Dental image storage and retrieval apparatus
OwnerTed Kaltanjiinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A dental image storage and retrieval apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes one or more client computing devices for displaying and processing dental images. The client devices are connected via a network to a dental image file server. The dental images are stored on the file server using a standardized naming format that allows the dentist to browse through the images without loading an intermediate database management program, making the dental images independent of whatever viewing or editing software program is chosen to actually view or edit the dental images.
Claims19
A method of storing a dental image comprising:
- receiving an identity of a patient for whom said dental image is to be stored;
- capturing a dental image from said patient's dental region;
- generating a unique file name for said image;
- and,
- outputting said image file for storage on a file storage device under said unique file name to identify said image on said file device.
A method of retrieving a dental image comprising:
- receiving an identity of a patient;
- retrieving at least a portion of dental images respective to said patient from a storage device that are stored under a native file system of said storage device according to said identity;
- presenting a plurality of said retrieved dental images to a user for browsing;
- retrieving a dental image for processing when said user selects one of said presented dental images;
- and
- identifying a next portion of said images from said storage device when said user declines to select one of said presented dental images;
- and
- repeating said presenting, retrieving said dental image and identifying steps until a criteria is established for terminating said method.
A system for storing and retrieving dental images comprising:
- a dental image file server for storing a plurality of dental images thereon according to a unique file name for each one of said images;
- at least one dental image client connected to said dental image file server for delivering dental images to said server for storage thereon and for retrieving dental images therefrom;
- a dental image input device connected to said client for receiving a captured dental image from a patient;
- and,
- a dental image output device connected to said for presenting said dental images to a user.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.