Medical diagnostic system service connectivity method and apparatus

• US 6,494,831 B1
• Filed: 09/03/1999
• Issued: 12/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GE Medical Technology Services, Inc. (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: GE Medical Technology Services, Inc. (General Electric Company)
• Inventors: Koritzinsky, Ianne Mae Howards
• Primary Examiner(s): Schaetzle, Kennedy
• Application Number:
  US09/390,016
• Time in Patent Office: 1,201 Days
• Field of Search: 128/903, 128/904, 600/300, 600/301, 607/30, 607/32, 607/27, 607/60, 340/3.43, 340/3.51
• US Class Current: 600/301
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/903 Radio telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/904 Telephone telemetry

Abstract

A technique is provided for verifying network connectivity between a medical diagnostic system and a remote service facility. The remote service facility is contactable at will by the subscribing system to request service, information, technical assistance, and so forth, while the service facility may also contact the subscribing system for acquisition of data, transmission of service messages, protocols, and so forth. In the connectivity verification sequence, a subscribing system is selected by the service facility and a network connection is established. A message is transmitted to the system provoking software at the system to re-establish the network connection from the system side. Two-way connectivity is thereby verified. Mobile systems may be configured to contact the service facility at their own initiation, and exchange data for permitting the service facility to re-contact the mobile system. Failure modes may be identified at various locations in the connectivity network by identification of steps in the connectivity verification process where the process failed. Alerts or other action items may be generated as a result of detected connectivity problems.

Claims

1. A method for verifying connectivity of a medical diagnostic service system, the system including at least one medical diagnostic station and a service facility remote from the diagnostic station, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) performing a connectivity check sequence in which a network connection is attempted between the diagnostic station and the service facility and, if the connection is established, data is transmitted from service facility to the diagnostic station;

(b) performing a connectivity response sequence in which a second network connection is attempted between the diagnostic station and the service facility in response to the connectivity check and, if the connection is established, data is transmitted from the diagnostic station to the service facility; and

(c) recording results of steps (a) and (b).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) is performed automatically on a scheduled basis.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the connectivity check sequence of step (a) is initiated by the service facility.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein data necessary for attempting the connection in step is stored in a database accessed by the service facility.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the database includes connection data for a plurality of subscribing diagnostic stations.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic station includes medical diagnostic equipment configured to generated image data of a subject of interest.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the diagnostic station includes a plurality of medical imaging systems of at least one modality.

8. The method of claim 1, including the further step of generating an alert message if the attempt at step (a) or (b) is unsuccessful in establishing the respective network connection.

9. The method of claim 1, including the further step of repeating either step (a) or step (b) if the attempt to establish the respective network connection is unsuccessful.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic station is a mobile diagnostic station.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) is repeated during at least two different time slots to determine connectivity at corresponding times.

12. A method for verifying connectivity between a plurality of medical diagnostic stations and a remote service facility, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) scheduling connectivity checks for each of a plurality of subscribing diagnostic stations;

(b) initiating respective network connections between the service facility and the diagnostic stations in accordance with a schedule established in step (a) and, if the respective connection is established, transferring data to the service station;

(c) initiating respective second network connections between the service facility and the diagnostic stations in response to the data transferred in step (b); and

(d) recording results of steps (b) and (c).

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the connectivity checks are scheduled within one of a plurality of different time slots.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the time slots during which each connectivity check is scheduled is based upon past successful connectivity checks.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein a plurality of connectivity check sequences are scheduled such that an anticipated time for second network connection for a first diagnostic station overlaps with an anticipated time for a second network connection with a second diagnostic station.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the connectivity checks are scheduled based upon subscription status for each of the plurality of diagnostic stations.

17. The method of claim 12, comprising the further step of generating an alert message if respective network connection initiated at steps (b) or (c) is unsuccessful for a diagnostic station.

18. The method of claim 12, including the further step of analyzing results of steps (b) and (c) to determine a probable failure point in the network connection.

19. The method of claim 18, including the step of recording the failure point with the results of steps (a) and (b) for a respective diagnostic station.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein data transferred from the mobile diagnostic system in step (a) includes data indicative of a location of the mobile diagnostic system.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the mobile diagnostic system is configured to perform step (a) following displacement of the mobile diagnostic system from a first location to a second location.

23. The method of claim 19, including the further step of generating an alert record if a network connection cannot be established at either step (a) or (b).

24. The method of claim 19, including the further step of generating an alert record if data cannot be accurately transferred in either step (a) or (b).

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the analysis performed in step (d) includes accessing historical records for the diagnostic system from a data storage location.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the analysis performed in step (d) includes identifying a point in step (a) at which the connectivity check sequence failed.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the analysis performed in step (d) includes identifying a point in step (b) at which the connectivity response sequence failed.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein the connectivity check sequence and the connectivity response sequence are performed on a plurality of diagnostic stations in accordance with a predetermined schedule.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein an order of priority for each diagnostic station on the schedule is at least partially based upon historical records of network connections initiated by the respective diagnostic stations with the service facility.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein the medical diagnostic system includes an imaging station of a modality selected from a group including MRI systems, x-ray systems, CT systems and ultrasound systems.

33. The system of claim 30, wherein the medical diagnostic system includes a management station coupled to at least one medical diagnostic imaging system.

34. The system of claim 30, wherein the first connectivity verification means is configured to execute the connectivity verification routine automatically based upon a predetermined schedule.

35. The system of claim 30, wherein the first connectivity verification means is configured to generate and store an alert message if the connectivity verification routine determines that two-way network communication with the medical diagnostic system cannot be successfully established.

37. The system of claim 35, wherein the medical diagnostic system is a mobile system displaceable between desired locations remote from the service facility.

38. A The system of claim 35, wherein the first or the second connectivity verification means is configured to generate and store an alert message if a network connection cannot be successfully established or if data cannot be successfully transferred between the diagnostic system and the service facility during the connectivity verification routine.

20. A method for verifying connectivity between a medical diagnostic system service facility and a mobile diagnostic system, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) performing a connectivity check sequence from the mobile diagnostic station to the service facility during which a network connection is initiated and, if a network connection is successfully established, data is transferred to the service facility;

(b) performing a connectivity response sequence in response to the connectivity check sequence, during which a network connection is initiated by the service facility and, if the network connection is successfully established, data is transferred to the mobile diagnostic station; and

(c) recording results of steps (a) and (b).

25. A method for analyzing connectivity of a medical diagnostic service system, the system including at least one medical diagnostic station and a service facility remote from the diagnostic station, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) performing a connectivity check sequence in which a network connection is attempted between the diagnostic station and the service facility and, if the connection is established, data is transmitted from service facility to the diagnostic station;

(b) performing a connectivity response sequence in which a second network connection is attempted between the diagnostic station and the service facility in response to the connectivity check and, if the connection is established, data is transmitted from the diagnostic station to the service facility;

(c) recording results of steps (a) and (b); and

(d) analyzing the results stored in step (c) to determine a point of possible connectivity failure between the diagnostic station and the service facility.

31. A system for providing remote service to a medical diagnostic system, the system comprising:

a medical diagnostic system configured to process medical image data;

a service facility remote from the diagnostic system and configured to provide remote service to the diagnostic system via a network link;

first connectivity verification means at the service facility, the first connectivity verification means configured to attempt to establish a network connection with the diagnostic system in accordance with a connectivity verification routine, and to transmit data to the diagnostic system if the network connection is successfully established; and

second connectivity verification means at the diagnostic system, the second connectivity verification means configured to attempt to establish a network connection with the service facility in response to the data transmitted during the connectivity verification sequence.

36. A system for providing remote service to a medical diagnostic system, the system comprising:

a medical diagnostic system configured to process medical image data;

a service facility remote from the diagnostic system and configured to provide remote service to the diagnostic system via a network link;

first connectivity verification means at the medical diagnostic system, the first connectivity verification means configured to attempt to establish a network connection with the service facility in accordance with a connectivity verification routine, and to transmit data to the service facility if the network connection is successfully established; and

second connectivity verification means at the service facility, the second connectivity verification means configured to attempt to establish a network connection with the diagnostic system in response to the data transmitted during the connectivity verification sequence.