Automated Workflow Via Learning for Image Processing, Documentation and Procedural Support Tasks

• US 20090024440A1
• Filed: 02/01/2008
• Published: 01/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Spahn, Martin
• Application Number:
  US12/024,428
• Publication Number:
  US 20090024440A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS

Abstract

A method to manage workflow tasks having the steps of conducting at least one procedure, wherein the at least one procedure has at least one workflow task, recording each workflow task completed in the at least one procedure in a database, analyzing each workflow task completed, wherein the analysis completed identifies each task that may be completed automatically without need for human intervention, define workflow tasks for a given procedure that are to be completed automatically, inputting a user defined procedure, retrieving workflow tasks pertaining to the user defined procedure that are automatically performed, and conducting the user defined procedure, wherein workflow tasks defined as automatic are automatically performed.

Claims

1. A method to manage workflow tasks, comprising:

conducting at least one procedure, wherein the at least one procedure has at least one workflow task;

recording each workflow task completed in the at least one procedure in a database;

analyzing each workflow task completed, wherein the analysis completed identifies each task that may be completed automatically without need for human intervention;

defining workflow tasks for a given procedure that are to be completed automatically;

inputting a user defined procedure;

retrieving workflow tasks pertaining to the user defined procedure that are automatically performed; and

conducting the user defined procedure, wherein workflow tasks defined as automatic are automatically performed.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one procedure is a medical procedure.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the medical procedure is an x-ray.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein an automatically performed workflow task is at least one of dimming lights in an evaluation room, positioning a C-arm for an evaluative instrument and positioning a patient table to a prerecorded position.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the automatically performed workflow task is at least one of post processing images to improve image quality, burning a compact disk with images from the medical procedure and displaying a reference image on a picture archiving system.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein the automatically performed workflow task is at least one of post processing images obtained for adjusting image contrast, adjusting image sharpness and matching of masked images.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the images are conducted during a digital subtraction angiography procedure.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein conducting the user defined procedure, wherein workflow tasks defined as automatic are automatically performed.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the conducting of the user defined procedure entails automatically performing the defined workflow tasks defined only by a user acknowledging acceptance of accomplishing the tasks.

10. The method according to claim 2, wherein the medical procedure is one of a computer tomography, a magnetic resonance imaging and an ultrasound imaging.

11. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps to manage workflow tasks, comprising:

conducting at least one procedure, wherein the at least one procedure has at least one workflow task;

recording each workflow task completed in the at least one procedure in a database;

analyzing each workflow task completed, wherein the analysis completed identifies each task that may be completed automatically without need for human intervention;

define workflow tasks for a given procedure that are to be completed automatically;

inputting a user defined procedure;

retrieving workflow tasks pertaining to the user defined procedure that are automatically performed; and

conducting the user defined procedure, wherein workflow tasks defined as automatic are automatically performed.

12. The program storage device according to claim 11, wherein the at least one procedure is a medical procedure.

13. The program storage device according to claim 12, wherein the medical procedure is an x ray.

14. The program storage device according to claim 12, wherein an automatically performed workflow task is one of dimming a lights in an evaluation room, positioning a C-arm for an evaluative instrument and positioning a patient table to a prerecorded position.

15. The program storage device according to claim 12, wherein the automatically performed workflow task is one of post processing images to improve image quality, burning a compact disk with images from the medical procedure and displaying a reference image on a picture archiving system.

16. The program storage device according to claim 11, wherein the method steps further comprise:

completing a patient data sheet to prior to the inputting of the user defined procedure, wherein the patient data sheet dictates the user defined procedure.

17. A method to manage workflow tasks, comprising:

conducting at least one procedure, wherein the at least one procedure has at least one workflow task;

recording each workflow task completed in the at least one procedure in a database;

analyzing each workflow task completed, wherein the analysis completed identifies each task that may be completed automatically without need for human intervention;

defining workflow tasks for a given procedure that are to be completed automatically;

inputting a user defined procedure;

retrieving workflow tasks pertaining to the user defined procedure that are automatically performed; and

conducting the user defined procedure, wherein workflow tasks defined as automatic are semi-automatically performed.