REMOVEABLE MEDIA RECORDING STATION FOR THE MEDICAL INDUSTRY

• US 20030105393A1
• Filed: 09/29/1998
• Published: 06/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TDK U.S.A. Corporation (TDK Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TDK Electronics Corp (TDK Corporation)
• Inventors: SUTHERLAND, MICHAEL, YOKOI, KOYO
• Granted Patent: US 6,954,802 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/407
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/65 stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS

Abstract

A removable medium recording station records medical image data in a format and removable medium that are widely accepted. The removable medium recording station can be used to effectively replace an installed storage device on an existing stand-alone medical image workstation. Storage onto removable media is transformed into an outboard operation. This transformation enables a hospital to migrate existing medical imaging systems to new formats and media without sacrificing a large portion of their initial investment. Additionally, the removable medium recording station can be attached as a peripheral on an existing medical modality network. In this capacity, the removable medium recording station enables an operator on the medical modality network to store medical images in a selected format and on a selected type of removable medium regardless of the proprietary format used by the enterprise level archive server. The removable medium recording station enables a hospital to add new functionality without sacrificing their investment in their enterprise solution.

Claims

1. A removable medium recording system for use in a medical imaging system that includes

a medical scanner that scans a patient and creates medical image data,

a computer workstation coupled to said medical scanner, said computer workstation including a first storage device capable of storing data on a first nonremovable storage medium and a second storage device capable of storing data on a removable storage medium of a first type, said first storage device operative to initially store medical image data received from said medical scanner,

said removable medium recording system, comprising:

a third storage device capable of storing data on a second nonremovable storage medium, said third storage device initially storing medical image data received from said computer workstation; and

a fourth storage device capable of storing data on a removable storage medium of a second type, said fourth storage device storing medical image data received from said computer workstation onto said removable storage medium of a second type, wherein said fourth storage device effectively replaces said second storage device in said computer workstation.

2. The medical image recording system of claim 1, wherein said computer workstation is a digital imaging and communications in medicine compliant computer workstation.

3. The medical image recording system of claim 1, wherein said second storage device is a magneto-optical drive.

4. The medical image recording system of claim 1, wherein said fourth storage device is a compact disk drive.

5. The medical image recording system of claim 1, wherein said fourth storage device is a digital video disk drive.

6. A medical image processing network, comprising:

a communications network;

at least one medical scanner, coupled to said communications network, that scans a patient and creates medical image data;

a computer workstation, coupled to said communications network, that is operative to initially store medical image data generated by said medical scanner;

a server, coupled to said communications network, that stores medical image data received from said computer workstation in accordance with patient data received from said hospital information system; and

a removable medium recording station, coupled to said communications network as a peripheral device, that receives medical image data to be recorded onto a removable medium.

7. The medical image processing network of claim 6, wherein said computer workstation is a digital imaging and communications in medicine compliant computer workstation.

8. The medical image processing network of claim 6, wherein said computer workstation includes a magneto-optical drive.

9. The medical image processing network of claim 6, wherein said removable medium recording station includes a compact disk drive.

10. The medical image processing network of claim 6, wherein said removable medium recording station includes a digital video disk drive.

11. A removable medium recording station, comprising:

a communications facility for coupling said removable medium recording station to a medical image system, said communications facility enabling said removable medium recording station to be coupled to said medical image system as a peripheral device;

a first storage device capable of reading medical image data from a first removable storage medium;

a second storage device capable of writing medical image data onto a second removable storage medium; and

a processing means for controlling the process of copying medical image data from said first removable storage medium to said second removable storage medium, wherein said process of copying is performed independently of the operation of said medical image system.

12. The removable medium recording station of claim 11, wherein said medical image system is digital imaging and communications in medicine compliant medical image system.

13. The removable medium recording station of claim 11, wherein said first removable storage medium and said second removable storage medium are compact disks.

14. The removable medium recording station of claim 11, wherein said first removable storage medium and said second removable storage medium are digital video disks.

15. The removable medium recording station of claim 11, wherein said processing means converts the medical image data to a desired storage format prior to copying the medical image data to said second removable storage medium.