METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR CONSOLIDATING MEDICAL INFORMATION

• US 20090164474A1
• Filed: 06/08/2007
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Softmedical Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Softmedical Incorporated
• Inventors: Noumeir, Rita
• Granted Patent: US 8,458,202 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

Abstract

Methods and systems for enabling data communication from an image archiving system and a data storage/index/retrieving system.

Claims

1. A system for enabling data communication from an image archiving system and a data storage/index/retrieving system, the system comprising:

an interface capable of receiving/sending data according to a first protocol, said first protocol being utilized for data communication from the image archiving system;

another interface capable of receiving/sending data according to a second protocol, said second protocol being utilized for data communications from the data storage/index/retrieving system;

at least one data conversion subsystem capable of converting data from a format used by the image archiving system into data in a format utilized by the data storage/index/retrieving system;

at least another data conversion subsystem that converts data from a format used by the data storage/index/retrieving system into data in a format utilized by utilized by the image archiving system;

at least one database capable of storing data received from data systems, said data systems including the image archiving system and the data storage/index/retrieving system;

means for receiving/transmitting data from/to the data storage/index/retrieving system;

means for receiving/transmitting data from/to the image archiving system;

means for retrieving, from said at least one database, data received from the image archiving system and the data storage/index/retrieving system; and

means for converting data from one of the image archiving system and the data storage/index/retrieving system into data for a different one of the image archiving system and the data storage/index/retrieving system.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one processor;

and

wherein said means for receiving/transmitting data from/to the data storage/index/retrieving system, said means for receiving/transmitting data from/to the image archiving system, said means for retrieving, from said at least one database, data received from the image archiving system and the data storage/index/retrieving system and said means for converting data from one of the image archiving system and the data storage/index/retrieving system into data for a different one of the image archiving system and the data storage/index/retrieving system comprise;

a computer usable medium having computer readable code embodied there in, said computer readable code being capable of causing at least one processor to;

receive/transmit data from/to the data storage/index/retrieving system;

receive/transmit data from/to the image archiving system, retrieve, from said at least one database, data received from the image archiving system and the data storage/index/retrieving system; and

convert data from one of the image archiving system and the data storage/index/retrieving system into data for a different one of the image archiving system and the data storage/index/retrieving system.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said first protocol comprises a DICOM protocol.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said first protocol comprises an HL7 protocol.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said second protocol comprises a SOAP protocol.

6. A network comprising:

a group of image reporting/archiving systems comprising;

an image archiving system;

said image archiving system receiving/transmitting image data according to a first protocol; and

an image information system;

said image information system receiving/transmitting image information data according to a second protocol;

a data storage/index/retrieving system;

said data storage/index/retrieving system receiving/transmitting data according to a third protocol; and

a converting system comprising;

a first interface capable of receiving data according to said first protocol;

said first interface enabling transmitting/receiving data to/from said image archiving system from/to said converting system;

a second interface capable of receiving data according to a second protocol;

said second interface enabling transmitting/receiving data to/from said image information system from/to said converting system;

a third interface capable of receiving/transmitting data according to a third protocol;

said third interface enabling transmitting/receiving data to/from said data storage/index/retrieving system from/to said converting system;

a first conversion subsystem capable of converting data from a format used by the image archiving system into data in a format utilized by the data storage/index/retrieving system;

a second conversion subsystem capable of converting data from a format used by the image information system into data in a format utilized by the data storage/index/retrieving system;

a third data conversion subsystem capable of converting data from a format used by the data storage/index/retrieving system into data in a format utilized by the image archiving system and capable of converting data from a format utilized by the data storage/index/retrieving system into data in a format utilized by the image information system;

at least one database capable of storing data from data systems, said data systems including the image archiving system, the data storage/index/retrieving system and the image information system;

means for receiving/transmitting data from/to the data storage/index/retrieving system;

means for receiving/transmitting data from/to the image archiving system;

means for receiving/transmitting data from/to the image information system;

means for retrieving, from said at least one database, data received from the image archiving system, the data storage/index/retrieving system and the image information system; and

means for converting data from one system in the network into data for another system in the network, said another system having data requirements different from the data requirements of said one system.

7. The network of claim 6 wherein said means for converting data comprise:

means for converting data from the image archiving system into data for the data storage/index/retrieving system;

means for converting data from the data storage/index/retrieving system into data for the image archiving system;

means for converting data from the image information system into data for the data storage/index/retrieving system; and

means for converting data from the data storage/index/retrieving system into data for the image information system;

8. The network of claim 6 wherein said converting system further comprises at least one processor;

and

wherein said means for receiving/transmitting data from/to the data storage/index/retrieving system, said means for receiving/transmitting data from/to the image archiving system, said means for receiving/transmitting data from/to the image information system, said means for retrieving, from said at least one database, data received from the image archiving system, the data storage/index/retrieving system and the image information system and said means for converting data comprise;

a computer usable medium having computer readable code embodied there in, said computer readable code being capable of causing at least one processor to;

receive/transmit data from/to the data storage/index/retrieving system;

receive/transmit data from/to the image archiving system;

receive/transmit data from/to the image information system;

retrieve, from said at least one database, data received from the image archiving system, the data storage/index/retrieving system and the image information system; and

convert data from said one system in the network into data for said another system in the network.

9. The network of claim 8 wherein said computer readable code, in causing at least one processor to convert data, is capable of causing at least one processor to:

convert data from the image archiving system into data for the data storage/index/retrieving system;

convert data from the data storage/index/retrieving system into data for the image archiving system;

convert data from the image information system into data for the data storage/index/retrieving system; and

convert data from the data storage/index/retrieving system into data for the image information system.

10. The network of claim 6 wherein said first protocol comprises a DICOM protocol.

11. The network of claim 6 wherein said second protocol comprises an HL7 protocol.

12. The network of claim 6 wherein said third protocol comprises a SOAP protocol.

13. A method for communicating data between a group of image reporting/archiving systems and a data storage/index/retrieving system, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving/transmitting data from/to the group of image reporting/archiving systems to/from a system for converting data;

retrieving data from the group of image reporting/archiving systems and the data storage/index/retrieving system;

converting data from one system from the group of image reporting/archiving systems and the data storage/index/retrieving system into data for another different system from the group of image reporting/archiving systems and the data storage/index/retrieving system; and

receiving/transmitting data from/to the data storage/index/retrieving system to/from the system for converting data.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of receiving/transmitting data from the group of image reporting/archiving systems comprises a step of receiving/transmitting data according to a DICOM protocol.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of receiving/transmitting data from the group of image reporting/archiving systems comprises a step of receiving/transmitting data according to an HL7 protocol.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of receiving/transmitting data from the data storage/index/retrieving system comprises a step of receiving/transmitting data according to a SOAP protocol.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of converting data comprises the step of converting data format.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of converting data includes the step of converting relationships between at least two data objects

19. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of converting data comprises a step of converting patient identification and patient demographics.

20. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of converting data comprises the step of converting references to data.

21. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of transmitting data to the storage/index/retrieve system comprises the steps of:

determining a group of data for transmission; and

transmitting said group of data.

22. A converter system for enabling data communication from group of image reporting/archiving systems and a data storage/index/retrieving systems the converting system comprising:

a first interface capable of receiving/transmitting data according to a DICOM protocol;

said first interface enabling transmitting/receiving data to/from an image archiving system from/to the converting system;

said image archiving system being one system from the group of image reporting/archiving systems and being a picture archiving and communication system (PACS);

a second interface capable of receiving/transmitting data according to an HL7 protocol;

said second interface enabling transmitting/receiving data to/from an image information system from/to the converting system, said image information system being another system from the group of image reporting/archiving systems;

a third interface capable of receiving data according to a third protocol;

said third interface enabling transmitting/receiving data to/from said data storage/index/retrieving system from/to the converting system;

a first conversion subsystem capable of converting data from a format used by the PACS system into data in a format utilized by the data storage/index/retrieving system;

a second conversion subsystem capable of converting data from a format used by the image information system into data in a format utilized by the data storage/index/retrieving system;

a third data conversion subsystem capable of converting data from a format used by the data storage/index/retrieving system into data in a format utilized by the PACS system and capable of converting data from a format utilized by the data storage/index/retrieving system into data in a format utilized by the image information system;

at least one database for storing data from data systems, said data systems including the PACS system, the data storage/index/retrieving system and the image information system;

means for receiving/transmitting data from/to the data storage/index/retrieving system;

means for receiving/transmitting data from/to the PACS system;

means for receiving/transmitting data from/to the image information system;

means for retrieving, from said at least one database, data from the PACS system, the data storage/index/retrieving system and the image information system; and

means for converting data from a system from the group of the PACS system, the image information system and the data storage/index/retrieving system into data for a different system from the group of the PACS system, the image information system and the data storage/index/retrieving system.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein said converter system further comprises at least one processor;

and

wherein said means for receiving/transmitting data from/to the data storage/index/retrieving system, said means for receiving/transmitting data from/to the PACS system, said means for receiving/transmitting data from/to the image information system, said means for retrieving, from said at least one database, data from the PACS system, the image information system and the data storage/index/retrieving system and said means for converting data from a system from the group of the PACS system, the image information system and the data storage/index/retrieving system into data for a different one of the PACS system, the image information system and the data storage/index/retrieving system comprise;

a computer usable medium having computer readable code embodied there in, said computer readable code being capable of causing at least one processor to;

receive/transmit data from/to the data storage/index/retrieving system;

receive/transmit data from/to the PACS system;

receive/transmit data from/to the image information system;

retrieve, from said at least one database, data from the PACS system the data storage/index/retrieving system and the image information system; and

convert data from a system from the group of the PACS system, the image information system and the data storage/index/retrieving system into data for a different system from the group of the PACS system, the image information system and the data storage/index/retrieving system.

24. The converter system of claim 23 further comprising at least another computer usable medium.

25. The converter system of claim 23 wherein said computer readable code is further capable of causing said at least one processor to construct metadata to be used by the data storage/index/retrieving system.

26. The converter system of claim 23 wherein said computer readable code is further capable of causing said at least one processor to generate an imaging report.

27. The converter system of claim 23 wherein said computer readable code is further capable of transmitting data to the storage/index/retrieving system causing the storage/index/retrieving system to replace/add to previously transmitted data.

28. The converter system of claim 23 wherein said computer readable code, in causing said at least one processor to transmit data to the data storage/index/retrieving system is also capable of causing said at least one processor to apply rules to determine a group of data for transmission.

29. The converter system of claim 28 wherein said data for transmission comprises references to instances of objects.

30. The converter system of claim 22 further comprising means for converting and transmitting from the group of image reporting/archiving to the storage/index/retrieving system, data that existed in the group of image reporting/archiving before establishing the network connection between the group of image reporting/archiving and the storage/index/retrieving system.

31. The converter system of claim 22 further comprising means for defining communication endpoints, said communication endpoints comprising a name and a network address.