Remote control of medical devices using instant messaging infrastructure

• US 10,387,614 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2016
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Merative US LP
• Original Assignee: Merge Healthcare Incorporated (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Logan, Mark, Fehrenbach, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Song, Hee K
• Application Number:
  US15/197,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20160306926A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,147 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30

Abstract

Systems and methods for remote control and management of medical workstations using an instant messaging infrastructure. A remote client, such as a mobile phone, laptop, tablet, or other computing device, is used to generate instructions or information requests in one or more data packets. The remote client sends the one or more data packets using the instant messaging infrastructure to a medical workstation at another location. A service application in communication with the medical workstation receives the data packets and causes the medical workstation to retrieve the requested information or execute the instruction. The communications between the remote client and the service application are encrypted and signed to ensure secure communications.

Claims

1. A method of transferring medical images from a medical image database using an instant messaging (IM) infrastructure comprising:

establishing, by a user device, an IM session with an IM server;

receiving presence information regarding a medical workstation that is on an IM roster of the user device, the medical workstation being in communication with the medical image database via a communication path independent of the IM server;

displaying, on a user interface of the user device, a list of image results received from the IM server including a first image and a second image;

receiving, by the user device, a selection of the second image;

receiving a list of destinations from the IM server;

displaying, on the user interface of the user device, the list of destinations;

receiving, by the user device, a selection of a destination device from the list of destinations; and

sending, by the user device, a command via the IM server to the medical workstation, the command being a request to transfer the second image from the medical image database to the destination device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, in response to the command, the second image is transferred via a proxy server from the medical image database to the destination device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending, by the user device, a get destinations command to the IM server, wherein the list of destinations from the IM server is received, by the user device, in response to the get destinations command.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the medical image database resides on at least one selected from the group consisting of the medical workstation, on an external hard drive directly connected to the medical workstation via serial cable, and on a network hard drive.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the list of image results further comprises:

displaying a list of studies for a plurality of patients on a single screen of the user interface of the user device, the studies being grouped by patient such that a first patient is listed with at least a first study and a second patient is listed with at least a second study and third study,

wherein at least one series of images is associated with each of the studies.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

indicating, on the user interface of the user device, that at least one image result from the list of image results is already stored on the user device.

7. A nontransitory computer readable medium comprising instructions configured to be executed by a processor of a user device to transfer medical images from a medical image database using an instant messaging (IM) infrastructure, the instructions, through execution by the processor, configured to:

establish, by the user device, an IM session with an IM server;

receive presence information regarding a medical workstation that is on an IM roster of the user device, the medical workstation being in communication with the medical image database via a communication path independent of the IM server;

display, on a user interface of the user device, a list of image results received from the IM server including a first image and a second image;

receive, by the user device, a selection of the second image;

receive a list of destinations from the IM server;

display, on the user interface of the user device, the list of destinations;

receive, by the user device, a selection of a destination device from the list of destinations; and

send, by the user device, a command via the IM server to the medical workstation, the command being a request to transfer the second image from the medical image database to the destination device.

8. The nontransitory computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein, in response to the command, the second image is transferred via a proxy server from the medical image database to the destination device.

9. The nontransitory computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the instructions, through execution by the processor, are further configured to:

send, by the user device, a get destinations command to the IM server, wherein the list of destinations from the IM server is received, by the user device, in response to the get destinations command.

10. The nontransitory computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the medical image database resides on at least one selected from the group consisting of the medical workstation, on an external hard drive directly connected to the medical workstation via serial cable, and on a network hard drive.

11. The nontransitory computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein displaying the list of image results further comprises:

displaying a list of studies for a plurality of patients on a single screen of the user interface of the user device, the studies being grouped by patient such that a first patient is listed with at least a first study and a second patient is listed with at least a second study and third study,

wherein at least one series of images is associated with each of the studies.

12. The nontransitory computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the instructions, through execution by the processor, are further configured to:

indicate, on the user interface of the user device, that at least one image result from the list of image results is already stored on the user device.

13. A method of transferring medical images from a medical image database using an instant messaging (IM) infrastructure comprising:

establishing, by an IM server, a first IM session with a medical workstation, the medical workstation

being in communication with the medical image database via a communication path independent of the IM server, and

including a user interface with a display enabling a user of the medical workstation to select one or more images from the medical image database to be viewed on the display;

establishing a second IM session with a user device, wherein the user device is on an IM roster of the medical workstation and the medical workstation is on an IM roster of the user device;

sending, by the IM server, roster and presence information to the user device and the medical workstation;

providing a list of image results to be displayed on a user interface of the user device;

providing, to the user device, a list of destinations available;

receiving a command from the user device, the command being a request to transfer an image from the medical image database to a destination device selected from the list of destinations; and

providing the command, to the medical workstation, to facilitate transferring of the image to the destination device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein, in response to the command, the image is transferred via a proxy server from the medical image database to the destination device.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the medical image database resides on at least one selected from the group consisting of the medical workstation, on an external hard drive directly connected to the medical workstation via serial cable, and on a network hard drive.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the list of destinations available includes at least a second medical workstation and, when provided to the user device, the list of destinations available is provided to be displayed on the user device for user selection.