Data Distribution System

Abstract

An interactive method for allowing a user to obtain image data for diagnostic purposes from a server having access to stored data, comprising: connecting a user's computer to the server over a communication network; receiving from the server image reconstruction software for the user's computer; requesting specific image data for transmission from the server to the user's computer; progressively transmitting the requested specific image data over the network from the server to user's computer; and repeatedly reconstructing diagnostic quality images, from the progressively received image data, at different quality levels, using the reconstruction software on the user's computer.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION DATA [0001] The present application is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 09 / 300,490 filed on Apr. 28, 1999, which is a continuation of PCT / IL97 / 00349 filed on Oct. 29, 1997, the disclosures of which are fully incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] This invention is concerned with interactive communication systems linking central locations having access to stores of data and images used for medical purposes and a plurality of outlying users of the images and data for medical review, processing, assessment and diagnostics. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Modern hospitals and health centers today usually have several computerized systems for medical information gathering, exchange, storage and processing. Herein such a system is referred to as a “data source”. Medical information may come in textual, voice, sound, graphical, and image modalities. Such medical information may be required by authorized personnel, including those located outsid...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The patent describes a system and method for distributing clinical images over the network, which solves many of the problems associated with traditional methods of distributing images. The system includes a server that introduces a data distribution server, which acts as an intermediate between the data source and the users. The server uses a program to receive user requests and process the data accordingly. The system uses a combination of lossy and lossless compression algorithms, along with pyramidal structuring of the images for progressive transmission. The system also allows users to interact with the server and select only the necessary data, reducing the amount of data transmitted and improving resource utilization. The compression-decompression scheme is designed to be asymmetric, with the server's side of the system having greater computational requirements. Overall, the system provides a more efficient and effective way to distribute clinical images."

Problems solved by technology

Difficulties in the use of such computerized systems are caused by such things as the varied networking procedures required to fetch the data, the lack of an industry standard, the lack of an easy to use user interface and, in the case of image data transfer, the channel bandwidth requirements along with the typically large volumes of the image information, which in turn translates into very long transmission periods.

This proliferation of software and hardware in the medical data processing systems make such systems difficult to maintain and a burden to update.

Since presently, most health and medical organizations have constructed their information systems and communications network over a period of time, access to these systems is often complicated, and sometimes requires the user to master several application, software and communication protocols.

Typically, no common access method or user interface is available to the user, and users are often confined to the use of particular hardware at a specific location to access the data.

The need to access image data further complicates the situation.

Thus, one problem encountered with the present server-user communication systems for transferring medical data is the many different interfaces, software applications, and communication protocols required and the many different types of work stations that make up the “installed base”.

This is not only expensive, but time consuming in that the installation of the software in each of the many different work stations and the central server requires time and usually requires expertise beyond that of the doctor or medical professional using the workstation.

A second and equally troublesome problem is encountered when the data requested by the user includes images that must be transmitted over a given enterprise network.

This is due to the long time required for transmitting image data as compared to other forms of data.

Image compression is used to reduce transmission times. For clinical image data, special precautions must be taken if lossy compression is implemented, due to the potential loss of possibly vital findings.

Interactive compression schemes, that optimize the transmission time for any given user and user type are currently not available in existing healthcare information systems.

This structure of the presently available systems suffers from the problems described above.

Images