Multiple modality interface for imaging systems including remote services over a network

A medical image data acquisition and manipulation system coupled to a network, the network coupling medical imaging devices of at least first and second different medical image data acquisition modalities, each medical image data acquisition modality including functions which are common to each of the first and second medical image data acquisition modalities, the system comprising:

• a medical image acquisition imaging device;
• a network coupling the imaging device to a remote facility, wherein the network provides the imaging device with remote services from the remote facility;
• an interface associated with the imaging device, the interface comprising a display and a programmed data processor for providing a uniform interface image on the display despite the specific data acquisition modality of the at least first and second modalities, the uniform interface image comprising:
• a function navigation space including function icons corresponding to procedures which are common to both the first and second data acquisition modalities;
• and
• a workspace adjacent the function navigation space for displaying, analyzing and manipulating images of a type consistent with the specific data acquisition modality;
• and
• a pointing device for moving a pointer icon about the display and for selecting displayed icons;
• wherein, when an icon is selected, the processor correlates the selected icon with a corresponding command and executes the command, each procedure which is common to the first and second modalities includes procedure specific subprocesses and wherein the workspace includes a workflow navigation space in which, when a function icon is selected, the processor displays a workflow icon set including a separate workflow icon corresponding to each subprocess of the process associated with the selected function icon and for the specific modality, each subprocess includes subprocess specific parameters, the workspace includes both an imaging window and a parameter setting space adjacent the imaging window and, when a workflow icon is selected, the processor displays a parameter value set and setting icons in the setting space which correspond to the subprocess specific parameters associated with the selected workflow icon, each parameter value indicating the current parameter value, the setting icons useable to modify the current parameter values and wherein a plurality of physicians may prescribe imaging using the specific modality and each physician may have different initial current parameter value settings for each subprocess, the processor storing a table which correlates each physician with physician specific initial current parameter value settings, a physician identifier provided to the processor and, when a specific workflow icon is selected, the processor accesses the table, correlates the physician identifier with the selected subprocess initial current parameter value settings and provides parameter icons indicating the initial current parameter value settings.