FILE SYSTEM FOR MEDICAL IMAGES AND DATA

摘要

The present invention is an improvement to a computer system for processing, storing and searching DICOM medical imaging objects and non-DICOM files. The improvement is the addition of a directory manager, a user interface and a search manager that allows users to define a hierarchy of directories that link to both DICOM and non-DICOM files. Contents of files are indexed, including metadata so they are searchable. The system automatically creates directories representing DICOM series and studies by analyzing metadata in DICOM image files. DICOM devices can send DICOM data directly to directories in the file system using the DICOM protocol.

主权项

1. A computer system for processing and storing DICOM medical imaging objects, the computer system comprising:
(a) a computer processor; (b) a user input device for receiving input from a user; (c) a display device for displaying information to the user; (d) a non-volatile memory; (e) a directory manager implemented by the processor for creating and managing subdirectories, each subdirectory being linked by a parent directory, the parent directory being either a root directory or another subdirectory, a plurality of the directories being configured to be linkable to DICOM image files comprising medical image data, the DICOM image files being formatted according to the DICOM standard format for storing medical imaging objects, the DICOM image files comprising metadata, at least some of the plurality of the directories further being configured to also be linkable to native format non-DICOM files that are not formatted according to the DICOM standard format for storing medical imaging objects; (f) a user interface implemented by the processor configured to receive a search request from the user via the user input device, the search request including a keyword and requesting a search for the keyword of the contents, including metadata, of both DICOM imaging objects and native format non-DICOM files linked by a directory specified in the search request, and to display on the display device results of a search performed by a search manager according to the search request; and (g) a search manager implemented by the processor configured to, in response to the search request, search the contents, including metadata, of both DICOM imaging objects and native format non-DICOM files linked by the directory specified in the search request for the keyword, and to return the results of the search request to the user interface.