|Publication number||US7349859 B1|
|Application number||US 09/543,663|
|Publication date||Mar 25, 2008|
|Filing date||Apr 5, 2000|
|Priority date||Dec 29, 1999|
|Also published as||US7424679|
|Publication number||09543663, 543663, US 7349859 B1, US 7349859B1, US-B1-7349859, US7349859 B1, US7349859B1|
|Inventors||Roland Lamer, Theodore Anagnost|
|Original Assignee||The General Electric Company|
|Export Citation||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Patent Citations (14), Referenced by (13), Classifications (10), Legal Events (3)|
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet|
This application is a continuation-in-part of commonly assigned U.S. application Ser. No. 09/474,569, filed Dec. 29, 1999, entitled “PATIENT DATA INFORMATION SYSTEM” to Lamer et al.
This invention relates to data management systems, and more particularly to a patient data management system to integrate first and second patient data systems.
Medical scanners and medical imaging machines are an integral part of modern medical practice. The scanners and medical imaging devices utilize both electromagnetic radiation and sonic wave to produce images which are viewed by doctors for the diagnosis and care of patients. For example, ultrasound machines are useful for viewing fetuses during prenatal care in a pregnancy or blood flow patterns in arteries. Magnetic resonant imaging machines are useful for producing images in a wide variety of soft tissues. Computer tomology imaging machines are useful for producing images of scalable structures.
In a hospital, medical scanners and medical imaging devices are preferably networked with a central image management system such as a Picture Archival and Communications System (PACS). The PACS is designed to provide a central storage for archive of medical images. Further, PACS is configured so that stored images may be retrieved. Typically, a hospital will have a single PACS that is networked with a plurality of medical scanners and medical imaging devices located throughout the hospital. Further, the PACS will be networked with a plurality of image workstations, such as a PACS workstation. Images generated by medical scanners and medical imaging devices are transferred to the PACS for storage and later retrieval and review by doctors located throughout the hospital at any of the plurality of image workstations.
Also in a hospital, medical scanners and medical imaging devices are coupled to a Radiology Information System (RIS). The RIS is designed to provide a central storage for archive of patient textual data as well as information relating to the medical procedures, reports, medical orders, test results, patient demographics, etc. Further, RIS is configured so that stored textual information may be retrieved by a user. Typically, a hospital will have a single RIS that is networked with a plurality of workstations located throughout the hospital. Patient information generated at these workstations by users, such as radiology technicians, nurses, radiologists, and physicians, are transferred to the RIS for storage and later retrieval and review by radiologists located throughout the hospital at any of the plurality of RIS workstations.
A conventional PACS system and a RIS system, as explained above, are completely separate and distinct systems. Each system duplicates many of the components in each system thereby increasing the capital expenditure costs and maintenance expenses incurred by the hospital. Typically, an information exchange bridge referred to as a PACS broker, which links the two systems, can be used, but a radiologist must still access image data from the separate PACS workstation and patient textual data from the separate RIS workstation. In other words, the radiologist must have two separate workstations readily available in order to review patient images and patient textual data to completely diagnose a patient.
Thus, there is a need for a patient data information system that integrates the patient image data and patient textual data on a single workstation. There is a further need for a patient data information system that allows the user to access patient image data and patient textual data, manipulate such data as is necessary for treatment and enter new data concerning such patient treatment in a single workstation. In addition, there is a need for a patient information system that is accessible by a plurality of users that can retrieve and input data, either textual data or image data, simultaneously. Further still, there is a need for a single point of contact application where RIS and PACS functionality are seamlessly integrated, where data is shared, and where a user receives a consistent user interface.
According to an exemplary embodiment, a data management system for patient data includes a first component, a second component, and a container application. The first component has a functionality code segment and a user interface code segment. The second component has a functionality code segment and a user interface code segment. The container application has a first user interface layer in communication with the first component and a second user interface layer in communication with the second component. The first and second user interface layers are configured to communicate patient data between the functionality code segments of the first and second components, respectively, and a user interface.
According to another exemplary embodiment, a data management system for patient data includes a first application, a second application, and a data manager. The first application retrieves patient image data from a data base. The second application processes patient text data. The data manager is in communication with the first and second applications, and includes a user interface code segment in communication with the first and second applications for receiving the patient image data and patient text data and for generating display signals based on the patient image data and the patient text data according to a predetermined display format.
According to yet another exemplary embodiment, a data management system for patient data includes a first component, a second component, a first service layer, a second service layer, and a service. The first component is configured to retrieve patient image data. The second component has a second functionality. The first service layer is configured to communicate with the first component. The second service layer is configured to communicate with the second component. The service is configured to communicate with the first component and the second component via the first and second service layers, respectively. The service communicates with the first and second components via a predetermined protocol.
According to still another exemplary embodiment, a data management system for patient data includes a first means for processing patient image data, a second means for processing patient text data, and a third means for communicating between the first and second means. The third means receives patient image data and patient text data from the first and second means, and displays the patient image data and patient text data according to a predetermined display format.
According to still another exemplary embodiment, a method of displaying patient data from a plurality of applications includes: receiving patient image data, receiving patient text data, configuring both the patient image data and patient text data according to a predetermined display format, and displaying the configured patient image data and patient text data.
The patient data information system (10) provides for integration between the applications residing on workstation (52) and third party applications residing on the same workstation or the network to which the workstation is coupled to improve work flow and productivity of patient data information. During the treatment of a patient, a user, typically a radiologist, will log on to a workstation to obtain patient information, usually textual data as well as image data. The user will manipulate or use that information and provide additional input based on observation and analysis relating to the treatment and care of the patient based on the patient data (14) (
The present patient data information system (10) comprises a display unit (50) which can include one or more high resolution monitors (54) coupled to a workstation (52). The workstation (52) is configured to operate a first software application (30) configured to display patient images (16), for a patient, on display unit (50) upon request by a user via an input unit (56 a) coupled to workstation (52). The first application (30) (
During the process of operating the patient data information system (10) the second application (32) is, for example, an RIS application, such as, a case sign out application, a report entry application, an order detailing application, an order viewer application, etc. Such applications are invoked by activating a command such as by “clicking” on an icon displayed in a graphic user interface on the monitor (54) of the display unit (50) of the workstation (52) as determined by the user of the patient data information system (10). The procedure can also be invoked by the user utilizing an input unit (56 a), for example, a mouse, a voice recognition system, a keyboard keystroke, a switch, and a light pen, etc.
Upon logging onto the workstation (52) or at another time during operation of system (10), a patient context (12) is created. The patient context (12) includes patient identification data such as name, address, age, social security number, etc., associated with a specific and particular patient. The patient context (12) can also include user identification data such as the name, password, etc., of the user of the patient data information system (10). In addition, the patient context (12) can also include patient examination information relating to that specific and particular patient, such as, ordered tests, test results, test analysis, prognosis, diagnostic information, etc. The first application (30) shares the patient context (12) with the second application (32). In the exemplary embodiment, the first application (30) is in communication with the PACS data base (6) and the second application (32) is in communication with the RIS data base (8), which databases (6, 8) are interconnected to the PACS broker (9).
Referring now to
Container (104) includes services (112), a communication bus (114), service layers (116, 118, 120), and user interface layers (126, 128, 130). The architecture of container (104) is based on componentware and the component model used is Java Beans, though other component models may be used (e.g., Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM), Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA), etc.). Component architecture is a notion in object-oriented programming where “components”, or objects, of a program are completely generic. Instead of having a specialized set of methods and fields they have generic methods through which the component can advertise the functionality it supports to the system into which it is loaded. This enables completely dynamic loading of objects.
Service layers (116, 118, 120) and user interface layers (126, 128, 130) are “layers”, in this exemplary embodiment. Examples of layered protocols are TCP/IP's five layer protocol stack and the OSI seven layer model. A layer, or protocol layer, is a software and/or hardware environment of two or more communications devices or computers in which a particular network protocol operates. A network connection may be thought of as a set of more or less independent protocols, each in a different layer or level. The lowest layer governs direct host-to-host communication between the hardware at different hosts; the highest layer consists of user application programs. Each layer uses the layer beneath it and provides a service for the layer above. Each networking component, hardware or software, on one host uses protocols appropriate to its layer to communicate with the corresponding component on another host.
The advantages of layered protocols is that the methods of passing information from one layer to another are specified clearly as part of the protocol suite, and changes within a protocol layer are prevented from affecting the other layers. This greatly simplifies the task of designing and maintaining communication systems.
Container (104) is configured to create, assemble and manage the plurality of components (106, 108, and 110) within container (104) during runtime. When container (104) is started, container (104) is configured to create components (106, 108, and 110). Components (106, 108, and 110) each include a respective functionality (136, 138, and 140) and user interface (146, 148, and 150). Functionalities (136, 138, and 140) are code segments or programs which are configured to perform certain tasks. For example, functionality (136) is configured to store and retrieve patient image data from PACS database (6). Functionality (138) is configured to store and retrieve patient text data from RIS database (8). Functionality (140) is configured to communicate with the outside world (e.g., an internet, intranet, or other system). Functionality (140) could include voice recognition, MS-OUTLOOK, database management, etc.
User interfaces (146, 148, and 150) include code segments or programs which receive user input and/or generate display signals for a user display, such as displays (50) (
According to one advantageous aspect of container (104), PRISM user interface layers (126, 128, and 130) control user interfaces (146, 148, and 150) by plugging in a predetermined display format, such as a predetermined look and feel. User interface layers (126, 128, and 130) include code segments or programs configured to convert the customized user interface aspects of components (106, 108, and 110) to a uniform user interface format. Therefore, a user sees a uniform user interface format on display (50) when interfacing with any of PACS component (106), RIS component (108), and X component (110).
Container (104) further includes a system for allowing communication among components (106, 108, and 110) and communication between each component and various services. A service layer (116, 118, and 120) is in communication with each of components (106, 108, and 110), respectively. Service layers (116, 118, and 120) include code segments or other programs configured to convert data from a protocol usable by components (106, 108, and 110) to a uniform predetermined protocol usable via communication bus (114), such as, Java Beans, CORBA, DCOM, etc. Components (106, 108, and 110) are configured to access various services (112) via the respective service layers (116, 118, and 120) and via communication bus (114). Services (112) include, for example, a telecommunication service (152) having such features as e-mail, facsimile, and pager; a workflow controller (154) for establishing macros or other tasks for individual users or groups of users (e.g., Radiologists, Transcriptionists, etc.); a debug control for surveillance and diagnostics of the services; a third party launcher which provides a user interface for launching other applications, such as MS-OFFICE (157) and NETSCAPE (159); and a print controller for providing printing services for various printers. Services (112) may comprise fewer than those listed, or additional services.
Referring now to
Thus, there is provided a patient data information system that integrates patient data including patient image data and patient textual data in a patient context on a single workstation. While several embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed and described in detail herein, various modifications may be made. For example, the exemplary embodiment of the patient data information system was described in a Microsoft Corporation Windows NT environment. Other networking operating systems can also be used to integrate the patient image data and patient textual data in a seamless fashion on a single workstation. By way of further modification, the communication between workstations, the PACS broker and the PACS and RIS data bases, can be facilitated by a wireless communication system or by an optical link communication system. The invention is not limited to a particular embodiment, but extends to various modifications that nevertheless fall within the scope of the appended claims.
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|U.S. Classification||705/3, 707/999.102|
|Cooperative Classification||G06F19/321, G06Q50/24, Y10S707/99943, G06Q50/22|
|European Classification||G06F19/32A, G06Q50/24, G06Q50/22|
|Apr 5, 2000||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, NEW YORK
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:LAMER, ROLAND;ANAGNOST, THEODORE;REEL/FRAME:010747/0037
Effective date: 20000331
|Sep 23, 2011||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 4
|Sep 25, 2015||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 8