Systems for fast efficient retrieval of medical image data from multidimensional data sets, related methods and computer products

A signal processor circuit comprising a data retrieval interface module in communication with a client and a server for extracting data from respective patient multidimensional imaging data sets obtained from different imaging modalities, wherein the signal processor circuit is configured to define a Physical region object to retrieve a subset of image data from a respective multi-dimensional patient image data set that is accessible via the server,

• wherein the signal processor circuit is configured to define an Image data region object that is electronically transmitted to a server in communication with electronically stored multidimensional patient data sets to request image data from a target patient multidimensional imaging data set, wherein the requested image data associated with the Image data region object is then transmitted to the client and used to render a medical image,
• wherein the data retrieval interface module is configured to electronically determine on-the-fly a sampling grid used to retrieve image data from the multidimensional imaging data, and wherein the data regarding the sampling grid used to retrieve the image data is transmitted to a client along with the retrieved image data, and
• wherein the data retrieval interface module is configured to access different data sets with some of the data sets have grid points in G dimensions such that G≦4 and at least some have multivariate values for each grid point such that 1<V≦6 while others have a single value for a respective grid point, V=1.

A computer program product for providing physician interactive access to patient medical volume data for retrieving data for rendering diagnostic medical images, the computer program product comprising:

• a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied in the medium, the computer-readable program code comprising:
• computer readable program code configured to generate a first object associated with a viewing specification of an image data region of interest from at least one client;
• computer readable program code configured to generate a second object associated with an electronic physical specification based on data from the viewing specification;
• computer readable program code configured to retrieve relevant patient image data from a server having digital multi-dimensional patient image data sets using data from at least one of the first and second objects, wherein the computer readable program code configured to retrieve relevant data from a server having digital multi-dimensional patient image data sets is configured to support access to data from data sets having an arbitrary number of dimensions G and variates V using data from at least one of the first and second objects;
• computer readable program code configured to render and display medical images using the retrieved patient image data;
• computer readable program code configured to sort and/or group multi-variate data over a volume on-the fly, wherein the computer readable program that is configured to retrieve relevant data is configured to alter, on-the-fly, a sampling grid and/or resolution requested by a respective client;
• and
• computer readable program code configured to electronically associate overlay data to insert text and/or graphical objects that can be displayed with rendered images of the retrieved relevant data.

A computer program product for providing physician access to patient medical volume data using a networked system that retrieves data from patient image data sets for rendering diagnostic medical images, the computer program product comprising:

• a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied in the medium, the computer-readable program code executable on one or more processors and comprising:
• computer readable program code configured to allow clients of a networked system to request image data of a region of interest from a respective patient multi-dimensional image data set;
• and
• computer readable program code configured to define a first object that represents the request for multi-dimensional image data of a respective patient for a region of interest, the first object identifying coordinates of the region of interest, a proposed sampling grid and/or resolution, and a proposed quality for each dimension associated with the requested image data,
• wherein the respective data sets have a number of grid points in G dimensions, and a number of values V for each grid point, wherein some of the data sets have different G dimensions and V values than others, and wherein some of the data sets have grid points in G dimensions such that G≦4 and at least some have multivariate values for each grid point such that 1<V ≦6 while others have a single value for a respective grid point such that V=1.

A computer program product for providing access to patient medical data sets using a networked system for retrieving desired patient image data from multi-dimensional patient image data sets for rendering diagnostic medical images, the computer program product comprising:

• a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied in the medium, the computer-readable program code executable on one or more processors and comprising:
• computer readable program code configured to allow clients of a networked system to request image data of a physical region of interest from a remote server;
• and
• computer readable program code configured to provide a first object that represents a spatial extent of a physical region of a region of interest identified in a call from a client for the requested image data;
• and
• computer readable program code configured to provide a second object that represents an overlay that can electronically associate text and/or graphic data with image views of data in the physical region of interest,
• wherein the respective data sets have a number of grid points in G dimensions, and a number of values V for each grid point, wherein some of the data sets have different G dimensions and V values than others, and wherein some of the data sets have grid points in C dimensions such that G≦4 and at least some have multivariate values for each grid point such that 1<V≦6 while others have a single value for a respective grid point such that V=1.