METHOD, APPARATUS AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR RECEIVING DIGITAL DATA FILES

• US 20130191487A1
• Filed: 01/20/2012
• Published: 07/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Change Healthcare Holdings, LLC (UnitedHealth Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mckesson Financial Holdings Limited (McKesson Corp.)
• Inventors: Yiu, Edwood, Ma, Shirley, Lai, Lily
• Granted Patent: US 9,411,931 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/213
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS

Abstract

A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided to efficiently receive digital imaging data files, regardless of their size. For a respective data packet of a digital imaging data file, the method may determine whether that portion of the digital imaging data file that has been received satisfies the first threshold. If the first threshold is not satisfied, the method may receive the respective data packet using memory, such as by appending the data packet to a linked list. However, if the first threshold is satisfied, the method may receive the respective data packet and subsequent data packet(s) of the digital imaging data file using file storage. The receipt of the respective data packet using file storage is slower than the receipt of the respective data packet using memory.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

for a respective data packet of a digital imaging data file comprised of a plurality of data packets, determining, with a processor, whether that portion of the digital imaging data file that has been received satisfies a first threshold;

in an instance in which the first threshold is not satisfied, receiving the respective data packet using a memory; and

in an instance in which the first threshold is satisfied, receiving the respective data packet and subsequent data packet(s) of the digital imaging data file using file storage, wherein receiving the respective data packet using file storage is slower than receiving the respective data packet using memory.

2. A method according to claim 1 further comprising, in an instance in which the first threshold is satisfied, initially receiving the respective data packet using a memory buffer, and wherein receiving the respective data packet and subsequent data packet(s) using file storage comprises transferring data from the memory buffer to the file storage in an instance in which the memory buffer contains data that satisfies a second threshold.

3. A method according to claim 2 further comprising receiving a plurality of digital imaging data files from a plurality of sources, and wherein the first and second thresholds associated with one source differ from the first and second thresholds associated with another source.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein receiving a plurality of digital data files comprises receiving a plurality of digital data files from a plurality of PACS.

5. A method according to claim 2 wherein the memory buffer is sized to receive a plurality of data packets, and wherein transferring data comprises performing a single input/output (I/O) operation in order to transfer the data comprising a plurality of data packets across a network connection to the file storage.

6. A method according to claim 1 further comprising receiving the digital imaging data file without indication of a size of the digital imaging data file.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein receiving the respective data packet using memory comprises appending the data packet to a linked list in the memory.

8. An apparatus for storing a digital imaging data file comprised of a plurality of data packets, the apparatus comprising;

a memory;

a file storage; and

a processor configured to determine, for a respective data packet, whether that portion of the digital imaging data file that has been received satisfies a first threshold, said processor also configured, in an instance in which the first threshold is not satisfied, to receive the respective data packet using the memory, said processor further configured, in an instance in which the first threshold is satisfied, to receive the respective data packet and subsequent data packet(s) of the digital imaging data file using the file storage,

wherein receipt of the respective data packet using the file storage is slower than receipt of the respective data packet using the memory.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8 further comprising a memory buffer, wherein the processor is further configured, in an instance in which the first threshold is satisfied, to initially receive the respective data packet using the memory buffer, and wherein the processor being configured to receive the respective data packet and subsequent data packet(s) in the file storage comprises the processor being configured to transfer data from the memory buffer to the file storage in an instance in which the memory buffer contains data that satisfies a second threshold.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the processor is configured to control receipt of a plurality of digital imaging data files from a plurality of sources, and wherein the first and second thresholds associated with one source differ from the first and second thresholds associated with another source.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the plurality of digital data files comprise a plurality of digital data files from a plurality of PACS.

12. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the memory buffer is sized to receive a plurality of data packets, and wherein the processor being configured to transfer data comprises the processor being configured to perform a single input/output (I/O) operation in order to transfer the data comprising a plurality of data packets across a network connection to the file storage.

13. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the digital imaging data file is received without indication of a size of the digital imaging data file.

14. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the processor being configured to receive the respective data packet using memory comprises the processor being configured to append the data packet to a linked list in the memory.

15. A computer program product for storing a digital imaging data file comprised of a plurality of data packets, the computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program instructions stored therein, the computer-readable program instructions comprising:

program instructions configured, for a respective data packet, to determine whether that portion of the digital imaging data file that has been received satisfies a first threshold;

program instructions configured, in an instance in which the first threshold is not satisfied, to receive the respective data packet using memory; and

program instructions configured, in an instance in which the first threshold is satisfied, to receive the respective data packet and subsequent data packet(s) of the digital imaging data file using file storage, wherein receipt of the respective data packet using file storage is slower than receipt of the respective data packet using memory.

16. A computer program product according to claim 15 further comprising program instructions configured, in an instance in which the first threshold is satisfied, to initially receive the respective data packet using a memory buffer, and wherein the program instructions configured to receive the respective data packet and subsequent data packet(s) using file storage comprise program instructions configured to transfer data from the memory buffer to the file storage in an instance in which the memory buffer contains data that satisfies a second threshold.

17. A computer program product according to claim 16 wherein the program instructions configured to receive a digital imaging data file comprise program instructions configured to receive a plurality of digital imaging data files from a plurality of sources, and wherein the first and second thresholds associated with one source differ from the first and second thresholds associated with another source.

18. A computer program product according to claim 16 wherein the memory buffer is sized to receive a plurality of data packets, and wherein the program instructions configured to transfer data comprise program instructions configured to perform a single input/output (I/O) operation in order to transfer the data comprising a plurality of data packets across a network connection to the file storage.

19. A computer program product according to claim 15 wherein the digital imaging data file is received without indication of a size of the digital imaging data file.

20. A computer program product according to claim 15 wherein the program instructions configured to receive the respective data packet using memory comprise program instructions configured to append the data packet to a linked list in the memory.