Method and apparatus for adjustable image compression

1. A method of processing a data file representing an image, the method comprising:

identifying an image source device associated with the image from a plurality of known image source devices;

identifying image characterization data associated with content of the image;

selecting a compression rate based upon applying rules to the identified image source device and image characterization data for maintaining adequate fidelity of a reconstructed image to ensure compressed data files of images are useful, wherein the compression rate is adjustably selected from one of a nominal compression rate for the identified image source device, a compression rate greater than the nominal compression rate and a compression rate less than the nominal compression rate; and

compressing the data file at the selected compression rate.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein identifying image characterization data comprises identifying anatomical content of the image.

3. A method as defined in claim 2 , wherein identifying the anatomical content of the image comprises putting image characterization data in an image data file.

4. A method as defined in claim 2 , wherein identifying the anatomical content of the image comprises automatically identifying anatomical content with a computer.

5. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein image characterization data identifies a purpose of study of the image.

6. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein image characterization data identifies a diagnostic value of the image.

7. A method as defined in claim 6 , wherein identifying the diagnostic value of the image comprises putting image characterization data on a computer interface.

8. A method as defined in claim 6 , wherein identifying the diagnostic value of the image data comprises automatically identifying diagnostic value with a computer.

9. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the image source device is one of an MRI device, an x-ray device, a CT Scan device, a mammogram device, or a sonogram device.

10. A computer processing apparatus for processing a data file representing an image, the apparatus comprising:

a network communications interface that permits communications between the apparatus and a network;

a processor that receives the data file via the interface and identifies an image source device from a plurality of known image source devices and image characterization data associated with the content of the image in the data file, selects a compression rate based upon applying rules to the identified image source device and image characterization data for maintaining adequate fidelity of a reconstructed image to ensure compressed images are useful, wherein the compression rate is adjustably selected from one of a nominal compression rate for the identified image source device, a compression rate greater than the nominal compression rate and a compression rate less than the nominal compression rate; and compresses the data file using the selected compression rate to produce a compressed data file that is smaller in size.

11. The computer processing apparatus defined in claim 10 , wherein the identified image characterization data identifies an anatomical content of the image.

12. The computer processing apparatus defined in claim 11 , wherein identifying the anatomical content of the image comprises putting image characterization data in an image data file.

13. The computer processing apparatus defined in claim 11 , wherein identifying the anatomical content of the image comprises automatically identifying anatomical content with a computer.

14. The computer processing apparatus defined in claim 10 , wherein image characterization data identifies a purpose of study of the image.

15. The computer processing apparatus defined in claim 10 , wherein image characterization data identifies a diagnostic value of the image.

16. The computer processing apparatus defined in claim 15 , wherein identifying the diagnostic value of the image comprises putting image characterization metadata on a computer in an image data file.

17. The computer processing apparatus defined in claim 15 , wherein identifying the diagnostic value of the image data comprises automatically identifying diagnostic value with a computer.

18. The computer processing apparatus defined in claim 10 , wherein the image source device is one of an MRI device, an x-ray device, a CT Scan device, a mammogram device, and a sonogram device.

19. A program product comprising program code recorded on a non-transitory computer-readable medium for causing a computer to perform operations of:

identifying an image source device associated with a data file representing the image from a plurality of known image source devices;

identifying image characterization data associated with content of the image;

selecting a compression rate for the data file based upon applying rules to the identified image source device and image characterization data for maintaining adequate fidelity of a reconstructed image to ensure compressed images are useful, wherein the compression rate is adjustably selected from one of a nominal compression rate for the identified image source device, a compression rate greater than the nominal compression rate and a compression rate less than the nominal compression rate; and

compressing the data file at the selected compression rate to produce a compressed data file that is smaller in size.

20. A program product as defined in claim 19 , wherein identifying image characterization data identifies an anatomical content of the image.

21. A program product as defined in claim 19 , wherein image characterization data identifies a purpose of study of the image.

22. A program product as defined in claim 19 wherein image characterization data identifies a diagnostic value of the source of the image.

23. A program product as defined in claim 19 , wherein the image source device is one of an MRI device, an x-ray device, a CT Scan device, a mammogram device, and a sonogram device.