Method and system for correlating exam worksheet values to supporting measurements

Abstract

A method and a system for storing and managing dimensional measurement values and the underlying ultrasound images utilize a report generator that operates to generate an examination report of an ultrasound examination having saved measurement values. The examination report allows for an expedient access to the corresponding ultrasound images that were used to derive the measurement values. In addition, the report generator operates to automatically save the ultrasound image when a measurement value that was computed from that ultrasound image is saved. This feature ensures that for each saved measurement value, the corresponding ultrasound image is also saved. The system utilizes ultrasound waves to image various anatomical features of a patient or a fetus. Examples of anatomical features that may be imaged by the system include the femur, the humerus and the head of a fetus. These ultrasound images are used to compute measurements of the anatomical features. In one embodiment, the examination report generated by the report generator and displayed on a display device of the system contains a number of virtual buttons that are associated with the saved measurement values. When a virtual button is activated, the corresponding ultrasound image of the measurement value that is associated with the activated virtual button is displayed on the display device. In another embodiment, the virtual buttons are replaced by hyperlinks. The virtual buttons or the hyperlinks facilitate expedient access to a particular ultrasound image that corresponds to a measurement value on the examination report that is of interest.