Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Detecting nuclear – electromagnetic – or ultrasonic radiation
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-25
2002-01-15
Lateef, Marvin M. (Department: 3737)
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
Detecting nuclear, electromagnetic, or ultrasonic radiation
C600S422000, C600S425000, C600S437000, C702S008000, C345S041000, C378S145000, C378S156000, C382S128000, C382S130000, C382S131000, C382S132000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06339717
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a medical examination system, particularly a magnetic resonance system, of the type having a host computer unit, a control computer unit for controlling the system operation, and an image computer unit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In known examination systems of this type, for example in the form of magnetic resonance systems, this so-called three-computer architecture is utilized for the overall functioning of the system. In the host computer unit, all patient data are normally stored and the patient data registration and selection as well as the operation of the system usually ensue via this host computer. The control computer unit that controls the time executions and sequences of the functional components of the system, i.e., for example, the gradient coils as well as the radio-frequency coil or coils and the magnet in the case of a magnetic resonance system. The image computer unit receives and further processes (edits) the image signals obtained from a scanner and from these edited image signals medically relevant diagnostic images are constituted. A number of different hardware components are thus required. Another disadvantage is that, since these computers are usually stand-alone assemblies, these are very large in volume and are accommodated in separate cabinets or racks, and are usually arranged spatially separated from each other. The fact that known systems are constructed of stand-alone, usually customized, components also has an extremely disadvantageous effect on the manufacturing costs of the system, since no standardized components are utilized.
German OS 37 12 639 discloses a method and an apparatus for imaging volume data, whereby a two-dimensional display of a three-dimensional data set of image data of a registered subject is produced. This known apparatus has an imaging system, i.e. an image processing system, with a host computer or processing computer that serves for the manipulation of a histogram generated from image data stored in an image memory. Further, a lookup table can be stored therein, this containing previously allocated color and opacity values for each spike identity location in the histogram; further, the user can determine defined color and opacity values via the processing computer. A video control device is provided that supplies the vertical and horizontal synchronization for a color monitor serving the purpose of displaying the images and also has a buffer memory for the display of picture screen data.
German OS 195 19 195 discloses a manually actuated input device in the form of a mouse or a keyboard that serves the purpose of entering control commands into a computer. This input device includes a transducer module with which measured data to be further-processed in the computer system can be acquired, and a switch with which the input device can be switched from a working mode to a measured data registration mode wherein the transducer module is activated and the measured data externally supplied to the input device can be transmitted to the computer system for processing.
German OS 196 04 787 discloses an ultrasound signal processing device that offers a programmable platform for different clinical ultrasound applications and that is a component of a medical ultrasound diagnosis imaging system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an examination system that is simplified in structure and more favorable in terms of manufacture compared to known systems.
This object is inventively achieved in a medical examination system of the type initially described wherein the control computer unit is realized in the form of at least one insert card that is arranged in a commercially obtainable personal computer that contains the host computer unit, the personal computer operating with an operating system capable of real time that supports the host computer unit and the insert card.
A commercially obtainable, conventional personal computer that has the necessary performance capabilities is utilized in the inventive examination system. The control computer unit is particularly advantageously realized in the form of at least one insert card, or possibly multiple insert cards, that are plugged in the conventional PC, which simultaneously functions as the host computer unit. I.e., a commercially obtainable PC thus serves both as the host computer unit as well as the control computer unit. Since standardized (as to format) insert cards are used, it is possible without difficulty to employ any commercially obtainable personal computer for this purpose. The invention departs from the employment of stand-alone usually large-volume and separate computer units and, instead integrates at least the host computer unit and the control computer unit in a conventional personal computer. This also results in the further advantage that only a single processor, namely the correspondingly powerful processor of the personal computer is required. This then functions both as the operating processor (corresponding to the host tasks) as well as the control processor. Since only one computer is required instead of the conventional separate host and control computer units, further, installation is significantly simpler, and fewer connecting and communication lines are required in the installation. Moreover, the separate system room in which the control computer unit is conventionally arranged can be eliminated. Due to the more compact structure and the lower number of connecting lines, further, maintenance outlay for the system is reduced.
It has proven advantageous when the image computer unit also is realized in the form of at least one insert card and is integrated in the personal computer. In this embodiment of the invention, thus, all computer units, provided as separate units in the prior art, are integrated in a single computer; only one device is thus required and the level of integration is even higher.
Inventively, the operating system can be a standard operating system, for example a Windows® operating system (i.e., a windows-based graphical operating system), that works in conjunction with a real time operating system. The control of a medical examination system makes “hard” real time demands of the operating system, which are understood to include response times in the range of approximately 1 msec. Since a standardized operating system cannot meet these demands by itself, the invention also provides for the connection of this standard operating system, for example an ordinary Windows® operating system, to a real-time operating system, whereby the standard operating system performs tasks of the real-time operating system, for example the system “VxWorks”. This offers the substantial advantage that the standardized operating system can be used with its known, simple operation as a user interface as well as a programming interface, i.e. the system operation is similarly simple to the normal operation of a computer operating with this standardized operating system. The real-time operating system itself is activated by a non-deactivatable interrupt, so that it always has a higher priority than the standard operating system. Since both are standardized operating systems, the invention advantageously does not require a customized system, this likewise leading to a reduction of the acquisition costs. Alternatively to the use of two operating systems, one standard operating system can be appropriately inventively modified to meet the real-time demands. This can ensue, for example, with a modification of the “hardware abstraction layers” of, for example, the operating system “Windows® NT” by a modification of the priority control of the drivers, thereby achieving the “hard” real time operation.
The respective insert card or cards of the control computer unit and/or of the image computer unit are preferably in a communication connection with the main processor of the personal computer via the PCI bus, i.e. the PC-inherent input/output bu
Baumgartl Rudi
Krieg Robert
Pirkl Georg
Vester Markus
Lateef Marvin M.
Lin Jeoyuh
Schiff & Hardin & Waite
Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
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