Method and apparatus for logging and dynamically configuring performance analysis of a medical diagnostic imaging system

• US 6,418,334 B1
• Filed: 10/19/1999
• Issued: 07/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Unger, Christopher David, Childress, Frank Willard
• Primary Examiner(s): Lateef, Marvin M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MANTIS MERCADER, ELENI M
• Application Number:
  US09/420,924
• Time in Patent Office: 994 Days
• Field of Search: 600/407, 600/410, 600/425, 600/437, 600/438, 382/128, 128/920, 128/922, 128/923, 128/925, 705/3, 378/901
• US Class Current: 600/407
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/922 including image analysis

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for configurable logging and analysis of performance data for a medical diagnostic imaging system. A medical diagnostic imaging system may be divided into at least one subsystem. The subsystems include data acquisition modules for acquiring desired types of data related to the performance of an associated subsystem. The data acquisition modules acquire raw performance data during the operation of the medical diagnostic imaging system. The data acquisition modules may remotely acquire the raw performance data. The raw performance data may be acquired based upon a configuration file which identifies parameters associated with a desired type of performance analysis. New configuration files may be downloaded to dynamically select at least one parameter for a desired type of performance analysis. Parameters in the configuration file may comprise at least one of a performance variable and a sampling rate for the performance variable. A processing module processes the raw performance data acquired by the data acquisition modules. Data may be processed in real-time during the operation of the medical diagnostic imaging system. The processing module produces characteristic data summarizing the raw performance data. For example, the processing module may calculate trend statistics or perform statistical analyze on the raw performance data to produce characteristic data.

Claims

1. A method for logging information related to the performance of a medical diagnostic imaging system, comprising:

acquiring raw performance data during operation of the medical diagnostic imaging system;

processing said raw performance data in real time during operation of said medical diagnostic imaging system to produce characteristic data summarizing said raw performance data; and

outputting said characteristic data identifying the performance of the medical diagnostic imaging system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said outputting step further comprises at least one of the steps of storing in a buffer, logging to a trending log, displaying, and transmitting to a central processing system.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said processing step includes calculating trend statistics as said characteristic data based on said raw performance data.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said processing step further comprises calculating at least one of minimum value, maximum value, mean, and standard deviation as said characteristic data.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said processing step further comprises accumulating predefined parameter values from said raw performance data.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said characteristic data produced by processing step includes statistical data based on statistical analysis of said raw performance data.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said acquiring step further comprises remote acquisition of said raw performance data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said raw performance data relates to medical diagnostic imaging system configuration information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said raw performance data includes at least one of temperature, current, voltage, image quality, performance, usage, wear, and dosage.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said raw performance data is acquired from said medical diagnostic imaging system while said medical diagnostic imaging system simultaneously acquires image data from a target.

14. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said processing module includes a trending statistics engine that calculates trend statistics as said characteristic data based on said raw performance data.

15. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said processing module calculates at least one of minimum value, maximum value, mean, and standard deviation as said characteristic data based on said raw performance data.

11. An apparatus for logging information related to the performance of a medical diagnostic imaging system comprising:

at least one medical diagnostic imaging subsystem having at least one parameter associated with performance of said subsystem; and

an acquisition module dynamically acquiring raw performance data during operation of the medical diagnostic imaging subsystem;

a processing module processing said raw performance data in real time during operation of said medical diagnostic imaging subsystem to produce characteristic data summarizing said raw performance data; and

an output module outputting said characteristic data identifying the performance of the medical diagnostic imaging subsystem.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said acquisition module enables the remote dynamic acquisition of raw performance data during operation of the medical diagnostic imaging system.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said output module comprises at least one of a storage buffer, trending log, display, and central processing system.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said processing module accumulates predefined parameter values from said raw performance data.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said processing module produces statistical data as said characteristic data based on statistical analysis of said raw performance data.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein said raw performance data relates to medical diagnostic imaging system configuration information.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein said raw performance data includes at least one of temperature, current, voltage, image quality, performance, usage, wear, and dosage.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein said acquisition module acquires said raw performance data from said medical diagnostic imaging system while said medical diagnostic imaging system simultaneously acquires image data from a target.

21. A method for dynamically configuring performance analysis of a medical diagnostic imaging system comprising:

defining a plurality of parameters associated with performance of a medical diagnostic imaging system; and

dynamically selecting at least one of said parameters based on a defined parameter configuration associated with a corresponding type of performance analysis.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said selecting step further comprises downloading a configuration file identifying parameters associated with a desired type of performance analysis.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein said selecting step further comprises selecting a first set of parameters and a second set of parameters based on first and second sets of parameter configurations.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein said at least one of said parameters comprises at least one of a performance variable and a sampling rate for said performance variable.

25. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

analyzing raw performance data based on said at least one parameter to produce characteristic data summarizing said raw performance data.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein said analyzing step performs a first analysis based on a first set of at least one parameter and performs a second analysis based on a second set of a least one parameter.

27. The method of claim 25 further comprising:

transmitting said characteristic data to a central processing system; and

downloading a second configuration file.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein said raw performance data is obtained from said medical diagnostic imaging system while said medical diagnostic imaging system simultaneously acquires image data from a target.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein said plurality of parameters include at least one of temperature, current, voltage, image quality, performance, usage, wear, and dosage.

30. An apparatus for dynamically configuring performance analysis of a medical diagnostic imaging system comprising:

at least one medical diagnostic imaging subsystem having a plurality of parameters associated with performance of said subsystem; and

a configuration module for dynamically selecting at least one of said parameters based on a defined parameter configuration associated with a corresponding type of performance analysis.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein said configuration module further comprises a downloadable configuration file identifying parameters associated with a desired type of performance analysis.

32. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein said configuration module selects a first set of parameters and a second set of parameters based on first and second sets of parameter configurations.

33. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein said configuration module selects a first set of parameters based on a first parameter configuration associated with a first subsystem and selects a second set of parameters based on a second parameter configuration associated with a second subsystem.

34. The apparatus of claim 30 further comprising a performance analysis module that performs analysis based on said at least one of said parameters.

35. The apparatus of claim 30 further comprising a performance analysis module that performs a first analysis based on a first set of at least one parameter and performs a second analysis based on a second set of at least one parameter.

36. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein said at least one of said parameters comprises at least one of a performance variable and a sampling rate for said performance variable.

37. The method of claim 30, wherein said plurality of parameters include at least one of temperature, current, voltage, image quality, performance, usage, wear, and dosage.

38. The method of claim 30, wherein said performance analysis is based on raw performance data obtained during acquisition of an image by said at least one medical diagnostic imaging subsystem.

49. The method of claim 31, wherein said raw performance data is collected from said medical imaging system while said medical imaging system simultaneously acquires an image.

39. A method for dynamically calibrating a medical diagnostic imaging system, said method comprising:

accessing a configuration file comprising configuration information for a medical diagnostic imaging system;

obtaining and analyzing raw performance data during operation of said medical diagnostic system; and

remotely calibrating said medical diagnostic imaging system based on a relationship between said configuration information and said raw performance data.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein said raw performance data includes at least one of temperature, current, voltage, image quality, performance, usage, wear, and dosage.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein said raw performance data is acquired from said medical diagnostic imaging system while said medical diagnostic imaging system simultaneously acquires image data from a target.

42. A method for real-time collection of raw performance data, said method comprising:

remotely accessing a medical imaging system;

accumulating raw performance data during operation of the medical imaging system, said raw performance data including at least one of temperature, current, voltage, image quality, performance, usage, wear, and dosage; and

storing said raw performance data in a trending log.

43. The method of claim 42 further comprising:

analyzing said raw performance data in said trending log; and

reconfiguring said medical imaging system using said raw performance data from said trending log.

44. The method of claim 42, wherein said raw performance data relates to medical imaging system configuration information.

45. The method of claim 42, wherein said raw performance data is accumulated from said medical imaging system while said medical imaging system simultaneously acquires image data from a target.

46. A method of locating problems in a medical imaging system, said method comprising:

collecting raw performance data during operation of a medical imaging system; and

analyzing fluctuations in said raw performance data to locate problems in said medical imaging system.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein said raw performance data relates to medical diagnostic imaging system configuration information.

48. The method of claim 46, wherein said raw performance data includes at least one of temperature, current, voltage, image quality, performance, usage, wear, and dosage.