A system and method for generating, storing and transmitting a layout page containing graphical data correlated to at least one graphical image which has previously been graphically encoded, such that the layout page may be printed either as a complete, full-color image, or as individual color separation plates. The system and method create a set of master data files, having a main master file which stores complete RGB color data for the graphical image, and a correlated set of CMYK master files, each containing graphical data for a single color separation plate for the graphical image. The main master file contains pointers to each of the CMYK master files. The system and method also create a set of preview data files: a set of CMYK preview files essentially only containing a pointer to the corresponding CMYK master file, and a main preview file essentially only containing a pointer to the main master file, and pointers to each of the CMYK preview files.

Data is retrieved from a database, whose physical organization (indexed matrix) is similar to the logical organization (spread sheet) of the data, by requesting the parameters and the desired time interval. A data interface locates pages in the database containing the requested parameters. Entries from page indexes relating to desired parameters are consolidated into a master composite index. Pages relating to the time period requested are then bound and searched to find the desired data. This data is then returned to the requesting application.

A method for constructing a data base in a medical image filing system comprises the steps of recording information indicating the time at which each medical image is recorded and a rank of importance for each medical image as image retrieval signal data for image signals corresponding to each medical image; recording the number of times the image signals corresponding to each medical image have been retrieved as image retrieval signal data and incrementing said number each time the image signals are retrieved; and when the data base is full of image retrieval signal data, deleting the image retrieval signal data corresponding to the image signals of the medical image in which at least (i) the time at which said medical image was recorded earlier than a predetermined time and (ii) the rank of importance of the medical image is lower than a predetermined value.

A picture archiving communication system for medical application includes least one work station, a data base, including a low-speed recording medium and a high-speed recording medium, for storing image data collected by a diagnosing apparatus unit. When a transfer command for desired image data is sent from the work station to the data base, the image data from the image data registered in the data base is read-out to the work station. A migration processing unit copies image data stored in the low-speed recording medium to the high-speed recording medium in the data base. A file management unit is provided, including a management table for storing a migration index number corresponding to at least one image data in the high-speed recording medium, which was subjected to the migration processing, and including a record indicating whether the image data stored in the high-speed recording medium was accessed after the migration processing. This system may further determine whether the image data stored in the high-speed recording medium from the management table has been accessed, and, if the image data has been accessed, deleting the image data from the high-speed recording medium from the earliest accessed one.

A storage, retrieval, and transmission system is configured to provide fast, efficient telecommunication access to digitized images (e.g., medical diagnostic X-ray images) to multiple requesting subscribers. Image data are downloaded, via the telephone lines, to a remote display terminal as a plurality of portions of a compressed digital image representation. Data from a first transmitted portion is used to construct a displayable image at the terminal. Data from subsequently transmitted portions are combined with the displayable image data to provide an image with an improved resolution.