Method for remotely controlling medical apparatuses and device therefor

• US 20050075556A1
• Filed: 10/02/2003
• Published: 04/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: EBM Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: EBM Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Pan, William
• Application Number:
  US10/676,103
• Publication Number:
  US 20050075556A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/407
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00006 of control signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/00 Apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis; Apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis combined with radiation therapy equipment instruments measuring radiation intensity for application in the field of nuclear medicine, e.g. in vivo counting, G01T1/161; apparatus for taking X-ray photographs G03B42/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/548 Remote control of the apparatus or devices
• 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: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A method for remotely controlling medical apparatuses and the method thereof are proposed. The medical apparatuses are used to take internal images of the human body, and have control command sets that comply with the DICOM specifications. In this method, a server is first built and connected to the medical apparatuses. A remote device is then built and connected to the server. Next, the remote device executes a remote control program to generate at least a DICOM control command, which is then sent to the server. The server then executes a communication program to perform control communications with the medical apparatuses. The medical apparatuses can thus be controlled to take images of the inside of human body for generating of digital image data complying with the DICOM specifications. The object of remote control for integrating medical apparatuses can thus be accomplished.

Claims

1. A method for remotely controlling a medical apparatus, said medical apparatus is used to take internal images of a human body and having control command sets that comply with the DICOM specifications and is capable of generating digital image data conforming to the DICOM specifications, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) building a server and connecting said server to said medical apparatus;

(b) building at least one remote device and connecting said remote device to said server;

(c) said remote device sending at least one DICOM control command to said medical apparatus via said server; and

(d) commanding said medical apparatus to take internal images of the human body for generating said digital image data.

2. The method for remotely controlling a medical apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said medical apparatus is an angiography, an ultrasound unit, an endoscope, an intraoral camera or a CAT scanner.

3. The method for remotely controlling a medical apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said server uses said control command that comply with the DICOM specifications to connect with said medical apparatus in said Step (a).

4. The method for remotely controlling a medical apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising, after said Step (b), the following step:

said remote device executing a remote control program to generate at least one DICOM control command.

5. The method for remotely controlling a medical apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising, after said Step (c), the following step:

said server executing a communication program to perform control communication with said medical apparatus so as to control said medical apparatus for performing capture, storage or transmission of said digital image data.

6. The method for remotely controlling a medical apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising, after said Step (d), the following step:

storing the said digital image data into said server.

7. The method for remotely controlling a medical apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising, after said Step (e), the following step:

sending said digital image data to said remote device.

8. A method for remotely controlling a medical apparatus, said medical apparatus is used to take images of the inside of human body for generating medical image signals, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) building a digital conversion device and connecting the said digital conversion device to said medical apparatus in order to convert said medical image signals into digital image data that comply with the DICOM specifications;

(b) building at least a remote device and connecting said remote device to said digital conversion device;

(c) said remote device sending at least a DICOM control command to said digital conversion device; and

(d) controlling said digital conversion device to performcapture, storage or transmission of said digital image data.

9. The method for remotely controlling a medical apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein said medical apparatus is an angiography, an ultrasound unit, an endoscope, an intraoral camera or a CAT scanner.

10. The method for remotely controlling a medical apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein said digital conversion device in said Step (a) has an image capturing unit and a storage unit therein, and said image capturing unit is used to capture said medical image signals, convert said medical image signals into digital image data that comply with the DICOM specifications, and store said digital image data into said storage unit.

11. The method for remotely controlling a medical apparatus as claimed in claim 8 further comprising, before said Step (b), the following steps:

building a server and connecting said server to said digital conversion device; and

connecting said remote device to said server and then to said digital conversion device via said server.

12. The method for remotely controlling a medical apparatus as claimed in claim 8 further comprising, after said Step (b), the following step:

said remote device executing a remote control program to generate at least one DICOM control command.

13. The method for remotely controlling a medical apparatus as claimed in claim 8 further comprising, after said Step (c), the following step:

said remote device executing a communication program to perform control communication with said digital conversion device so as to control said digital conversion device for performing capture, storage or transmission of said digital image data.

14. The method for remotely controlling a medical apparatus as claimed in claim 8 further comprising, after said Step (d), the following step:

storing said digital image data into said remote device; and

sending said digital image data to said remote device.

15. A device for remotely controlling a medical apparatus, said device comprising:

at least a medical apparatus capable of taking internal images of a human body for generating medical image signals;

a server connected to said medical apparatus and used to control said medical apparatus for generating digital image data conforming to DICOM specifications;

an image storage database connected to said server and used to store said digital image data; and

at least a remote device connected to said server and capable of generating at least a DICOM control command to control said medical apparatus via said server for performing capture, storage or transmission of said digital image data.

16. The device for remotely controlling a medical apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein said medical apparatus is an angiography, an ultrasound unit, an endoscope, an intraoral camera or a CAT scanner.

17. The device for remotely controlling a medical apparatus as claimed in claim 15 further comprising a digital conversion device connected to said medical apparatus and said server and used to convert said medical image signals into digital image data conforming to the DICOM specifications and then to send said digital image data to said server.

18. The device for remotely controlling a medical apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein said digital conversion device further comprises:

an image capturing unit connected to said medical apparatus and used to capture said medical image signals and convert said medical image signals into digital image data conforming to the DICOM specifications;

a storage unit connected to said image capturing unit and used to store said digital image data; and

a network interface unit connected to said image capturing unit and capable of connecting to said server via a network to send said digital image data to said server.

19. The device for remotely controlling a medical apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein said server comprises:

a program storage unit storing at least a communication program, said communication program being used to perform control communication with said medical apparatus or a digital conversion device for controlling capture, storage or transmission of said digital image data;

a processing unit connected to said program storage unit and used to execute said communication program to perform control communication with said medical apparatus; and

a network interface unit connected to said processing unit and capable of connecting to said medical apparatus and said remote device via a network for receiving or transmitting said digital image data.

20. The device for remotely controlling a medical apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein said remote device at least comprises:

a memory unit for storing at least a remote control program;

a processing unit connected to said memory unit and used to execute said remote control program for generating at least a DICOM control command;

a network interface unit connected to said processing unit and capable of connecting to said server via a network and transmitting said DICOM control command to said server or receiving said digital image data; and

display unit connected to said processing unit and used to display said digital image data.