Automated activation and deactivation of operational data logging on medical imaging device

• US 6,581,069 B1
• Filed: 06/01/2000
• Issued: 06/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2000
• 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: Xue, Jie, Ploetz, Lawrence E., Robinson, Naja S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mizrahi, Diane D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mofiz, Apu M
• Application Number:
  US09/585,218
• Time in Patent Office: 1,111 Days
• Field of Search: 707/104.1, 166/254.2, 340/286.07, 340/825.36, 382/115, 382/131, 455/405, 600/410, 600/454, 705/213, 709/216, 702/183, 702/185, 714/10
• US Class Current: 707/648
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/922 Communications
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A method and a system for automatically activating and deactivating a data logging function on a remotely located medical imaging device from a central service facility in response to acquisition of updated service contract information. Customer profiling and service contract data are automatically processed at a central facility to detect that a medical imaging device is now under contract to receive regular scanner utilization reports. The scanner data logging function is then automatically turned on from the central facility. The central facility then monitors the receipt of scanner data log files to ensure that the first data log file has been successfully transmitted from activated medical imaging device, for processing and subsequent utilization report delivery. In the case of an expired service contract, the data logging feature on the medical imaging device is automatically deactivated from the central facility.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a multiplicity of devices at respective remote locations, each of said devices being identifiable and capable of logging operational data when a data logging function is activated, and being unable to log operational data when said data logging function is deactivated; and

a computer system at a central location in communication with said multiplicity of devices, said computer system storing an updated database comprising a record identifying a device needing a change in the state of its data logging function, said computer system being programmed to perform the step of remotely changing said data logging function in said identified device from one of said activated and deactivated states to the other of said activated and deactivated states,

wherein said computer system comprises an operation server for maintaining said updated database, and an automated support center server for remotely changing the state of said data logging function in said identified device in response to a request from said operation server.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said operation server is further programmed to log the time and date of and a device identifier for each request sent to said automated support center server.

3. A system comprising:

a multiplicity of devices at respective remote locations, each of said devices being identifiable and capable of logging operational data when a data logging function is activated, and being unable to log operational data when said data logging function is deactivated; and

a computer system at a central location in communication with said multiplicity of devices, said computer system storing an updated database comprising a record identifying a device needing a change in the state of its data logging function, said computer system being programmed to perform the step of remotely changing said data logging function in said identified device from one of said activated and deactivated states to the other of said activated and deactivated states,

wherein said updated database comprises customer profiling and service contract information.

4. A system comprising:

a multiplicity of devices at respective remote locations, each of said devices being identifiable and capable of logging operational data when a data logging function is activated, and being unable to log operational data when said data logging function is deactivated; and

a computer system at a central location in communication with said multiplicity of devices, said computer system storing an updated database comprising a record identifying a device needing a change in the state of its data logging function, said computer system being programmed to perform the step of remotely changing said data logging function in said identified device from one of said activated and deactivated states to the other of said activated and deactivated states,

wherein said computer system is further programmed to perform the steps of comparing records of new and old databases to identify records in said new database which do not have a full match of all data fields in said old database, and adding said identified records to said old database to form said updated database.

5. The system as recited in claim 4, wherein said comparing step comprises the step of comparing records of said new and old databases to identify a record in said new database which has a service contract number or a device identifier which does not appear in any record of said old database, said changing step comprising deactivating said data logging function.

6. The system as recited in claim 4, wherein said comparing step comprises the step of comparing records of said new and old databases to identify a record in said new database and a record in said old database which have the same service contract number and the same device identifier, but different data in contract status fields which indicate renewal of an existing service contract, said changing step comprising activating said data logging function.

7. The system as recited in claim 4, wherein said comparing step comprises the step of comparing records of said, new and old databases to identify a record in said new database and a record in said old database which have the same service contract number and the same device identifier, but different data in contract status fields which indicate a matured future service contract, said changing step comprises activating said data logging function.

8. The system as recited in claim 4, wherein said comparing step comprises the step of comparing records of said new and old databases to identify a record in said old database which does not appear in said new database, said changing step comprising deactivating said data logging function.

9. The system as recited in claim 4, wherein said computer system is further programmed to maintain a contract audit database table of audit records, each audit record comprising fields for indicating inserted or changed values of said updated database, and a field containing a time/date stamp indicating when the audit record was inserted in said contract audit database table.

10. The system as recited in claim 4, wherein said computer system is further programmed to output a contract update file comprising records added to said updated database.

11. The system as recited in claim 4, wherein said computer system is further programmed to maintain a device status database table comprising respective records for each device covered by a valid service contract and requiring data logging functionality, each record comprising a first scheduled date for turning on said data logging function and a second scheduled date for turning off said data logging function.

12. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein said computer system is further programmed to maintain a device status audit database table of audit records, each audit record comprising fields for indicating inserted or changed values of said device status database table, and a field containing a time/date stamp indicating when the audit record was inserted in said device status audit database table.

13. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein said computer system is further programmed to update the status of all scanners identified in said device status database table on a daily basis.

14. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein said computer system is further programmed to generate reports comprising information extracted from said device status database table.

15. A system comprising:

an automated central service facility connected to a multiplicity of remotely located devices via communications channels, wherein each device is programmed to log operational data in accordance with a data logging program stored in said device when said data logging program is activated, wherein said central service facility comprises;

means for remotely activating a data logging program in a device in response to acquisition of information that said data logging program should be activated;

means for receiving log files of operational data from said device in accordance with said activated data logging program;

a new database containing updated customer profiling and service contract information sufficient to identify all devices currently covered by service contracts requiring data logging functionality;

an old database containing old customer profiling and service contract information sufficient to identify all devices previously covered by service contracts requiring a data logging functionality; and

means for comparing said new and old databases to identify a device requiring activation.

16. A system comprising:

an automated central service facility connected to a multiplicity of remotely located devices via communications channels, wherein each device is programmed to log operational data in accordance with a data logging program stored in said device when said data logging program is activated, wherein said central service facility comprises;

means for remotely deactivating a data logging program in a device in response to acquisition of information that said data logging program should be deactivated;

a new database containing updated customer profiling and service contract information sufficient to identify all devices currently covered by service contracts requiring data logging functionality;

an old database containing old customer profiling and service contract information sufficient to identify all devices previously covered by service contracts requiring data logging functionality; and

means for comparing said new and old databases to identify a device requiring deactivation.

17. A method of remotely activating automatic logging of operational data in a device, comprising the steps of:

programming a device to store operational data and periodically send log files containing stored operational data to a central location via a communications channel in accordance with a data logging function when said data logging function is activated;

determining that said data logging function should be activated;

activating said data logging function in said device from said central location via said communications channel in response to said determining step;

importing a new database containing updated customer profiling and service contract information sufficient to identify all devices currently covered by service contracts requiring data logging functionality; and

retrieving an old database containing old customer profiling and service contract information sufficient to identify all devices previously covered by service contracts requiring data logging functionality,

wherein said determining step comprises the step of comparing records of said new and old databases.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein said comparing step comprises the step of identifying a record in said new database which has a service contract number or a device identifier which does not appear in any record of said old database.

19. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein said comparing step comprises the step of identifying a record in said new database and a record in said old database which have the same service contract number and the same device identifier, but different data in contract status fields which indicate renewal of an existing service contract.

20. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein said comparing step comprises the step of identifying a record in said new database and a record in said old database which have the same service contract number and the same device identifier, but different data in contract status fields which indicate a matured future service contract.

21. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising the step of monitoring receipt of log files at said central location to ensure receipt of a log file from said activated device within a predetermined time period after activation.

22. A method of remotely deactivating automatic logging of operational data in a device, comprising the steps of:

programming a device to store operational data and periodically send log files containing stored operational data to a central location via a communications channel in accordance with a data logging function when said data logging function is activated;

determining that said data logging function should be deactivated;

deactivating said data logging function in said device from said central location via said communications channel in response to said determining step;

importing a new database containing updated customer profiling and service contract information sufficient to identify all devices currently covered by service contracts requiring data logging functionality; and

retrieving an old database containing old customer profiling and service contract information sufficient to identify all devices previously covered by service contracts requiring data logging functionality,

wherein said determining step comprises the step of comparing records of said new and old databases.

23. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein said comparing step comprises the step of identifying a record in said old database which does not appear in said new database.