Image handling and display in x-ray mammography and tomosynthesis
A method and system for acquiring, processing, storing, and displaying x-ray mammograms Mp tomosynthesis images Tr representative of breast slices, and x-ray tomosynthesis projection images Tp taken at different angles to a breast, where the Tr images are reconstructed from Tp images.
1. An image display system for reviewing medical images for abnormalities in a compressed breast, comprising:
a displayed image comprising at least one image of a plurality of tomosynthesis images of the compressed breast;
a slider bar for identifying a height within the compressed breast corresponding to the displayed image, wherein the slider bar comprises a length; and
a slice bar movably positionable along the length of the slider bar, wherein a position of the slice bar along the length of the slider bar corresponds to a height of the displayed image within the compressed breast, wherein the slice bar comprises an adjustable thickness, and wherein a thickness of the slice bar corresponds to a thickness of the displayed image within the compressed breast, thereby providing an adjustable display of tomosynthesis images for reviewing medical images for abnormalities in the compressed breast.
2. The image display of claim 1 , wherein the displayed image comprises a plurality of the plurality of tomosynthesis images.
3. The image display of claim 1 , wherein the adjustable thickness of the slice bar is configured to be adjusted by a user.
4. The image display of claim 1 , further comprising a numeric indicia corresponding to at least one of the height of the displayed image and the thickness of the displayed image.
5. The image display of claim 4 , wherein the numeric indicia is displayed proximate the slide bar.
6. The image display of claim 1 , further comprising a non-numeric indicia displayed proximate the slide bar.
7. The image display of claim 6 , wherein the non-numeric indicia corresponds to a predetermined image of the plurality of tomosynthesis images.
8. An image display for reviewing medical images for abnormalities in a compressed breast, comprising:
at least one of a plurality of tomosynthesis images of a compressed breast;
a slider bar representative of a thickness of the compressed breast; and
a slice bar positionable along the slider bar, wherein a position of the slice bar corresponds to a position within the compressed breast of the displayed tomosynthesis image, and wherein a thickness of the slice bar corresponds to a thickness of the displayed tomosynthesis image, thereby providing an adjustable display of tomosynthesis images for reviewing medical images for abnormalities in the compressed breast.
9. The image display of claim 8 , wherein a movement of the slice bar along the slider bar changes the displayed tomosynthesis image from a first displayed image to a second displayed image different than the first displayed image.
10. The image display of claim 8 , wherein an adjustment of a thickness of the slice bar changes the displayed tomosynthesis image from a first displayed image having a first thickness to a second displayed image having a second thickness.
11. The image display of claim 10 , wherein the first displayed image comprises a single one of the plurality of tomosynthesis images and wherein the second displayed image comprises a plurality of the plurality of tomosynthesis images.
12. The image display of claim 8 , wherein the position of the slide bar and the thickness of the slide bar are user selectable via an input.
13. The image display of claim 12 , wherein the input comprises at least one of a screen selection, a keyboard command, a mouse input, or a trackball input.
14. The image display of claim 8 , further comprising a mammogram image of the compressed breast.
15. A method of identifying select images in a plurality of tomosynthesis images for reviewing medical images for abnormalities in a compressed breast, the method comprising:
displaying a slide bar;
displaying a slice bar on the slide bar;
applying a computer-aided detection algorithm to the plurality of tomosynthesis images;
identifying a select tomosynthesis image containing an area of interest, wherein the area of interest is identified by the application of the computer-aided detection algorithm; and
displaying a non-numeric indicia proximate the slide bar, wherein the non-numeric indicia corresponds to a position of the select tomosynthesis image within the plurality of tomosynthesis images; and
displaying at least one of the plurality of tomosynthesis images according to the slide bar and the slice bar thereby providing an adjustable display of tomosynthesis images for reviewing medical images for abnormalities in the compressed breast.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the displayed at least one of the plurality of tomosynthesis images comprises at least one of tomosynthesis reconstruction images and tomosynthesis projection images.
17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising displaying the select tomosynthesis image.
18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the displayed at least one of the plurality of tomosynthesis images comprises the select image.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the select image comprises a plurality of select images.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the plurality of select images are displayed sequentially.