Clinical Collaboration and Medical Computing Framework

• US 20130322722A1
• Filed: 06/04/2013
• Published: 12/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Vija, Alexander Hans, Ding, Xinhong, Cachovan, Michal, Ma, Jun
• Granted Patent: US 9,202,294 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/131
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/003 Reconstruction from projections, e.g. tomography
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A method of clinical collaboration between a clinical site and an analysis site includes receiving scan data from a scanner via a first reconstruction computer system at the clinical site, implementing a reconstruction procedure on the received scan data using a second reconstruction computer system at the analysis site and configured in accordance with a reconstruction configuration parameter, the analysis site being remote from the clinical site, and transmitting data indicative of the reconstruction configuration parameter to the first reconstruction computer system to configure the first reconstruction computer system in accordance with the reconstruction configuration parameter.

Claims

1. A method of clinical collaboration between a clinical site and an analysis site, the method comprising:

receiving scan data from a scanner via a first reconstruction computer system at the clinical site;

implementing a reconstruction procedure on the received scan data using a second reconstruction computer system at the analysis site and configured in accordance with a reconstruction configuration parameter, the analysis site being remote from the clinical site; and

transmitting data indicative of the reconstruction configuration parameter to the first reconstruction computer system to configure the first reconstruction computer system in accordance with the reconstruction configuration parameter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the data indicative of the reconstruction configuration parameter comprises synchronizing reconstruction parameter settings of the first reconstruction computer system and the second reconstruction computer system.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring the reconstruction procedure via a reconstruction customization tool provided via a reconstruction control interface generated at the second reconstruction system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the scan data comprises initiating a data synchronization between the first and second reconstruction computer systems such that the second reconstruction computer system is configured as a clone of the first reconstruction computer system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the scan data comprises aggregating scan data from a plurality of reconstruction computer systems including the first reconstruction computer system and not disposed at the analysis site.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

rendering, with the second reconstruction computer system, an image generated by the reconstruction procedure; and

sharing data representative of user feedback on the rendered image between the first and second reconstruction computer systems.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein rendering the image comprises generating a visualization interface configured to facilitate comparison of more than two reconstruction results and storage of feedback data for the comparison.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the scan data is anonymized by the first reconstruction computer system before the scan data is received for implementing the reconstruction procedure.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein implementing the reconstruction procedure comprises batch processing of multiple scan data sets, batch processing of the scan data in accordance with multiple sets of reconstruction parameters, or a combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the data indicative of the reconstruction configuration parameter is implemented concurrently with implementing the reconstruction procedure.

11. A system to facilitate clinical collaboration with a clinical site, the system comprising:

a memory in which data transfer instructions and reconstruction instructions are stored;

a processor in communication with the memory and configured to execute the data transfer instructions to receive scan data from a scanner via a reconstruction computer system at the clinical site;

wherein the processor is configured to execute the reconstruction instructions to implement a reconstruction procedure on the received scan data in accordance with a reconstruction configuration parameter; and

wherein the processor is further configured to execute the data transfer instructions to transmit data indicative of the reconstruction configuration parameter to the reconstruction computer system to configure the reconstruction computer system in accordance with the reconstruction configuration parameter.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the data transfer instructions to synchronize reconstruction parameter settings of the reconstruction computer system and the system.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the reconstruction instructions to generate a reconstruction tool interface directed to configuring the reconstruction procedure.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the data transfer instructions to aggregate scan data from a plurality of scanner site reconstruction computer systems including the reconstruction computer system.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the reconstruction instructions to generate a visualization interface configured to facilitate comparison of more than two reconstruction results and storage of feedback data for the comparison.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the reconstruction instructions to batch process multiple scan data sets, batch process the scan data in accordance with multiple sets of reconstruction parameters, or a combination thereof.

17. A computer program product to facilitate clinical collaboration between a clinical site and an analysis site, the computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing system, cause the computing system to perform the method, the method comprising:

anonymizing scan data captured by a scanner at the clinical site;

transferring the anonymized scan data to a reconstruction computer system at the analysis site; and

receiving a reconstruction configuration parameter from the reconstruction computer system to configure a reconstruction procedure.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein receiving the reconstruction configuration parameter comprises synchronizing reconstruction parameter settings with the reconstruction computer system.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises rendering an image generated by the reconstruction procedure via a visualization interface, the visualization interface being configured to facilitate comparison of more than two reconstruction results and storage of feedback data for the comparison.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

configuring the reconstruction procedure with a further reconstruction configuration parameter via a reconstruction customization tool provided via a reconstruction control interface; and

transferring the further reconstruction configuration parameter to the reconstruction computer system.