System for remotely generating and distributing DICOM-compliant media volumes

#The present invention relates to systems for generating and distributing media volumes containing digital image data, and more particularly to systems for remotely generating and distributing digital image data-recorded media volumes through electronically-transmitted commands.

#Modern healthcare facilities now regularly utilize digital imaging modalities such as magnetic resonance (MR), computer tomography (CT), digital radiography, and ultrasound devices. These modalities, referred to as input imaging devices, produce vast numbers of diagnostic quality digital medical images. In order to more easily manage and distribute such digital images, many healthcare facilities rely upon compact recordable media, such as optically-recordable compact discs (CD) and digital video discs (DVD).

#A formatting standard that is commonly used in the healthcare industry for recording such digital image data is the Diagnostic Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) standard. Through such a format, electronic data supporting digital images are recorded onto recordable media volumes as DICOM objects. The generation and recordation of such DICOM objects requires specific dedicated equipment, hardware, and software. While many facilities operate their own DICOM-compliant volume generation systems, some facilities find that owning, maintaining, and operating their own systems is expensive, and other facilities do not have the demand to justify owning, maintaining, and operating their own equipment. As such, there is a need in the art for systems that are capable of remotely receiving data and instruction from a healthcare facility to generate and distribute DICOM-compliant data object media volumes.

#FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the system of the present invention; and

#FIG. 2 is a flow diagram demonstrating a method of the present invention.

#The objects and advantages enumerated above together with other objects, features, and advances represented by the present invention will now be presented in terms of detailed embodiments described with reference to the attached drawing figure which is intended to be representative of various embodiments of the invention. Other embodiments and aspects of the invention are recognized as being within the grasp of those having ordinary skill in the art.

#With reference now to FIG. 1, system 10 of the present invention involves a healthcare facility schematically illustrated at 12, which healthcare facility 12 includes one or more DICOM terminals 14 that receive and collate digital image data from a variety of digital image modalities utilized at healthcare facility 12. In preferred embodiments, DICOM terminal 14 is configured for processing the digital image data in a DICOM-compliant format, so as to generate DICOM-standard objects representing the digital images received from various sources within healthcare facility 12.

#In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the one or more DICOM terminals 14 are operably coupled to a network 16 through a network connection 18. Network 16 may be one or more of a variety of network types, such as local area networks (LAN) such as intranets, wide area networks (WAN) such as a global communication network (Internet), and the like. Connection to such network 16 may be accomplished through a variety of network connection types, and through various communication protocols. Examples include Ethernet, DSL, Cable, radio frequency, and other wired or wireless connections. In some embodiments, the use of an application, plug-in and/or a web browser may be required in allowing DICOM terminal 14 to communicate and submit data objects outside of a DICOM network. Accordingly, such application, plug-in, or web browser may be an additional feature required at DICOM terminal 14 for communication to network 16, as illustrated in FIG. 1. Preferably, network connection 18 is suitable for transmitting raw digital image data and/or DICOM-standard objects representing such digital images and relevant cataloging information.