Method and system for using personal digital assistants with diagnostic medical ultrasound systems

• US 6,475,146 B1
• Filed: 09/24/2001
• Issued: 11/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens Corp. (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Ramraj, Sankaralingam, Frelburger, Paul D., Schuman, Aaron J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jaworski, Francis J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, MAULIN M
• Application Number:
  US09/962,383
• Time in Patent Office: 407 Days
• Field of Search: 600/437, 600/438, 600/443, 600/447, 342/357--35, 455/557, 455/575, 455/466
• US Class Current: 600/437
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/00 Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves imaging of objects using sonar G01S15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/56 Details of data transmission or power supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/565 involving data transmission via a network
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/582 Remote testing of the device
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/899 Combination of imaging systems with ancillary equipment
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

An system and method for incorporating the functionality of a personal digital assistant (“PDA”) with a diagnostic medical ultrasound imaging system is disclosed. The PDA is capable of controlling the ultrasound system via a wired or wireless communications link. In addition, the personal information management (“PIM”) functions of the PDA are integrated together and with the system control functionality to permit automated control and configuration of the ultrasound system based on data stored by the PIM applications.

Claims

1. A medical diagnostic imaging system for use with a personal digital assistant, said medical diagnostic imaging system comprising:

a transmitter;

a receiver;

a transducer coupled with said transmitter and receiver;

a processor coupled with said transmitter and receiver and operative to control said transmitter and receiver and generate medical diagnostic imaging data representative of the operation thereof,

a first user interface coupled with said processor and operative to allow a user to perform at least one of a first set of control functions on said imaging system; and

a personal digital assistant (“

PDA”

) interface coupled with said processor and operative to externally couple a PDA with said imaging system, said PDA comprising a second user interface operative to allow a user to perform at least one of a second set of control functions on said imaging system, said PDA interface being further operative to receive input data from said PDA and transmit output data to said PDA.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said second set of control functions comprises a subset of said first set of control functions.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said input data comprises at least one command to control said at least one of said second set of control functions.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said output data represents a response to said at least one command, wherein said second user interface is further operative to display said response.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein said at least one command is generated by a configuration application operating on said PDA and operative to generate said at least one command to configure operation of said imaging system.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said configuration application is coupled with a scheduling application operating on said PDA, said scheduling application operative to maintain an examination schedule, said configuration application operative to configure said imaging system based on said examination schedule.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said configuration application generates said command to configure said imaging system based on a type of examination to be performed.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein said configuration application generates said command to configure said imaging system based on an examination history of a scheduled patient.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said examination history comprises at least one of results of a past examination, type of past examination and configuration settings of said imaging system utilized in a past examination.

10. The system of claim 5, wherein said configuration application is further operative to generate said at least one command to perform maintenance on said imaging system.

11. The system of claim 5, wherein said command comprises a license to enable a software program to operate on said imaging system.

12. The system of claim 5, wherein said command comprises an authorization to enable an access level to a software program operating on said imaging system.

13. The system of claim 5, wherein said command comprises a personal preference for at least one said second set of control functions, said preference being personal to an owner of said PDA.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein said second user interface comprises an optical reader operative to input data into said PDA, said data being visually represented on a medium.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said optical reader comprises a bar code reader, said data being visually represented on said medium using a bar code.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein said medium comprises an optional component of said imaging system, said data representing configuration data to enable use of said optional component with said imaging system.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein said data represents at least one configuration parameter for configuring said imaging system.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said medium comprises a checklist for said at least one configuration parameter.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein said PDA interface comprises a cradle to which said PDA is capable of being docked.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein said PDA interface comprises a wireless interface.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein said PDA interface comprises a network interface.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein said PDA interface is further operative to disable said first user interface when said PDA is coupled with said imaging system.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said first user interface is removable.

24. A method of using a personal digital assistant with a medical diagnostic imaging system, said system comprising a processor, a first user interface coupled with said processor and a personal digital assistant (“

PDA”

) interface coupled with said processor, said method comprising;

(a) controlling said imaging system and generating medical ultrasound imaging data representative of the operation thereof;

(b) performing at least one of a first set of control functions on said imaging system via said first user interface;

(c) coupling, externally, a PDA with said imaging system via a personal digital assistant (“

PDA”

) interface coupled with said first user interface and said processor, said PDA comprising a second user interface;

(d) performing at least one of a second set of control functions on said imaging system via said second user interface;

(e) receiving input data by said PDA interface from said PDA; and

(f) transmitting output data by said PDA interface to said PDA.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

(g) limiting said second set of control functions to a subset of said first set of control functions.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein said input data comprises at least one command to control said at least one of said second set of control functions, said method further comprising:

(g) generating said at least one command, by a configuration application operating on said PDA, to configure operation of said imaging system.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said output data comprises at least one response to said at least one command, said method further comprising:

(h) displaying said at least one response by said second user interface on said PDA.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein said configuration application is coupled with a scheduling application operating on said PDA, said method further comprising:

(h) maintaining an examination schedule by said scheduling application; and

(i) configuring, by said configuration application, said imaging system based on said examination schedule.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

(j) generating, by said configuration application, said command to configure said imaging system based on a type of examination to be performed, said type of examination being stored in said examination schedule.

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

(j) generating, by said configuration application, said command to configure said imaging system based on an examination history of a scheduled patient, said examination history being coupled with said examination schedule.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising

(k) storing in said examination history at least one of results of a past examination, type of past examination and configuration settings of said imaging system utilized in a past examination.

32. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

(h) generating, by said configuration application, said at least one command to perform maintenance on said imaging system.

33. The method of claim 26, wherein (g) further comprises providing a license for enabling a software program to operate on said imaging system.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

(h) enabling said software when said PDA is coupled with said PDA interface;

(i) disabling said software when said PDA is decoupled from said PDA interface.

35. The method of claim 26, wherein (g) further comprises authorizing user access to an access level of a software program operating on said imaging system.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

(h) authorizing said user access when said PDA is coupled with said PDA interface; and

(i) revoking authorization of said user access when said PDA is decoupled from said PDA interface.

37. The method of claim 26, wherein (g) further comprises configuring at least one parameter of said imaging system according to a personal preference for at least one said second set of control functions, said preference being personal to an owner of said PDA.

38. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

(g) scanning data optically into said second user interface of said PDA, said data being visually represented on a medium.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein (g) further comprises scanning a bar code affixed to a medium, said bar code visually representing said data.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein said medium comprises an optional component of said imaging system, said method further comprising:

(h) configuring use of said optional component with said imaging system by said scanning.

41. The method of claim 38, wherein said data represents at least one configuration parameter for configuring said imaging system.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein said medium comprises a checklist for said at least one configuration parameter.

43. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

(g) disabling said first user interface when said PDA is coupled with said imaging system.

44. A medical diagnostic imaging system for use with a personal digital assistant, said medical diagnostic imaging system comprising:

processing means for generating medical diagnostic image data using a transducer coupled with transmit and receive means;

a first user interface means for allowing a user to perform at least one of a first set of control functions on said imaging system, said first set of control functions comprising at least controlling said processing means; and

a personal digital assistant (“

PDA”

) interface means coupled with said first user interface means for externally coupling a PDA with said imaging system, said PDA comprising a second user interface means for allowing a user to perform at least one of a second set of control functions on said imaging system, said PDA interface means being further operative to receive input data from said PDA and transmit output data to said PDA.

45. In a medical diagnostic imaging system, an improvement for operating the imaging system, the improvement comprising:

a personal digital assistant interface connected with the system; and

a processor of the system operative to allow a personal digital assistant to control the system via the personal digital assistant interface.

46. A medical imaging system for use with a personal digital assistant, said medical imaging system comprising:

a beamformer;

a processor coupled with said beamformer and operative to control said beamformer and generate medical imaging data representative of the operation thereof;

a first user interface coupled with said processor and operative to allow a user to perform at least one of a first set of control functions on said imaging system; and

wherein said first user interface further comprises an optical reader operative to input data into said first user interface, said data being visually represented on a medium, said data operative to perform at least one of a second set of control functions on said imaging system.

47. The system of claim 46, wherein said optical reader comprises a bar code reader, said data being visually represented on said medium using a bar code.

48. The system of claim 47, wherein said data as visually represented is capable of being transferred by at least one of facsimile, electronic mail, and postal mail.

49. The system of claim 47, wherein said medium comprises an optional component of said imaging system, said data representing configuration data to enable use of said optional component with said imaging system.

50. The system of claim 47, wherein said data represents at least one configuration parameter for configuring said imaging system.

51. The system of claim 50, wherein said medium comprises a checklist for said at least one configuration parameter.

52. A medical imaging system for use with an external interface, said medical imaging system comprising:

a transmitter;

a receiver;

a transducer coupled with said transmitter and receiver;

a processor coupled with said transmitter and receiver and operative to control said transmitter and receiver and generate medical imaging data representative of the operation thereof;

a first user interface coupled with said processor and operative to allow a user to perform at least one of a first set of control functions on said imaging system; and

a second user interface coupled with said first user interface and said processor and operative to externally wirelessly couple an electromagnetic spectrum data source with said imaging system, said second user interface being operative to allow a user to perform at least one of said first set of control functions on said imaging system.

53. The system of claim 52, wherein:

the second user interface further comprises one of a barcode scanner and a personal digital assistant interface.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein said electromagnetic spectrum data source comprises a personal digital assistant.

55. The method of claim 53, wherein said electromagnetic spectrum data source comprises a bar code.

56. The system of claim 52, wherein said electromagnetic spectrum data source operates in the infrared spectrum.

57. The system of claim 52, wherein said electromagnetic spectrum data source operates in the RF spectrum.

58. The system of claim 52, wherein said electromagnetic spectrum data source operates in the visual spectrum.