Removable media recording station for the medical industry

• US 6,954,802 B2
• Filed: 09/29/1998
• Issued: 10/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TDK U.S.A. Corporation (TDK Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TDK Electronics (TDK Corporation)
• Inventors: Sutherland, Michael, Yokoi, Koyo
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Kim
• Assistant Examiner(s): Casiano, Angel L.
• Application Number:
  US09/161,753
• Publication Number:
  US 20030105393A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,569 Days
• Field of Search: 705 1- 3, 705/26, 710/5, 382/131, 382/128, 382/156, 382/158, 128/920, 128/922, 128/923, 600/407, 600/408, 600/300, 358/403, 395/701, 395/500, 367/7, 367/11, 367/130, 367/138, 736/20, 736/30
• US Class Current: 710/5
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/65 stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS

Abstract

A removable medium recording station records medical image data in a format and removable medium that are widely accepted. The removable medium recording station can be used to effectively replace an installed storage device on an existing stand-alone medical image workstation. Storage onto removable media is transformed into an outboard operation. This transformation enables a hospital to migrate existing medical imaging systems to new formats and media without sacrificing a large portion of their initial investment. Additionally, the removable medium recording station can be attached as a peripheral on an existing medical modality network. In this capacity, the removable medium recording station enables an operator on the medical modality network to store medical images in a selected format and on a selected type of removable medium regardless of the proprietary format used by the enterprise level archive server. The removable medium recording station enables a hospital to add new functionality without sacrificing their investment in their enterprise solution.

Claims

1. A method for enabling a proprietary or standardized medical system to utilize new storage technology, the medical system having a medical scanner that scans a patient and creates medical image data and a computer workstation coupled to the medical scanner for analyzing the medical image data, the workstation utilizing at least one of standardized and proprietary storage technologies, the method comprising:

attaching a peripheral-type removable medium recording station to the medical system, the recording station having a first storage device capable of initially storing medical image data received from the medical system on a nonremovable storage medium and a second storage device capable of storing medical image data on a first removable storage medium;

receiving at the recording station, medical image data transmitted in a first format from the computer workstation;

storing the medical image data on the nonremovable storage medium;

converting the medical image data to a second format; and

storing the converted data on the first removable storage medium,

wherein the first format and the nonremovable storage medium are compatible with the technologies implemented by the medical system, and at least one of the second format and the first removable storage medium reflects new storage technology.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the computer workstation is a digital imaging and communications in medicine compliant computer workstation.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the computer workstation has a magneto-optical drive.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first removable storage medium is a compact disk.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first removable storage medium is a digital video disk.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the removable medium recording station has a third storage device, capable of reading medical image data from a second removable storage medium and used in conjunction with the second storage device to copy image data from the second removable medium to the first removable medium independently of the operation of the medical image system.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the converting of the medical image data for the subsequent storage on the first removable medium occurs when the storing of the medical image data exceeds a capacity threshold of the nonremovable storage medium.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the converting of the medical image data for subsequent storage on the first removable medium occurs in response to a measure of the utility of the image data stored on the nonremovable medium.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

removing the first removable medium from the removable medium recording station, and

filing the first removable medium in a storage facility.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the removing and filing of the first removable medium is implemented using a removable medium juke box.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the filing of the first removable medium comprises the labeling of the first removable medium with the pertinent patient information.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing specialized image viewing software on the first removable medium to enable viewing of the converted image data by non-compliant workstations.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the specialized image viewing software enables DICOM compliance.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the medical image data is transmitted when a storage capacity threshold of a nonremovable storage medium of the computer workstation is exceeded.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the medical image data is transmitted in response to a measure of the utility of the medical image data stored on a nonremovable storage medium of the computer workstation.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

associating with the first removable storage medium patient data corresponding to the medical image data stored on the first removable storage medium.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein an automated robotic archive station coupled to the removable medium recording station associates the patient data with the first removable storage medium.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the patient data is obtained from a hospital information system/radiology information system.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the automated robotic archive station associates the patient data with the first removable medium by removing the first removable storage medium from the removable medium recording station and labeling the first removable storage medium with the patient data.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising placing the labeled removable medium in a storage container.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the automated robotic archive station comprises a removable medium juke box.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein the computer workstation is a standalone workstation including a third storage device capable of storing data on a second nonremovable storage medium and operative to initially store medical image data received from said medical scanner;

and a fourth storage device capable of storing data on a removable storage medium of a first type, wherein the first type is different from the type of removable storage medium used with the second storage device of the removable medium recording station.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein the medical image data received by the removable medium recording station comprises raw data and data processed by the computer workstation.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein the removable medium recording station performs as at least one of a service class provider and a service class user.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the classes of service comprise at least one of storage, query/retrieve, print management, and patient data management.

26. A medical image processing network, comprising:

a communications network;

at least one medical scanner, coupled to said communications network, that scans a patient and creates medical image data;

a computer workstation, coupled to the communication network and operative to store initially and to analyze the medical image data generated by the medical scanner, the computer workstation utilizing at least one of standardized and proprietary storage technologies;

a server, coupled to the communications network, that stores medical image data received from the computer workstation in accordance with associated patient information; and

,

a removable medium recording station, coupled to said communications network, the removable medium recording station having a first storage device capable of initially storing medical image data received from said medical scanner on a nonremovable storage medium and a second storage device capable of storing data on a first removable storage medium;

wherein the first storage device is compatible with the technologies implemented by the computer workstation and the second storage device utilizes at least one of new storage format and new storage medium technologies.

27. The network of claim 26 wherein the removable medium recording station has a third storage device, capable of reading medical image data from a second removable storage medium and used in conjunction with the second storage device to copy image data from the second removable medium to the first removable medium independently of the operations of the medical scanner and the computer workstation.

28. The medical image processing network of claim 26, wherein the computer workstation is a digital imaging and communications in medicine compliant computer workstation.

29. The medical image processing network of claim 26, wherein the computer workstation includes a magneto-optical drive.

30. The medical image processing network of claim 26, wherein the removable medium recording station includes a compact disk.

31. The medical image processing network of claim 26, wherein the removable medium recording station includes a digital video disk.

32. The network of claim 26 wherein the medical image data received by the removable medium recording station comprises raw data and data processed by the computer workstation.

33. The network of claim 26 wherein the medical image data is transmitted to the removable medium recording station when a storage capacity threshold of a nonremovable storage medium of the computer workstation is exceeded.

34. The network of claim 26 wherein the medical image data is transmitted to the removable medium recording station in response to a measure of the utility of the medical image data stored on a nonremovable medium of the computer workstation.

35. The network of claim 26 further comprising:

an automated robotic archive station coupled to the removable medium recording station that associates with the first removable medium patient data corresponding to the image data stored on the first removable medium.

36. The network of claim 35 wherein the patient data is obtained from a hospital information system/radiology information system.

37. The network of claim 35 wherein the automated robotic archive station associates the patient data with the first removable medium by removing the first removable medium from the removable medium recording station and labeling the first removable medium with the patient data.

38. The network of claim 37 wherein the automated robotic archive station places the labeled removable medium in a storage container.

39. The network of claim 38 wherein the automated robotic archive station comprises a removable medium juke box.

40. The network of claim 26 wherein specialized image viewing software is stored on the first removable storage medium to enable viewing of the image data by non-compliant workstations.

41. The network of claim 26 wherein the specialized image viewing software enables DICOM compliance.

42. The network of claim 26 wherein the computer workstation is a standalone workstation including a third storage device capable of storing data on a second nonremovable storage medium and operative to initially store medical image data received from said medical scanner;

and a fourth storage device capable of storing data on a removable storage medium of a first type, wherein said first type is different from the type of removable storage medium used with the second storage device.

43. The network of claim 26 wherein the removable medium recording station performs as at least one of a service class provider and a service class user.

44. The network of claim 43 wherein the classes of service comprise at least one of storage, query/retrieve, print management, and patient data management.

45. A removable medium recording station, comprising:

a communications facility for coupling the removable medium recording station to a medical image system, the medical image system utilizing one of proprietary and standard storage technologies and having a medical scanner that scans a patient and creates medical image data, and a computer workstation coupled to the medical scanner and operative to store initially and to analyze the medical image data created by the scanner, the communications facility enabling the removable medium recording station to be coupled to the medical image system as a peripheral device;

a first storage device capable of initially storing medical image data received in a first format from the medical system on a nonremovable storage medium; and

,

a second storage device capable of storing medical image data in a second format on a first removable storage medium;

wherein the first format and the nonremovable storage medium are compatible with the storage technology implemented by the medical system, and at least one of the second format and the first removable storage medium reflects new storage technology.

46. The removable medium recording station of claim 45 wherein the computer workstation is a digital imaging and communications in medicine compliant computer workstation.

47. The removable medium recording station of claim 45 wherein the computer workstation has a magneto-optical drive.

48. The removable medium recording station of claim 45 wherein the first removable storage medium is a compact disk drive.

49. The removable medium recording station of claim 45 wherein the first removable storage medium is a digital video disk drive.

50. The removable medium recording station of claim 45 wherein the removable medium recording station has a third storage device, capable of reading medical image data from a second removable storage medium and used in conjunction with the second storage device to copy image data from the second removable medium to the first removable medium independently of the operation of the medical image system.

51. The removable medium recording station of claim 50 wherein the removable medium recording station has a fourth storage device capable of writing the medical image data read from the second removable storage medium onto the first removable storage medium.

52. The removable medium recording station of claim 51 wherein the removable medium recording station has a process means for controlling the process of copying medical image data from the second removable storage medium to the first removable storage medium.

53. The removable medium recording station of claim 45 wherein the medical image data is stored on the first removable medium when the medical image data stored on the nonremovable storage medium exceeds a capacity threshold of the nonremovable storage medium.

54. The removable medium recording station of claim 45 wherein the medical image data is stored on the first removable medium in response to a measure of the utility of the image data stored on the nonremovable medium.

55. The removable medium recording station of claim 45 wherein the communications facility couples the removable medium recording station directly to a network port of the computer workstation.

56. The removable medium recording station of claim 45 wherein medical image data is transmitted from the medical system for receipt by the removable medium recording station when a storage capacity threshold of a nonremovable storage medium of the computer workstation is exceeded.

57. The removable medium recording station of claim 45 wherein medical image data is transmitted from the medical system for receipt by the removable medium recording station in response to a measure of the utility of the medical image data stored on a nonremovable storage medium of the computer workstation.

58. The removable medium recording station of claim 45 wherein specialized image viewing software is stored on the first removable medium to enable viewing of the medical image data by non-compliant workstations.

59. The removable medium recording station of claim 58 wherein the specialized image viewing software enables DICOM compliance.

60. The removable medium recording station of claim 45 wherein the computer workstation is a standalone workstation including a third storage device capable of storing data on a second nonremovable storage medium and operative to initially store medical image data received from said medical scanner;

and a fourth storage device capable of storing data on a removable storage medium of a first type, wherein the first type is different from the type of removable storage medium used with the second storage device of the removable medium recording station.

61. The removable medium recording station of claim 45 wherein the medical image data received by the removable medium recording station comprises raw data and data processed by the computer workstation.

62. The removable medium recording station of claim 45 wherein the removable medium recording station performs as at least one of a service class provider and a service class user.

63. The removable medium recording station of claim 62 wherein the classes of service comprise at least one of storage, query/retrieve, print management, and patient data management.