Electrical computers and digital processing systems: support – Synchronization of clock or timing signals – data – or pulses
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-10
2003-06-03
Chilcot, Richard (Department: 3627)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: support
Synchronization of clock or timing signals, data, or pulses
C711S161000, C705S002000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06574742
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a system for querying, storing, retrieving and delivering digital data and images, and more particularly, to a device and method for communicating the storage and retrieval transactions between the system and participating institutions and sites.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A variety of systems have been developed for storing and retrieving digital data and images. With the advent of digital imaging and Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS), the digital storage of medical images and data is becoming the norm. At the heart of all of this is the archive, the proper performance of which is key to the overall success of a PACS deployment. Much like the more traditional film library, the digital archive's essential function is to store, identify and protect image data—but with more versatility, like decreased costs, robust security and the long-term maintenance of data integrity.
In addition, hospitals, imaging centers, radiology departments and physician group practices throughout the country are exploring new technological tools in order to reduce “wait time” between diagnosis and treatment. Many institutions are looking towards film-less storage media as a means of improving efficiency, as well as, providing cost-effective solutions that address many of these demands.
The transition to film-less storage in the near future will allow all patient medical data, including radiological images, to be available instantly from any hospital workstation. This new digital world will enhance patient care, increased convenience, improve treatment cost-effectiveness and transform radiology processes.
Recent and upcoming legislation has forced the medical industry to move towards developing and implementing stricter standards dealing with the security of computer-based patient records. These standards require both data management and disaster recovery systems. In addition, many other industry and technologic forces are driving the need to streamline data processes and management capabilities.
The Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) standard, developed by The American College of Radiology (ACR) and the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), seeks to standardize the transferring of medical images and information between electronic devices by interconnecting medical imaging equipment and devices on computing networks. DICOM was initially developed to support interoperability and connectivity in radiology; however, the DICOM standard also supports many other modalities including ultrasound, X-ray and radiotherapy. DICOM supports the creation of files on removable media (such as optical disks or high-capacity magnetic tape), data structures for X-ray angiography and extended hard copy print management. The goal of DICOM is open architecture, which permits users to integrate imaging equipment from different manufacturers to support a range of modalities, as well as computer-radiography and digitized film radiographs.
Hospitals and radiology centers will sooner or later be faced with the need to transition from film-based technology to digital imaging, all while maintaining productivity in order to stay competitive in today's healthcare environment. Advances in technology, such as DVD storage, provides a method to store and access medical and radiological images.
The major legal force behind the need to transform the way the medical industry handles digital patient records is The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). This act mandates that standards be established to govern the privacy of electronically stored and transmitted health information. The basis behind the proposed rules is the need to assure patients that the confidentiality and privacy of healthcare information collected, maintained, used or transmitted electronically is secure. In carrying out this task, HIPAA requires that all healthcare organizations that maintain or transmit health information electronically establish and maintain reasonable and appropriate administrative, technical and physical safeguards to ensure the integrity, confidentiality and availability of the information. These safeguards must also protect the information against any reasonably anticipated threats or hazards to its security or integrity and protect it against unauthorized use or disclosure.
Measures must include:
Administrative procedures to guard data integrity, confidentiality and availability;
A contingency plan for responding to a system emergency, wherein the data backup plan should include a method for the retrieval of exact copies of information for a specific period of time, as well as, a process enabling an enterprise to restore any loss of data in the event of fire, natural disaster, vandalism or system failure; and
Physical safeguards to guard data integrity, confidentiality and availability, including the protection of the physical computer system and related buildings.
In addition to the legal forces, demand for digital imaging is being driven by many industry factors. A few of the industry forces behind the digital movement are the desire to streamline; increase storage capacities; eliminate cine film; improve patient care; and enhance productivity by reducing image development, review and retrieval time.
Many hospitals and medical groups throughout the U.S. are storing medical information, including images, in a form that many consider “primitive”. Nearly 90% of healthcare information is still stored on paper, and film is the predominant storage medium in radiology. Files in some institutions exist only in their original film form and are stored in remote locations. For older data, they may need to physically retrieve a case study from an off-site storage location, taking hours or even days. This age-old, inefficient process not only takes days to complete, but results in high storage costs and hampers quick diagnosis and intervention.
It is obvious that these facilities are faced with the need to modernize their processes and equipment. In fact, the rapid shift toward film-less digital radiology presents a growing need for hospitals and medical groups to modernize their entire radiological systems. This decision is being defined by the need to stay competitive, work more efficiently and provide state-of-the-art technology. But while the motivation is compelling, the transition to digital imaging is a difficult task requiring expensive equipment, management and training at a time when hospitals are faced with mounting pressure to increase efficiency and lower costs.
To keep up with changing technologies and to meet the storage needs that these files require, hospitals will need to either upgrade their current systems or change technologies completely. The systems and media needed to store the magnitude of data digital files require can be costly, especially over time. Tape storage systems can be upwards of $100,000 not including $150 per tape, plus the time required to manage the system. In addition, expanding the system over time results in costly upgrades for additional hardware.
With a limited number of options, the adoption of digital imaging technology within a hospital's radiology department has tended to focus on an enterprise-wide PACS solution—an information system that may include or interface to a Radiology Information System (RIS) and/or Hospital Information System (HIS). While a PACS reduces the costs of film-based imaging, the biggest challenge is the economical storage and archiving of data, which requires intensive internal management and can strain hospital IT resources.
The transition from film to digital imaging within the medical community is still in its early stages. Radiology departments are confronted with the need to convert to film-less technology in order to stay current with new diagnostic technologies, curb costs and stay competitive.
A film-less approach should mean both short-and long-term gains in quality and visualization without compromising image quality. Unlike film,
Cook David S.
Friswell Richard J.
Jamroga David
Patenaude Michael K.
Chilcot Richard
Harle J
InSite One, LLC
St. Onge Steward Johnston & Reens LLC
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