Remote control of medical devices using instant messaging infrastructure

• US 8,621,213 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2010
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Merative US LP
• Original Assignee: Merge Healthcare Incorporated (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Logan, Mark, Fehrenbach, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoffman, Brandon
• Assistant Examiner(s): SONG, HEE K
• Application Number:
  US12/911,468
• Publication Number:
  US 20110302414A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,163 Days
• Field of Search: 707/101, 707/102, 707/104.1, 709/206, 709/207, 370/352, 725/109, 713/155, 380/277, 380/284, 380/285
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30

Abstract

Systems and methods for remote control and management of medical workstations using an instant messaging infrastructure. A remote client, such as a mobile phone, laptop, tablet, or other computing device, is used to generate instructions or information requests in one or more data packets. The remote client sends the one or more data packets using the instant messaging infrastructure to a medical workstation at another location. A service application in communication with the medical workstation receives the data packets and causes the medical workstation to retrieve the requested information or execute the instruction. The communications between the remote client and the service application are encrypted and signed to ensure secure communications.

Claims

1. A method of transferring medical images from a remote medical image database to a destination device using an instant messaging (IM) infrastructure comprising:

receiving, by a user of a local device, an out-of-band communication from a remote medical workstation including a unique communication ID;

establishing a session between the local device and an IM server;

sending a roster update request, by the local device, to update a roster of the local device on the IM server to include the remote medical workstation, wherein the roster update request is performed if the roster update request includes the unique communication ID and is not performed if the roster update request does not include the unique communication ID;

sending a presence message to the remote medical workstation via the IM server, wherein the remote medical workstation communicates with a medical image database and includes a user interface with a display enabling a user of the remote medical workstation to select one or more images from the medical image database to be viewed on the display;

receiving, by the local device, presence information for the remote medical workstation from the IM server;

sending, by the local device, an image availability query message to the remote medical workstation via the IM server;

obtaining, by the local device, image availability data from the remote medical workstation via the IM server, wherein the image availability data indicates an image that is available on the remote medical image database;

displaying, on the local device, a representation of the image available on the remote medical image database;

receiving, at the local device, a user selection of the image; and

sending an image command message, based on the user selection, to the remote medical workstation via the IM server, wherein the image command message instructs the remote medical workstation to transmit a copy of the image to the destination device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the destination device is a second remote medical workstation.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising

sending a get destinations message to the remote medical workstation via the IM server, and

receiving a get destinations response message from the remote medical workstation via the IM server, wherein the get destinations response message indicates that the second remote medical workstation is available to receive a file transfer from the remote medical workstation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the destination device is the local device and the local device receives the copy of the image.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the local device receives the copy of the image via a proxy server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the copy of the image is generated by converting the image from a first file type with a first file size to a second file type with a second, smaller file size.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first file type is a Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) image type.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the image availability query message and the image command message is encrypted using a public key.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the user selection of the image is made by way of a graphical user interface displayed on the local device and the image command message is not shown on a display of the local device.

10. The method of claim 1,

wherein the unique communication ID is generated by a client device of the IM server other than the local device and the remote medical workstation;

and

wherein the roster update request further includes a nickname identifying the remote medical workstation.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the local device is a mobile phone.

12. A method of transmitting medical images from a medical image database to a remote device using an instant messaging (IM) infrastructure comprising:

establishing a first session between an IM server and the remote device;

establishing a second session between the IM server and a medical workstation, wherein the medical workstation

communicates with the medical image database,

includes a user interface with a display enabling a user of the medical workstation to select one or more images from the medical database to be viewed on the display, and

requests and receives a unique communication ID and provides the unique communication ID to a user of the remote device in an out-of-band communication;

receiving a roster update request, for the remote device, to update a roster of the remote device on the IM server to include the medical workstation, wherein the roster update request is performed if the roster update request includes the unique communication ID and is not performed if the roster update request does not include the unique communication ID;

sending, by the IM server, roster and presence information to the remote device based on a roster request message received from the remote device;

forwarding, by the IM server, an image availability query message from the remote device to the medical workstation;

forwarding, by the IM server, image availability data received from the medical workstation to the remote device, wherein the image availability data includes a representation of an image available on the medical image database; and

forwarding, by the IM server, an image command message with an image selection received from the remote device to the medical workstation, wherein the image command message instructs the medical workstation to transfer a copy of the selected image to a destination device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the destination device is a second medical workstation.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising

forwarding a get destinations message from the remote device to the medical workstation, and

forwarding a get destinations response message from the medical workstation to the remote device, wherein the get destinations response message indicates that the second medical workstation is available to receive a file transfer from the medical workstation.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the destination device is the remote device.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising

receiving, from a web server, a request to create an account and a roster for the remote device;

and

creating the account and the roster for the remote device, wherein the roster is created to include a client device other than the medical workstation.

17. A method of transmitting medical images from a medical image database to a remote device using an instant messaging (IM) infrastructure comprising:

receiving a local image selection on a user interface of a medical workstation from a user of the medical workstation;

displaying the locally selected image on a display of the medical workstation;

receiving, by the medical workstation, a nickname of the remote device entered by the user at the medical workstation;

requesting, by the medical workstation, a unique communication ID associated with the nickname and the remote device;

providing, to a user of the remote device, an out-of-band communication from a medical workstation including the unique communication ID;

establishing, by the medical workstation, a session with an IM server;

receiving, by the medical workstation in communication with the medical image database, presence information for the remote device from the IM server;

receiving, by the medical workstation, an image availability query message from the remote device via the IM server;

transmitting, by the medical workstation, image availability data to the remote device via the IM server, wherein the image availability data includes a representation of an image available on the medical image database;

receiving an image command message with an image selection from the remote device via the IM server, wherein the image selection selects for transmission the image available on the medical image database; and

transmitting a copy of the image to a destination device in response to the image command message.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the destination device is a second medical workstation and the medical workstation sends the copy of the image to the second medical workstation.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising

receiving, by the medical workstation, a get destinations message from the remote device via the IM server, and

sending, by the medical workstation, a get destinations response message from to the remote device via the IM server, wherein the get destinations response message indicates that the second medical workstation is available to receive a file transfer from the medical workstation.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the destination device is the remote device and the medical workstation sends the copy of the image to the remote device via a proxy server.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the copy of the image is generated by converting the image from a first file type with a first file size to second file type with a second, smaller file size.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein at least one of the image availability query message and the image command message is encrypted using a public key of the remote device and is decrypted using a private key of the medical workstation.

23. An instant messaging (IM) server enabling instant message communication between a medical workstation and a requesting device, the medical workstation in communication with a medical database, the IM server comprising

a memory including

i. a requesting device roster including an identification for the medical workstation,

ii. a medical workstation roster including an identification for the requesting device, and

iii. presence information indicating presence status of the requesting device and the medical workstation;

a roster management module that updates the requesting device roster to include the medical workstation dependent on a roster update request sent from the requesting device including a nickname of the medical workstation and a unique communication ID, wherein the unique communication ID is provided in an out-of-band communication from the medical workstation;

a session establishing module that

i. establishes a first instant message session between the IM server and the requesting device, and

ii. establishes a second instant message session between the IM server and the medical workstation; and

a message routing module that

i. forwards an image availability query message from the requesting device to the medical workstation,

ii. forwards image availability data received from the medical workstation to the requesting device, wherein the image availability data includes a representation of an image available on the medical image database,

iii. forwards an image command message with an image selection from the requesting device to the medical workstation, wherein the image command message instructs the medical workstation to transfer a copy of the selected image to a destination device.

24. The IM server of claim 23 further comprising a presence module that

updates the presence information based on received presence messages from the requesting device and the medical workstation, and

transmits the presence information based on presence queries from the requesting device and the medical workstation.

25. A method of establishing a secure instant message (IM) session between a local device and a remote medical workstation comprising:

a. creating an IM account for the local device on an IM server by submitting registration information to a registration server, wherein the registration server communicates with the IM server to

i. create an IM account identifier using the registration information,

ii. add the IM account identifier to a first roster associated with a registration BOT maintained by the IM server, and

iii. add a BOT identifier to a second roster associated with the IM account identifier;

b. receiving, by the local device, a temporary unique ID from the remote medical workstation, wherein the temporary unique ID is provided to the remote medical workstation by the registration BOT;

c. requesting, by the local device, that the registration BOT add the remote medical workstation to the second roster and add the local device to a third roster associated with the remote medical workstation, wherein the request is denied unless the temporary unique ID is provided to the registration BOT; and

d. sending, by the local device, a message via the IM server to the remote medical workstation that requests transmission of an image on the remote medical workstation to a destination device.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the registration information includes a personal identification number (PIN), an email address, and a password.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the destination device is the local device and the local device receives the image.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the destination device is a second remote medical workstation.

29. The method of claim 25, further comprising

a. generating a public/private key pair including a public key and a private key;

b. storing the private key on the local device; and

c. providing the public key to the IM server.

30. A client instant messaging (IM) application stored on a computer readable medium that, when executed by a processor of a local device, is operable to

receive, by a user of a local device, an out-of-band communication from a remote medical workstation including a unique communication ID;

establish a session between the local device and an IM server;

send a roster update request, by the local device, to update a roster of the local device on the IM server to include the remote medical workstation, wherein the roster update request is performed if the roster update request includes the unique communication ID and is not performed if the roster update request does not include the unique communication ID;

send a presence message to the remote medical workstation via the IM server, wherein the remote medical workstation communicates with a medical image database and includes a user interface with a display enabling a user of the remote medical workstation to select one or more images from the medical image database to be viewed on the display;

receive presence information for the remote medical workstation from the IM server;

send an image availability query message to the remote medical workstation via the IM server;

obtain image availability data from the remote medical workstation via the IM server, wherein the image availability data indicates an image that is available on a remote medical image database;

display, on a display screen of the local device, a representation of the image available on the remote medical image database;

receive a user selection of the image; and

send an image command message, based on the user selection, to the remote medical workstation via the IM server, wherein the image command message instructs the remote medical workstation to transmit a copy of the image to a destination device.

31. A medical workstation that is remotely controllable by a remote device via an instant messaging (IM) server, the medical workstation including a processor and a service application, which, when executed by the processor, is operable to

receive a local image selection on a user interface of the medical workstation from a user of the medical workstation;

display the locally selected image on a display of the medical workstation;

receive, by the medical workstation, a nickname of the remote device entered by the user at the medical workstation;

request, by the medical workstation, a unique communication ID associated with the nickname and the remote device;

provide, to a user of the remote device, an out-of-band communication from a medical workstation including the unique communication ID;

establish a session with the IM server;

receive presence information for the remote device from the IM server;

receive an image availability query message from the remote device via the IM server;

transmit image availability data to the remote device via the IM server, wherein the image availability data includes a representation of an image available on the medical image database;

receive an image command message with an image selection from the remote device via the IM server, wherein the image selection selects for transmission the image available on the medical image database; and

transmit a copy of the image to a destination device in response to the image command message.