SYSTEMS AND DEVICES FOR ENCRYPTING, CONVERTING AND INTERACTING WITH MEDICAL IMAGES USING A MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20150278444A1
• Filed: 02/04/2015
• Published: 10/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trice Imaging, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Trice Imaging, Inc.
• Inventors: Melin, Johanna Wollert, Westin, Martin, Nordgren, Asa Sjoblom, Eriksson, John Axel
• Granted Patent: US 10,476,848 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/602 Providing cryptographic facilities or services
• 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: H04L 63/0414 during transmission, i.e. party's identity is protected against eavesdropping, e.g. by using temporary identifiers, but is known to the other party or parties involved in the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload

Abstract

A network device and a peripheral device for attachment with a medical imaging device provides for the encryption and conversion of a medical image into a secure and standardized image file format as well as the communication of the encrypted and/or converted image to a secure server on a remote network. The devices may monitor all medical image files generated on the medical imaging device and encrypt and convert selected medical image files for transmission to a remotely connected device on another network, such as a server or a mobile device. An encryption and conversion unit may be incorporated within the hardware and software of a medical imaging device or another network device in order to provide the capability for encrypting a medical image for transmission to a remote network and for converting the medical image to a format that is compatible with a destination device or network. Systems and methods for real-time remote interaction with medical images is provided, which allows for medical images from a medical imaging device to be shared across a common user interface to users in multiple different locations. The users may then collaborate to discuss, annotate and review the image in real-time, improving the collaboration between users and reducing the amount of time needed to make a diagnosis.

Claims

1. A system for mobile encryption and conversion of a medical image, comprising:

a medical imaging device which captures at least one medical image in a medical image file format, wherein the medical image file also includes metadata with information on a destination for the medical image, and wherein the information on the destination for the medical image is received via a user interface on the medical imaging device;

a mobile device which receives the medical image file from the medical imaging device, converts the medical image to a standardized image file format compatible with the destination based on the information on the destination for the medical image obtained from the metadata, and encrypts the converted medical image file; and

a server which receives the encrypted medical image file from the mobile device and transmits the medical image file to the destination for the medical image file.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the medical image file format is a Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) format.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device communicates with the medical imaging device over a wireless network.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device communicates with the server over a wireless network.

6. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the medical image file format is a Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) format.

9. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the transmission unit transmits the encrypted medical image file to a hosted server over a network.

5. A mobile conversion and encryption device, comprising:

a communication interface which receives a medical image file in a medical image file format from a medical imaging device, the medical image file including metadata with information on a destination for the medical image;

a conversion unit which converts the medical image to a standardized image file format compatible with the destination based on the information on the destination for the medical image obtained from the metadata;

an encryption unit which encrypts the converted medical image file to create an encrypted medical image file; and

a transmission unit which transmits the encrypted medical image file to at least one destination via the communication interface.

7. The mobile device of claim 5, wherein the mobile device communicates with the medical imaging device over a wireless network.

8. The mobile device of claim 5, wherein the mobile device communicates with the destination over a wireless network.

10. A method of encrypting and converting a medical image with a mobile device, comprising:

capturing at least one medical image in a medical image file format with a medical imaging device, wherein the medical image file also includes metadata with information on a destination for the medical image, and wherein the information on the destination for the medical image is received via a user interface on the medical imaging device;

receiving the medical image file at a mobile device from the medical imaging device;

converting the medical image at the mobile device to a standardized image file format compatible with the destination based on the information on the destination for the medical image obtained from the metadata;

encrypting the converted medical image file on the mobile device; and

transmitting the encrypted medical image file from the mobile device to a server for routing of the medical image file to the destination for the medical image file.