Text-based generic script processing for dynamic configuration of distributed systems

• US 20030216629A1
• Filed: 05/20/2002
• Published: 11/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company LLC (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company LLC (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Venon, Medhi, Rao, Gireesha, Aluri, Srinivas
• Granted Patent: US 7,890,348 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/407
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0271 using a remote monitoring unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/00 Measuring for diagnostic purposes radiation diagnosis A61B6/00; diagnosis by ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves A61B8/00; Identification of persons
• 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 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

The present technique provides a system and method for dynamic configuration of medical diagnostic systems using distributable multi-component configuration files having extractable component-specific configuration data. The component-specific configuration data is extractable and processable at each component receiving a broadcast of the distributable multi-component configuration file. If a configuration change is desired in the system or in a particular component, then the change is made via the distributable multi-component configuration file. For example, the foregoing distribution and extraction techniques may be performed during operation of the distributed medical diagnostic system in response to a global or application change, such as different medical diagnostic applications. Accordingly, the present technique provides a flexible and architecture-independent mechanism for configuring components of a distributed medical diagnostic system.

Claims

1. The medical diagnostic system, comprising:

a plurality of medical diagnostic components communicatively coupled via communications circuitry; and

a dynamic configuration system for the plurality of medical diagnostic components, comprising;

a configuration data distributor of multi-component configuration data;

a component-specific data extractor of the multi-component configuration data;

a configuration data processor.

2. The medical diagnostic system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of medical diagnostic components comprise imaging components.

3. The medical diagnostic system of claim 2, wherein the imaging components comprise magnetic resonance imaging components.

4. The medical diagnostic system of claim 2, wherein the imaging components comprise computed tomography components.

5. The medical diagnostic system of claim 2, wherein the imaging components comprise ultrasound components.

6. The medical diagnostic system of claim 2, wherein the imaging components comprise x-ray components.

7. The medical diagnostic system of claim 1, wherein the dynamic configuration system is operable at runtime of the medical diagnostic system.

8. The medical diagnostic system of claim 1, wherein the dynamic configuration system is architecture independent.

9. The medical diagnostic system of claim 1, wherein the dynamic configuration system is operable within a plurality of medical modalities for cross-modality deployment.

10. The medical diagnostic system of claim 1, wherein the dynamic configuration system is scalable to facilitate additional system configuration.

11. The medical diagnostic system of claim 1, wherein the configuration data distributor comprises an event-triggered broadcasting system.

12. The medical diagnostic system of claim 1, wherein the component-specific data extractor comprises a component-specific application separator.

13. The medical diagnostic system of claim 1, wherein the configuration data processor comprises a script interpreter for the multi-component configuration data.

14. The medical diagnostic system of claim 1, wherein the dynamic configuration system comprises a distribution triggering system.

15. The medical diagnostic system of claim 14, wherein the distribution triggering system comprises a user interface.

16. The medical diagnostic system of claim 14, wherein the distribution triggering system comprises an application event response system.

17. The medical diagnostic system of claim 14, wherein the distribution triggering system comprises a global mode monitoring system.

18. The medical diagnostic system of claim 14, wherein the distribution triggering system comprises a component status monitoring system.

19. The medical diagnostic system of claim 1, wherein the dynamic configuration system comprises a script generation system for the multi-component configuration data.

20. The medical diagnostic system of claim 1, wherein the configuration data distributor is disposed on at least one of the plurality of medical diagnostic components and the component-specific data extractor is disposed on remaining components of the plurality of medical diagnostic components.

21. The medical diagnostic system of claim 20, wherein the configuration data processor is disposed on each of the remaining components.

22. A medical diagnostic component, comprising:

a configuration data provider of multi-component configuration data having extractable component-specific configuration data for a plurality of communicatively coupled medical diagnostic components; and

a configuration data broadcaster of the multi-component configuration data to the plurality of communicatively coupled medical diagnostic components.

23. The medical diagnostic component of claim 22, wherein the plurality of communicatively coupled medical diagnostic components comprise imaging components.

24. The medical diagnostic component of claim 22, wherein the configuration data provider and the configuration data broadcaster are operable at runtime of a medical diagnostic system.

25. The medical diagnostic component of claim 22, wherein the configuration data provider and the configuration data broadcaster are operable across different component architectures.

26. The medical diagnostic component of claim 22, wherein the configuration data provider and the configuration data broadcaster are operable across different medic al modalities.

27. The medical diagnostic component of claim 22, wherein the extractable component-specific configuration data is modifiable centrally via the configuration data provider.

28. The medical diagnostic component of claim 22, wherein the configuration data broadcaster comprises an event-triggered data distribution system.

29. The medical diagnostic component of claim 22, comprising a configuration data processor.

30. The medical diagnostic component of claim 22, wherein the configuration data processor comprises an interpretation distributor of the configuration data processor to the plurality of communicatively coupled medical diagnostic components.

31. A medical diagnostic component, comprising:

a configuration data receiver for a distributable multi-component configuration file comprising extractable component-specific application data for a plurality of medical diagnostic components;

a configuration data extractor of the extractable component-specific application data; and

a configuration data processor of the extractable component-specific application data.

32. The medical diagnostic component of claim 31, wherein the plurality of medical diagnostic components comprise imaging components.

33. The medical diagnostic component of claim 31, wherein the plurality of medical diagnostic components comprise different operating architectures.

34. The medical diagnostic component of claim 31, wherein the plurality of medical diagnostic components comprise different medical modalities.

35. The medical diagnostic component of claim 31, wherein the configuration data receiver, the configuration data extractor, and the configuration data processor are operable at runtime of a medical diagnostic component comprising the plurality of medical diagnostic components.

36. The medical diagnostic component of claim 31, wherein the distributable multi-component configuration file is modifiable via a multi-component configuration system disposed on one of the plurality of medical diagnostic components.

37. The medical diagnostic component of claim 31, wherein the configuration data processor comprises an event-triggered processing system.

38. The medical diagnostic component of claim 31, wherein the configuration data extractor comprises a component-specific application separator.

39. The medical diagnostic component of claim 31, wherein the configuration data processor comprises a script interpreter for the extractable component-specific application data.

40. A configuration system for a medical diagnostic system, comprising:

distribution means for distributing multi-component behavioral data to a plurality of medical diagnostic components; and

processing means for processing component-specific portions of the multi-component behavioral data at each of the plurality of medical diagnostic components.

41. The configuration system of claim 40, further comprising triggering means for executing the component-specific portions at each of the plurality of medical diagnostic components.

42. The configuration system of claim 40, further comprising creation means for providing the multi-component behavioral data.

43. The configuration system of claim 40, further comprising modification means for changing the component-specific portions via the multi-component behavioral data.

44. A method of configuring distributed components of a medical diagnostic system, comprising the acts of:

distributing multi-component configuration data comprising extractable component-specific configuration data for a plurality of medical diagnostic components;

extracting the extractable component-specific configuration data from the distributed multi-component configuration data at each component of the plurality of medical diagnostic components; and

processing the extractable component-specific configuration data extracted at each component.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the act of distributing comprises the act of broadcasting the multi-component configuration data to at least one medical imaging component.

46. The method of claim 44, wherein the act of distributing comprises the act of broadcasting the multi-component configuration data across different medical modalities.

47. The method of claim 44, wherein the act of distributing comprises the act of broadcasting the multi-component configuration data across different operating architectures.

48. The method of claim 44, wherein the act of distributing comprises the act of responding to a global change in the medical diagnostic system.

49. The method of claim 44, wherein the act of distributing comprises the act of interactively initiating a configuration change in the medical diagnostic system at runtime.

50. The method of claim 44, wherein the act of distributing comprises the act of executing a multi-stage medical diagnostic application requiring different component behavioral characteristics for each stage.

51. The method of claim 44, wherein the acts of extracting and processing are performed at runtime of the medical diagnostic system.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein the act of distributing is performed at runtime of the medical diagnostic system.

53. The method of claim 44, where the act of extracting comprises the act of dividing the extracted component-specific configuration data into distinct configuration groups.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein act of dividing comprises the act of monitoring for triggers associated with each of the distinct configuration groups.

55. The method of claim 44, where the act of extracting comprises the act of monitoring for a triggering event associated with the extracted component-specific configuration data at each component of the plurality of medical diagnostic components.

56. The method of claim 44, comprising the act of providing the multi-component configuration data.

57. The method of plant 44, comprising the act of modifying the extractable component-specific configuration data via the multi-component configuration data.

58. A computer program for a medical diagnostic system, comprising:

a tangible medium configured to support machine-readable code; and

machine-readable code supported on the medium and comprising a broadcasting multi-component configuration system adapted to provide a multi-component configuration file having extractable component-specific configuration data for a plurality of medical diagnostic components.

59. The computer program of claim 58, wherein the broadcasting multi-component configuration system comprises a configuration data assembler of the multi-component configuration data.

60. The computer program of claim 58, wherein the broadcasting multi-component configuration system comprises a configuration data broadcaster of the multi-component configuration data to the plurality of medical diagnostic components.

61. The computer program of claim 58, wherein the broadcasting multi-component configuration system comprises a configuration data receiver for a distributed multi-component configuration file comprising the extractable component-specific configuration data.

62. The computer program of claim 58, wherein the broadcasting multi-component configuration system comprises a configuration data extractor of the extractable component-specific configuration data.

63. The computer program of claim 58, wherein the broadcasting multi-component configuration system comprises a configuration data processor of the extractable component-specific configuration data.