Ge Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC

Cerner Innovation, Inc.

Ge Medical Systems Information Technologies Gmbh

Charles Cameron Brackett

Mark Masao Morita

Jill R Hungerford

Steven Fors

Steve Lawrence Fors

Daniel P Devers

Michael Randolph Harkavy

Methods for use in, e.g., in-patient care computing environment, for displaying clinically-related in-patient information on at least one patient-viewable display device are provided. A method in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention may include receiving a clinical order associated with an in-patient, automatically generating one or more tasks based on the clinical order received, and automatically displaying the task(s) on the patient-viewable display device. If desired, the method may additionally include associating the clinical order and the task(s) with an electronic record associated with the in-patient (e.g., an electronic medical record), and accessing the electronic record to obtain the one or more tasks for display on the patient-viewable display device.

Computerized methods for displaying clinically-related in-patient information

Methods for use in, e.g., in-patient care computing environment, for user-centric (e.g., in-patient-centric) selection of at least one menu item are provided. A method in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention may include receiving a plurality of menu item identifiers, each menu item identifier being associated with a different menu item, associating the menu item identifiers with an electronic record associated with an in-patient, displaying the menu item identifiers on at least one patient-viewable display device, and receiving a user selection of at least one of the menu item identifiers. If desired, the method may additionally include filtering the menu item identifiers based on at least one criterion derived from the electronic record to create a set of filtered menu item identifiers and displaying the set of filtered menu item identifiers on the patient-viewable display device rather than the plurality of menu item identifier.

Computerized methods and systems for user-centric selection of menu items

The present invention is directed to a method and system for managing large data sets (or studies) transferred from at least one acquisition device to a study process server in order to transfer the data sets to at least one review station. The method includes transferring a selected subset of the existing data sets to each review station, monitoring each review station for a login, and populating the review station with studies from at least one relevant working set upon detecting the login. In an alternate embodiment, the method may include sorting each received study into an appropriate working set, selecting a subset of the collected set of studies from at least one working set, and distributing the selected subset of studies to each review station.

System and method for managing large data sets

Film-based images can be scanned in a conventional manner, then digitally designated and 'cut' from the digital file resulting from the scan. These selected images can then be collated and registered as individual images, or slices in certain contexts, allowing them to be assembled in various presentations, such as in stack mode with digitally-acquired images. The resulting collated files can then be stored by the user as a new series of images. The technique thus greatly facilitates the access and comparison of the images regardless of the originating medium.

Automated digitized film slicing and registration tool

An ultrasound imaging system is provided with virus protection. Each file that enters the system (via the hard disk or the networking port) is scanned to detect the presence of any virus in the file. Before each file is written to the hard disk of the scanner, the Checksum and Size of the file are verified, along with other virus-identifying attributes, to determine if the file is infected with a virus or if the file itself is a virus. If there is a discrepancy in either the Checksum or Size, then a dialogue box appears, warning the system operator that the file being installed may contain a virus. In order to provide additional protection for the ultrasound scanner, all processes starting to run on the scanner are monitored. Each time a new process is started on the scanner, virus protection monitoring software will suspend the process and search for encrypted data identifying the starting process in a Registry table. If the starting process is listed in the table, then the starting process is un-suspended without the user ever knowing what happened. If the virus protection monitor does not find a match in the table, then a dialogue box appears on the screen, warning the system operator that the application may be a virus.

Ultrasound imaging system having computer virus protection

Some configurations of the present invention provide a method for reducing eye fatigue that includes adjusting an intensity of an essentially white light source behind a display device to set an ambient light level in a room behind the display device, and adjusting an intensity of a blue light source disposed beside the display device to dilate pupils of the eyes of a viewer of the display device.

Method and apparatus for reducing eye fatigue

A scanner is programmed with the capability to send images via a parallel port and report data via a serial port to a remote device, both images and report data being identified by the same study identifier. In particular, the images are sent out an Ethernet port in DICOM format, while the report data is sent out an RS232 port in ASCII format. The scanner preferably includes memory storing a frame of image data belonging to a study and report data belonging to said study; a parallel port; a serial port; and a computer programmed to perform the following steps: joining a study identifier with the frame of image data; sending the frame of image data and the study identifier in a first format out the parallel port; joining the study identifier with the report data; and sending the report data and the study identifier in a second format out the serial port.

Method and apparatus for linking images and reports at remote view station

A method and an apparatus for providing lossy compression of digital images on a per image basis. The system user is able to manually vary the degree or level of compression applied to a frozen image frame using a rotary dial. Each resulting compressed image can be viewed in real-time on the display monitor. The user must determine the highest compression level which still provides an image having sufficient diagnostic quality in the region of interest. This concept can be applied to any imaging device which stores images in internal memory or sends images for storage to external memory.

Method and apparatus for storing image frame with user-selected compression

Method and apparatus for configuring an imaging system for communication with different remote devices having different requirements. A field engineer selects a prestored configuration file for a particular device from a configuration file library stored on the imaging system hard disk. The selection is made by selecting from a drop-down pick list of equipment identified by make and model. The pick list itself is constructed from information extracted from the configuration file library. The configuration data in the selected configuration file is used to construct a new configuration file, which is later saved to the hard disk. If the device is activated, a portion of the selected configuration file is also copied to an Attribute Control File, which is later saved to the hard disk. The installed configuration files and the Attribute Control Files for activated devices are then read into system memory when the imager is rebooted. Each prestored configuration file includes presets which constitute the best imaging and formatting settings for the particular device as determined by specialists at a central service facility. The configuration file will also include the attribute information for the particular remote device.

Imaging system with user-selectable prestored files for configuring communication with remote devices

Method and apparatus for configuring computer tasks which construct data objects. The system user is able to configure these tasks by the simple expedient of clicking on a toggle switch displayed on a user interface screen or menu. In response to operation of the toggle switch, a selected one of a pair of attribute control files associated with the particular task will be utilized during object construction. The menu contains a list of the activated configured remote devices for the particular imaging system. Next to each device name is a virtual toggle switch (defaulted to OFF). In the OFF state, the task will be configured in accordance with the first attribute control file which is compliant with a first communications standard. If the user toggles the switch for a particular device to ON (this can be done on a per device basis), then the task will be configured in accordance with the second attribute control file which is compliant with a second communications standard. By toggling switches on the menu, the user is able to tell the system which attribute control file to use (to configure a task) for which remote device.

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Overland Park, KS, United States of America

Charles Cameron Brackett