PATIENT AND USER ORIENTED DATA ARCHIVING

• US 20080189496A1
• Filed: 02/02/2007
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthineers AG (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Raczynski, Artur
• Granted Patent: US 7,953,944 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/161
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS

Abstract

A method and apparatus for archiving medical data in one of two or more storage modules, comprising a short time storage module with fast access and a long time storage module with slow access. The method comprises the steps of defining at least one set of rules for executing the method for archiving and defining at least one parameter for controlling the method for archiving; wherein the method depends on the at least one set of rules and/or on the at least one parameter.

Claims

1. A method for archiving data in at least one of a plurality of storage modules, the data being associated with at least one medical examination, a first of said plurality of storage modules comprising a short time storage module, a second of said plurality of storage modules comprising a long time storage module, the long time storage module having a fast access long time storage sub module and a slow access long time storage sub module, the method comprising the steps of:

defining a set of rules for executing the method for archiving;

defining a parameter for controlling the method for archiving; and

archiving data depending on the set of rules and on the parameter.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

copying the data in dependence on the defined set of rules and on the defined parameter.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

storing the data in dependence on the defined set of rules and in dependence on the defined parameter.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising the step of:

accessing the data in dependence on the defined set of rules and in dependence on the defined parameter.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

transferring the data in dependence on the defined set of rules and in dependence on the defined parameter.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

deleting the data in dependence on the defined set of rules and in dependence on the defined parameter.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the defined set of rules comprises a rule for determining a number of copies of the data.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the defined set of rules comprises a rule for determining at least one of the plurality of storage modules.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the defined set of rules comprises a rule for redefining the defined parameter.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the defined parameter comprises a storage duration parameter for determining a storage duration of the data.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the storage duration parameter is associated with at least one of the plurality of storage modules.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the defined parameter comprises a modality parameter being associated with a modality generating the data.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the defined parameter comprises an access selection parameter being associated with at least one of the plurality of storage modules.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the defined parameter comprises a patient related parameter being associated with a characteristic of a patient or an object of investigation of the patient.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the fast access comprises an online access.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data comprises a file format according to the DICOM standard.

17. An apparatus for archiving data, the data being associated with at least one medical modality, the apparatus comprising:

a first storage module comprising a short time storage module,

a second storage module comprising a long time storage module,

said long time storage module comprising a fast access long time storage sub module and a slow access long time storage sub module;

a rule definition and execution module for executing archiving of data, at least one rule signal from said rule definition and execution module controlling said apparatus; and

a parameter definition module for controlling archiving of data, at least one parameter signal from the parameter definition module controlling said apparatus.

18. An apparatus for archiving data according to claim 17, wherein said long time storage sub module with fast access comprises at least one hard disc drive.

19. An apparatus for archiving data according to claim 17, further comprising:

a data access module for accessing data in dependence on a rule signal from the rule definition and execution module and in dependence on a parameter signal from the parameter definition module.

20. A medical modality for generating data, the medical modality comprising:

an apparatus for archiving data, the data being associated with the medical modality, the apparatus comprising;

a first storage modules comprising a short time storage module;

a second storage module comprising at least one long time storage module, the long time storage module comprising a fast access long time storage sub module and a slow access long time storage sub module;

a rule definition and execution module for executing the archiving of the data;

a parameter definition module for controlling the archiving of the data;

wherein the apparatus is controlled by at least one rule signal from the rule definition and execution module and

further controlled by at least one parameter signal from the parameter definition module.

21. A medical modality according to claim 20, wherein the medical modality is selected from the group of computer assisted tomographs, mammographic apparatuses, endoscopic apparatuses, magnetic resonance imaging apparatuses, radiographic apparatuses, ultrasonographic apparatuses, position emission tomographs or any other medical apparatus for generating data and combinations thereof.

22. A computer program product, being loadable into at least one memory of a computer readable tangible medium or into an electronic data processing apparatus, the computer program product comprising:

program code means to perform a method for archiving data in at least one of at least two storage modules, the data being associated with at least one medical examination;

a first one of the at least two storage modules comprising at least one short time storage module;

a second one of the at least two storage modules comprising at least one long time storage module, the at least one long time storage module having at least one fast access long time storage sub module and at least one slow access long time storage sub module,

the method for archiving comprising;

defining at least one set of rules for executing the method for archiving;

defining at least one parameter for controlling the method for archiving;

wherein the method depends on the at least one set of rules and on the at least one parameter, if the program code means are executed on the computer readable tangible medium or on the electronic data processing apparatus.

23. Computer readable tangible medium storing instructions for implementing a process driven by a computer, the instructions controlling the computer to perform the method for archiving data in at least one of at least two storage modules,

the data being associated with at least one medical examination,

a first one of the at least two storage modules comprising at least one short time storage module,

a second one of the at least two storage modules comprising at least one long time storage module, the at least one long time storage module having at least one fast access long time storage sub module and at least one slow access long time storage sub module,

the method comprising:

defining at least one set of rules for executing the method for archiving;

defining at least one parameter for controlling the method for archiving;

wherein the method depends on the at least one set of rules and on the at least one parameter.