Medical imaging device quality control system and method

• US 8,478,610 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2012
• Issued: 07/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atirix Medical Systems
• Original Assignee: Atirix Medical Systems
• Inventors: Hahn, Jerad J., Krocak, Ryan M.
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Connor, Gerald J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WOODS, TERESA S
• Application Number:
  US13/412,288
• Publication Number:
  US 20120185292A1
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: 250/252, 600/1, 600/426, 705/2, 705/3, 382/128, 382/131, 382/274, 702/108
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1097 Task assignment
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms

Abstract

A method in a computer system is provided for managing medical imaging devices quality control information. In particular, a method and corresponding computer devices are described for evaluating stored quality control test plan data for each of the one or more medical imaging devices being managed on an evaluation date.

Claims

1. A computing device comprising:

a processor; and

accessible storage having instructions thereon for managing quality control testing for one or more medical imaging devices,

wherein the processor is interfaced with a display device and wherein the instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to execute a process comprising;

evaluating stored quality control test plan data for each of the one or more medical imaging devices being managed with respect to quality control on an evaluation date;

wherein the one or more medical imaging devices comprises a mammography imaging device, an FFDM imaging device, an MRI imaging device, an X-ray imaging device, or an ultrasound imaging device;

wherein the quality control test plan data comprises information specifying the one or more medical imaging devices, information specifying a plurality of distinct types of quality control tests to be performed on the one or more medical imaging devices, an independent schedule for performing each of the plurality of distinct types of quality control tests and a record of the past performance of the corresponding tests;

wherein a quality control test relates to whether a medical imaging device is functioning correctly and comprises a signal-to-noise quality control test, a contrast-to-noise quality control test, an artifact evaluation quality control test, a detector flat-field calibration quality control test, a phantom image quality control test, a softcopy workstation quality control test or a softcopy workstation quality level quality control test; and

wherein the evaluating comprises determining from the quality control test plan data which of the one or more medical imaging devices have one or more quality control tests to be performed on the evaluation date or are past due; and

displaying on the display device a graphical user interface showing

information, based on the evaluating of the quality control test plan data, indicating quality control tests scheduled on the evaluation date, status of each scheduled test and identification of a medical imaging device associated with each scheduled quality control test, and

a user input field visually associated with each of the displayed quality control tests, the user input field configured to receive input indicating completion of the quality control test, wherein the input of the completion of a scheduled test results in the updating of the quality control test plan data.

2. The computing device of claim 1 wherein at least one of the one or more medical imaging devices comprises a mammography imaging device.

3. The computing device of claim 1 wherein at least one of the quality control tests of the plurality of quality control tests is scheduled to be performed with occurrence frequency selected from the group consisting of daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, and quarterly.

4. The computing device of claim 1 wherein the quality control test plan data comprises information specifying at least two quality control tests to be performed on the same medical imaging device and wherein the two quality control tests are scheduled to be performed with different occurrence frequencies.

5. The computing device of claim 1 wherein the one or more medical imaging devices comprises a plurality of medical imaging devices and wherein the quality control test plan data comprises information specifying a plurality of quality control tests to be performed on a first medical imaging device and second medical imaging device of the plurality of the medical imaging devices.

6. The computing device of claim 5 wherein at least one of the quality control tests of the plurality of quality control tests to be performed on the first medical imaging device and at least one of the quality control tests of the plurality of quality control tests to be performed on the second medical imaging device are scheduled to be run with different occurrence frequencies.

7. The computing device of claim 1 further comprising displaying a notification that work sheet data is associated with one of the one or more quality control tests;

wherein the worksheet data comprises information specifying one or more test metrics and a data capture field associated with each of the one or more test metrics, each data capture field configured to store results of the associated test metric.

8. The computing device of claim 7 further comprising displaying a graphical representation of the worksheet data;

receiving test metric data from one or more of the data capture fields; and

storing the received test metric data as part of the worksheet data.

9. The computing device of claim 1 wherein the displaying a graphical user interface further comprises displaying a user input field associated with each of the displayed quality control tests, the user input field configured to receive input indicating completion of the quality control test and further comprising receiving user input from at least one of the user input fields and storing the date that the associated quality control test was performed.

10. The computing device of claim 1 wherein the displaying a graphical user interface further comprises displaying information indicating past due quality control tests scheduled to be performed on a date preceding the evaluation date but which have not been performed as of the evaluation date and identification of a medical imaging devices or related peripheral device associated with each past due quality control tests;

wherein the quality control test plan data further comprises information specifying the date on which each of the one or more quality control tests were last performed; and

wherein the evaluating further comprises determining from the quality control test plan data which of the one or more quality control tests are past due quality control tests.

11. The computing device of claim 10 wherein the displaying a graphical user interface further comprises displaying a user input field associated with each of the displayed quality control tests, the user input field configured to receive input indicating completion of the quality control test and further comprising receiving user input from a user input field and recording the date the associated quality control test was performed.

12. The computing device of claim 1 wherein the process executed by the processor further comprises:

evaluating stored quality control test plan data for one or more peripheral devices related to the one or more medical imaging devices being managed on an evaluation date;

wherein the quality control test plan data further comprises information specifying one or more related peripheral devices, information specifying one or more quality control tests to be performed on the one or more related peripheral devices and an independent schedule for performing each of the one or more quality control tests on the one or more related peripheral devices;

wherein a quality control test further relates to whether a related peripheral device is functioning correctly; and

wherein the evaluating further comprises determining from the quality control test plan data which of the one or more related peripheral devices have one or more quality control tests to be performed on the evaluation date; and

wherein the displaying a graphical user interface further comprises showing

information, based on the evaluating of the quality control test plan data, indicating which of the one or more related peripheral devices has a quality control test scheduled on the evaluation date and the identity of the scheduled quality control test associated with each of the identified related peripheral devices.

13. The computing device of claim 12 wherein a related peripheral device comprises a monitor, printer, or a softcopy workstation.

14. The computing device of claim 1 wherein the one or more medical imaging devices comprises a mammography imaging device and at least one of a FFDM, an ultrasound, and a breast MRI medical imaging device.

15. The computing device of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of quality control tests comprises a visual checklist or a repeat analysis.

16. A method for managing quality control testing for one or more medical imaging devices, executed by a computing device comprising a processor and accessible storage medium, wherein the processor is interfaced with a display device, the method comprising:

executing software on the storage medium using the processor to perform;

evaluating stored quality control test plan data for each of the one or more medical imaging devices being managed with respect to quality control on an evaluation date;

wherein the one or more medical imaging devices comprises a mammography imaging device, an FFDM imaging device, an MRI imaging device, an X-ray imaging device, or an ultrasound imaging device;

wherein the quality control test plan data comprises information specifying the one or more medical imaging devices, information specifying a plurality of distinct types of quality control tests to be performed on the one or more medical imaging devices, an independent schedule for performing each of the plurality of distinct types of quality control tests and a record of the past performance of the corresponding tests;

wherein a quality control test relates to whether a medical imaging device is functioning correctly and comprises a signal-to-noise quality control test, a contrast-to-noise quality control test, an artifact evaluation quality control test, a detector flat-field calibration quality control test, a phantom image quality control test, a softcopy workstation quality control test or a softcopy workstation quality level quality control test; and

wherein the evaluating comprises determining from the quality control test plan data which of the one or more medical imaging devices have one or more quality control tests to be performed on the evaluation date or are past due; and

displaying on the display device a graphical user interface showing,

information, based on the evaluating of the quality control test plan data, indicating quality control tests scheduled on the evaluation date, status of each scheduled test and identification of a medical imaging device associated with each scheduled quality control test, and

a user input field visually associated with each of the displayed quality control tests, the user input field configured to receive input indicating completion of the quality control test, wherein the input of the completion of a scheduled test results in the updating of the quality control test plan data.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein at least one of the one or more medical imaging devices comprises a mammography imaging device.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein at least one of the quality control tests of the plurality of quality control tests is scheduled to be performed with occurrence frequency selected from the group consisting of daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, and quarterly.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the quality control test plan data comprises information specifying at least two quality control tests to be performed on the same medical imaging device and wherein the two quality control tests are scheduled to be with different occurrence frequencies.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the one or more medical imaging devices comprises a plurality of medical imaging devices;

wherein the quality control test plan data comprises information specifying a plurality of quality control tests to be performed on a first medical imaging device and second medical imaging device of the plurality of the medical imaging devices; and

wherein at least one of the quality control tests of the plurality of quality control tests to be performed on the first medical imaging device and at least one of the quality control tests of the plurality of quality control tests to be performed on the second medical imaging device are scheduled to be performed with different occurrence frequencies.

21. The method of claim 16 further comprising displaying a notification that work sheet data is associated with one of the one or more quality control tests, wherein the worksheet data comprises information specifying one or more test metrics and a data capture field associated with each of the one or more test metrics, each data capture field configured to store results of the associated test metric;

displaying a graphical representation of the worksheet data;

receiving test metric data from one or more of the data capture fields; and

storing the received test metric data as part of the worksheet data.

22. The method of claim 16 wherein the displaying a graphical user interface further comprises displaying a user input field associated with each of the displayed quality control tests, the user input field configured to receive input indicating completion of the quality control test and further comprising receiving user input from at least one of the user input fields and recording the date the associated quality control test was performed.

23. The method of claim 16 wherein the displaying a graphical user interface further comprises displaying information indicating past due quality control tests scheduled to be performed on a date preceding the evaluation date but which have not been performed as of the evaluation date and identification of a medical imaging device associated with each past due quality control tests;

wherein the quality control test plan data further comprises information specifying the date on which each of the one or more quality control tests were last performed; and

wherein the evaluating further comprises determining from the quality control test plan data which of the one or more quality control tests are past due quality control tests.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the displaying a graphical user interface further comprises displaying a user input field associated with each of the displayed quality control tests, the user input field configured to receive input indicating completion of the quality control test and further comprising receiving user input from a user input field and recording the date the associated quality control test was performed.

25. The method of claim 16 further comprising

evaluating stored quality control test plan data for one or more peripheral devices related to the one or more medical imaging devices being managed on an evaluation date;

wherein the quality control test plan data further comprises information specifying one or more related peripheral devices, information specifying one or more quality control tests to be performed on the one or more related peripheral devices and an independent schedule for performing each of the one or more quality control tests on the one or more related peripheral devices;

wherein a quality control test further relates to whether a related peripheral device is functioning correctly; and

wherein the evaluating further comprises determining from the quality control test plan data which of the one or more related peripheral devices have one or more quality control tests to be performed on the evaluation date; and

wherein the displaying a graphical user interface further comprises showing

information, based on the evaluating of the quality control test plan data, indicating which of the one or more related peripheral devices has a quality control test scheduled on the evaluation date and the identity of the scheduled quality control test associated with each of the identified related peripheral devices.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein a peripheral device comprises a monitor, a printer or a soficopy workstation.

27. The method of claim 16 wherein the one or more medical imaging devices comprises a mammography imaging device and at least one of a FFDM, an ultrasound, and a breast MRI medical imaging device.

28. The method of claim 16 wherein at least one of the plurality of quality control tests comprises a visual checklist or a repeat analysis.