System and graphical user interface for monitoring and displaying radiology image traffic

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention includes a system and method for detecting and monitoring confidential and DICOM image traffic on a computing device in a PACS network. Embodiments of the present invention protect patient confidentiality by preventing the simultaneous display of confidential images and patient identification information when measuring and displaying the image data. The system detects and measures the transfer of confidential images and stores and displays information included in only the non-confidential headers of the images. The system monitors and warns (such as via email and/or pagers) PACS administrators of system slowdowns as a result of the data gathered.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A graphical user interface for displaying image data corresponding to images received over a network, the graphical user interface rendered by a computer onto a display, the graphical user interface comprising:
 at least one window; and   one or more elements within the at least one window comprising:
 a live graph element displaying a graphical representation of a count of images received from the network, wherein each image comprises a DICOM frame and each DICOM frame further comprises a DICOM frame header, the live graph element dynamically changing over time in response to changes in the count of images received from the network; and 
 a status element, displaying a medical image conforming to a medical image standard. 
   
     
     
         22 . The graphical user interface of  claim 21 , wherein the live graph element further comprises display of a number of images received per unit time. 
     
     
         23 . The graphical user interface of  claim 21 , wherein the live graph element is selected from a bar graph illustrating multiple bars each representing a number of images and a single bar representing a number of images. 
     
     
         24 . The graphical user interface of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one window further comprises:
 a rate element for displaying a numerical display of a current flow rate of the images received.   
     
     
         25 . The graphical user interface of  claim 24 , wherein the flow rate information is provided to the graphical user interface after analysis of the DICOM frame header by a packet sniffer. 
     
     
         26 . The graphical user interface of  claim 21 , wherein a new graphical user interface is generated when a new image is received over the network. 
     
     
         27 . The graphical user interface of  claim 21 , wherein a new graphical user interface is generated periodically. 
     
     
         28 . The graphical user interface of  claim 24 , wherein the rate element is communicatively coupled to an image traffic monitoring system. 
     
     
         29 . The graphical user interface of  claim 28 , wherein the rate element is a virtual gauge element. 
     
     
         30 . The graphical user interface of  claim 29 , wherein the virtual gauge element comprises a dial face with numerical markings. 
     
     
         31 . The graphical user interface of  claim 30 , wherein the virtual gauge element further comprises a needle indicating the numerical markings that correspond to the current flow rate. 
     
     
         32 . The graphical user interface of  claim 31 , wherein the current flow rate of images received is presented in Kb/s. 
     
     
         33 . The graphical user interface of  claim 32 , wherein the current flow rate is measured even when no images are currently received. 
     
     
         34 . The graphical user interface of  claim 21 , wherein the live graph element is a timeline with the most aged moment on the left hand side. 
     
     
         35 . The graphical user interface of  claim 21 , wherein the live graph element displays the number of images received in real time. 
     
     
         36 . The graphical user interface of  claim 21 , wherein when a pointing device is positioned over the live graph element, various image data is displayed. 
     
     
         37 . The graphical user interface of  claim 36 , wherein the various image data is displayed in a pop-up window. 
     
     
         38 . The graphical user interface of  claim 37 , wherein the various image data comprises: a patient name, a total number of images currently in the image data displayed in the live graph element, a start time of image data acquisition, a stop time of the image data acquisition, and the total time of image data acquisition. 
     
     
         39 . The graphical user interface of  claim 38 , wherein the status element indicates whether the image traffic monitoring system is operating. 
     
     
         40 . A system for displaying image data corresponding to images received over a network, the system comprising:
 a processor;   a display;   a memory for storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes rendering of a graphical user interface on the display, the graphical user interface comprising:   at least one window; and   one or more elements within the at least one window comprising:
 a live graph element displaying a number of images received graphical representations of a number of images received from the network per second, wherein each image comprises a DICOM frame and each DICOM frame further comprises a DICOM frame header; and 
 a status element, displaying a medical image conforming to a medical image standard.