Teleradiology systems for rendering and visualizing remotely-located volume data sets

A method for locally generating a volume data rendering result in accordance with a remote request for processing of previously acquired and locally stored patient information and data, comprising:

• locally storing at least one patient volume data set;
• locally receiving an identification of at least one specified patient volume data set and at least one request for volume data rendering from a remote user, the request for volume data rendering comprising a volume data rendering method and rendering parameters to be applied on said specified patient volume data set;
• locally generating a partial or complete volume data rendering result in real time by processing said specified patient volume data set using said volume data rendering method and rendering parameters received from said remote user;
• and
• locally transmitting said processed result for remotely displaying said requested rendering result and said rendering parameters.

A method, comprising:

• locally receiving, at a computer system from a remote user, a request for volume data rendering for medical imaging volume data, the request including an identification of:
• a volume data set, a volume data rendering method, and a rendering parameter to be applied on the volume data set, the request generated from a user interface operated by the remote user enabling specification of at least one of a plurality of different rendering parameters, at least one of a plurality of different rendering methods, at least one of a plurality of different data sets from one or multiple data acquisition methods, and a method for integration of the request with at least one additional request into a complete volume data rendering result;
• locally generating, at the computer system, the complete volume data rendering result by processing the volume data set using the volume data rendering method and the rendering parameter received from the remote user;
• and
• locally transmitting, from the computer system, the complete volume data rendering result to a remote machine for remotely displaying the complete volume data rendering result, the remote machine configured for displaying the complete volume data rendering result and a plurality of parameters used for generating the complete volume data rendering result.

A method comprising:

• sending from a client computing system to a remote server a request for volume data rendering, the request including an identification of a volume data set, a volume data rendering method, and a rendering parameter to be applied on the volume data set, the request generated from a user interface provided by the client computing system enabling specification of at least one of a plurality of different rendering parameters, at least one of a plurality of different rendering methods, at least one of a plurality of different data sets from one or multiple data acquisition methods, and a method for integration of the request with at least one additional request into a rendering result;
• receiving at the client computing system from the remote server the rendering result, the rendering result including an at least partial volume data rendering result obtained by processing the volume data set at the remote server using the volume data rendering method and the rendering parameter;
• and
• displaying the rendering result by the client computing system in a collaborative mode, wherein at least a portion of user input at the client is provided by at least one additional client operating in the collaborative mode.

A system, comprising:

• at least one receiving station controllable by at least one user of the system, the receiving station comprising one of multiple receiving stations interconnected by at least one network, and the receiving station communicatively coupled to at least one transmitting station physically separated from the receiving station through the network;
• a user interface provided at the receiving station and enabling a user to specify at least one medical imaging volume data set previously acquired and stored in the transmitting station, and to specify at least one request for volume data rendering specifying a volume data rendering method and rendering parameters to be applied on the volume data set, wherein the volume data rendering request is issued from the user interface and provides specification of:
• at least one of a plurality of different rendering parameters, at least one of a plurality of different rendering methods, at least one of a plurality of different data sets from one or multiple data acquisition methods, and a method for integration of the request with at least one additional request into a requested rendering result;
• and
• a display configured to output the requested rendering result and rendering parameters at the receiving station;
• wherein the multiple receiving stations are interconnected by the network so that the output of the display at the receiving station can be viewed by other of the multiple receiving stations.

A system comprising:

• at least one receiving station controllable by at least one user of the system, the receiving station configured to be communicatively coupled through at least one network to at least one transmitting station that is physically separated from the receiving station, the receiving station including:
• a user interface, provided for execution and presentation at the receiving station, configured to enable the at least one user to interactively specify at least one medical imaging volume data set stored at the transmitting station, and to specify at least one volume data rendering method and at least one rendering parameter to be applied on a volume data set by the transmitting station to generate a volume data rendering result for transmitting from the transmitting station to the receiving station, wherein the user interface enables the at least one user to specify different data rendering requests resulting from different rendering parameters, different rendering methods, or different data sets from one or multiple data acquisition methods, and to specify integration of the different data rendering requests into at least one composite rendering result;
• and
• a display device, at the receiving station, to display the rendering result, wherein the display device displays the composite rendering result and a plurality of parameters used for generating the composite rendering result.

A system comprising:

• at least one transmitting station operating as a server, the transmitting station comprising an image processor interactively controllable by at least one remote client receiving station over a network;
• wherein the image processor is configured to:
• generate and provide to the receiving station a partial or complete volume data rendering result in response to a volume data rendering request received by the transmitting station from the receiving station, the volume data rendering request specifying at least one volume data rendering method and at least one rendering parameter to be applied on a medical image volume data set by the transmitting station;
• and wherein the transmitting station is configured to:
• automatically adjust at least one configuration based on characteristics of the receiving station;
• locally receive new requests for volume data rendering interactively issued by a remote user of the receiving station based on feedback from the partial or complete volume data rendering result and the rendering parameters, the new requests including an adjusted volume data rendering method and adjusted rendering parameters, wherein the new requests for volume data rendering are generated from a user interface provided by the receiving station enabling specification of at least one of a plurality of different rendering parameters, at least one of a plurality of different rendering methods, and at least one of a plurality of different data sets from one or multiple data acquisition methods, and wherein the new requests respectively specify a method to integrate respective of the new requests into at least one composite rendering result;
• and
• locally generate an updated partial or complete volume data rendering result in real time by processing the specified medical imaging volume data set using the adjusted volume data rendering method and adjusted rendering parameters.