Picture archiving and communication system

A workstation which retrieves images from one of a plurality of caches located in different components of a picture archiving and communication system (“PACS”) cluster, the workstation comprising:

• a display screen capable of displaying images;
• one or more memories which store computer-executable process steps and a list of studies, each study comprising one or more images;
• and
• a processor which executes the process steps stored in the one or more memories so as to retrieve image data for designated studies in the study list and to form images on the display screen using the image data, the process steps comprising code (i) to select caches of different components, (ii) to retrieve image data for designated studies from caches of the selected components, (iii) to form each image in the studies from retrieved image data, and (iv) to display each image on the display screen once the image is formed, without waiting for any additional image data to arrive, wherein the PACS cluster includes a network gateway having a processor, wherein the processor in the network gateway further executes stored process steps so as (i) to determine if any received images include additional information that is inconsistent with corresponding information previously stored on the PACS, and (ii) to correct the additional information in any such received images prior to routing the images.

A picture archiving and communication system (“PACS”) having plural core components arranged in a cluster, the plural core components of the PACS comprising:

• an archive station which includes a long-term memory for storing image data;
• a reviewing station which includes a display for displaying images based on received image data;
• a network gateway which interfaces to a non-core component so as to receive image data therefrom, and which routes the image data to at least one of the archive station and the reviewing station based on a set of rules in the network gateway, the network gateway having a processor, wherein the processor in the network gateway further executes stored process steps so as (i) to determine if any received images include additional information that is inconsistent with corresponding information previously stored on the PACS, and (ii) to correct the additional information in any such received images prior to routing the images;
• and
• a database server which manages access to the image data, and which stores information relating to the image data.

A method of routing images in a picture archiving and communication system (“PACS”), the PACS including (i) a plurality of reviewing stations each being designated to receive images based on predetermined routing rules, and (ii) a network gateway which receives images from one or more external sources, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving images from the one or more external sources at the network gateway;
• determining if any received images include additional information that is inconsistent with corresponding information previously stored on the PACS;
• correcting the additional information in any such received images prior to routing the images in the routing step;
• determining, in the network gateway, which, if any, of the reviewing stations that each image should be routed to, based upon the predetermined routing rules;
• and
• routing the images to appropriate reviewing stations.

A method, for use in a picture archiving and communication system (“PACS”), of pre-fetching images or summaries of images in response to a scheduled event, the PACS including (i) at least one station that is capable of displaying the pre-fetched images, and (ii) a network gateway which communicates with the at least one station and a remote source, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving information concerning the scheduled event from the remote source;
• querying the remote source for details on the scheduled event;
• receiving the details from the remote source;
• retrieving images or summaries of images from a memory on the PACS based on the details and one or more predetermined pre-fetching rules;
• determining if any retrieved images include additional information that is inconsistent with corresponding information previously stored on the PACS;
• and
• correcting the additional information in any such retrieved images prior to routing the retrieved images to the at least one station.

A method of retrieving images from one of a plurality of caches located in different components of a picture archiving and communication system (“PACS ”) cluster, the method comprising the steps of:

• displaying a list of studies on a PACS station, each study comprising one or more images available via the PACS;
• designating one or more of the studies;
• retrieving image data for the designated studies by (i) selecting caches of different components, and (ii) retrieving image data for images in the studies from caches of the selected components;
• determining if any of the retrieved image data includes additional information that is inconsistent with corresponding information previously stored on the PACS;
• correcting the additional information in any such retrieved image data;
• and
• forming images on the PACS station based on the retrieved image data by (i) forming each image in the designated studies from the retrieved image data, and (ii) displaying each image on the PACS station once the image is formed, without waiting for any additional image data to arrive.

A method of generating a user-customized display for a picture archiving and communication system (“PACS”), the PACS including a network gateway having a processor, which executes stored process steps so as (i) to determine if any received images include additional information that is inconsistent with corresponding information previously stored on the PACS, and (ii) to correct the additional information in any such received images and wherein the PACS further includes at least one station for displaying the user-customized display and a database server, the method comprising the steps of:

• invoking display of at least one form on the station, the form including settable options for altering the PACS display;
• storing, in a memory on the server, user inputs to the form which correspond to the settable options;
• and
• generating the user-customized PACS display based, at least in part, on the user inputs to the form.