Method and apparatus for linking images and reports at remote view station

A scanner comprising:

• memory that electronically stores a study identifier that identifies a study, a frame of image data belonging to said study and report data belonging to said study;
• a parallel port;
• a serial port;
• and
• a computer programmed to perform the following steps:
• associating said study identifier with said frame of image data in a first format;
• sending said frame of image data with said associated study identifier in said first format out said parallel port;
• associating said study identifier and said report data in a second format different than said first format;
• and
• sending said report data and said study identifier in said second format out said serial port.

A method for transmitting linked images and reports from a computerized system, comprising the steps of:

• electronically storing a study identifier that identifies a study, a frame of image data belonging to said study and report data belonging to said study;
• associating said study identifier with said frame of image data in a first format;
• sending said frame of image data and said study identifier in said first format out a parallel port of said computerized system in response to a first system user command input;
• associating said study identifier with report data in a second format different than said first format;
• and
• sending said report data and said study identifier in said second format out a serial port of said computerized system in response to a second system user command input.

A view station comprising:

• a display monitor;
• a user interface;
• a data port;
• memory;
• and
• a computer programmed to perform the following steps:
• storing frames of image data in said memory, each frame having associated therewith a respective study identifier identifying the particular study to which said frame belongs;
• receiving report data via said data port;
• detecting report data having no study identifier associated therewith;
• searching said frames of image data for a frame having attributes associated with said image data which closely match attributes associated with said report data;
• generating a message on said display monitor requesting confirmation that said report data should be linked to said frame having said closely matching attributes;
• and
• associating said study identifier with said report data in response to receipt of a user input indicating confirmation via said operator interface.

A method for linking images and report data in a computerized system, comprising the steps of:

• storing frames of image data, each frame having associated therewith a respective study identifier identifying the particular study to which said frame belongs;
• receiving report data;
• detecting whether said received report data has no study identifier associated therewith;
• searching said frames of image data for a frame having attributes associated with said image data which closely match attributes associated with said report data;
• displaying a message requesting confirmation that said report data should be linked to said frame having said closely matching attributes;
• and
• associating said study identifier with said report data in response to receipt of confirmation.

A scanner comprising:

• an image acquisition system;
• a display monitor;
• an operator interface comprising movable input elements that are physical components and graphical user interface elements that are activatable only when displayed on said display monitor;
• memory for storing data;
• and
• a computer programmed to perform the following steps:
• displaying a first graphical user interface screen on said display monitor in response to a first command inputted via said operator interface, said first graphical user interface screen comprising fillable fields for patient information and selectable-fields representing examination categories;
• exiting said first graphical user interface screen, recording the current date and time, and constructing a study identifier comprising said date, said time and a scanner identifier that identifies said scanner in response to a second command inputted via said operator interface;
• storing said study identifier in said memory;
• storing a frame of image data acquired by said image acquisition system in said memory in response to a third command inputted via said operator interface;
• retrieving said frame of image data and said study identifier from said memory and constructing a data object comprising said frame of image data and said study identifier in a first format in response to a fourth command inputted via said operator interface;
• displaying a second graphical user interface screen on said display monitor in response to a fifth command inputted via said operator interface, said second graphical user interface screen comprising fields filled with report data acquired during a study identified by said study identifier;
• and
• retrieving said study identifier from said memory and constructing a file comprising said study identifier and said report data in said filled fields in a second format different than said first format in response to a sixth command inputted via said operator interface.