Picture archiving system with text-image linking based on text recognition

1. A method, comprising:

visually displaying an electronically formatted medical report, wherein the electronically formatted medical report references a set of electronically formatted images;

extracting the references to the set of electronically formatted images from the electronically formatted medical report;

linking the electronically formatted medical report and the set of electronically formatted images by:

determining, from the extracted references, an identity of tissue in each image of the set of electronically formatted images where a measurement was made;

extracting, from the extracted references, a description associated with the images where the measurement was made; and

retrieving, from the set of electronically formatted images, the electronically formatted images in the extracted references where there is a measurement; and

virtually displaying the retrieved images with the references and the description.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the annotations is not visible in the image.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

moving information from the visually displayed retrieved images with the references and the description to the visually displayed report in response to receiving a user input.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

employing a natural language processing module to extract the reference; from the electronically formatted medical report.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

employing a natural language processing module to extract the identity of tissue from the extracted references.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

employing a natural language processing module to extract the description.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

extracting the description from the extracted references.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

extracting the identity of the tissue from a measurement on the image.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

extracting the identity of the tissue from an annotation on the image.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

extracting findings and corresponding anatomical positions from the electronically formatted medical report;

labeling the tissue in the images with anatomical labels;

labeling annotations on the image with anatomical labels based on the labeling of the tissue in the image;

matching the findings and the annotations; and

adding a link to the image in the report at the location of the finding, and adding a link to the report in the image at the location of the annotation.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the link to the image in the report is a hyperlink, and the link to the report in the image is a hyperlink.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

employing a natural language processing module to extract the findings and corresponding anatomical positions from the electronically formatted medical report.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

labeling the tissue in the images using an anatomical atlas or statistical algorithm.

14. A computer readable storage medium encoded with computer readable instructions, which, when executed by a processer, causes the processor to:

visually display an electronically formatted medical report, wherein the electronically formatted medical report references a set of electronically formatted images;

extract the references to the set of electronically formatted images from the electronically formatted medical report;

link the electronically formatted medical report and the set of electronically formatted images by:

determining, from the extracted references, an identity of tissue in each image of the set of electronically formatted images where a measurement was made;

extracting, from the extracted references, a description associated with the images where the measurement was made; and

retrieving, from the set of electronically formatted images, the electronically formatted images in the extracted references where there is a measurement; and

visually display the retrieved images with the references and the description.

15. A computing apparatus, comprising:

a memory with at least one computer readable instruction;

a processor that executes the at least one computer readable instruction, wherein the processor, in response to executing the at least one computer readable instruction,

visually displays an electronically formatted medical report, wherein the electronically formatted medical report references a set of electronically formatted images;

extracts the references to the set of electronically formatted images from the electronically formatted medical report;

links the electronically formatted medical report and the set of electronically formatted images, by:

determining, from the extracted references, an identify of tissue in each image of the set of electronically formatted images where a measurement was made;

extracting, from the extracted references, a description associated with the images where the measurement was made; and

retrieving, from the set of electronically formatted images, the electronically formatted images in the extracted references where there is a measurement; and

visually displays the retrieved images with the references and the description.