Second opinion network

• US 9,910,961 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2013
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leica Biosystems Imaging Inc. (Danaher Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Leica Biosystems Imaging Inc. (Danaher Corporation)
• Inventors: Soenksen, Dirk G., Zirker-Smith, Kathy, Eichhorn, Ole
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilligan, Christopher L
• Application Number:
  US14/060,522
• Publication Number:
  US 20140046686A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,596 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/50 for simulation or modelling of medical disorders
• 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

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided to facilitate consultations between a referral source (e.g., labs, pathologists and patients) and a consultant (e.g., pathologist, radiologist, or other digital image analyst). Links between the various referral sources and consultants are established through a scanning center via a data communication network such as the Internet. The referral source sends a slide to the scanning center where the corresponding digital slide is posted for review and analysis by the consultant. Upon completion of the analysis and report, a digital slide conference is conducted through the scanning center that provides a venue for direct communication regarding the consultation. The scanning center may also facilitate payment from the referral source to the consultant.

Claims

1. A system for linking referral sources and consultants, the system comprising:

at least one hardware processor; and

at least one executable module that is configured to, when executed by the at least one hardware processor of a hosting center, at the hosting center,

at a first time, receive metadata for a digital slide image from a device of a referral source over at least one network, wherein a size of the digital slide image is at least a plurality of gigabytes,

after receiving the metadata and prior to receiving the digital slide image, identify one or more consultants for analysis of the digital slide image and store an electronic address to the digital slide image stored remotely from the hosting center at the referral source,

at a second time that is subsequent to the first time and during off-peak network usage hours, receive the digital slide image, corresponding to the electronic address stored at the hosting center, from the device of the referral source over the at least one network, such that the digital slide image is received separately from the metadata and after the metadata,

store the digital slide image, wherein the digital slide image comprises an image of a specimen from a patient,

provide access to at least a portion of the digital slide image to a device of at least one of the one or more consultants over the at least one network for analysis, and

initiate payment to the at least one consultant for the analysis.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one executable module is further configured to provide a profile for each of a plurality of consultants.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the profile for one or more of the plurality of consultants comprises one or more references to prior work performed by the corresponding consultant.

4. The system of claim 2, where identifying one or more consultants comprises selecting the one or more consultants from among the plurality of consultants.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one executable module is further configured to send access information for accessing the digital slide image to the at least one consultant.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one executable module is further configured to:

receive the analysis from the device of the at least one consultant; and

provide the analysis to a device of the referral source.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one executable module is further configured to:

provide an audio-visual conference between the referral source and the at least one consultant; and

,

during the audio-visual conference,

provide at least a portion of the digital slide image to both a display of the referral source and a display of the at least one consultant,

receive an annotation associated with the at least a portion of the digital slide image from a device of the at least one consultant, and

propagate the annotation to the display of the referral source.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one executable module is further configured to:

record the audio-visual conference; and

associate the recorded audio-visual conference with a medical file for the patient.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one executable module is further configured to:

process the digital slide image according to one or more algorithms; and

provide a result of the processing to the at least one consultant.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the result of the processing comprises a cell count.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one executable module is further configured to:

before providing the access to the at least a portion of the digital slide image to the device of the at least one consultant, initiate a turn-around time period, and provide access to the at least a portion of the digital slide image to another one of the one or more consultants, that is different than the at least one consultant; and

,

after the turn-around time period expires, providing the access to the at least a portion of the digital slide image to the device of the at least one consultant.

12. A method for linking referral sources and consultants, the method comprising using at least one hardware processor of a hosting center to:

at the hosting center, at a first time, receive metadata for a digital slide image from a device of a referral source over at least one network, wherein a size of the digital slide image is at least a plurality of gigabytes;

at the hosting center, after receiving the metadata and prior to receiving the digital slide image, identify one or more consultants for analysis of the digital slide image and store an electronic address to the digital slide image stored remotely from the hosting center at the referral source;

at the hosting center, at a second time that is subsequent to the first time and during off-peak network usage hours, receive the digital slide image, corresponding to the electronic address stored at the hosting center, from the device of the referral source over the at least one network, such that the digital slide image is received separately from the metadata and after the metadata;

at the hosting center, store the digital slide image, wherein the digital slide image comprises an image of a specimen from a patient;

at the hosting center, provide access to at least a portion of the digital slide image to a device of at least one of the one or more consultants over the at least one network for analysis;

at the hosting center, initiate payment to the at least one consultant for the analysis.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising providing a profile for each of a plurality of consultants, wherein the profile for one or more of the plurality of consultants comprises one or more references to prior work performed by the corresponding consultant.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein identifying one or more consultants comprises selecting the one or more consultants from among a plurality of consultants.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising sending access information for accessing the digital slide image to the at least one consultant.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving the analysis from the device of the at least one consultant; and

providing the analysis to a device of the referral source.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

providing an audio-visual conference between the referral source and the at least one consultant; and

,

during the audio-visual conference,

providing at least a portion of the digital slide image to both a display of the referral source and a display of the at least one consultant,

receiving an annotation associated with the at least a portion of the digital slide image from a device of the at least one consultant, and

propagating the annotation to the display of the referral source.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

recording the audio-visual conference; and

associating the recorded audio-visual conference with a medical file for the patient.