EP0833266A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system with universal access to diagnostic information and images
Assignee: Advanced Technology Laboratories Inc
•
Filing: 1997-09-24
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2017-09-24
Abstract
Abstract A medical ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system is provided which is capable of being accessed over data communication networks such as the Internet, making the ultrasonic images, diagnostic reports, and ultrasound system diagnostics information and operation accessible to a conventional personal computer using commercially available software at virtually any remote location. In one embodiment, the ultrasound system can be remotely operated from the personal computer. The inventive apparatus and techniques make it possible for physicians to remotely access, control, and perform diagnoses using their ultrasound systems over a network such as the World Wide Web with no special hardware requirements.
Inventors
- 👤 Michael A. Wood
- 👤 Pascal Roncalez
- 👤 Lauren S. Pflugrath
- 👤 Jacques Souquet
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-10 02:19
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B8/00; A61B8/56; A61B5/00; A61B5/0002; A61B5/0015; A61B5/0022; A61B8/46; A61B8/461; A61B8/463; A61B8/465; A61B8/565; A61B8/58; A61B8/582; G; G01; G01S; G01S15/00; G01S15/88; G01S15/89; G01S15/8906; G01S15/899; G01S7/00; G01S7/003; G01S7/52; G01S7/52017; G01S7/52023; G16; G16H; G16H40/00; G16H40/60; G16H40/67; A61B2560/00; A61B2560/02; A61B2560/0266; A61B2560/0271; A61B8/44; A61B8/4405; G01S7/52034; G05; G05B; G05B2219/00; G05B2219/30; G05B2219/34; G05B2219/34038; G05B2219/45; G05B2219/45169; G16H30/00; G16H30/20; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S128/00; Y10S128/904
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 47
Claim 1
Independent Claim
41 words
A medical diagnostic ultrasound system which
obtains and stores diagnostic ultrasound images or
diagnostic reports, comprising: an HTTP server; and means for connecting said HTTP server to a
network, whereby said images or reports are remotely
accessible through said HTTP server.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
21 words
The medical diagnostic ultrasound system of
Claim 1, wherein said means for connecting said
server to a network comprises TCP/IP software.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
The medical diagnostic ultrasound system of
Claim 2, wherein said means for connecting said
server to a network further comprises PPP software.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
The medical diagnostic ultrasound system of
Claim 1, further comprising a stored HTML page and
accessible by said server for transmission to a
remote terminal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
The medical diagnostic ultrasound system of
Claim 1, further comprising a stored CGI program and
accessible by said server.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
76 words
A medical diagnostic ultrasound system which
obtains and stores diagnostic ultrasound images or
diagnostic reports, said system comprising: means for storing diagnostic ultrasound images
or diagnostic reports produced by said ultrasound
system; means for compatibly connecting said ultrasonic
diagnostic system to the Internet; and means for making said stored diagnostic
ultrasound images or diagnostic reports accessible to
users through said means for compatibly connecting, whereby stored ultrasound images or reports are
remotely accessible over the Internet.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
17 words
The medical diagnostic ultrasound system of
Claim 6, wherein said means for compatibly connecting
comprises TCP/IP software.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
18 words
The medical diagnostic ultrasound system of
Claim 7, wherein said means for compatibly connecting
further comprises PPP software.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
25 words
The medical diagnostic ultrasound system of
Claim 6, further comprising a stored HTML page and
accessible by said server for transmission to a
remote terminal.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
19 words
The medical diagnostic ultrasound system of
Claim 9, further comprising a stored CGI program and
accessible by said server.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
61 words
A medical diagnostic ultrasound system
which obtains and stores diagnostic ultrasound images
or diagnostic reports, said system comprising: a connection to a network; and means for transmitting Web data over said
network which provides access to ultrasound images or
reports stored by said ultrasonic diagnostic system, whereby ultrasound images or reports stored on
said system are remotely accessible over said
network.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
22 words
The medical diagnostic ultrasound system of
Claim 11, wherein said means for transmitting Web
data over said network comprises an HTTP server.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
24 words
The medical diagnostic ultrasound system of
Claim 12, wherein said means for transmitting Web
data over said network further comprises a stored
HTML page.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
58 words
A medical diagnostic ultrasound system
which obtains and stores diagnostic ultrasound images
or diagnostic reports, said system comprising: means for storing diagnostic ultrasound images
or diagnostic reports produced by said ultrasound
system; a connection to a network; and a CGI program for translating diagnostic
ultrasound images or diagnostic reports stored by
said ultrasound system to said network connection.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
28 words
The medical diagnostic ultrasound system of
Claim 14, wherein said CGI program comprises means
for accessing ultrasound image or diagnostic report
files for access over said network connection.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
26 words
The medical diagnostic ultrasound system of
Claim 14, wherein said CGI program comprises means
for accessing diagnostic information of said
ultrasound system over said network connection.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
28 words
The medical diagnostic ultrasound system of
Claim 16, wherein said CGI program comprises means
for executing ultrasound system diagnostic software
of said ultrasound system over said network
connection.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
80 words
A medical diagnostic ultrasound system
which obtains and stores diagnostic ultrasound images
or diagnostic reports, said system comprising: means for storing diagnostic ultrasound images
or diagnostic reports produced by said ultrasound
system; a connection to a network; means for transmitting a screen display over
said network connection from said ultrasound system
in which are embedded hypertext links to said
diagnostic ultrasound images or diagnostic reports, whereby ultrasound images or reports stored on
said system are remotely accessible over said
network.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
62 words
A medical diagnostic ultrasound system,
comprising: means for producing a screen display including
an image of a control of said ultrasound system; means for connecting said ultrasound system to a
remote terminal; and means for transmitting said screen display to
said remote terminal, whereby said screen display can be used by a
user at said remote terminal to control said
ultrasound system.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
26 words
The medical diagnostic ultrasound system of
Claim 19, wherein said screen display comprises means
for controlling the mode of said ultrasound system
from said remote terminal.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
28 words
The medical diagnostic ultrasound system of
Claim 19, wherein said screen display comprises means
for controlling an image display parameter of said
ultrasound system from said remote terminal.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
45 words
A medical diagnostic ultrasound system
which obtains and stores diagnostic ultrasound images
or diagnostic reports, comprising: server software installed on said ultrasound
system; and means for connecting said server software to a
network, whereby said images or reports are remotely
accessible through said server software.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
25 words
The medical diagnostic ultrasound system of
Claim 22, further comprising a stored HTML page and
accessible by said server for transmission to a
remote terminal.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
19 words
The medical diagnostic ultrasound system of
Claim 23, further comprising a stored CGI program and
accessible by said server.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
22 words
The medical diagnostic ultrasound system of
Claim 11, 14, 18 or 22 wherein said connection to a
network comprises a serial port.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
18 words
The medical diagnostic ultrasound system of
Claim 25, wherein said connection to a network
further comprises TCP/IP software.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
18 words
The medical diagnostic ultrasound system of
Claim 26, wherein said connection to a network
further comprises PPP software.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
81 words
A medical diagnostic ultrasound system
which obtains and stores diagnostic ultrasound images
or diagnostic reports, comprising: network software installed on said ultrasound
system for communicating with a remote terminal; server software installed on said ultrasound
system and in communication with said network
software; HTML page software stored on said system; and a CGI program accessible by said server software
and accessing diagnostic ultrasound images or
diagnostic reports of said ultrasound system for
transmission by said server software to said remote
terminal.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
15 words
The medical diagnostic ultrasound system of
Claim 28, wherein said network software comprises
TCP/IP software.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
16 words
The medical diagnostic ultrasound system of
Claim 29, wherein said network software further
comprises PPP software.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
32 words
The medical diagnostic ultrasound system of
Claim 28, wherein said HTML page software is
accessible by said server software for transmission
of an ultrasound image or diagnostic report to a
remote terminal.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
31 words
The medical diagnostic ultrasound system of
Claim 4, 9, 13, 23 or 31, wherein said HTML page
further comprises a hyperlink to an ultrasound image
file stored by said ultrasound system.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
32 words
The medical diagnostic ultrasound system of
Claim 4, 9, 13, 23 or 31, wherein said HTML page
further comprises a hyperlink to an ultrasound
diagnostic report file stored by said ultrasound
system.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
32 words
The medical diagnostic ultrasound system of
Claim 4, 9, 13, 23 or 31, wherein said HTML page
further comprises a hyperlink to an ultrasound system
diagnostic file stored by said ultrasound system.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
30 words
The medical diagnostic ultrasound system of
Claim 4, 9, 13, 23 or 31, wherein said HTML page
further comprises a hyperlink to a patient directory
stored by said ultrasound system.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
33 words
The medical diagnostic ultrasound system of
Claim 4, 9, 13, 23 or 31, wherein said HTML page
further comprises a hyperlink to an ultrasound system
control display screen stored by said ultrasound
system.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
24 words
The medical diagnostic ultrasound system of
Claim 6, 14, or 18, wherein said means for storing
comprises digital memory located on said ultrasound
system.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
35 words
The medical diagnostic ultrasound system of
Claim 6, 14, or 18, wherein said means for storing
comprises digital memory remotely located from said
ultrasound system and connected to said ultrasound
system by a network connection.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
20 words
The medical diagnostic ultrasound system of
Claim 38, wherein said means for storing comprises a
terminal including a network server.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
62 words
A medical diagnostic ultrasound system
network comprising: a plurality of ultrasound systems, each
including network communications software and network
server software for accessing diagnostic ultrasound
images or diagnostic reports produced by said
ultrasound system; and means for connecting said ultrasound systems in
a network, wherein said diagnostic ultrasound images or
diagnostic reports produced by said ultrasound
systems are accessible over said network.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
30 words
The medical diagnostic ultrasound system
network of Claim 40, further comprising a terminal,
connected to said network, for accessing diagnostic
ultrasound images or diagnostic reports produced by
said ultrasound systems.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
32 words
The medical diagnostic ultrasound system
network of Claim 40, further comprising a central
storage device including network communications
software for storing diagnostic ultrasound images or
diagnostic reports produced by said ultrasound
systems.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
36 words
The medical diagnostic ultrasound system
network of Claim 42, wherein said central storage
device further includes network server software for
accessing diagnostic ultrasound images or diagnostic
reports stored on said storage device from a remote
terminal.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
27 words
The medical diagnostic ultrasound system
network of Claim 41, wherein said terminal is
connected to said ultrasound system network by means
for connecting to a local network.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
23 words
The medical diagnostic ultrasound system
network of Claim 41, wherein said terminal is
connected to said ultrasound system network from a
remote location.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
23 words
The medical diagnostic ultrasound system
network of Claim 45, wherein said remote terminal is
connected to said ultrasound system network by a
modem.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
24 words
The medical diagnostic ultrasound system
network of Claim 41, wherein said remote terminal
includes a Web browser for communicating with said
ultrasound system network.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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