Method and apparatus for sending ultrasound image data to remotely located device

• US 6,210,327 B1
• Filed: 04/28/1999
• Issued: 04/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Eichholz, Jeannette M., Shiibashi, Takao, Stratton, Gregory C., Brackett, Charles C., Lehouillier, James S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jaworski, Francis J.
• Application Number:
  US09/300,876
• Time in Patent Office: 706 Days
• Field of Search: 600/437, 600/407, 600/410, 600/443, 600/447, 128/903, 128/922, 395/701, 395/703, 395/705, 395/280, 395/680, 395/726, 345/156, 345/329, 345/520, 705/2, 705/3, 707/200, 707/500, 707/513, 713/100
• US Class Current: 600/437
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/56 Details of data transmission or power supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/565 involving data transmission via a network
• 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

Abstract

A computerized ultrasound imager is programmed with software that enables a “Live Imaging” mode. “Live Imaging” refers to the ability to keep a network association (between the imager and a remote device) open throughout the course of an examination of a patient. Each time the operator presses a Print/Store button configured to a storage device, the frozen image will be automatically sent to the remote device via the open connection. The “Live Imaging” association is closed when the system operator presses an “End Exam” button on the keyboard. In the case where the remote device is a printer configured to receive multi-image film sessions, pressing the “End Exam” button also forces the transfer of any partially filled film session from the imager to the printer.

Claims

1. A method for sending image frame data from an imaging system to remote devices, comprising the steps of:

interacting with a graphical user interface to configure said imaging system to transfer successive acquired images to a first remote device in a first format compatible with said first remote device while maintaining an open association with said first remote device throughout a series of image acquisitions;

acquiring a first frame of image data;

in response to a first manipulation of a first operator input device, constructing a first data object incorporating said first frame of image data in said first format, opening an association with said first remote device, and sending said first data object to said first remote device via a network while said association with said first remote device is open;

acquiring a second frame of image data; and

in response to a second manipulation of said first operator input device, constructing a second data object incorporating said second frame of image data in said first format, and sending said second data object to said first remote device via said network while said association with said first remote device is still open.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

interacting with said graphical user interface to configure said imaging system to transfer successive groups of acquired images to a second remote device in a second format compatible with said second remote device while maintaining an open association with said second remote device throughout a series of image acquisitions;

acquiring a group of first through N-th frames of image data;

after each frame acquisition of said group, manipulating a second operator input device;

in response to the first (N−

1) manipulations of said second operator input device, constructing a group of first through (N−

1)-th data objects incorporating said group of first through (N−

1)-th frames in said second format and queuing said group of first through (N−

1)-th data objects; and

in response to the N-th manipulation of said second operator input device, constructing an N-th data object incorporating the N-th frame of said group in said second format, opening an association with said second remote device, and sending said group of first through N-th data objects to said second remote device via said network while said association is open.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

acquiring at least an (N+1)-th frame of image data;

after said (N+1)-th frame acquisition, manipulating said second operator input device;

in response to the (N+1)-th manipulation of said second operator input device, constructing an (N+1)-th data object incorporating the (N+1)-th frame in said second format and queuing said (N+1)-th data object; and

in response to manipulation of a third operator input device, sending said (N+1)-th data object to said second remote device via said network while said association is open and then closing said associations with first and second remote devices.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

interacting with said graphical user interface to configure said imaging system to transfer successive acquired images to a second remote device in a second format compatible with said second remote device while maintaining an open association with said second remote device throughout a series of image acquisitions;

acquiring a third frame of image data;

in response to a first manipulation of a second operator input device, constructing a third data object incorporating said third frame of image data in said second format, opening an association with said second remote device, and sending said third data object to said second remote device via a network while said association with said second remote device is open;

acquiring a fourth frame of image data; and

in response to a second manipulation of said second operator input device, constructing a fourth data object incorporating said fourth frame of image data in said second format, and sending said fourth data object to said second remote device via said network while said association with said second remote device is still open.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, further comprising the step of, in response to manipulation of a third operator input device, closing said associations with said first and second remote devices.

6. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein said steps of constructing first and third data objects are performed by first and second object-constructing tasks respectively, further comprising the step of constructing a device control mapping which maps said first and second object-constructing tasks to said first and second operator input devices respectively.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said interacting step comprises the step of clicking a virtual toggle switch on said graphical user interface to change from a first state to a second state, said first state enabling a first imaging mode wherein an association with said first remote device is not maintained open during successive image acquisitions, and said second state enabling a second imaging mode wherein an association with said first remote device is maintained open during successive image acquisitions.

8. A method for sending image frame data from an imaging system to a remote printer, comprising the steps of:

interacting with a graphical user interface to configure said imaging system to transfer successive groups of acquired images to said remote printer in a format compatible with said remote printer while maintaining an open association with said remote printer throughout a series of image acquisitions;

acquiring first through N-th frames of image data;

after each frame acquisition, manipulating a first operator input device;

in response to the first (N−

1) manipulations of said first operator input device, constructing first through (N−

1)-th data objects incorporating the first through (N−

1)-th frames in said format and queuing said first through (N−

1)-th data objects; and

in response to the N-th manipulation of said first operator input device, constructing an N-th data object incorporating the N-th frame in said format, opening an association with said remote printer, and sending said first through N-th data objects to said remote printer via said network while said association is open.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

acquiring at least an (N+1)-th frame of image data;

after said (N+1)-th frame acquisition, manipulating said first operator input device;

in response to the (N+1)-th manipulation of said first operator input device, constructing an (N+1)-th data object incorporating the (N+1)-th frame in said format and queuing said (N+1)-th data object; and

in response to manipulation of a second operator input device, sending said (N+1)-th data object to said remote printer via said network while said association is open and then closing said association with said remote printer.

10. An imaging system capable of sending image frame data to a remote device via a network, comprising:

a networking port for communicating with a network;

a graphical user interface for configuring said imaging system to transfer successive acquired images to a remote device on said network in a format compatible with said remote device while maintaining an open association with said remote device via said network throughout a series of image acquisitions;

an operator interface comprising first and second operator input devices;

means for acquiring first and second frames of image data;

an object constructing task for constructing first and second data objects respectively incorporating said first and second frames of image data in said format; and

means for transferring said first and second data objects to said networking port for transmission to said remote device,

wherein in response to a first manipulation of said first operator input device, said object constructing task constructs said first data object, opens an association with said remote device via said network, and sends said first data object to said remote device via a network while said association with said remote device is open, and in response to a second manipulation of said first operator input device, said object constructing task constructs said second data object and sends said second data object to said remote device via said network while said association with said remote device is still open.

11. The system as recited in claim 10, wherein said association with said remote device is closed in response to manipulation of said second input device.

12. An imaging system capable of sending image frame data to remote devices via a network, comprising:

a networking port for communicating with a network;

a graphical user interface comprising a first menu for configuring said imaging system to transfer successive acquired images to a first remote device on said network in a first format compatible with said first remote device while maintaining an open association with said first remote device via said network throughout a series of image acquisitions, and a second menu for configuring said imaging system to transfer successive acquired images to a second remote device on said network in a second format compatible with said second remote device while maintaining an open association with said second remote device via said network throughout a series of image acquisitions;

an operator interface comprising first, second and third operator input devices;

means for acquiring first through fourth frames of image data;

a first object constructing task for constructing first and second data objects respectively incorporating said first and second frames of image data in said first format;

a second object constructing task for constructing third and fourth data objects respectively incorporating said third and fourth frames of image data in said second format; and

means for transferring said first through fourth data objects to said networking port,

wherein in response to a first manipulation of said first operator input device, said first object constructing task constructs said first data object, opens an association with said first remote device via said network, and sends said first data object to said first remote device via a network while said association with said first remote device is open, and in response to a second manipulation of said first operator input device, said first object constructing task constructs said second data object and sends said second data object to said first remote device via said network while said association with said first remote device is still open, and in response to a first manipulation of said second operator input device, said second object constructing task constructs said third data object, opens an association with said second remote device via said network, and sends said third data object to said second remote device via a network while said association with said second remote device is open, and in response to a second manipulation of said second operator input device, said second object constructing task constructs said fourth data object and sends said fourth data object to said second remote device via said network while said association with said second remote device is still open.

13. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein said associations with said first and second remote devices are closed in response to manipulation of said third input device.

14. An imaging system capable of sending image frame data to a remote printer via a network, comprising:

a networking port for communicating with a network;

a graphical user interface for configuring said imaging system to transfer acquired images to a remote printer on said network in a format compatible with said remote printer while maintaining an open association with said remote printer via said network;

an operator interface comprising first and second operator input devices;

means for acquiring first through N-th frames of image data;

an object constructing task for constructing first through N-th data objects respectively incorporating said first through N-th frames of image data in said format; and

means for transferring said first through N-th data objects to said networking port for transmission to said remote printer,

wherein in response to first through (N−

1)-th manipulations of said first operator input device, said object constructing task constructs first through (N−

1)-th data objects incorporating the first through (N−

1)-th frames in said format and queues said first through (N−

1)-th data objects, and in response to the N-th manipulation of said first operator input device, said object constructing task constructs an N-th data object incorporating the N-th frame in said format, opens an association with said remote printer via said network, and sends said first through N-th data objects to said remote printer via said network while said association is open.

15. The system as recited in claim 14, further comprising means for acquiring at least an (N+1)-th frame of image data, wherein in response to an (N+1)-th manipulation of said first operator input device, said object constructing task constructs an (N+1)-th data object incorporating the (N+1)-th frame in said format and queuing said (N+1)-th data object, and in response to manipulation of said second operator input device, sends said (N+1)-th data object to said remote printer via said network while said association is open and then closes said association with said remote printer.