Mammography Information System for Cross-Modality Image Correlation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Radiologists face challenges in efficiently reviewing and analyzing large numbers of mammography images from various modalities while maintaining accuracy and reducing false-positive diagnoses, with a need for improved data management and correlation across multiple image types and time periods.

Innovation Solution

A mammography information system that includes electronic displays, a database of existing categorizations, a graphical user interface for marking regions of interest, a clipping tool for selecting and storing images, and a processing engine to associate images with anatomical diagrams, enabling efficient retrieval and analysis of patient data across multiple imaging modalities.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If radiologists review mammography images using traditional methods, then they can maintain diagnostic accuracy, but the review process is time-consuming and inefficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimage review speedVSAvoiddiagnostic accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the large volume of mammography images into manageable groups and presents them in an organized sequence, allowing radiologists to review images systematically without being overwhelmed by the total volume, thus improving review speed while maintaining accuracy

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The mammography information system acts as an intermediary between the image storage database and the radiologist, automatically retrieving, organizing, and presenting relevant images and patient data, which speeds up the review process while preserving diagnostic accuracy through comprehensive data presentation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If radiologists review multiple imaging modalities and historical data, then diagnostic completeness improves, but data management complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvediagnostic completenessVSAvoiddata management complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system is designed to handle multiple imaging modalities (mammography, ultrasound, MRI, CT) and various types of data (images, reports, patient history) through a single unified platform, consolidating data management functions while ensuring comprehensive diagnostic information is available

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements a hierarchical data structure where patient data contains study data, which contains series data, which contains individual images and associated metadata. This nested organization allows comprehensive data to be stored and retrieved efficiently, maintaining diagnostic completeness while simplifying access through structured queries

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

3Loss of information

If radiologists manually categorize and track mammography findings, then detailed records are maintained, but the workload and time required increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefinding tracking completenessVSAvoidcategorization time

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically performs data categorization and tracking using standardized protocols (such as BI-RADS), reducing the manual workload on radiologists while maintaining complete and accurate records of all findings through automated data processing and storage

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

4Measurement precision

If the system stores and retrieves detailed patient data and images, then diagnostic accuracy improves, but data storage and retrieval time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvediagnostic accuracyVSAvoiddata retrieval time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-organizes and indexes patient data, images, and findings in a structured database format before retrieval is needed. This preliminary organization allows for rapid retrieval of comprehensive diagnostic information when a study is initiated, maintaining diagnostic accuracy while minimizing retrieval time

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS9183355B2Mammography information system

Publication Date: 2015.11.10 PENRAD TECH

AI summary

A method and system for analyzing and retrieving breast tissue abnormality tracking data, providing a tool for a radiologist that includes a report summarizing the statistical frequency of diagnosed patients, both locally and nationally, with breast tissue region-of-interest classifications similar to the breast tissue images taken of the anatomy of an individual patient. In one embodiment, a computer aided diagnostic program can be tested or verified against the breast tissue images and the region-of-interest classifications that have been validated by definitive patient diagnosis. Another embodiment allows the efficient collection of all of the breast tissue abnormalities for a given medical facility in order to provide trending data or radiologist performance analysis. In yet another embodiment, the region-of-interest abnormalities in a single location in a patient's tissue are correlated across a variety of imaging modalities including X-rays, mammogram, CT, ultrasound, MRI, or other imaging technologies. In another embodiment, the region-of-interest feature descriptors based on a location of an abnormality can be correlated by features and images for a plurality of imaging modalities as well as the pathological outcome.