System and method for universal remote access and display of diagnostic images for service delivery

• US 7,016,952 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2002
• Issued: 03/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Medical Technology Services, Inc. (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: GE Medical Technology Services, Inc. (General Electric Company)
• Inventors: Mullen, Paul Lawrence, Zettel, Hubert Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia, Rupal
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Quang N.
• Application Number:
  US09/683,611
• Publication Number:
  US 20030140141A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,517 Days
• Field of Search: 702/185, 705/2, 705/3, 725/105
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0709 in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0733 in a data processing system embedded in an image processing device, e.g. printer, facsimile, scanner
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0748 in a remote unit communicating with a single-box computer node experiencing an error/fault remote testing G06F11/2294
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 by remote test
• 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

Abstract

Systems and methods for enabling universal remote access and display of diagnostic images acquired by diagnostic imaging equipment, independent of the identity of the vendor that manufactured the equipment. One system includes a local area network; a scanner capable of sending objects formatted in accordance with a communications protocol, each object incorporating at least one image frame; and a data capture device connected to the local area network and programmed with data capture software to capture an object originating from the scanner in response to that scanner being specified as an object of diagnosis. This system further includes a communications channel, e.g., a virtual private network, for connecting the data capture device to a central service facility. The preferred communications protocol is DICOM. In response to an instruction from the service center, the data capture device on the LAN captures image files from a malfunctioning scanner and forwards them to the service center for diagnosis.

Claims

1. A method of remotely servicing a scanner from a central service facility, comprising the steps of:

monitoring traffic passing through a location on a local area network, said traffic comprising files or objects of digital image data that conform to a communications protocol in accordance with which each file or object has a header comprising an origination address that is the address of the respective device that transmitted the file or object onto said local area network and a destination address that is the address of the particular device destined to receive that file or object from said local area network, said monitoring step being performed by a computerized device that is connected to said location on said local area network and has an address different than the destination address;

transmitting an instruction signal from a central service facility to said computerized device via a network other than said local area network, said instruction containing the address of a specified scanner that is connected to said local area network, wherein said computerized device captures any file or object passing through said location on said local area network that has a header with an address identifying said specified scanner as the transmitting device, while not capturing any file or object passing through said location that has a header with an address identifying a transmitting device different than said specified scanner, said captured file or object comprising at least one image frame;

sending said captured file or object from said computerized device to said central service facility via said other network; and

displaying said image frame at said central service facility.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of diagnosing an image quality problem of said specified scanner that is visible in said displayed image frame.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said other network is a virtual private network.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of downloading programming to said computerized device via a wide area network, said programming enabling said computerized device to perform said monitoring, capturing and sending steps.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, further comprising the steps of sending an authorization code from said computerized device to a server via said wide area network, and downloading said programming from said server to said computerized device only if said authorization code is valid.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said communications protocol is DICOM.

7. A system comprising:

a local area network;

a receiving device connected to said local area network;

a scanner connected to said local area network and having a capability of sending to said receiving device, via said local area network, image files formatted in accordance with a communications protocol, each image file incorporating at least one image frame;

a first computerized device at a central service facility;

a second computerized device connected to said local area network and programmed with data capture software to capture an image file on said local area network that originated from said scanner, but has a destination address that identifies said receiving device, in response to said scanner being specified as a target, and to not capture any image file on said local area network that originated from any scanner not specified as a target; and

a communications channel for connecting said first computerized device to said second computerized device,

wherein said scanner is specified as a target by transmission of an instruction from said first computerized device to said second computerized device via said communications channel.

8. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein said data capture software comprises programming for sending said captured image file to said central service facility via said communications channel.

9. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein said communications channel is part of a virtual private network.

10. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein said communications protocol is DICOM.

11. The system as recited in claim 7, further comprising a server programmed to send said data capture software to said second computerized device via said communications channel.

12. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein said server is programmed to send said data capture software to said computerized device only in response to receipt of a valid authorization code from said computerized device.

13. A method of remotely servicing any one of a multiplicity of scanners connected to a local area network from a central service facility, comprising the steps of:

specifying one of said scanners to a computerized device connected to a location on said local area network;

monitoring traffic at said location on said local area network for the presence of any DICOM object originating from said specified scanner, said DICOM object being addressed to a receiving device connected to said local area network and comprising at least one image frame acquired by said specified scanner;

capturing said DICOM object;

sending said captured DICOM object to a central service facility via a network other than said local area network; and

diagnosing a problem associated with said specified scanner using said captured DICOM object received at said central service facility,

wherein said monitoring, capturing and sending steps are performed by said computerized device, said computerized device having an address different than the address of said receiving device.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein said captured DICOM object is sent from said computerized device to said central service facility via a virtual private network.

15. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein said scanner is specified in a communication sent from said central service facility to said computerized device.