Methods and systems for analyzing, prioritizing, visualizing, and reporting medical images

Abstract

Methods and systems for retrieving and processing medical diagnostic images are provided, comprising using picture analysis prioritization visualization and reporting system (“PAPVR system”) to determine whether each of one or more images from an image database or imaging device is of medical interest to a reviewing physician, determine whether one or more of the images is representative of the images, and provide the one or more images to a display and analysis system for review by a reviewing physician. The PAPVR system can provide the one or more images with a Key Image that is representative of the images. In addition, the PAPVR system can detect whether a patient suffers from a particular ailment, and provide a reviewing physician quantitative information that is relevant to the patient's condition.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A computer-implemented method for providing medical diagnostic images, comprising:
 retrieving a set of images from an image database or an imaging device, wherein the set of images includes images from a patient;   determining whether each of the images of the patient is of medical interest to a reviewing physician based on quantitative measurements of one or more physiological features and a determination as to whether each of the quantitative measurements deviates from a threshold value;   determining whether one or more of the images is a representative image of the set of images of the patient, which representative image is determined to capture a medical condition of the patient among other images of the set of images; and   providing the images to a display and analysis system for review by the reviewing physician, wherein the images are provided with the representative image.   
     
     
         22 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein the quantitative measurements include cross sectional areas of the one or more physiological features. 
     
     
         23 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein the quantitative measurements include volumes of the one or more physiological features. 
     
     
         24 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein the set of medical images includes at least one two-dimensional medical image. 
     
     
         25 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein the set of medical images includes at least one three-dimensional medical image. 
     
     
         26 . A computer-implemented method for providing medical diagnostic images, comprising:
 retrieving a set of images from an image database or an imaging device, wherein the set of images comprises images from a present session and images from at least one previous session on the same patient;   determining whether each of the images of the patient is of medical interest to a reviewing physician by (i) comparing one or more measurements of one or more physiological features identified in each of the images from the present session with one or more physiological features identified in each of the images from the at least one previous session on the same patient, and (ii) determining changes in the one or more physiological features present in each of the images between the present session and the at least one previous session;   determining a localization region in a representative image obtained from the set of images, wherein the localization region is associated with an identified abnormality upon determining changes in the one or more physiological features present in each of the images; and   providing at least a subset of the set of images to a display and analysis system for review by the reviewing physician, wherein the at least the subset of the set of images is provided with the representative image having the localization region identified for the reviewing physician.   
     
     
         27 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 26 , wherein the set of medical images includes at least one two-dimensional medical image. 
     
     
         28 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 26 , wherein the set of medical images includes at least one three-dimensional medical image. 
     
     
         29 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 26 , wherein comparing the one or more measurements of the one or more physiological features identified in each of the images from the present session with one or more physiological features identified in each of the images from the at least one previous session comprises identifying changes in one or more quantitative measurements of the one or more physiological features. 
     
     
         30 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 29 , wherein the one or more quantitative measurements include cross sectional areas of the one or more physiological features. 
     
     
         31 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 29 , wherein the one or more quantitative measurements include volumes of the one or more physiological features.