a combination thereof, etc.).

[0023] The communication channel 210 may be implemented solely in software or may also include hardware components. For example, if the contexts 202a-202c belong to multiple processes of the same software application or multiple software applications running on the same device, the communication channel 210 may be implemented as an object that sends and receives messages between the processes. If the contexts 202a-202c belong to processes running on multiple devices connected by a local network or connected to the Internet, the implementation of the communication channel 210 may include both software and hardware parts. The software part may include a "sender" and a "receiver". The "sender" end may get the original message from the context, encode the message, split the message into packets, encapsulate the packets, and send the packets over the local network or the Internet according to the applicable network protocol (e.g., TCP, UDP, IP, etc.). The "receiver" end may receive packets containing relevant information, decapsulate the packets, concatenate the packets to retrieve the message, decode the message, and send the message to other contexts in the group of contexts 202a-202c for further processing. The hardware portion may include network devices such as servers, routers, network switches, bridges, and / or modems (eg, DSL modems, cable modems).

[0024] In some embodiments, contexts 202a-202c display or otherwise present medical images featuring the same organ, tissue, or other part of a patient, but the presentations may have different sizes, aspect ratios, pixel depths, orientations, timing, etc. The medical images may feature the same origin, but represent views from different perspectives. For example, in FIG. 2, contexts 202a and 202b both include images featuring a side view of a pair of lungs, while context 202c includes a medical image featuring a top view of the same pair of lungs. Contexts may also include elements other than medical images, such as annotation labels, shapes, or text. For example, in FIG. 2, context 202b includes a line of annotation text below the medical image. As another example, the medical images presented in the different contexts are the same type of scans captured at different times (e.g., a month apart), and the views between the two screens are synchronously modified by user input (e.g., so that a user can easily see changes over time with a consistent view).

[0025] In some embodiments, when one or more environmental characteristics of one of the contexts 202a-202c connected by the communication channel 210 are updated, information about the update is communicated to the other contexts via the communication channel 210. Based on the information, one or more corresponding environmental characteristics of the other contexts may also be updated accordingly. The medical images and / or other elements in the other contexts may be displayed according to the updated environmental characteristics. For example, in FIG. 2, if a user updates the aspect ratio of a medical image in the context 202a from 1:1 to 1:0.9, the update may be communicated to the contexts 202b and 202c. The context 202b may update the aspect ratio of its medical image from 1:1 to 1:0.9 according to the update in the context 202a. The context 202c may not update the aspect ratio of the images therein because the images in 202c are top views of a pair of lungs, but the images in the contexts 202a and 202b are side views of a pair of lungs. As another example, medical images presented in different contexts may be the same type of scan captured at different times (e.g., a month apart), and the views or other presentations from the different contexts may be synchronously modified by user interaction with one of the contexts (e.g., flagging, labeling, measuring, etc.) so that a user can easily see changes over time with a consistent presentation.

[0026] In some embodiments, any context in the group of contexts 202a-202c can communicate updated environmental characteristics to other contexts in the group via communication channel 210, and any context can receive the updated environmental characteristics and display medical image(s), and possibly other elements in the context, in accordance with the updates.

[0027] In some embodiments, the environmental characteristics may include attributes of the annotation element(s), size, aspect ratio, pixel depth, color, brightness, and orientation of the medical image(s), as well as other parameters of the medical image(s). In some embodiments, the environmental characteristics include the inclusion or omission of annotation elements such as labels, shapes, or text, as well as attributes such as color, size, orientation, position, content, etc.

[0028] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of an exemplary method 300 implemented according to some embodiments. Illustratively, at least a portion of the method 300 may be performed by the medical image processing and display system 104, and in some embodiments, by the medical image acquisition system 102. Portions of the method 300 may also be performed or partially performed by other software applications on the computing device 400, and may be performed or partially performed on elements that serve to transmit information between computers and other electronic devices, such as switches and routers. The method 300 begins at block 302, where the method 300 includes processing a user interaction with a medical image presentation in a local context. Illustratively, the user interaction is initiated from an input device, such as a mouse or keyboard. The user interaction may be performed to adjust environmental characteristics of the local context. For example, a user may want to change the aspect ratio of a medical image in the local context, or insert annotation text describing the medical image. The user interactions may be processed using the medical image processing and display system 104, or the medical image acquisition system 102, or other software applications on the computing device 400. Based on input from the user interactions, environmental characteristics of the local context may be adjusted accordingly, and medical images and other elements in the local context may be displayed according to the updated environmental characteristics.

[0029] At block 304, the method 300 includes generating one or more messages based on the processing at block 302. In some embodiments, the messages include content to communicate the updated environmental characteristics. The messages may also include other information. In some embodiments, the messages may be encoded for security or other purposes. In some embodiments, the messages may be processed (e.g., split into packets and encapsulated) such that the messages may be transmitted over the Internet based on the applicable protocol(s).

[0030] At block 306, method 300 includes sending the generated message(s) to synchronize with one or more remote contexts. Illustratively, if the local context and one or more remote contexts belong to multiple processes of the same software application or multiple software applications running on the same device, the sending of the message may be completed by purely software means. For example, the sending of the message may be accomplished by writing to and reading from a shared memory accessible by both the local context and the one or more remote contexts. Alternatively, or in addition, the sending of the message may be accomplished by implementing a message passing module, through which a process may broadcast and receive messages.

[0031] When the local and remote contexts belong to multiple processes running on multiple devices connected by a local network or the Internet, the transmission of messages can be achieved both by software means and by hardware implementation. On the software side, specific Internet protocols such as TCP, UDP, IP, etc. can be implemented to ensure reliable transmission of information. Hardware implementations can include network devices such as servers, routers, network switches, bridges, and / or modems (e.g., DSL modems, cable modems).

[0032] At block 308, the method 300 includes obtaining one or more messages originating from the remote context(s). The obtained message(s) may or may not be in response to the message(s) sent from the local context at block 306. In some embodiments, the message(s) are decapsulated and concatenated such that the original content for the remote context(s) is recovered. In some embodiments, the message(s) are decoded for security or other purposes.

[0033] At block 310, the method 300 includes processing the retrieved message(s) to synchronize the presentation of the medical image(s) in the local context. In some embodiments, updated environmental characteristics or other information regarding the remote context(s) are retrieved from the message(s). The presentation of the medical image(s) in the local context may be adjusted accordingly. For example, if the message indicates that the aspect ratio of the medical image(s) in the remote context is changed from 1:1 to 1:0.9, the aspect ratio of the medical image(s) in the local context may be updated accordingly. If the message indicates that an annotation label, shape, or text has been added to the remote context, the annotation may be displayed in the local context accordingly. In some embodiments, the local context and the remote context(s) are synchronized such that the presentation of the medical image in the context is consistent. In some embodiments, if the message is successfully retrieved and processed, an acknowledgment is sent back to the remote context from which the message originates, and if the message cannot be successfully retrieved or processed, an error report is sent back to the remote context.

[0034] 4 is a block diagram illustrating elements of an exemplary computing device that may be utilized in accordance with at least some embodiments of the techniques described herein. Illustratively, computing device 400 corresponds to image processing and display operator system 144, medical image capture operator system 128, or at least a portion thereof.

[0035] In some embodiments, one or more general purpose or special purpose computing systems or devices may be used to implement the computing device 400. In addition, in some embodiments, the computing device 400 may comprise one or more separate computing systems or devices and may span distributed locations. Furthermore, each block illustrated in FIG. 4 may represent one or more blocks suitable for a particular embodiment or may be combined with other blocks. Also, the medical image manager 422 may be implemented in software, hardware, firmware, or some combination that achieves the functionality described herein.

[0036] As shown, computing device 400 includes non-transitory computer memory ("memory") 401, a display 402 (including, but not limited to, a light emitting diode (LED) panel, a cathode ray tube (CRT) display, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a touch screen display, a projector, etc.), one or more CPUs, GPUs, or other processors 403, input / output ("I / O") devices 404 (e.g., a keyboard, a mouse, an RF or infrared receiver, a universal serial bus (USB) port, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI) port, other communications ports, etc.), other computer readable media 405, and a network connection 406. A medical image manager 422 is shown as resident within memory 401. In other embodiments, some of the content and some or all of the components of medical image manager 422 may be stored on or transmitted via other computer readable media 405. Components of the computing device 400 and medical image manager 422 may execute on one or more processors 403 to implement the applicable functionality described herein. In some embodiments, the medical image manager 422 may operate as, be part of, or operate in conjunction or cooperation with other software applications stored in memory 401 or various other computing devices. In some embodiments, the medical image manager 422 also facilitates communication with peripheral devices via I / O devices 404 or with another device or system via a network connection 406.

[0037] The one or more medical image related modules 424 are configured to perform operations directly or indirectly related to medical image capture, enhancement, annotation, association, linking, filtering, synchronization, rendering, presentation, or other manipulation. In some embodiments, the medical image related module(s) 424 store, retrieve, or otherwise access at least some medical image related data in the medical image related data store 416 or other data store internal or external to the computing device 400.

[0038] Other code or programs 430 (e.g., further data processing modules, program guide manager modules, web servers, etc.) and potentially other data repositories, such as data repository 420 for storing other data, may also be resident in memory 401 and executed on one or more processors 403. Of note, one or more of the components of FIG. 4 may or may not be present in any particular implementation. For example, some embodiments may not provide other computer-readable media 405 or display 402.

[0039] In some embodiments, the computing device 400 and the medical image related manager 422 include API(s) that provide programmatic access to add, remove, or modify one or more features of the computing device 400. In some embodiments, the components / modules of the computing device 400 and the medical image related manager 422 are implemented using standard programming techniques. For example, the medical image related manager 222 may be implemented as an executable that runs on the processor(s) 403 along with one or more static or dynamic libraries. In other embodiments, the computing device 400 and the medical image related manager 422 may be implemented as instructions processed by a virtual machine that executes as one of the other programs 430. In general, a range of programming languages ​​known in the art may be used to implement such exemplary embodiments, including representative implementations of various programming language paradigms, including but not limited to object-oriented (e.g., Java, C++, C#, Visual Basic.NET, Smalltalk, etc.), functional (e.g., ML, Lisp, Scheme, etc.), procedural (e.g., C, Pascal, Ada, Modula, etc.), scripting (e.g., Perl, Ruby, Python, JavaScript, VBScript, etc.), or declarative (e.g., SQL, Prolog, etc.).

[0040] In a software or firmware implementation, the instructions stored in memory, when executed, configure one or more processors of the computing device 400 to perform the functions of the medical image association manager 422. In some embodiments, the instructions cause the processor(s) 403 or some other processor, such as an I / O controller / processor, to perform at least some of the functions described herein.

[0041] The above-described embodiments may also use known or other synchronous or asynchronous client-server computing techniques. However, the various components may use more monolithic programming techniques, for example implemented as executable files running on a single CPU computer system, or may be decomposed using various structuring techniques known in the art, including but not limited to multiprogramming, multithreading, client-server, or peer-to-peer, each running on one or more computer systems having one or more CPUs or other processors. Some embodiments may run simultaneously and asynchronously and communicate using message passing techniques. Equivalent synchronous embodiments are also supported by the implementation of the medical image related manager 422. Also, other functions may be implemented or performed by each component / module, in different orders, and by different components / modules, while still achieving the functionality of the computing device 400 and the medical image related manager 422.

[0042] Additionally, programming interfaces to the computing device 400 and data stored as part of the medical image association manager 422 may be available through standard mechanisms such as C, C++, C#, and Java APIs; libraries for accessing files, databases, or other data repositories; scripting languages ​​such as XML; or a web server, FTP server, NFS file server, or other type of server that provides access to the stored data. The medical image association data storage 416 and data repository 420 may be implemented as one or more database systems, file systems, or any other techniques for storing such information, or any combination of the above, including implementations using distributed computing techniques.

[0043] Different configurations and locations of programs and data are contemplated for use with the techniques described herein. A variety of distributed computing techniques for distributing and implementing the components of the illustrated embodiment are suitable, including, but not limited to, TCP / IP sockets, RPC, RMI, HTTP, and Web Services (XML-RPC, JAX-RPC, SOAP, etc.). Other variations are possible. Other functionality may also be provided by each component / module, or existing functionality may be distributed differently among components / modules, while still achieving the functionality of medical image association manager 422.

[0044] Further, in some embodiments, some or all of the components of the computing device 400 and the medical image association manager 422 may be implemented or provided at least partially in firmware or hardware in other ways, including, for example, but not limited to, one or more application specific integrated circuits ("ASICs"), standard integrated circuits, controllers (e.g., by executing appropriate instructions, including microcontrollers or embedded controllers), field programmable gate arrays ("FPGAs"), combined programmable logic circuits ("CPLDs"), etc. Some or all of the system components or data structures may also be stored as content (e.g., as executable or other machine-readable software instructions or structured data) on a computer-readable medium (e.g., a hard disk, memory, computer network, cellular wireless network, or other data transmission medium, or a portable media article read by a suitable drive or via a suitable connection, such as a DVD or flash memory device) to enable or configure the computer-readable medium, or one or more associated computing systems or devices, to perform or otherwise use or provide content for performing at least some of the described techniques.

[0045] The various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. All U.S. patents, U.S. patent application publications, U.S. patent applications, foreign patents, foreign patent applications, and non-patent publications mentioned in this specification or listed in the application data sheet are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. In the event that the patent application of this application conflicts with an application or other document incorporated herein by reference, this application will take precedence. Aspects of the embodiments can be modified, if necessary, to adopt concepts from various patents, applications, and publications to provide further embodiments.

[0046] These and other changes can be made to the embodiments in light of the above detailed description. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and claims, but rather to include all possible embodiments, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. Thus, the claims are not limited by this disclosure.

Claims

1. A method for presenting medical images in a plurality of contexts, comprising: processing user interaction for presenting one or more medical images in a local context; generating a message based at least in part on processing the user interaction; transmitting the message for synchronization with one or more remote contexts; obtaining one or more messages sent from the one or more remote contexts; processing the obtained one or more messages to synchronize the presentation of the one or more medical images in the local context; The method as described above.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the local context includes at least one of a web browser, a tab, a frame, or a window for displaying information on a display device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more messages are obtained in response to the transmitted message for synchronization.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the message includes attributes of (one or more) annotation elements applied to the presentation of the one or more medical images in the local context.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the annotation element includes at least one of a label, a shape, or text.

6. A method for presenting medical images in a plurality of contexts, comprising: presenting one or more first medical images of a target organ or tissue in a local context; obtaining one or more messages sent from one or more remote contexts, wherein one or more second medical images of the target organ or tissue are presented in the one or more remote contexts; processing the obtained one or more messages to synchronize the presentation of the one or more first medical images in the local context, such that changes in the target organ or tissue over time are consistently presented; processing user interaction with respect to the one or more first medical images of the target organ or tissue presented in the local context; The method as described above.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing content, which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform actions, the actions including: processing user interaction with respect to the presentation of one or more medical images in a local context; generating a message based at least in part on processing the user interaction; transmitting the message for synchronization with one or more remote contexts; receiving one or more messages sent from the one or more remote contexts; processing the received one or more messages to synchronize the presentation of the one or more medical images in the local context; The non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising the above. **Claim 8** The computer-readable medium according to claim 7, wherein the local context includes at least one of a web browser, a tab, a frame, or a window for displaying information on a display device. **Claim 9** The computer-readable medium according to claim 7, wherein the one or more messages are received in response to the transmitted message for synchronization. **Claim 10** The computer-readable medium according to claim 7, wherein the message includes attributes of (one or more) annotation elements applied to the presentation of the one or more medical images in the local context. **Claim 11** The computer-readable medium according to claim 10, wherein the annotation element includes at least one of a label, a shape, or text. **Claim 12** A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing context, which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to: present one or more first medical images in a local context, the one or more first medical images reflecting a view from a first perspective and being taken at a first time point; receive one or more messages sent from one or more remote contexts, the one or more second medical images being presented in the one or more remote contexts, the one or more second medical images reflecting a view from a second perspective and being taken at a second time point; Processing the one or more messages obtained to synchronize the presentation of one or more first medical images in the local context according to the first and second viewpoints and the first and second points in time, so that changes over time are consistently presented, the processing; Processing user interaction with respect to the presentation of the one or more first medical images in the local context; A non-transitory computer-readable medium that causes an operation including the above to be executed.

13. A system comprising: One or more processors; A memory for storing content, which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the system to perform actions, the actions including: Processing user interaction with respect to the presentation of one or more medical images in the local context; Generating a message at least partially based on processing the user interaction; Transmitting the message for synchronization with one or more remote contexts; Obtaining one or more messages sent from the one or more remote contexts; Processing the obtained one or more messages to synchronize the presentation of the one or more medical images in the local context; The memory including the above; The system comprising the above.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the local context includes at least one of a web browser, a tab, a frame, or a window for displaying information on a display device.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein the one or more messages are obtained in response to the message transmitted for synchronization.

16. The system according to claim 13, wherein the message includes attributes of (one or more) annotation elements applied to the presentation of the one or more medical images in the local context.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the annotation element includes at least one of a label, a shape, or text.

18. A system comprising: One or more processors; A memory storing a context, which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the system to: In a local context, presenting one or more first medical images of a target organ or tissue, wherein the one or more first medical images reflect a view of the target organ or tissue from a first viewpoint and are taken at a first time point, and the presenting; Obtaining one or more messages transmitted from one or more remote contexts, wherein one or more second medical images of the target organ or tissue are presented in the one or more remote contexts, the one or more second medical images reflect a view of the target organ or tissue from a second viewpoint and are taken at a second time point, and the obtaining; Processing the one or more obtained messages to synchronize the presentation of the one or more first medical images in the local context according to the first and second viewpoints and the first and second time points, such that changes in the target organ or tissue over time are consistently presented, and the processing; Processing user interaction with respect to the presentation of the one or more first medical images of the target organ or tissue presented in the local context; The memory, causing an operation including the above to be executed; A system comprising the above.

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