System and method of capturing images
A system and methods for capturing, displaying, and viewing representations of progressions of anatomical structures and associated digital images is disclosed. A processor-based system is used to generate and store digital images of anatomical structures such as teeth of a dental patient. Any one digital image is stored as an image shot within a progression of image shots. The progression of image shots may correspond to a particular region of interest or study being performed by a dental practitioner. The progression of image shots is depicted to the practitioner as a tooth progression chart including pictorial representations of the anatomical structures, in correct anatomical relation to each other, and indicia defining an ordered progression such that the practitioner is able to clearly identify which anatomical structure is associated with a particular image shot.
1. A method of graphically representing a sequence of anatomical structures to be imaged or which have been imaged in a pre-defined ordered progression, said method comprising:
displaying a pictorial representation of at least two anatomical structures such that said at least two anatomical structures are positioned in correct anatomical relation to each other in said pictorial representation; and
displaying at least one indicia for each of said at least two anatomical structures as a part of said pictorial representation such that it is apparent which said indicia are associated with which said anatomical structures, and wherein said indicia define an ordered progression in which said at least two anatomical structures are to be imaged or have been imaged.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein each of said at least two anatomical structures comprises at least one tooth of a human being.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein said indicia comprise at least one of numerical representations, alphabetic representations, and alpha-numeric representations.
4. A method of capturing a sequence of anatomical images in a pre-defined ordered progression using a computer-based platform, said method comprising:
displaying a pictorial representation of at least two anatomical structures to be imaged on a display of said computer-based platform such that said at least two anatomical structures are positioned in correct anatomical relation to each other in said pictorial representation;
displaying at least one indicia for each of said at least two anatomical structures as a part of said pictorial representation on said display of said computer-based platform such that it is apparent which said indicia are associated with which said anatomical structures, and wherein said indicia define an ordered progression in which images of said at least two anatomical structures are to be acquired from a patient;
positioning a first imaging device of said computer-based platform with respect to a first anatomical structure of said patient and corresponding to a first anatomical structure of said pictorially represented anatomical structures as indicated by said associated indicia;
acquiring a first image of said first anatomical structure of said patient using said first imaging device and displaying said first image within a corresponding first image layout on said display of said computer-based platform;
repositioning said first imaging device, or positioning a second imaging device, with respect to a second anatomical structure of said patient and corresponding to a second anatomical structure of said pictorially represented anatomical structures as indicated by said associated indicia; and
acquiring a second image of said second anatomical structure of said patient using said first imaging device, or said second imaging device, and displaying said second image within a corresponding second image layout on said display of said computer-based platform.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein at least one of said first image layout, said first anatomical structure, and said indicia associated with said first anatomical structure is automatically high-lighted on said display of said computer-based platform when said first image is to be acquired.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein at least one of said second image layout, said second anatomical structure, and said indicia associated with said second anatomical structure is automatically high-lighted on said display after said first image has been acquired and when said second image is to be acquired.
7. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
repositioning said first imaging device, or said second imaging device, with respect to a third anatomical structure of said patient and corresponding to a third anatomical structure of said pictorially represented anatomical structures as indicated by said associated indicia; and
acquiring a third image of said third anatomical structure of said patient using said first imaging device, or said second imaging device, and displaying said third image within a corresponding third image layout on said display of said computer-based platform.
8. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
positioning a third imaging device of said computer-based platform with respect to a third anatomical structure of said patient and corresponding to a third anatomical structure of said pictorially represented anatomical structures as indicated by said associated indicia; and
acquiring a third image of said third anatomical structure of said patient using said third imaging device and displaying said third image within a corresponding third image layout on said display of said computer-based platform.
9. The method of claim 7 wherein each of said at least two anatomical structures comprises at least one tooth of a human being.
10. The method of claim 7 wherein said indicia comprise at least one of numerical representations, alphabetic representations, and alpha-numeric representations.
11. The method of claim 7 wherein said first imaging device and said second imaging device each comprise one of a digital X-ray device, a digital camera, and a digital video camera.
12. The method of claim 8 wherein each of said at least two anatomical structures comprises at least one tooth of a human being.
13. The method of claim 8 wherein said indicia comprise at least one of numerical representations, alphabetic representations, and alpha-numeric representations.
14. The method of claim 8 wherein each of said first, second, and third imaging devices comprises one of a digital X-ray device, a digital camera, and a digital video camera.
15. The method of claim 4 further comprising re-associating said first image with said second image layout and said second anatomical structure by selecting said first image on said display and dragging said first image from said first image layout into said second image layout using a user interface of said computer-based platform.
16. The method of claim 7 further comprising re-associating said first image with said third image layout and said third anatomical structure by selecting said first image on said display and dragging said first image from said first image layout into said third image layout using a user interface of said computer-based platform.
17. The method of claim 7 further comprising re-associating said second image with said third image layout and said third anatomical structure by selecting said second image on said display and dragging said second image from said second image layout into said third image layout using a user interface of said computer-based platform.
18. The method of claim 4 further comprising specifying an orientation of at least one of said first image and said second image, using a user interface of said computer-based platform, such that said specified orientation is displayed as a part of at least one of said pictorial representation and said corresponding image layout.
19. A method of viewing a sequence of anatomical images, previously captured in an ordered progression, on a computer-based platform, said method comprising:
displaying a pictorial representation of at least two anatomical structures to be viewed on a display of said computer-based platform such that said at least two anatomical structures are positioned in correct anatomical relation to each other in said pictorial representation;
displaying at least one indicia for each of said at least two anatomical structures as a part of said pictorial representation on said display of said computer-based platform such that it is apparent which said indicia are associated with which said anatomical structures, and wherein said indicia define an ordered progression in which images associated with said at least two anatomical structures have been previously acquired from a patient using at least one imaging device;
displaying one image layout for each said anatomical structure for which said images have been previously acquired on said display of said computer-based platform such that it is apparent which said anatomical structure is associated with which said image layout; and
displaying one of said previously acquired images within each said image layout on said display of said computer-based platform such that each displayed image corresponds to said anatomical structure associated with each said image layout.
20. The method of claim 19 wherein each of said at least two anatomical structures comprises at least one tooth of a human being.
21. The method of claim 19 wherein said indicia comprise at least one of numerical representations, alphabetic representations, and alpha-numeric representations.
22. The method of claim 19 wherein said at least one imaging device comprises at least one of a digital X-ray device, a digital camera, and a digital video camera.
23. The method of claim 19 wherein a display size of each said image layout is inversely proportional to a number of said images to be displayed.
24. The method of claim 19 further comprising displaying only one image of said images on said display of said computer-based platform by selecting said one image using a user interface of said computer-based platform.
25. The method of claim 19 further comprising viewing only one image of said images at a time on said display of said computer-based platform by scrolling through said images using a user interface of said computer-based platform.
26. A computer-based system for capturing and displaying progressions of anatomical images, said system comprising:
a display;
means for generating and displaying, on said display, a pictorial representation of at least two anatomical structures to be imaged and associated indicia, and wherein said associated indicia define an ordered progression in which images of said at least two anatomical structures are to be acquired or have been acquired from a patient;
at least one imaging device for generating at least two digital images of said at least two anatomical structures of said patient corresponding to said displayed pictorial representation of said least two anatomical structures;
a memory to store said at least two digital images; and
means for generating and displaying, on said display, one image layout for each of said at least two digital images such that it is apparent which said anatomical structure is associated with which said image layout, and wherein said at least two digital images are displayed within said image layouts on said display in proper correspondence to said at least two anatomical structures.
27. The computer-based system of claim 26 wherein said at least one imaging device comprises at least one of a digital X-ray device, a digital camera, and a digital video camera.
28. The computer-based system of claim 26 wherein each of said at least two anatomical structures comprises at least one tooth of a human being.
29. The computer-based system of claim 26 wherein said indicia comprise at least one of numerical representations, alphabetic representations, and alpha-numeric representations.
30. The computer-based system of claim 26 further comprising a user interface allowing a user of said system to control said system.