Cloud-to-local, local-to-cloud switching and synchronization of medical images and data

• US 10,503,869 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2017
• Issued: 12/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Healthcare Americas, Inc. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Healthcare Americas, Inc. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Shiibashi, Takao
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Thuy
• Application Number:
  US15/698,756
• Publication Number:
  US 20190080054A1
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

A method for updating a system that synchronizes medical data between a cloud repository on a cloud server and a plurality of local repositories on a plurality of local servers of healthcare facilities connected to the cloud server. The method includes, by the cloud server: receiving a request to update a medical synchronization application stored on the cloud server and each of the local servers using an update file; transmitting an instruction to each of the local servers to update the medical synchronization application; and executing the update file to update the medical synchronization application on the cloud server. The cloud server executes the update file regardless of whether any of the local servers have executed the update file.

Claims

1. A method for updating a system that synchronizes medical data between a cloud repository on a cloud server and a plurality of local repositories on a plurality of local servers of healthcare facilities connected to the cloud server, the method comprising:

receiving, by the cloud server, a request to update a medical synchronization application stored on the cloud server and each of the local servers using an update file; and

executing, by the cloud sever, the update file to update the medical synchronization application on the cloud server, wherein the cloud server executes the update file regardless of whether any of the local servers have executed the update file; and

in response to one of the plurality of local servers establishing a connection with the cloud server, causing the cloud server to;

determine the version information of the medical synchronization application of the local server establishing the connection; and

in the event that the version information of the medical synchronization application of the local server establishing the connection is different from the version information of the medical synchronization application on the cloud server, transmit an instruction to update the medical synchronization application to the local server establishing the connection, wherein

the instruction includes the update file; and

in response to one of the plurality of local servers re-establishing a connection with the cloud server after being disconnected from the cloud server, causing the cloud server to;

determine the version information of the medical synchronization application on the local server establishing the connection; and

in the event that the version information of the medical synchronization application on the local server re-establishing the connection is different from the version information of the medical synchronization application on the cloud server, transmit the instruction to update the medical synchronization application to the local server re-establishing the connection.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the local server establishing or re-establishing the connection to the cloud server is permitted to synchronize medical data with the cloud server only if the version information of the medical synchronization application on the local server establishing or re-establishing the connection is the same as the version information of the medical synchronization application on the cloud server.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the local servers is an application proxy server (APS) disposed in a medical facility.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the update file is stored in the cloud repository, and

the cloud server is first out of all of the cloud server and the local servers to execute the update file.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the request received by the cloud server includes the version information of the medical synchronization application, a date and time for the cloud server to execute the request, and a warning message that is included in the instruction transmitted to the local servers.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the request received by the cloud server is editable and scheduled by a user through a graphical user interface (GUI) displayed by a computer coupled to the cloud server.

7. The method according to claim 5 wherein the warning message is displayed in a pop-up window that appears on a display of a local computer coupled to the plurality of respective local servers.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the pop-up window includes

a countdown timer that indicates a remaining time before the local severs will automatically execute the update file to update the medical synchronization application, and

an additional warning message that notifies the user that the medical synchronization application will be automatically shut down when the countdown timer expires.

9. The method according to claim 5, wherein the request to update the medical synchronization application cannot be canceled once the cloud server executes the request.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein

each of the local servers is coupled to a local computer with a display, and

the local computer is coupled to a modality in a medical facility.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cloud repository on the cloud server is a repository for a cloud-based Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS).

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium (CRM) storing instructions that cause a cloud server coupled to a computer to perform an operation to update a system that synchronizes medical data between a cloud repository on the cloud server and a plurality of local repositories on a plurality of local servers of healthcare facilities connected to the cloud server, the operation comprising:

receiving, by the cloud server, a request to update a medical synchronization application stored on the cloud server and each of the local servers using an update file;

determining, by the cloud server, a version information of the medical synchronization application on all of the local servers; and

executing, by the cloud sever, the update file to update the medical synchronization application on the cloud server only in the event that cloud server determines that the medical synchronization application of all of the local servers have been updated; and

in response to one of the plurality of local servers establishing a connection with the cloud server, causing the cloud server to;

determine the version information of the medical synchronization application of the local server establishing the connection; and

in the event that the version information of the medical synchronization application of the local server establishing the connection is different from the version information of the medical synchronization application on the cloud server, transmit an instruction to update the medical synchronization application to the local server establishing the connection, wherein

the instruction includes the update file; and

in response to one of the plurality of local servers re-establishing a connection with the cloud server after being disconnected from the cloud server, causing the cloud server to;

determine the version information of the medical synchronization application on the local server establishing the connection; and

in the event that the version information of the medical synchronization application on the local server re-establishing the connection is different from the version information of the medical synchronization application on the cloud server, transmit the instruction to update the medical synchronization application to the local server re-establishing the connection.

13. The CRM according to claim 12, wherein the local server establishing or re-establishing the connection to the cloud server is permitted to synchronize medical data with the cloud server only if the version information of the medical synchronization application on the local server establishing or re-establishing the connection is the same as the version information of the medical synchronization application on the cloud server.

14. The CRM according to claim 12, wherein

the update file is stored in the cloud repository, and

the cloud server is first out of all of the cloud server and the local servers to execute the update file.

15. A system that synchronizes medical data, comprising:

a cloud server comprising a hardware processor;

a cloud repository comprising a memory on the cloud server; and

a plurality of local repositories on a plurality of local servers of healthcare facilities connected to the cloud server, wherein

the cloud server;

receives a request to update a medical synchronization application stored on the cloud server and each of the local servers using an update file,

determines, a version information of the medical synchronization application on all of the local servers, and

executes the update file to update the medical synchronization application on the cloud server only in the event that cloud server determines that the medical synchronization application of all of the local servers have been updated,

in response to one of the plurality of local servers establishing a connection with the cloud server, the cloud server;

determines the version information of the medical synchronization application of the local server establishing the connection, and

in the event that the version information of the medical synchronization application of the local server establishing the connection is different from the version information of the medical synchronization application on the cloud server, transmits an instruction to update the medical synchronization application to the local server establishing the connection,

the instruction includes the update file; and

in response to one of the plurality of local servers re-establishing a connection with the cloud server after being disconnected from the cloud server, the cloud server;

determines the version information of the medical synchronization application on the local server establishing the connection; and

in the event that the version information of the medical synchronization application on the local server re-establishing the connection is different from the version information of the medical synchronization application on the cloud server, transmits the instruction to update the medical synchronization application to the local server re-establishing the connection.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the local server establishing or re-establishing the connection to the cloud server is permitted to synchronize medical data with the cloud server only if the version information of the medical synchronization application on the local server establishing or re-establishing the connection is the same as the version information of the medical synchronization application on the cloud server.

17. The system according to claim 15, wherein

the update file is stored in the cloud repository, and

the cloud server is the first out of all of the cloud server and the local servers to execute the update file.