Systems and methods for processing medical images using relevancy rules

1 . A method for processing a plurality of medical images from a plurality of enterprise imaging devices using a clinical software application, the method comprising:

receiving, at a first server from a first image device in the plurality of enterprise imaging devices, a matched current study;

receiving, at the first server from at least one enterprise imaging device of the plurality of enterprise imaging devices, one or more matched prior studies;

receiving, at the first server from the at least one enterprise imaging device of the plurality of enterprise imaging devices, one or more candidate prior series comprising candidate prior series metadata,

determining one or more matched prior series by applying, via a relevancy engine, one or more configurable relevancy matching rules of the clinical software application to the candidate prior series metadata, the relevancy matching rules comprising current study, prior study, and candidate prior series criteria;

retrieving, at the first server, image data corresponding to the matched current study, the one or more matched prior studies, and the one or more matched prior series from a data cache that stores cache contents comprising previously retrieved image data and metadata to reduce redundant network retrievals;

wherein the data cache stores image data and associated metadata based upon a first query response and provides a locally cached copy of the image data and associated metadata to components of the first server upon a second query without sending a query request over a network;

generating, at the first server, an assembled matched study set comprising the matched current study, the one or more matched prior studies, the image data corresponding to the matched current study, and the image data corresponding to the one or more matched prior studies; wherein the assembled matched study set is constructed by a dispatcher based on results of the relevancy engine and the cache contents;

processing the assembled matched study set using the clinical software application to generate a processed study, wherein the processed study comprises at least one new clinically relevant information enhancement added by the clinical software application;

determining, at the first server, one or more destination image devices in the at least one enterprise imaging device; and

sending, from the first server to the one or more destination image devices in the at least one enterprise imaging device, the processed study based on the assembled matched study set, wherein the processed study is sent to the one or more destination image devices contemporaneously with a patient corresponding to the matched current study being imaged at the first image device.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining, at the first server, one or more destination image devices in the at least one enterprise imaging device further comprises:

associating the processed study with the matched current study;

identifying the one or more destination image devices based on metadata associated with the matched current study.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the identifying the one or more destination image devices is further based on:

matched current study metadata associated with the matched current study;

matched prior study metadata associated with the one or more matched prior studies; and

matched prior series metadata associated with the one or more matched prior series;

wherein the matched current study metadata, the matched prior study metadata, and the matched prior series metadata are in one of a DICOM format and an HL7 format.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the identifying the one or more destination image devices based on metadata associated with the matched current study further comprises matching a RetrieveAETitle DICOM metadata field.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the one or more destination image devices further comprises a modality worklist.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the processed study further comprises modality worklist data and modality worklist metadata.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the processed study further comprises result data, and the first server stores the result data in a database.

8 . A system for processing a plurality of medical images from a plurality of enterprise imaging devices using a clinical software application, the system comprising:

a first server, the first server comprising:

a first memory;

a first network device;

a first processor in communication with the first memory and the first network device, the first processor configured to:

receive, using the first network device from a first image device in the plurality of enterprise imaging devices, a matched current study;

receive, using the first network device from at least one enterprise imaging device of the plurality of enterprise imaging devices, one or more matched prior studies;

receive, using the first network device from the at least one enterprise imaging device of the plurality of enterprise imaging devices, one or more candidate prior series comprising candidate prior series metadata,

determine one or more matched prior series by applying, via a relevancy engine, one or more configurable relevancy matching rules of the clinical software application to the candidate prior series metadata, the relevancy matching rules comprising current study, prior study, and candidate prior series criteria;

retrieve, using the first network device, image data corresponding to the matched current study, the one or more matched prior studies, and the one or more matched prior series from a data cache that stores cache contents comprising previously retrieved image data and metadata to reduce redundant network retrievals;

wherein the data cache stores image data and associated metadata based upon a first query response and provides a locally cached copy of the image data and associated metadata to components of the first server upon a second query without sending a query request over a network;

generate an assembled matched study set comprising the matched current study, the one or more matched prior studies, the image data corresponding to the matched current study, and the image data corresponding to the one or more matched prior studies; wherein the assembled matched study set is constructed by a dispatcher based on results of the relevancy engine and the cache contents;

process the assembled matched study set using the clinical software application to generate a processed study, wherein the processed study comprises at least one new clinically relevant information enhancement added by the clinical software application;

determine one or more destination image devices in the at least one enterprise imaging device; and

send, using the first network device to the one or more destination image devices in the at least one enterprise imaging device, the processed study based on the assembled matched study set wherein the processed study is sent to the one or more destination image devices contemporaneously with a patient corresponding to the matched current study being imaged at the first image device.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the first processor is further configured to:

determine the one or more destination image devices in the at least one enterprise imaging device by:

associating the processed study with the matched current study;

identifying the one or more destination image devices based on metadata associated with the matched current study.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the identifying the one or more destination image devices is further based on:

matched current study metadata associated with the matched current study;

matched prior study metadata associated with the one or more matched prior studies; and

matched prior series metadata associated with the one or more matched prior series;

wherein the matched current study metadata, the matched prior study metadata, and the matched prior series metadata are in one of a DICOM format and an HL7 format.

11 . The system of claim 10 wherein the first processor is further configured to identify the one or more destination image devices based on metadata associated with the matched current study by matching a RetrieveAETitle DICOM metadata field.

12 . The system of claim 10 wherein the one or more destination image devices further comprises a modality worklist.

13 . The system of claim 12 wherein the processed study further comprises modality worklist data and modality worklist metadata.

14 . The system of claim 13 wherein the processed study further comprises result data, and the first server stores the result data in a database.