BROADCASTING MEDICAL IMAGE OBJECTS WITH DIGITAL RIGHTS MANAGEMENT

• US 20070270695A1
• Filed: 05/16/2006
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Keen, Ronald
• Granted Patent: US 8,015,032 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/448
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for efficiently and securely handling of patient medical images and data. In one particular embodiment, an acquisition service and picture archive communication system (PACS) architecture are provided that facilitate the transmission and storage of medical image objects using reliable IP multicasting, packet encoded transmission, and digital rights management (DRM). The system effectively creates a broadcast signal in which all listening computers can securely receive medical image objects at once for purposes of interpretation/diagnosis, assisting in surgery, and other such appropriate medical uses.

Claims

1. A method for securely communicating medical information, comprising:

receiving patient information, including medical image data;

converting the patient information into medical image object (MIOs);

encrypting the MIOs;

creating an issuance license that specifies access rights of the MIOs, thereby limiting future access to the MIOs;

chunking the encrypted MIOs into packets, and assigning a manifest to each chunked MIO; and

broadcasting the manifest and encrypted MIO packets to a plurality of receivers on a network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the broadcast manifest and encrypted MIO packets at one or more of the plurality of receivers, and re-assembling the MIOs from instructions included in the manifest;

storing the reassembled MIOs local to the at least one receiver; and

requiring user authentication in accordance with the issuance license during access attempts of the stored reassembled MTOs.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

sending by each of the one or more receivers a notification to a directory service to indicate that it has received the broadcast MTOs.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the issuance license in a digital rights management (DRM) license store of a directory service.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the encrypted MIO packets in an archive for long term storage.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

indexing and tracking location of all broadcast MIOs using a directory service.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

sending by at least one of the receivers a notification to the directory service to indicate that the receiver has received the broadcast MTOs.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the reassembled MIOs local to the at least one receiver;

removing older MIOs to make room for newly received MIOs; and

notifying a directory service of the change in MIO storage.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein converting the patient information into MIOs includes converting the patient information into Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) MIOs.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein broadcasting the manifest and encrypted MIO packets is carried out using reliable IP multicasting.

11. A system for securely communicating medical information, comprising:

at least one storage medium having stored therein a plurality of executable instructions, wherein when executed, the instructions operate the system to;

receive patient information, including medical image data;

convert the patient information into medical image object (MIOs);

encrypt the MIOs;

create an issuance license that specifies access rights of the MIOs, thereby limiting future access to the MIOs;

chunk the encrypted MIOs into packets, and assigning a manifest to each chunked MIO; and

broadcast the manifest and encrypted MIO packets to a plurality of receivers on a network; and

at least one processor coupled to the at least one storage medium to execute the instructions.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a second at least one storage medium having stored therein a plurality of executable instructions, wherein when executed, the instructions operate the system to;

receive the broadcast manifest and encrypted MIO packets at one or more of the plurality of receivers, and re-assembling the MIOs from instructions included in the manifest;

store the reassembled MIOs local to the at least one receiver; and

require user authentication in accordance with the issuance license during access attempts of the stored reassembled MIOs; and

a second at least one processor coupled to the second at least one storage medium to execute the instructions.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein when executed, the instructions of the second at least one storage medium further operate the system to:

send by each of the one or more receivers a notification to a directory service to indicate that it has received the broadcast MIOs.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein when executed, the instructions of the at least one storage medium further operate the system to at least one of:

store the issuance license in a digital rights management (DRM) license store of a directory service; and

store the encrypted MIO packets in an archive for long term storage.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein when executed, the instructions of the at least one storage medium further operate the system to:

index and track location of all broadcast MIOs using a directory service; and

receive from at least one of the receivers a notification at the directory service to indicate that the receiver has received the broadcast MIOs.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein when executed, the instructions of the at least one storage medium further operate the system to:

store the reassembled MIOs local to the at least one receiver;

remove older MIOs to make room for newly received MIOs; and

notify a directory service of the change in MIO storage.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the system converts the patient information into MIOs by converting the patient information into Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) MIOs.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the system broadcasts the manifest and encrypted MIO packets using reliable IP multicasting.

19. A system for securely communicating medical information, comprising:

an acquisition service for receiving patient information including medical image data, converting the patient information into medical image object (MIOs), encrypting the MIOs, and creating an issuance license that specifies access rights of the MIOs, thereby limiting future access to the MIOs;

a packet encoder for chunking the encrypted MIOs into packets, and assigning a manifest to each chunked MIO; and

a broadcast service for broadcasting the manifest and encrypted MIO packets to a plurality of receivers on a network.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

a receiver agent for receiving the broadcast manifest and encrypted MIO packets at one or more of the plurality of receivers, and re-assembling the MIOs from instructions included in the manifest;

a storage facility for storing the reassembled MIOs local to the at least one receiver; and

a digital rights management (DRM) license store for use in carrying out user authentication in accordance with the issuance license during access attempts of the stored reassembled MIOs.