Identification system and method for use in the field of digital radiography

Claim 2

A system according to claim 1 wherein said patient identifying means is a two-dimensional bar code label.

Claim 3

A system according to claim 1 wherein said patient identifying means is a radiofrequency tag.

Claim 4

A system according to claim 3 wherein said radiofrequency tag is provided in credit card form attachable to said attaching means on said cassette.

Claim 5

A system according to claim 1 wherein said patient identifying means is touch memory device.

Claim 6

A system according to claim 1 wherein said patient identification means is an EEPROM.

Claim 7

A system according to claim 1 wherein said read/write terminal comprises means for reading data from a number of different types of identification means.

Claim 8

A photostimulable phosphor radiography identification system comprising - a cassette for conveying a photostimulable phosphor screen, said cassette being provided with a radiofrequency tag or being provided with attaching means onto which a radiofrequency tag can be attached, - a read/write terminal having means for providing radiofrequency transmission of data to and from a host acting as server in a hospital information system (HIS), means for acquiring data identifying an examination type and for writing acquired data onto a radiofrequency tag, - a device for reading a radiographic image stored in a photostimulable phosphor screen and for reading data stored by a radiofrequency tag provided on or attached to said cassette and for processing an image read from a screen in accordance with data read from said radiofrequency tag.

Claim 9

A system according to claim 1 or 8 wherein said read/write terminal is programmable.

Claim 10

A system according to claim 9 wherein said read/write terminal comprises means for displaying a number of examination types, means for selecting an examination type and associating it with patient identification data, means for storing a selected examination type.

Claim 11

A system according to claim 9 wherein said read/write terminal comprises means for displaying a number of destination types, means for selecting a destination type and associating it with patient identification data, means for storing a selected destination type.

Claim 12

A system according to claim 9 wherein said read/write terminal comprises a graphical user interface.

Claim 13

A photostimulable phosphor radiography identification system comprising - a radio frequency tag for storing data identifying a patient and data identifying an examination type, - a cassette for conveying a photostimulable phosphor screen, said cassette being provided with means onto which said radiofrequency tag can be attached, - a device for reading a radiographic image stored in a photostimulable phosphor screen and for reading data stored by said radiofrequency tag and for processing an image read from a screen in accordance with said data identifying an examination type, read from said radiofrequency tag.

Claim 15

An identification method for use in a photostimulable phosphor radiography system comprising the steps of - identifying a patient by writing the patient's identification data onto identification means, - reading said identification data by means of a read/write terminal and storing said identification data, - displaying on said read/write device a number of examination types, - selecting on said read/write terminal one of the displayed examination types and associating this examination type with said identification data and storing the examination type, - writing said identification data and said examination type onto an RF tag provided on a cassette conveying a photostimulable phosphor screen or onto an RF tag attachable to said cassette, - exposing said cassette to x-rays so as to store an x-ray image in the screen, - feeding said cassette into a read out device where the identification data and the examination type stored in said RF tag are read out and wherein the X-ray image stored in said screen is read out, - processing the X-ray image read out of the screen in accordance with the data identifying an examination type.

Claim 16

An identification method according to claim 15 comprising the steps of - displaying on said read/write device a number of destination types, - selecting on said read/write terminal one of the displayed destination types and associating this destination type with said identification data and storing the destination type, - writing said destination type onto an RF tag provided on a cassette or onto an RF tag attachable to said cassette, - reading said destination type from the RF tag when the cassette is fed into the read out apparatus.

Claim 17

An identification method for use in a photostimulable phosphor radiography system comprising the steps of - identifying a patient by writing the patient's identification data onto a radiofrequency tag, - adhering said tag onto a cassette conveying a photostimulable phosphor screen, - exposing said screen to x-rays, - feeding said cassette into a read out device where the identification data, stored in said RF tag, are read out and wherein the X-ray image stored in said screen is read out.

Claim 18

A method according to claim 17 comprising the steps of writing data identifying a destination onto said RF tag, reading said data identifying a destination and in said read out device and transmitting said image to said destination.

Claim 19

An identification method for use in a photostimulable phosphor radiography system comprising the steps of - identifying a patient by retrieving by means of a read/write terminal at least patient identification data from a hospital identification system through radiofrequency transmission of data from a host device acting as server for said hospital identification system, - writing said patient identification data by means of said read/write terminal onto an RF tag provided on a cassette conveying a photostimulable phosphor screen or onto an RF tag attachable to said cassette, - exposing said cassette to x-rays so as to store an x-ray image in the screen, - feeding said cassette into a read out device where the identification data stored in said RF tag are read out and wherein the X-ray image stored in said screen is read out.

Claim 20

A method according to claim 19 comprising the steps of - displaying on said read/write device a number of examination types, - selecting on said read/write terminal one of the displayed examination types, associating it with said identification data and storing it, - writing a selected examination type onto said RF tag, - reading the selected examination type from said RF tag in the read out device and - processing the X-ray image in accordance with said examination type.

Claim 21

A method according to claim 20 comprising the steps of - displaying on said read/write device a number of destination types, - selecting on said read/write terminal one of the displayed destination types, associating it with said identification data and storing it, - writing a selected destination type onto said RF tag, - reading the selected destination type from said RF tag in the read out device and - transmitting the X-ray image after processing to a destination identified by the selected destination type.

Claim 22

A method according to claim 19 wherein said hospital information system is updated through radiofrequency transmission of data from said read/write terminal to said host device.