System to detect, administer and/or evaluate configuration data describing the hardware and/or software configuration of different devices

• US 8,190,445 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2009
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthineers AG (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Kuth, Rainer, Schmidt, Sebastian, Schaeffer-Kundler, Sabine
• Primary Examiner(s): OUELLETTE, JONATHAN P
• Application Number:
  US12/561,555
• Publication Number:
  US 20100094700A1
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades

Abstract

A system for detection, administration and/or evaluation of configuration data describing the hardware or software configuration of different (in particular medical technology) devices has a central database (in particular manufacturer-spanning central database) the configuration data stored therein, which is connected to a network (in particular the Internet via at least one software unit (fashioned as a programming interface and/or Internet platform), which enables a role-specific access to the database via role-based interfaces. An operator role and/or an end user role (in particular a referrer and/or patient role) and/or a manufacturer role are provided as roles.

Claims

1. A system for detection, administration and/or evaluation of a current configuration of a medical examination or therapy device, comprising the steps of:

via an output port, selected from the group consisting of a programming interface and an internet platform, of a medical examination or therapy device comprised of a current combination of a plurality of device units, selected from the group consisting of hardware units and software units, said medical examination or therapy device being available in different versions respectively from different manufacturers and being modifiable to be comprised of different combinations of said plurality of device units at different times, transmitting configuration data to a database via a network placing said output port and said database in communication with each other, said configuration data identifying which of said hardware units and which of said software units are in said current combination;

storing said configuration data for said medical examination or therapy device in said database with an association of the manufacturer, among said plurality of manufacturers, of said medical examination or therapy device; and

through a database interface, allowing access to said configuration data stored in said database by different searchers searching for a specific medical examination or therapy device having a specific combination of said device units, and configuring said access differently for respectively different searchers defined by respectively different roles, and defining said roles as being in the group consisting of an operator role, an end user role consisting of referrers and patients, and a manufacturer role, to obtain a search result indicating whether said current combination identified by said configuration data in said database corresponds to said specific combination; and

making said search result available from said database via an output of the database in a humanly perceptible form.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1 comprising storing said configuration data in said database linked to additional information or data for said medical examination or therapy device, selected from the group consisting of a location of said medical examination or therapy device, a designation of an entity responsible for operating said medical examination or therapy device, price information for using said medical examination or therapy device, a type of usage of said medical examination or therapy device, sales information, control data, usage protocols for controlling operation of said medical examination or therapy device, and information describing an operator of said device.

3. A system as claimed in claim 2 comprising an operator portal in communication with said input port allowing uploading or downloading of said configuration data and said additional information.

4. A system as claimed in claim 3 wherein said device comprises a processor connected to a display, said processor being configured by an interface program installed therein to cause a configuration file, or a screen shot of said configuration file, to be displayed in a form allowing determination of said configuration data by automatic image analysis, said configuration file comprising a header and log files and said interface program configuring said processor to determine said configuration data from one of said header or said log files.

5. A system as claimed in claim 3 wherein said operator portal is configured to allow tracking, via said database, of purchases and sales of said medical examination or therapy device.

6. A system as claimed in claim 3 wherein said device comprises a processor configured to generate recommendations and associated information dependent on said configuration data, and wherein said operator portal is configured to make said recommendations and said additional data available in humanly perceptible form.

7. A system as claimed in claim 6 wherein said operator portal is configured to present an award to an operator for uploading said configuration data via said operator portal, said reward being selected from the group consisting of a monetary amount, a software option, and a tool.

8. A system as claimed in claim 7 wherein said processor determines a level of said reward dependent on a quality of said configuration data selected from the group consisting of completeness of said configuration data and clarity if said configuration data.

9. A system as claimed in claim 1 comprising an end user portal configured to allow an end user to search for devices represented by said configuration data according to predetermined search criteria.

10. A system as claimed in claim 1 comprising a manufacturer portal configured to allow a manufacturer to conduct an evaluation of subsets of said configuration data.

11. A system as claimed in claim 10 wherein said manufacturer portal is configured to allow a manufacturer to transmit an offer to predetermined operators of medical examination or therapy devices represented by said configuration data.

12. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said device comprises a processor configured by an interface program installed therein allowing direct communication between said processor of said medical examination or therapy device and said database, via said operator portal.

13. A system as claimed in claim 12 wherein said processor is configured by said interface program for automated cyclical determination of said configuration data or operator-initiated communication of said configuration data to said data base.

14. A system as claimed in claim 12 wherein said processor is configured by said interface program for automatic configuration of said medical examination or therapy device using a configuration dataset from among said configuration data stored in said database, or to retrieve control data from said database and to store the retrieved control data in the medical examination or therapy device, or to control the medical examination or therapy device using control data in said configuration data, via said operator portal.

15. A system as claimed in claim 14 wherein said processor is configured by said interface program to adapt said control data to said configuration data for said medical examination or therapy device.

16. A system as claimed in claim 15 wherein said processor is configured to adapt said control data dependent on geographically local rules in effect at the location of the medical examination or therapy device.

17. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said device is configured to receive software updates dependent on the configuration data stored in the database.