Abstract: Methods and a support object are provided to facilitate the receipt of a wide variety of touch inputs from a user, such as in a manner that is comfortable and does not fatigue the user. In the context of a method, touch input is received from a user who engages and moves a support object relative to a touch sensitive surface. The method also includes receiving the touch input from the user via the touch sensitive surface. The method further includes determining a relative position of the touch input with respect to the support object and then determining a type of touch input based upon the relative position of the touch input with respect to the support object. The method also includes causing an action to be taken in response to the type of touch input. Corresponding apparatus and computer program products are also provided.

Abstract: A method, image processing system and computer program product are provided for detecting an anatomical marker within an image study. In the context of a method, data elements associated with image slices of the image study of a patient are accessed. The data elements are representative of one or more characteristics of the image slices, but do not include picture elements that comprise the image slices. The method also includes reviewing the data elements associated with at least some image slices of the image study of the patient. The method further includes detecting the anatomical marker within the image study based upon a review of the data elements and identifying a subset of the image slices of the image study based upon the anatomical marker or a distance from the anatomical marker.

Abstract: A method, image processing system and computer program product are provided for detecting an anatomical marker within an image study. In the context of a method, data elements associated with image slices of the image study of a patient are accessed. The data elements are representative of one or more characteristics of the image slices, but do not include picture elements that comprise the image slices. The method also includes reviewing the data elements associated with at least some image slices of the image study of the patient. The method further includes detecting the anatomical marker within the image study based upon a review of the data elements and identifying a subset of the image slices of the image study based upon the anatomical marker or a distance from the anatomical marker.

Abstract: A method for providing documentation and/or annotation capabilities for volumetric data may include receiving an indication of user insertion of an annotation with respect to a particular presentation state of a planar view of volumetric data and generating a medical image such as a DICOM image corresponding to the particular presentation state and including the annotation in response to receipt of the indication. A corresponding computer program product and apparatus are also provided.

Abstract: Methods and a support object are provided to facilitate the receipt of a wide variety of touch inputs from a user, such as in a manner that is comfortable and does not fatigue the user. In the context of a method, touch input is received from a user who engages and moves a support object relative to a touch sensitive surface. The method also includes receiving the touch input from the user via the touch sensitive surface. The method further includes determining a relative position of the touch input with respect to the support object and then determining a type of touch input based upon the relative position of the touch input with respect to the support object. The method also includes causing an action to be taken in response to the type of touch input. Corresponding apparatus and computer program products are also provided.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer program product are described herein for providing clinically adaptive prefetch of datasets relating to prior medical studies. Upon indication of a new study, a fit function may depend on an exemplar set of new study to prior study relationships. The fit function may calculate an affinity value for a prior study, indicating the probability of relevancy to the new study. The fit function may consider structured data, and unstructured data, such as by natural language processing. Based on the affinity value, a dataset relating to the prior study may be flagged for prefetch, indicating a dataset should be prefetched from a lower tier memory to a higher tier memory, allowing for faster access to the dataset, from a clinical system. The fit function may be trained based on usage of the prior study datasets, including accounting for false positives and false negatives.

Abstract: A method for providing documentation and/or annotation capabilities for volumetric data may include receiving an indication of user insertion of an annotation with respect to a particular presentation state of a planar view of volumetric data and generating a medical image such as a DICOM image corresponding to the particular presentation state and including the annotation in response to receipt of the indication. A corresponding computer program product and apparatus are also provided.

Abstract: An apparatus, method, and computer program product are provided for navigating, analyzing, annotating, and interpreting images. The apparatus may receive medical images comprising a volume, identify a display protocol (for the medical volumes) that comprises one or more configurable and editable stages, and execute the display protocol using at least a portion of the medical volumes.

Abstract: An apparatus and system are provided for facilitating a mechanism in which a patient or another person may utilize a system to request an independent second or subsequent read and a second or subsequent opinion relating to medical images that were provided by a previous physician. The apparatus and system also enable physicians desiring to provide second or subsequent reads and evaluations of medical images to be able receive payment for their services. The apparatus includes a processor configured to receive a medical image(s) and associated data initially evaluated by a previous physician and assign or select a physician identified in a list to provide a second or subsequent read of the medical images and associated data. The processor is capable of evaluating and sending the medical images and associated data to a first device and generating a second or subsequent medical opinion or diagnosis regarding the medical images.