Image-based artifact troubleshooting for medical systems

• US 6,691,134 B1
• Filed: 11/24/1999
• Issued: 02/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1999
• 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: Singh, Karamjeet, Babula, Deborah Ann, Koritzinsky, Ianne Mae Howards
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson, Greta
• Assistant Examiner(s): DODDS, HAROLD E
• Application Number:
  US09/448,937
• Time in Patent Office: 1,539 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/3-7, 707/9, 707/10, 707/100-104, 707/500, 707/501.1, 707/513-516, 705/1-3, 709/217-219, 250/484.4, 250/580, 250/581, 250/584, 324/300, 324/307, 324/309, 378/167, 378/182, 382/276, 382/305, 600/300, 600/407, 600/437, 600/443, 715/500, 715/501.1, 715/513-516
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0271 using a remote monitoring unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/00 Apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis; Apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis combined with radiation therapy equipment instruments measuring radiation intensity for application in the field of nuclear medicine, e.g. in vivo counting, G01T1/161; apparatus for taking X-ray photographs G03B42/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/56 Details of data transmission or power supply, e.g. use of slip rings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/563 involving image data transmission via a network
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/581 Remote testing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/00 Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves imaging of objects using sonar G01S15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4416 related to combined acquisition of different diagnostic modalities, e.g. combination of ultrasound and X-ray acquisitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/565 involving data transmission via a network
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 by remote test
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A technique is disclosed for providing image artifact to medical diagnostic institutions and systems. The information and images is created and stored on machine readable media. A user may enter a problem query at a user interface at the diagnostic institution or system and search a database of information located at a centralized service facility. A list of solutions and images having characteristic artifacts is displayed at the diagnostic institution. The user may then select and display a desired image or solution from the user interface. The particular solution may include textual and exemplary images descriptions of the solution. Moreover, additional links may be provided to access other related sources of information. The information stored on the machine readable media may be easily solutions to existing case problems.

Claims

1. A method for providing image-based problem and solution information to a plurality of medical diagnostic systems of different modalities, the method comprising:

storing on machine readable media a first image and an associated first solution and a second image and an associated second solution, the first image and first solution being adapted to a first modality diagnostic system, the second image and second solution being adapted to a second modality diagnostic system;

establishing network links between a distribution system and the first and second modality diagnostic systems;

transmitting to the first modality diagnostic system the first image and first solution and displaying the first image and solution on the first modality diagnostic system; and

transmitting to the second modality diagnostic system the second image and second solution and displaying the second image and solution on the second modality diagnostic system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second images includes a characterizing feature, and wherein the first and second solutions provide information for elimination of the respective characterizing features.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the network links are initiated by the first and second modality diagnostic systems.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding to the machine readable media a third image and an associated third solution, the third image containing a characterizing artifact.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

configuring a first problem query at the first modality diagnostic system and a second problem query at the second modality diagnostic system;

transmitting the first and second queries to the distribution system; and

transmitting the first and second images and respective first and second solutions to the respective first and second modality diagnostic systems, the first and second images and solutions being displayed in response to the respective first and second queries.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding to the machine readable media an additional first solution associated with the first image.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising verifying a subscriber status for the first modality diagnostic system prior to transmitting the first image and the first solution.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first modality diagnostic system is a magnetic resonance imaging system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first modality diagnostic system is a computed tomography imaging system.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first modality diagnostic system is an x-ray imaging system.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the machine readable media include first media for storing the first image and first solution and second media for storing the second image and second solution.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second media comprise a portable machine readable data storage device.

13. A method for obtaining a solution to an image-based problem with a medical diagnostic system, the method comprising:

inputting a problem query on a user interface at the medical diagnostic system;

establishing a network link with a remote problem and solution library;

accessing data from the library;

viewing on the user interface at least one image in response to the query, the at least one image containing a characterizing artifact and having an associated solutions list;

selecting a desired solution from the list; and

transmitting the data from the library to the diagnostic system.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein establishing the network link is performed prior to inputting the problem query.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the data accessible by the medical diagnostic system is a subset of the data in the library.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the library includes images and solutions for a plurality of diagnostic system modalities, and wherein the at least one image in response to the query and its associated solutions list includes solutions for a modality of the medical diagnostic system.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising updating the library.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein updating the library includes adding a new solution to an existing image.

18. The method of claim 18, wherein updating the library includes adding a new image and an associated solution to the library, the new image including a characterizing artifact.

20. A system for providing image-based problem and solution information to a plurality of medical diagnostic scanners, the system comprising:

at least one storage device for storing image and solution data related to a first modality and a second modality;

first and second query modules at first and second medical diagnostic stations, respectively, the first and second query modules being configured to formulate queries containing data descriptive of the respective first and second modalities; and

communications circuitry for establishing network links to the first and second modality diagnostic stations and for transmitting image artifact and solution data in response to the queries.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the network links to the first and second modality diagnostic stations are initiated by the communications circuitry.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the first modality is a magnetic resonance imaging modality.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the first modality is a computed tomography imaging modality.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the first modality is an x-ray imaging modality.