Method and apparatus for transmission and storage of digital medical data

• US 20040139222A1
• Filed: 01/14/2003
• Published: 07/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Bycast Inc. (NetApp, Inc.)
• Inventors: Slik, David, Ma, Keith, Montour, Michael, Kermani, Mohammad, Altman, Tym, Prosello, Walter, Seller, Ollver
• Granted Patent: US 7,624,158 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/236
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

System for decentralized storage and rapid retrieval of medical data among geographically separate locations, connected by data paths of limited bandwidth, which optimizes transmission therebetween. Medical data is separated into bulk content and metadata. Metadata is transmitted to all locations. Bulk content is copied to selected locations based on desired duplication, available storage, distance, transmission cost, data path bandwidth or utilization, likelihood of retrieval calculated from the metadata, requests to use or prior usage of content or information from a system that manages the content. Transmission rate is limited and bulk content is queued for transmission based on priority calculated from metadata, from requests to use content or information from a system that manages the content. Optimal locations for bulk content are recalculated based on requests to use content, new patient appointments, data path or equipment failures. Copies are made or deleted. Distributed lists of locations for content are updated.

Claims

1. A method for transmission of digital medical data between at least two geographically separate locations connected by data paths of limited bandwidth, the method comprising the steps of:

separating said medical data arriving at one of said locations into at least bulk content and metadata;

associating said bulk content with a content identifier;

transmitting said bulk content to at least one other of said locations and storing it;

extending said metadata to comprise said content identifier and a list of all of said locations where said bulk content has been and stored; and

transmitting said extended metadata to at least one of said locations and storing it.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said separating step comprises the step of converting the format of said medical data to a different format.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said transmitting step comprises the steps of:

selecting said locations to which said bulk content is transmitted based on a calculation utilizing at least one factor selected from the group consisting of the desired degree of content duplication, storage capacity available at each of said locations, geographic distance to each of said locations, transmission cost to each of said locations, data path bandwidth to each location, current utilization of the data paths to each of said locations, processor utilization at each of said locations, and the likelihood of retrieval at each of said locations, said likelihood being calculated using at least one of information contained in said metadata, from requests to use said bulk content, prior usage of said bulk content, from information obtained from a system that manages patients'"'"' appointments, and from information obtained from a system that manages uses of said bulk content; and

transmitting said bulk content to the selected said locations for storage.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said transmitting step for transmitting said bulk content comprises the steps of:

selecting optimal ones of said locations, wherein which of said locations are optimal can change over time;

updating which of said locations are selected as optimal; and

performing at least one operation selected from the group consisting of transmitting said bulk content to additional ones of said locations and storing, and deleting said bulk content from said locations where said bulk content is already stored, depending on which of said locations are optimal.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said transmitting step for transmitting said bulk content comprises the step of queuing said bulk content for transmission over said data paths based on a priority calculated using information selected from the group consisting of information contained in said metadata, requests to use said bulk content, prior usage of said bulk content, information obtained from a system that manages patients'"'"' appointments, and information obtained from a system that manages uses of said bulk content.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of encrypting at least one of said bulk content and said metadata before at least one of transmission over said data paths and storage.

7. A method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising the step of performing at least one operation selected from the group consisting of transmitting said bulk content to additional ones of said locations and storing, and deleting said bulk content from said locations where said bulk content is already stored, depending on the result of said calculation as it varies over time.

8. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein said transmitting step for transmitting said bulk content comprises the step of queuing said bulk content for transmission over said data paths based on a priority calculated using information selected from the group consisting of information contained in said metadata, requests to use said bulk content, prior usage of said bulk content, information obtained from a system that manages patients'"'"' appointments, and information obtained from a system that manages uses of said bulk content.

9. A method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising the step of encrypting at least one of said bulk content and said metadata before at least one of transmission over said data paths and storage.

10. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein said transmitting step for transmitting said bulk content comprises the step of queuing said bulk content for transmission over said data paths based on a priority calculated using information selected from the group consisting of information contained in said metadata, requests to use said bulk content, prior usage of said bulk content, information obtained from a system that manages patients'"'"' appointments, and information obtained from a system that manages uses of said bulk content.

11. A method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising the step of encrypting at least one of said bulk content and said metadata before at least one of transmission over said data paths and storage.

12. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein said transmitting step comprises the steps of selecting said locations to which said bulk content is transmitted based on a calculation utilizing at least one factor selected from the group consisting of the desired degree of content duplication, storage capacity available at each of said locations, geographic distance to each of said locations, transmission cost to each of said locations, data path bandwidth to each location, current utilization of the data paths to each of said locations, processor utilization at each of said locations, and the likelihood of retrieval at each of said locations, said likelihood being calculated using at least one of information contained in said metadata, from requests to use said bulk content, prior usage of said bulk content, from information obtained from a system that manages patients'"'"' appointments, and from information obtained from a system that manages uses of said bulk content.

13. A method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising the step of encrypting at least one of said bulk content and said metadata before at least one of transmission over said data paths and storage.

14. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said transmitting step for said extended metadata comprises the step of transmitting said extended metadata to all of said locations.

15. An apparatus for distributing medical data between geographically separate locations connected by optical, wired or radio frequency data paths of limited bandwidth, the apparatus employed at a first one of the locations comprising:

a processing device;

a memory device coupled to said processing device;

at least one network interface connected to at least one of said data paths and in communication with said processing device;

wherein said processing device is programmable to separate said medical data provided to its corresponding said location into bulk content and metadata, to associate said bulk content with a content identifier, to transmit via said at least one network interface said bulk content to at least one of the other said locations for storage, to extend said metadata to comprise said content identifier and a list of all of said locations where said bulk content has been transmitted for storage, and to transmit via said at least one network interface said extended metadata to at least one of said locations for storage.

16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein said processing device is programmable to transmit via said at least one network interface said extended metadata to all of said locations for storage.

17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein said processing device is programmable to convert the format of said medical data to a different format.

18. An apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein said processing device is programmable to select said locations to which said bulk content is transmitted based on a calculation utilizing at least one factor selected from the group consisting of the desired degree of content duplication, storage capacity available at each of said locations, geographic distance to each of said locations, transmission cost to each of said locations, data path bandwidth to each location, current utilization of the data paths to each of said locations, processor utilization at each of said locations, and the likelihood of retrieval at each of said locations, said likelihood being calculated using at least one of information contained in said metadata, from requests to use said bulk content, prior usage of said bulk content, from information obtained from a system that manages patients'"'"' appointments, and from information obtained from a system that manages uses of said bulk content.

19. An apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein said processing device is operable to receive bulk content corresponding to medical data from other said locations, said processing device being programmable to select optimal ones of said locations, to update which of said locations are selected as optimal since the status of said locations as optimal can change over time, and to perform at least one operation selected from the group consisting of transmitting said bulk content originating at said first location to selected other said locations for storage, and deleting said bulk content originating at other said locations from said memory device, depending on which of said locations are optimal.

20. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein said processing device is operable to queue said bulk content for transmission over said data paths based on a priority calculated using information selected from the group consisting of information contained in said metadata, requests to use said bulk content, prior usage of said bulk content, information obtained from a system that manages patients'"'"' appointments, and information obtained from a system that manages uses of said bulk content.

21. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein said processing device is operable to encrypt at least one of said bulk content and said metadata before at least one of transmission over said data paths and storage.

22. A method as claimed in claim 18, wherein said processing device is operable to perform at least one operation selected from the group consisting of transmitting said bulk content to additional ones of said locations and storing, and deleting said bulk content from at least one of said memory and other said locations where said bulk content is already stored, depending on the result of said calculation as it varies over time.

23. A method as claimed in claim 18, wherein said processing device is operable to queue said bulk content for transmission over said data paths based on a priority calculated using information selected from the group consisting of information contained in said metadata, requests to use said bulk content, prior usage of said bulk content, information obtained from a system that manages patients'"'"' appointments, and information obtained from a system that manages uses of said bulk content.

24. A method as claimed in claim 18, wherein said processing device is operable to encrypt at least one of said bulk content and said metadata before at least one of transmission over said data paths and storage.

25. A method as claimed in claim 19, wherein said processing device is operable to queue said bulk content for transmission over said data paths based on a priority calculated using information selected from the group consisting of information contained in said metadata, requests to use said bulk content, prior usage of said bulk content, information obtained from a system that manages patients'"'"' appointments, and information obtained from a system that manages uses of said bulk content.

26. A method as claimed in claim 19, wherein said processing device is operable to encrypt at least one of said bulk content and said metadata before at least one of transmission over said data paths and storage.

27. An apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein said processing device is programmable to select said locations to which said bulk content is transmitted based on a calculation utilizing at least one factor selected from the group consisting of the desired degree of content duplication, storage capacity available at each of said locations, geographic distance to each of said locations, transmission cost to each of said locations, data path bandwidth to each location, current utilization of the data paths to each of said locations, processor utilization at each of said locations, and the likelihood of retrieval at each of said locations, said likelihood being calculated using at least one of information contained in said metadata, from requests to use said bulk content, prior usage of said bulk content, from information obtained from a system that manages patients'"'"' appointments, and from information obtained from a system that manages uses of said bulk content.

28. A method as claimed in claim 20, wherein said processing device is operable to encrypt at least one of said bulk content and said metadata before at least one of transmission over said data paths and storage.