Imaging diagnostic apparatus and maintenance method of the same

• US 20030097054A1
• Filed: 03/19/2001
• Published: 05/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kamiyama, Naohisa, Miyajima, Yasuo, Goto, Eiji, Hashimoto, Shinichi, Sasaki, Takuya, Nakazato, Toshiaki, Yoshie, Tsuyoshi
• Granted Patent: US 6,656,119 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/407
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/00 Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves imaging of objects using sonar G01S15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/565 involving data transmission via a network
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/587 Calibration phantoms models for medical purposes G09B23/28
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A medical imaging diagnostic apparatus is maintained by means of a remote computer connected to a communication line. This maintenance includes: generating log data concerning a use state of a medical imaging diagnostic apparatus; transmitting the thus generated log data to the remote computer via the communication line; storing the thus transmitted log data as data that configures a database on the remote computer; and analyzing the use state of the medical imaging diagnostic apparatus so that the use state can be displayed based on the stored log data.

Claims

1. A maintenance method of a medical imaging diagnostic apparatus by a remote computer connected via a communication line, the method comprising the steps of:

generating log data concerning a use state of the medical imaging diagnostic apparatus;

transmitting the generated log data to the remote computer via the communication line;

storing the transmitted log data as data configuring a predetermined database on the remote computer; and

analyzing the use state of the medical imaging diagnostic apparatus so that the use state can be displayed based on log data stored as data configuring the database.

2. The maintenance method of a medical imaging diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the medical imaging diagnostic apparatus is directed to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having an ultrasonic probe, and

wherein the analysis result of the use state of the medical imaging diagnostic apparatus includes at least one of the number of patients diagnosed within a predetermined period of time by the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, each use time of ultrasonic diagnostic Doppler mode, B mode, M mode, CFM (Color Flow Mapping) mode, Angiographic mode, TDI (Tissue Doppler Imaging) mode, THI (Tissue Harmonic Imaging) mode, and measurement mode used by the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, freeze count of ultrasonic image displayed by the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, the ultrasonic image recording count;

and a rate of the recording count to the freeze count.

3. The maintenance method of a medical imaging ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the medical imaging diagnostic apparatus is directed to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having an ultrasonic probe, and

wherein data configuring the database includes at least one of:

degradation information on the ultrasonic probe;

information on date and time when a measurement value obtained by an acceleration sensor provided at the ultrasonic probe exceeds a predetermined value; and

information on the count when the measurement value obtained by the acceleration sensor exceeds a predetermined value.

4. The maintenance method of a medical imaging diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the medical imaging diagnostic apparatus is directed to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having an ultrasonic probe, and

wherein the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprise:

a probe holder for holding the ultrasonic probe;

a phantom consisting of a standard test body for phantom testing equipped in the probe holder;

means for obtaining an ultrasonic image of the phantom by the ultrasonic probe held in the probe holder; and

means for transmitting the ultrasonic image of the phantom being data for obtaining degradation information on the ultrasonic probe to the remote computer.

5. A maintenance method of a medical imaging diagnostic apparatus, comprising the steps of:

generating log data concerning a use state of a medical imaging diagnostic apparatus;

recording the thus generated log data on a predetermined recording medium; and

analyzing the use state of the medical imaging diagnostic apparatus so that the use state can be displayed based on the log data on the recording medium.

6. A medical imaging diagnostic apparatus comprising:

log generating means for generating log data concerning a use state of a medical imaging diagnostic apparatus;

log recording means for recording the log data generated by the log generating means on a predetermined recording medium; and

analysis means for analyzing a use state of the medical imaging diagnostic apparatus so that the use state can be displayed based on the log data recorded on the recording medium by the log recording means.

7. A medical imaging diagnostic apparatus capable of performing maintenance by means of a remote computer connected via a communication line, the apparatus comprising:

input means provided at the medical imaging diagnostic apparatus, and adopted to input information concerning a system user;

operating means provided at the medical imaging diagnostic apparatus, the operating means being adopted to instruct a change to a predetermined system maintenance mode;

transmission means for, when the change to the system maintenance mode is instructed by the operating means, transmitting to the remote computer the information concerning the system user inputted by the input means and the date and time information; and

means for switching a current state into a state for enabling at least one of system diagnosis of the medical imaging diagnostic apparatus, system setting change, and control program change based on a signal transmitted from the remote computer via the communication line in response to the information transmitted by the transmission means.

8. A maintenance method of a medical imaging diagnostic apparatus by means of a remote computer connected via a communication line, the maintenance method comprising the steps of:

inputting information concerning a system user to the medical imaging diagnostic apparatus; and

operating the medical imaging diagnostic apparatus, thereby instructing switching into a system maintenance mode for enabling at least one of system diagnosis of the medical imaging diagnostic apparatus, system setting change, and control program change based on a signal transmitted from the remote computer via the communication line in response to the inputted information;

transmitting information concerning the system user and the date and time information to the remote compute via the communication line when the switching into the system maintenance mode is instructed; and

storing the transmitted information concerning the system user and the date and time information on a predetermined recording medium on the remote computer.