Device to make expert knowledge accessible for the operation of medical examination devices

• US 7,640,172 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2003
• Issued: 12/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GMBH (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Kuth, Rainer
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilligan; C. Luke
• Assistant Examiner(s): Squires; Eliza
• Application Number:
  US10/652,272
• Publication Number:
  US 20050038311A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,314 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/00 Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/20 relating to practices or guidelines

Abstract

A device to make expert knowledge available to a user (doctor) of a medical examination device is provided, with a transmission device in order to transcribe at this examination device a handbook procedure of an outside expert in the form of pulse sequences, protocols, parameter sets or the like for the examination device, coordinated with precise medical diagnoses by the inquiring user with an external (if necessary, decentralized) databank which stores settings for a plurality of clinical cases from patient parameters, as well as a computer (expert system) that searches for appropriate suggestions in the databank upon request, and the user submits one or more suggestions according to the result, in that, on a correspondingly expanded user interface of the user examination device, the respective providers are indicated and parallel and offered to be selected.

Claims

1. A method for making expert knowledge available to an inquiring user of a medical examination device to provide at least one parameter set procedure of an outside expert comprising a parameter set for said medical examination device coordinated with an inquiry based on patient data for a patient by said inquiring user, comprising the steps of:

providing said user with a computer and user interface display which is connected by a transmission system to access an external decentralized data bank, said data bank having stored therein a plurality of suggestions for parameter sets for said medical examination device;

said user using said computer to request from said external decentralized data bank at least one suggestion for a parameter set for the user'"'"'s medical examination device for said inquiry based on patient data sent by the user to said data bank;

said computer receiving from said external decentralized data bank fee information indicating whether a fee is required and an amount of said fee for use of at least one suggested parameter set in response to said user inquiry, and in response to accepting the fee, said computer receiving said at least one suggested parameter set and displaying said at least one parameter set on said display, and the accepted fee being debited from an account of said user; and

said user using said at least one parameter set to set said medical examination device for operation of said medical examination device on the patient for whom said inquiry was made.

2. A method of claim 1 wherein in addition to said parameter set a pulse sequence for said medical examination device is also provided.

3. A method of claim 1 wherein in addition to said parameter set at least one protocol is provided for adjusting said medical examination device.

4. A method of claim 1 wherein said at least procedure comprises a handbook procedure by said outside expert.

5. A method of claim 1 wherein said data bank indicates whether or not there is a cost associated with supplying said parameter set to said user.

6. A method of claim 1 wherein on the display for said computer it is indicated to said user whether a cost is associated with the suggested parameter set by color coding.

7. A method of claim 1 wherein a disabling device prevents further usage of said external data bank via said computer if a paid usage fee would be exceeded by receiving said parameter set for which a charge is being made.

8. A method of claim 1 wherein the medical examination device comprises an MR machine.

9. A system for making expert knowledge available to an inquiring user of a medical examination device by providing at least one parameter set procedure of an outside expert for said medical examination device coordinated with an inquiry based on patient data for a patient by said inquiring user, comprising:

a computer for said user and a user interface display which is connected by a transmission system to access an external decentralized data bank, said data bank having stored therein a plurality of suggestions for parameter sets for said medical examination device;

said computer requesting from said external decentralized data bank for said inquiry based on patient data from said user at least one suggestion for a parameter set for the user'"'"'s medical examination device; and

said computer receiving from said external decentralized data bank fee information indicating whether a fee is required and an amount of said fee for use of at least one suggested parameter set in response to said user inquiry, and in response to accepting the fee, said computer receiving said at least one suggested parameter set, and said display displaying said at least one parameter set, and said computer indicating to said decentralized data bank acceptance of the fee and the accepted fee is debited from an account of said user, said user using said at least one parameter set to set said medical examination device for operation of said medical examination device on the patient for whom said inquiry was made.