MEDICAL IMAGE DIAGNOSTIC APPARATUS AND REMOTE MAINTENANCE SYSTEM

• US 20100316266A1
• Filed: 09/26/2007
• Published: 12/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FUJIFILM Healthcare Corp. (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Medical Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Minagawa, Katsuyuki, Katono, Etsuji
• Granted Patent: US 8,204,832 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/128
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0013 Medical image data A61B1/00011, A61B6/56, A61B8/56 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/283 Intercom or optical viewing arrangements, structurally associated with NMR apparatus
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

A remote maintenance system for medical image diagnostic apparatuses capable of preventing leak of personal information on the patient attached to a medical image.

The system comprises an MRI apparatus (100), a server (300) installed in a service center of a company performing the maintenance service on the MRI apparatus (100), and a network facility (200) for interconnecting the server (300) and the MRI apparatus (100).

The server (300) transmits a permission request for remote connection to the MRI apparatus (100) through the network facility (200).

If the remote connection is permitted, a VPN control unit (8a) of the MRI apparatus (100) converts the personal information on the medical image into a concealed mark and transmits it along with the medical image to the server (300).

Claims

1. A medical image diagnostic apparatus having:

imaging means (2, 3, 4, 5 and 6) to perform imaging of an object to be examined; and

display means (20) for displaying the image of the object, characterized in further comprising;

personal information input means (25) for inputting the personal information of the object;

storage means (18, 19 and 22) for storing the personal information inputted by the personal information input means (25) and the image of the object imaged by the imaging means (2, 3, 4, 5 and 6);

conversion processing means (8a) which is connected to communication network (200), for converting the personal information of the object stored in the storage means (18, 19 and 22) into a concealed mark in response to the request to send image data received via the communication network (200), and transmitting the image of the object to the communication network (200) along with the converted concealed mark.

2. The medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conversion processing means (8a) determines the recognition or nonrecognition of the request to send image data transmitted via the communication network (200).

3. The medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conversion processing means (8a) displays on the display means (20) that the personal information of the object is converted into a concealed mark.

4. The medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conversion processing means (8a) distinguishes either the personal information of the object is converted into the concealed mark or is in the process of conversion, and displays the result on the display means (20).

5. The medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conversion processing means (8a) confirms if the personal information of the object is converted into the concealed mark and transmitted to the communication network (200) along with an image and displays the result on the display means (20).

6. The medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conversion processing means (8a) stores in the storage means (18, 19 and 22) the image of the object, the identification number of the object and the concealed mark into which the personal information is converted.

7. A remote maintenance system of a medical image diagnostic apparatus comprising:

a medical image diagnostic apparatus (100);

a server (300) installed in a service center of a company performing maintenance service on the medical image diagnostic apparatus (100);

a communication network (200) for connecting the server (300) and the medical image diagnostic apparatus (100),

wherein;

the server (300) transmits the request for authorizing telecommunication to the medical image diagnostic apparatus via the image display means (302) and the communication network (200), and comprises display control unit (301) for displaying the image transmitted from the medical image diagnostic apparatus (100) via the communication network (200) to the image display means (302); and

the medical image diagnostic apparatus (100) comprises a conversion processing means (8a) for converting personal information of the object into a concealed mark in response to the request for telecommunication transmitted from the server (300) and transmits an image of the object to the communication network (200) along with the converted concealed mark.

8. The remote maintenance system of the medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the medical image diagnostic apparatus comprises image display means (20), and displays on the image display means (20) a message that the personal information of the object is converted into a concealed mark and the converted concealed mark is transmitted to the communication network (200) along with the image of the object.

9. The remote maintenance system of the medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the server (300) displays a message on the image display means (302) of the server (300) indicating that the concealed mark is transmitted from the medical image diagnostic apparatus (100) via the communication network (200) along with the image and the personal information is concealed.