Workflow optimization for high throughput imaging environments

A medical diagnostic imaging system for acquiring images of a patient, the imaging system being coupled to a hospital network which hospital network includes a hospital database which stores patient data including patient images, and a plurality of hospital computers, the imaging system comprising:

• a scanner which scans the patient using a selected examination protocol to generate image data;
• a scanner control which controls the scanner, the scanner control being coupled to the scanner and the hospital network;
• a display,
• an applications database which is configurable by a user;
• an examination protocol database which stores a plurality of examination protocols;
• an interface which causes the display to display interactive user interface screens on the display, which user interface screens allow the user to configure the applications database, enter a patient's limiting parameters, select from the plurality of selectable examination protocols, and interactively control the scanner by activating icons and buttons displayed thereon;
• a computer to:
• receive the patient's limiting parameters and a nature and region of a scan by any one of:
• entered by the user into data entry fields displayed on the user interface screens,
• from the hospital database, or
• from a remote terminal;
• match the received patient's limiting parameters and the nature and region of the scan with information stored in the examination protocol database to reduce the plurality of selectable examination protocols to a smaller, reduced set of examination protocols;
• control the display to display the reduced examination protocol set;
• receive an input indicative of a selected examination protocol of the displayed reduced examination protocol set;
• control the scanner control such that the scanner control controls the scanner to perform the selected examination protocol which generates scan data;
• a post-processor configured to reconstruct the scan data into diagnostic images, format the reconstructed diagnostic images, and control the display to display the reconstructed diagnostic images.