Satellite communications system for medical related images

• US 4,945,410 A
• Filed: 10/24/1988
• Issued: 07/31/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Louis Silver, Silver Louis
• Original Assignee: Professional Satellite Imaging Incorporated
• Inventors: Walling, Paul J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Groody, James J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor R.
• Application Number:
  US07/262,566
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• Field of Search: 358/141, 358/134, 358/257, 358/111, 358/133, 358/140, 358/256, 358/280, 128/903, 128/904, 455/12
• US Class Current: 725/67
• 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: H04N 1/00103 specially adapted for radio transmission, e.g. via satellites H04N1/00098 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/41 Bandwidth or redundancy reduction by scanning H04N1/17 ; methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/125 the signal segment being a picture element

Abstract

A satellite communications system for transmitting medical related images from one or more remote satellite locations to a central headquarters and then sending back diagnostic analysis from the central headquaters to the one or more remote satellite locations by having a high resolution camera and a video compressor for converting high resolution images into voltage analog signals, a modulator for converting the voltage analog signals into a narrow bandwidth and low frequency signal, a satellite system for transmitting and receiving images and analysis, a demodulator for converting the narrow bandwidth and low frequency signal back into a voltage analog signal, a video expander for converting the voltage analog signal into a digital signal, a buffer for buffering the digital signal, a high resolution monitor for converting the buffered digital signal into a high resolution digitized image.

Claims

1. A satellite communication system for sending high resolution, medically related, static images from one or more remote satellite locations to a central location for diagnostics, said satellite communication system comprising:

each said one or more remote satellite locations comprising;

means for converting the high resolution images into voltage analog signals;

means for converting the voltage analog signals into narrow bandwidth and low frequency signals;

means for transmitting the narrow bandwidth and low frequency signals to a satellite; and

said central location comprising;

means for receiving the narrow bandwidth and low frequency signals;

means for converting the received narrow bandwidth and low frequency signals back into the voltage analog signals;

means for converting the voltage analog signals into digital signals;

means for converting the digital signals into high resolution, digitized, medically related images;

means for transmitting diagnostics of the high resolution, medically related images, in voice or readable form, from the central location to the transmitting remote satellite location.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for buffering the received signals.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for storing the received signals.

4. A method for sending high resolution, medically related, static images from one or more remote satellite locations to a central location for diagnostics, comprising the following steps:

converting the high resolution images into voltage analog signals at one of said remote locations;

converting the voltage analog signals into narrow bandwidth and low frequency signals at the remote satellite location;

transmitting the narrow bandwidth and low frequency signals to a satellite from the remote satellite location;

receiving narrow bandwidth and low frequency signals at the central location;

converting the received narrow bandwidth and low frequency signals back into the voltage analog signals at the central location;

converting the voltage analog signals into digital signals at the central location;

converting the digital signals into high resolution, digitized, medically related images at the central location;

transmitting diagnostics of the high resolution, medically related images, in voice or readable form, from the central location to the transmitting remote satellite location.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of buffering the received signals prior to converting the received signals into high resolution images.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of storing the received signals.

7. A satellite communication system for sending high resolution, medically related, static images from one or more remote satellite locations to a central location for diagnostics, the satellite communication system comprising:

each of said one or more remote satellite locations comprising;

means for converting the high resolution images into voltage analog signals;

means for converting the voltage analog signals into digital signals;

means for converting the digital signals into narrow bandwidth and low frequency signals;

means for transmitting the narrow bandwidth and low frequency signals to a satellite; and

the central location comprising;

means for receiving narrow bandwidth and low frequency signals;

means for converting the received narrow bandwidth and low frequency signals back into the digital signals;

means for converting the digital signals into high resolution, digitized, medically related images;

means for transmitting diagnostics of the high resolution, medically related images, in voice or readable form from the central location to the remote satellite location.

8. The apparatus for sending high resolution, medical related images from mobile units to the central location of claim 7, further comprising the means for buffering the received signal.

9. The apparatus for sending high resolution, medical related, static images from mobile units to the central location of claim 7, futher comprising the means for storing the received signal.

10. A method for sending high resolution, medically related, static images from one or more remote satellite locations to a central location for diagnostics, the method comprising the steps of:

converting the high resolution images into voltage analog signals at one of the remote satellite locations;

converting the voltage analog signals into digital signals at the remote satellite location;

converting the digital signals into narrow bandwidth and low frequency signals at the remote satellite location;

transmitting the narrow bandwidth and low frequency signals to a satellite at the remote satellite location;

receiving narrow bandwidth and low frequency signals at the central location;

converting the received narrow bandwidth and low frequency signals back into the digital signals at the central location;

converting the digital signals into high resolution, digitized, medically related images at the central location;

transmitting diagnostics of the high resolution, medically related images, in voice or readable form from the central location to the transmitting remote satellite location.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of buffering the received signals prior to converting the received signals into high resolution images.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of storing the received signals.