Remote medical supporting system

• US 20030046562A1
• Filed: 09/04/2002
• Published: 03/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Uchikubo, Akinobu
• Granted Patent: US 7,386,730 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/189
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0004 for electronic operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0005 combining images e.g. side-by-side, superimposed or tiled
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/042 characterised by a proximal camera, e.g. a CCD camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 1/00 Secret communication

Abstract

When a surgery and a remote control room in a remote location are connected through a communication circuit to perform an endoscope operation, image information is not encrypted and is sent as it is. Patient data including identification information, a name and so on relating to a patient is encrypted in an encrypting portion and then is sent. In the remote control room side receiving the patient data through the communication circuit, the patient data is decrypted by a decrypting portion when it is determined, based on the header portion, that the received data includes the patient data. Thus, the patient data is restructured and a structure, which can be displayed in a display device, including the image information can be obtained. As a result, the privacy of the patient data can be reserved, and the fast transmission can be achieved at low costs.

Claims

1. An operation supporting system, which support an operation by sending information on the operation, comprising:

an imaging device for imaging a subject part of a patient and for outputting an image signal;

an information input device for inputting identification information of the patient;

a first controller for encrypting the identification information input from the information input device;

a sending device for sending an encrypted information encrypted by the first controller and the image signal output from the imaging device;

a receiving device for receiving the encrypted information and the image signal sent from the sending device;

a second controller for decrypting the encrypted information received by the receiving device; and

a display device for displaying the identification information decrypted by the second controller and the image signal from the receiving device.

2. An operation supporting system according to claim 1, wherein the imaging device comprises an endoscope including an imaging element.

3. An operation supporting system according to claim 2, wherein the imaging device comprises a signal processing device for performing signal processing on the imaging element and for outputting the image signal.

4. An operation supporting system according to claim 1, wherein the information input device comprises at least one of a magnetic card reader, an optical card reader, a keyboard and an IC card reader.

5. An operation supporting system according to claim 1, wherein the first controller uses a public key when the identification information is encrypted.

6. An operation supporting system according to claim 1, wherein the second controller uses a private key when the encrypted information is decrypted.

7. An operation supporting system according to claim 1, wherein processing for encrypting the identification information is performed by a CPU.

8. An operation supporting system according to claim 1, wherein processing for decrypting the encrypted information is performed by a CPU.

9. An operation supporting system according to claim 1, wherein the sending device can also send voice information.

10. An operation supporting system according to claim 1, wherein an image signal from the imaging device is input to the sending device without passing through the first controller.

11. An operation supporting system according to claim 1, wherein an analog image signal is input from the imaging device to the sending device.

12. An operation supporting system according to claim 1, wherein the sending device and the receiving device are connected through a communication circuit.

13. An operation supporting system according to claim 1, wherein the encrypted information includes information in which patient information relating to the patient is encrypted in addition to information in which identification information of the patient is encrypted.

14. An operation supporting system according to claim 1, wherein the first controller encrypts patient information relating to a specific patient in addition to the identification information.

15. An operation supporting system according to claim 1, wherein the receiving device has a sending function for sending information, and the sending device has a receiving function for receiving information sent by the sending function of the receiving device.

16. An operation supporting system according to claim 15, wherein the receiving device encrypts and sends information when the information is identification information of a specific patient.

17. An operation supporting system according to claim 1, further comprising a second display device for displaying an image signal from the imaging device and the identification information input from the information input device.

18. An operation supporting system according to claim 17, wherein the encrypted information is provided, in the header portion, with an identification code indicating that the information is encrypted.

19. An operation supporting system according to claim 1, wherein character information to be encrypted and to be sent can be specified.

20. An operation supporting system according to claim 17, wherein an encrypted information part in display information can be displayed in the second display device such that the part can be distinguished from character information, which is not encrypted.

21. An operation supporting apparatus for sending information on an operation, comprising:

an imaging device for imaging a subject part of a patient and for outputting an image signal;

an information input device for inputting identification information of the patient;

a controller for encrypting the identification information input from the information input device; and

a sending device for sending an encrypted information encrypted by the controller and the image signal output from the imaging device;

22. An operation supporting apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising:

a receiving device for receiving the encrypted information and the image signal sent from the sending device;

a second controller for decrypting the encrypted information received by the receiving device; and

a display device for displaying the identification information decrypted by the second controller and the image signal from the receiving device.