Medical Image Normalization for Radiology Workflows
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Solution Overview
Problem
Radiologists face challenges in viewing and analyzing medical images from multiple sources, as existing systems lack a standardized protocol for displaying images from different facilities, leading to inconsistencies and reduced productivity.
Innovation Solution
A system that generates a normalized hanging protocol using metadata and image characteristics to standardize the display of medical images across multiple sources, allowing radiologists to work in a unified environment with enhanced productivity and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If medical images from multiple facilities are displayed using existing systems, then images can be viewed remotely, but the display layout is inconsistent and non-standardized across different sources
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a universal hanging protocol that works across multiple medical facilities and imaging modalities. The normalized hanging protocol serves as a common standard that can display images from different sources (CT, MRI, X-ray, ultrasound) in a unified manner, making the system multi-functional and adaptable to various image sources while maintaining consistent display characteristics
2Productivity
If radiologists manually navigate through images from different facilities, then all images can be reviewed, but productivity is reduced due to inconsistent layouts requiring manual adjustment
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by automatically generating and applying the normalized hanging protocol before the radiologist begins reviewing images. The protocol pre-organizes images from multiple facilities into a consistent layout, pre-calculates optimal windowing parameters, and pre-configures the display arrangement, eliminating the need for radiologists to manually adjust each image sequence and allowing them to immediately begin diagnostic review
3Adaptability or versatility
If images are transmitted independently to remote viewing sites, then remote access is enabled, but the metadata organization varies by facility causing display inconsistencies
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces an intermediary component that processes and normalizes metadata from different facilities before applying the hanging protocol. This intermediary layer translates varying metadata formats and organizational structures from different medical facilities into a standardized format, mediating between the diverse source systems and the unified display requirements, thereby enabling remote access while eliminating display inconsistencies
Data Source
AI summary
The subject matter of this specification can be implemented in, among other things, a system for interfacing with multiple medical imaging modalities that includes a normalization module for normalizing hanging protocols for displaying medical images. The normalization can be executed as a function of similar image characteristics shared between multiple sequences of medical images.