REMOTE CONTROL OF MEDICAL DEVICES USING INSTANT MESSAGING INFRASTRUCTURE

• US 20140101273A1
• Filed: 12/10/2013
• Published: 04/10/2014
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 9,385,977 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• 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 medical image database using an instant messaging (IM) infrastructure comprising:

establishing a first IM session with a medical workstation, the medical workstation being in communication with the medical image database and including a user interface with a display enabling a user of the medical workstation to select one or more images from the medical image database to be viewed on the display;

establishing a second IM session with a mobile device, wherein the mobile device is on an IM roster of the medical workstation and the medical workstation is on an IM roster of the mobile device; and

facilitating, by an IM server, communication of a command from the mobile device to the medical workstation, the command being a request to transfer an image from the medical image database to at least one of the mobile device and a second medical workstation.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adding the mobile device to the IM roster of the medical workstation after receipt of a unique connection ID from the mobile device that was previously provided in an out-of-band communication by the medical workstation.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adding the medical workstation to the IM roster of the mobile device after receipt of a unique connection ID from the mobile device that was previously provided in an out-of-band communication by the medical workstation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, in response to the command, the image is transferred via a proxy server from the medical image database to the at least one of the mobile device and a second medical workstation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, in response to the command, the image is generated from a Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) file stored on the medical image database.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending, by the IM server, roster and presence information to the mobile device and the medical workstation.

7. A method of transferring medical images from a medical image database using an instant messaging (IM) infrastructure comprising:

establishing, by a mobile device, an IM session with an IM server;

receiving presence information regarding a medical workstation that is on an IM roster of the mobile device, the medical workstation being in communication with the medical image database; and

sending, by the mobile device, a command via the IM server to the medical workstation, the command being a request to transfer an image from the medical image database to at least one of the mobile device and a second medical workstation.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a unique connection ID previously provided in an out-of-band communication by the medical workstation; and

sending a roster update request with the unique connection ID to update at least one of

the IM roster of the mobile device to include the remote medical workstation, and

an IM roster of the remote medical workstation to include the mobile device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the roster update request further includes a nickname identifying the remote medical workstation.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein, in response to the command, the image is transferred via a proxy server from the medical image database to a second medical workstation.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving, in response to the command, the image on the mobile device; and

displaying the image on the mobile device.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the command is generated by the mobile device in response to a user selection of a representation of the image on a graphical user interface of the mobile device.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein, in response to the command, the image is generated from a Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) file stored on the medical image database and then transferred to the mobile device.

14. A method of transferring medical images from a medical image database using an instant messaging (IM) infrastructure comprising:

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

receiving presence information regarding a mobile device that is on an IM roster of the medical workstation;

receiving, by the medical workstation, a command via the IM server from the mobile device, the command being a request to transfer an image from the medical image database to at least one of the mobile device and a second medical workstation;

retrieving the image from the medical image database; and

sending the image to at least one of the mobile device and the second medical workstation.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising providing a unique connection ID in an out-of-band communication that authenticates a roster update request from the mobile device to add at least one of (i) the mobile device to the IM roster of the medical workstation and (ii) the medical workstation to an IM roster of the mobile device.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein sending the image to at least one of the mobile device and the second medical workstation includes sending the image via a proxy server.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein, in response to the command, the image is generated from a Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) file stored on the medical image database and then transferred to the mobile device.

18. An instant messaging (IM) server for facilitating transfer of medical images from a medical image database, the IM server comprising:

a first IM session with a medical workstation, the medical workstation being in communication with the medical image database and including a user interface with a display enabling a user of the medical workstation to select one or more images from the medical image database to be viewed on the display;

a second IM session with a mobile device;

a memory storing

an IM roster of the medical workstation including the mobile device;

an IM roster of the mobile device including the medical workstation; and

a message routing module that routes a command from the mobile device to the medical workstation, the command being a request to transfer an image from the medical image database to at least one of the mobile device and a second medical workstation.

19. The IM server of claim 18, further comprising:

a roster management module that

receives a unique connection ID from the mobile device that was previously provided in an out-of-band communication by the medical workstation, and

in response, adds at least one of (i) the mobile device to the IM roster of the medical workstation and (ii) the medical workstation to the IM roster of the mobile device.

20. The IM server of claim 18, further comprising:

a presence module that sends roster and presence information to the mobile device and the medical workstation.