Cloud-based medical image processing system with tracking capability

Abstract

A cloud server receives a request for accessing medical image data from a client device, where the cloud server provides image processing services to users in image processing steps, resulting in image views. User privileges of a user are determined for accessing the medical image data. In response to receiving a command having a selection of an image view from the client device, the cloud server provides the medical image data based on the selected one or more image views. The user interactions of the user with the medical image data via the selected image views are tracked, including tracking how long in time the user has spent on a particular image view. The tracked user interactions are stored in a persistent storage, and an analysis is performed on the tracked user interactions stored in the persistent storage to determine an overall usage trend of the image views.

1 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . An image processing system, comprising:
 an image capturing device that captures medical images;   a first medical data storage system that stores medical data, which includes the captured medical images and patient information;   a second medical data storage system that stores an anonymized version of the medical data in which the patient information has been removed from the medical data stored by the first medical data storage system;   a gateway manager, the gateway manager including:
 an anonymizer, the anonymizer being configured to anonymize the medical data stored by the first medical data storage system to produce the anonymized version of the medical data before the medical data is transmitted from the first image storage system to the second medical data storage system; and 
   a data mining system that performs data mining on aggregated medical data that is stored on the second medical data storage system, the aggregated medical data including the anonymized version of the medical data and including additional medical data from sources other than the first medical data storage system.   
     
     
         24 . An image processing system as in  claim 23 , wherein the stored aggregated medical data includes quantitative image data analysis. 
     
     
         25 . An image processing system as in  claim 23 , wherein the data mining system retrieves, calculates and correlates data automatically. 
     
     
         26 . An image processing system as in  claim 23 , wherein the data mining system retrieves, calculates and correlates data automatically. 
     
     
         27 . An image processing system as in  claim 23 , additionally comprising:
 an image preprocessor that preprocesses medical images within the anonymized version of the medical data before the anonymized version of the medical data is stored within the second medical data storage system.   
     
     
         28 . An image processing system as in  claim 27 , wherein the preprocessing of the medical images includes at least one of the following:
 bone removal;   centerline extraction;   sphere finding;   registration;   parametric map calculation;   reformatting;   time-density analysis   segmentation of structures;   auto-3D operations.   
     
     
         29 . An image processing system as in  claim 27 , wherein the preprocessing of the medical images includes:
 generation of workflow information to be used by a workflow management system.   
     
     
         30 . An image processing system as in  claim 23 , additionally comprising:
 a tracking system that is configured to monitor and track user activities with respect to the anonymized version of the medical data stored on the second medical data storage system.   
     
     
         31 . An image processing system as in  claim 23 , wherein the stored aggregated medical data pertains to one of the following:
 clinical trials;   clinical research;   trend identification;   prediction of disease progress;   diagnosis;   artificial intelligence.   
     
     
         32 . An image processing system, comprising:
 an image capturing device that captures medical images;   a first medical data storage system that stores medical data, which includes the captured medical images and patient information;   a second medical data storage system that stores an anonymized version of the medical data in which the patient information has been removed from the medical data stored by the first medical data storage system;   a gateway manager, the gateway manager including:
 an anonymizer, the anonymizer being configured to anonymize the medical data stored by the first medical data storage system to produce the anonymized version of the medical data before the medical data is transmitted from the first image storage system to the second medical data storage system; and, 
   an image preprocessor that preprocesses medical images within the anonymized version of the medical data before the anonymized version of the medical data is stored within the second medical data storage system.   
     
     
         33 . An image processing system as in  claim 32 , wherein the preprocessing of the medical images includes:
 generation of workflow information to be used by a workflow management system.   
     
     
         33 . An image processing system as in  claim 32 , additionally comprising:
 a data mining system that performs data mining on aggregated medical data that is stored on the second medical data storage system, the aggregated medical data including the anonymized version of the medical data and including additional medical data from sources other than the first medical data storage system, wherein the stored aggregated medical data pertains to one of the following:   clinical trials;   clinical research;   trend identification;   prediction of disease progress;   diagnosis;   artificial intelligence.   
     
     
         34 . An image processing system as in  claim 32 , additionally comprising:
 a data mining system that performs data mining on aggregated medical data that is stored on the second medical data storage system, the aggregated medical data including the anonymized version of the medical data and including additional medical data from sources other than the first medical data storage system, wherein the stored aggregated medical data includes quantitative image data analysis.   
     
     
         35 . An image processing system as in  claim 32 , additionally comprising:
 a data mining system that performs data mining on aggregated medical data that is stored on the second medical data storage system, the aggregated medical data including the anonymized version of the medical data and including additional medical data from sources other than the first medical data storage system, wherein the data mining system retrieves, calculates and correlates data automatically.   
     
     
         36 . An image processing system as in  claim 32 , additionally comprising:
 a tracking system that is configured to monitor and track user activities with respect to the anonymized version of the medical data stored on the second medical data storage system.   
     
     
         37 . An image processing system as in  claim 32 , wherein the preprocessing of the medical images includes at least one of the following:
 bone removal;   centerline extraction;   sphere finding;   registration;   parametric map calculation;   reformatting;   time-density analysis   segmentation of structures;   auto-3D operations.   
     
     
         38 . An image processing system, comprising:
 an image capturing device that captures medical images;   a first medical data storage system that stores medical data, which includes the captured medical images and patient information;   a second medical data storage system that stores an anonymized version of the medical data in which the patient information has been removed from the medical data stored by the first medical data storage system;   a gateway manager, the gateway manager including:
 an anonymizer, the anonymizer being configured to anonymize the medical data stored by the first medical data storage system to produce the anonymized version of the medical data before the medical data is transmitted from the first image storage system to the second medical data storage system; and 
   a tracking system that is configured to monitor and track user activities with respect to the anonymized version of the medical data stored on the second medical data storage system.