Patient information extraction in digitized radiography.

Digital imagery is gradually replacing the traditional radiograph with the development of digital radiography and film scanner. This report presents a new method to extract the patient information number (PIN) field automatically from the film-scanned image using image analysis technique. To evaluate the PIN field extraction algorithm, 2 formats of label acquired from 2 different hospitals are tested. Given the available films with no constraints on the way the labels are written and positioned, the correct extraction rates are 73% and 84%, respectively. This extracted PIN information can link with Radiology Information System (RIS) or Hospital Information System (HIS), and the image scanned from the film then can be filed into the database automatically. The efficiency this method offers can simplify greatly the image filing process and improve the user friendliness of the overall image digitization system. Moreover, compared with the bar code reader, it solves the automatic information input problem in a very economical way. The authors believe the success of this technique will benefit the development of the PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System) and teleradiology.