Method for the integration of medical imaging data and content for wireless transmission and remote viewing

• US 7,379,605 B1
• Filed: 09/09/2004
• Issued: 05/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stelian Doru Ticsa
• Original Assignee: Stelian Doru Ticsa
• Inventors: Ticsa, Stelian Doru
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Phuoc
• Application Number:
  US10/711,303
• Time in Patent Office: 1,356 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/128, 382/232, 382/233, 382/240, 709/203, 709/247
• US Class Current: 382/232
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/166 at the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/04 Protocols for data compression, e.g. ROHC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/08 Upper layer protocols network arrangements or communication protocols for networked applications H04L67/00

Abstract

A method of transmitting medical imaging data files over high latency low bandwidth networks by using an incremental RSYNC protocol over an encrypted connection.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting medical diagnostic imaging over low-speed wireless networks to remote locations comprising the steps of:

accessing an imaging modality;

receiving an image from the imaging modality;

establishing a wireless connection with a remote primary server;

establishing a security layer over the remote connection;

compressing the image;

encrypting the compressed image;

establishing an incremental file transfer of the compressed image over the security layer to the primary server;

transmitting the compressed image to the primary server;

decrypting the compressed image;

decompressing the image;

substantially losslessly storing the image on a storage device local to the primary server;

accepting authenticated remote inbound requests for viewing the image; and

sending the image to an authenticated requestor.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one image received from the imaging modality is formatted to a DICOM specification.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the connection with the remote primary server is through TCP/IP.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein protocol for the incremental file transfer is an RSYNC-based protocol.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of archiving the at least one image to an optical storage medium for long term storage.

6. A method of transmitting medical diagnostic imaging wirelessly to remote locations comprising the steps of:

providing a client computer;

providing a DICOM receiver module communicatively coupled to the client computer, the DICOM receiver adapted to accept DICOM images and patient information from imaging modalities for manipulation and filming;

providing a RSYNC module communicatively coupled to the client computer;

providing a GZIR compression module adapted to compress data transmitted by the RSYNC module;

providing a secure socket layer module communicatively coupled to the RSYNC module, the secure socket layer module adapted to encrypt data transmitted by the RSYNC module;

providing a wireless network interface communicatively coupled to the client computer;

providing a primary server;

receiving the encrypted transmission on the primary server, decrypting the transmission, and storing the DICOM images.

7. A method of transmitting medical diagnostic imaging to remote locations comprising the steps of:

receiving a DICOM data file on a client;

parsing the DICOM data file for a data header, image descriptor, sync value and image data;

establishing a secure connection between the client and a remote server;

verifying an absence of a duplicate DICOM data file on the remote server;

transmitting the DICOM data file from the client to the remote server responsive to the absence of a duplicate DICOM data file on the remote server.