System and method for optimizing throughput of medical evidence data to and from long term digital storage solutions

• US 20060269106A1
• Filed: 05/31/2005
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Poelen, Jorrit, Staring, Wilbert, Stramrood, Jaap, Hamster, Andries
• Application Number:
  US11/141,142
• Publication Number:
  US 20060269106A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/128
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS

Abstract

Certain embodiments of the present invention provide an improved system and method for reducing transfer overhead of medical evidence data to a storage device. Certain embodiments of the method include determining an image count for a medical study including one or more images and comparing the image count for the medical study to image counts for other medical studies to be transferred to calculate a relative image count. Certain embodiments include identifying availability of computing resources, allocating available computing resources to the medical study based on the relative image count, and transferring the medical study using the allocated computing resources. In an embodiment, more computing resources are allocated to a medical study with a high relative image count than to a medical study with a low relative image count. Available computing resources may be selectively allocated based on relative image count to reduce transfer overhead.

Claims

1. A method for improved transfer of medical image data, said method comprising:

determining an image count for a medical study including one or more images;

comparing the image count for the medical study to image counts for other medical studies to be transferred to calculate a relative image count;

identifying availability of computing resources;

allocating available computing resources to the medical study based on the relative image count; and

transferring the medical study using the allocated computing resources.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said allocating step further comprises allocating more computing resources to a medical study with a high relative image count than to a medical study with a low relative image count.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said allocating step further comprises selectively allocating available computing resources based on relative image count to reduce transfer overhead.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said transferring step further comprises transferring the medical study for storage.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said transferring step further comprises transferring the medical study for display.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining an allocation priority for the medical study based on the relative image count and computing resources already allocated to the medical study and allocating available computing resources to the medical study based on the allocation priority.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising determining the allocation priority using a start time associated with processing of the medical study for transfer.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising reallocating computing resources upon completion of the transfer of the medical study.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising reallocating computing resources during the transfer of the medical study.

10. An adaptable medical image data transfer system, said system comprising:

at least one medical study comprising at least one medical image; and

a plurality of computing resources for transferring medical data, wherein the plurality of computing resources is allocated among the at least one medical study based on a number of images in each of the at least one medical study.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said plurality of computing resources is dynamically allocated based on the number of images in each of the at least one medical study.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein said plurality of computing resources is dynamically allocated based on the relative image count of each of the at least one medical study.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising a storage device for storing transferred medical data.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of computing resources is allocated among the at least one medical study using at least one allocation priority assigned to each of the at least one medical study, wherein the at least one allocation priority is determined based on the number of images in each of the at least one medical study and computing resources already allocated to each of the at least one the medical study.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one allocation priority is further determined using at least one start time associated with processing of each of the at least one the medical study for transfer.

16. The system of claim 10, further comprising a digital medium capable of transferring the at least one medical study at least one of to and from a digital storage.

17. A computer-readable storage medium including a set of instructions for a computer, the set of instructions comprising:

a count routine for determining a relative image count for a medical study;

an allocation routine for allocating available computing resources for the medical study based on the relative image count; and

a transmission routine for transmitting the medical study using the allocated computing sources.

18. The set of instructions of claim 17, wherein said allocation routine is capable of dynamically reallocating the available computing resources.

19. The set of instructions of claim 17, wherein said allocation routine dynamically allocates available computing resources for a plurality of medical studies based on the relative image counts of the medical studies.

20. The set of instructions of claim 17, wherein said transmission routine is configured to transmit the medical study at least one of to and from a digital storage via a communication link.

21. The set of instructions of claim 17, wherein said allocation routine allocates available computing resources for the medical study using an allocation priority assigned to the medical study, wherein the allocation priority is determined based on the relative image count for the medical study and a number of computing resources already allocated to the medical study.