Patent Application
20050209889
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a medical data storing method used in a medical data storage system for centrally storing medical data on medical images, examination results, etc., which are retained by plural medical facilities, in a data center. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a client terminal which is provided in the medical facilities, and a data base server and an application server which are provided in the data center.
2. Description of a Related Art
Conventionally, in a medical facilities such as clinics of general practitioners and hospitals, medical images have been taken using a medical image taking apparatus utilizing radiation (X-ray, α-ray, β-ray, γ-ray, electron beam, ultraviolet light, etc.), ultrasonic wave, MR (magnetic resonance), or the like. Further, various examination results have been obtained by blood examination, electrocardiography, or the like. Such medical information as medical images and examination results are required to be stored in order to know changes in medical conditions of patients, and required to be stored in a predetermined period by law. Accordingly, in the medical facilities, it is necessary to store a vast amount of medical information. Conventionally, films on which medical images are taken, forms filled with examination results, or the like have been stored, and thereby, securing of storage space, management work and retrieval work have imposed heavy burdens on the medical facilities.
Recent years, digitization of medical image taking apparatuses and examination apparatuses has been proceeding, and thereby it is possible to reduce the storage space and save the management work and the retrieval work by recording the medical images and the examination results as medical data in optical disks, magnetic disks, or the like. However, for example, since one sheet of medical image is represented by a vast amount of image data, even if they are recorded in optical disks, a considerable number of optical disks are required to store the medical data in a predetermined period.
In order to such a problem, JP-A-11-45304 discloses a medical support system by which various kinds of medical institutions and their patients can mutually utilize data on medical care and entire medical services can be dramatically improved. In this medical support system, at least medical data of patients created in various medical institutions are centrally managed in a data management institution via a wide area network, and medical services utilizing networks can be provided to various kinds of mutually independent medical institutions and patients by providing the medical data in response to requests from various kinds medical institutions and patients. Thereby, mutual utilization of data on medical care makes group practice and medical data analysis, for example, easier to be performed.
Here, predetermined attribute information is provided to medical data which is centrally managed in the data management institution, and the medical data is managed to be stored and provided using this attribute information. For example, medical data which is centrally managed in the data management institution has plural-layer structure, and provided with attribute information including update dates with respect to each updating of data recorded in different layers. Another recording is inhibited to the layers having the same attribute, and layers having partly the same attribute are correlated and provided. However, JP-A-11-45304 does not disclose measures to distinguish to which medical institution the medical data belongs.
Further, JP-A-2002-24388 discloses an information archive system capable of centrally managing digital data which have been separately managed by independent users. In this information archive system, data files sent to the information archive are divided into hierarchies with respect to each hospital and patient to be stored in a database. However, when the data files are thus divided into hierarchies to be stored in a database, there are problems that the hierarchy structure becomes complicated and management and retrieval of data files become cumbersome.
Accordingly, in view of the above-described points, an object of the present invention is to provide a medical data storing method by which management and retrieval can be performed easily without complicating the hierarchy structure of medical data when the medical data on medical images, examination results, or the like retained by plural medical facilities are centrally stored in a data center. Furthermore, another object of the present invention is to provide a client terminal, a data base server, and an application server used in such a medical data storing method.
In order to solve the above-described problems, a medical data storing method according to a first aspect of the present invention is a medical data storing method used in a medical data storage system formed by connecting a client terminal provided in a medical facility, and a database server provided in a data center, via a network, the method comprising the steps of: creating, in the client terminal, third identification information by coupling patient identification information and medical facility identification information which correspond to medical data, in order to store the medical data obtained by imaging or examination for the purpose of diagnosis; transmitting the medical data with at least the third identification information from the client terminal to the database server; and recording, in the database server, the received medical data and at least the received third identification information in association with each other in a recording medium.
A method of storing medical data according to a second aspect of the present invention is a medical data storing method used in a medical data storage system formed by connecting a client terminal provided in a medical facility, and a database server provided in a data center, via a network, the method comprising the steps of: transmitting medical data with patient identification information and medical facility identification information which correspond to the medical data, from the client terminal to the database server in order to store the medical data obtained by imaging or examination for the purpose of diagnosis; creating, in the database server, third identification information by coupling the received patient identification information and the received medical facility identification information; and recording, in the database server, the received medical data and at least the third identification information in association with each other in a recording medium.
A method of storing medical data according to a third aspect of the present invention is a medical data storing method used in a medical data storage system formed by connecting a client terminal provided in a medical facility, and a database server and an application server which are provided in a data center, via a network, the method comprising the steps of: transmitting medical data with patient identification information and medical facility identification information which correspond to the medical data, from the client terminal to the application server in order to store the medical data obtained by imaging or examination for the purpose of diagnosis; creating, in the application server, third identification information by coupling the received patient identification information and the received medical facility identification information; and recording, in the database server, the medical data and at least the third identification information received from the application server, in association with each other in a recording medium.
A client terminal according to a first aspect of the present invention is a client terminal provided in a medical facility and connected to a database server provided in a data center of a medical data storage system, via a network, the client terminal comprising: identification information creating means for creating third identification information by coupling patient identification information and medical facility identification information which correspond to medical data obtained by imaging or examination for the purpose of diagnosis; transmission control means for transmitting the medical data with at least the third identification information created by the identification information creating means, to the database server when the medical data is stored, and transmitting the third identification information created by the identification information creating means, to the database server when the medical data is retrieved.
A database server according to a second aspect of the present invention is a database server provided in a data center of a medical data storage system and connected to a client terminal provided in a medical facility, via a network, the database server comprising: reception control means for receiving medical data obtained by imaging or examination for the purpose of diagnosis, with patient identification information and medical facility identification information which correspond to the medical data, from the client terminal when the medical data is stored, and receiving the patient identification information and the medical facility identification information as a target of retrieval from the client terminal when the medical data is retrieved; identification information creating means for creating third identification information by coupling the patient identification information and the medical facility identification information which are received by the reception control means; medical data management means for recording the medical data received by the reception control means, and at least the third identification information created by the identification information creating means, in association with each other in a recording medium; and retrieving means for retrieving the medical data corresponding to the third identification information created by the identification information creating means, from medical data recorded in the recording medium.
An application server according to a third aspect of the present invention is an application server provided with a database server in a data center of a medical data storage system and connected to a client terminal provided in a medical facility, via a network, the application server comprising: reception control means for receiving medical data obtained by imaging or examination for the purpose of diagnosis, with patient identification information and medical facility identification information which correspond to each other, from the client terminal when the medical data is stored, and receiving the patient identification information and the medical facility identification information as a target of retrieval from the client terminal when the medical data is retrieved; identification information creating means for creating third identification information by coupling the patient identification information and the medical facility identification information which are received by the reception control means; transfer control means for transferring the medical data received by the reception control means, with at least the third identification information created by the identification information creating means, to the database server when the medical data is stored, and transferring the third identification information created by the identification information creating means, to the database server when the medical data is retrieved.
According to the present invention, the third identification information is created by coupling the patient identification information and the medical facility identification information which correspond to the medical data obtained by imaging or examination for diagnostic purposes, and thereby, management and retrieval can be performed easily without complicating the hierarchy structure of the medical data.
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail by referring to the drawings. The same component elements are assigned with the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.
In the respective clinics 10, various kinds of imaging modalities 11 such as radiation image taking apparatuses or ultrasonic diagnostic apparatuses, various examination apparatuses 12 such as electrocardiography apparatuses, client terminals 13 to which various kinds of medical data such as image data representing medical images and examination data representing examination results are inputted from the imaging modalities 11, examination devices 12, or the like to transfer the medical data to the data center 20, firewalls (FW) 14 for preventing unauthorized access, printers 15 for printing out medical images on films or the like, etc. are connected via local area networks (LANs) to one another.
In the data center 20, an authentication server 21 for authenticating access from the client terminal 13, an authentication database (DB) 22 for recording user information required for authentication, a firewall (FW) 23 for preventing unauthorized access, a database server 24 for managing medical data transmitted from the client terminal 13, and a recording medium such as a hard disk in which medical database (DB) 25 for accumulating medical data is recorded are provided. In the embodiment, the authentication server 21 is provided within the data center 20, however, the authentication server 21 may be provided outside of the data center 20. Further, in the data center 20, an application server 26 for receiving data transmitted from the client terminal 13 in place of the database server 24 and processing the received data may be provided.
The case of using a radiation image taking apparatus as the imaging modality 11 to generate image data as medical data will be described by referring to
The imaging device 40 includes a taking position elevating mechanism 41 for elevating the taking position in the examinee by finely adjusting the position of the recording sheet 1 set in a predetermined position to move upward or downward, a taking base 42 for positioning the feet of the examinee, a radiation generating unit 43 for applying radiation to the examinee, and an interface 44 to which a control signal is inputted from the client terminal 13.
The image reading device 50 scans the surface of the recording sheet 1 set in a predetermined position with a light beam which is outputted from the laser source 51 to pass through the light scanning unit 52. By the scanning, the light beam is applied to the recording sheet 1, and photostimulably emitted light is generated in an amount of light depending on the radiation image information which has been accumulatively recorded from the location applied with the light beam. The photostimulably emitted light is photoelectrically detected by a photomultiplier 53, outputted as analog signals, amplified by an amplifier 54, and digitized by an A/D converter 55. Further, a barcode attached to a cassette in which the recording sheet 1 is stored is read by a barcode reader 56, and the read barcode information is used as image-associated information corresponding to patient information and examination information. Thus generated image data and image-associated information are transmitted from an output unit 57 via a LAN to the client terminal 13.
The client terminal 13 controls the imaging device 40, and receives the image data and the image-associated information from the image reading device 50 to temporarily store them. In the client terminal 13, image processing can be performed on the image data, or images for diagnosis can be displayed based on the image data and the image-associated information on a display or the like. Note that, because vast amounts of image data are daily accumulated, they are stored not for a long period in the clinic, but transferred to a data center apart from the clinic and stored there. Thereby, in the clinic, the space for storing recording media in which medical data have been recorded, or the costs for securing the space can be reduced.
The processing unit 130 includes a central processing unit (hereinafter, referred to as CPU) 131, a memory 132 for temporarily storing the inputted image data and image-associated information, a hard disk 133, a hard disk control unit 134 for controlling writing and reading of data in the hard disk 133, a DVD drive 135 for performing writing and reading of data on a DVD (digital versatile disk), and a network interface 136 for connection to a LAN. These parts 131 to 136 are connected to one another via a bus line.
Furthermore, the processing unit 130 includes interfaces 137 and 138. The CPU 131 is connected to the input unit 61 such as a keyboard or mouse and the display unit 63 such as a CRT display via the interface 137, and connected to the imaging device 40 via the interface 138.
The memory 132 temporarily stores the medical data received from the imaging modality, the examination device, or the like. In the hard disk 133, software (program) for allowing the CPU 131 to perform operation is recorded. As the recording medium for recording the program, not only the built-in hard disk 133 or a DVD-ROM inserted into the DVD drive 135, but also an external hard disk, a flexible disk, an MO, an MT, a RAM, a CD-ROM, or the like may be used.
Next, function blocks 131a to 131e formed by the CPU 131 and the software (program) will be described.
The taking control unit 131a controls taking in the imaging device 40. The image processing unit 131b performs necessary image processing on the image data received from the image reading device. The image data subjected to the necessary image processing is supplied from the output unit 131c via the interface 137 to the display unit 63, images are displayed on the display unit 63, and the images are confirmed by an operator. Further, the image data subjected to the necessary image processing is stored in the memory 132 and recorded in the hard disk 133 by the hard disk control unit 134 according to the set conditions.
When the medical data is thus generated, in order to store the medical data in the data center, the identification information creating unit 131d creates unique identification information by coupling the patient identification information (patient ID) included in patient information corresponding to the medical data, and medical facility identification information (medical facility ID) attached to the respective medical facilities for identifying the medical facilities, as shown in
In the example shown in
According to the instruction using the input unit 61 by the operator or the set conditions, the transmission control unit 131e starts to access the data center 20. When the medical data stored in the data center 20 is retrieved in the clinic, the transmission control unit 131e also accesses the data center 20.
In the data center 20, in order to prevent leaks of personal information, falsification of medical image data, or the like, an authentication is requested to access to the medical image data, and access to the medical image data is inhibited until it is allowed by the authentication. When the transmission control unit 131e makes inquiries about access right to the authentication server 21 (
After the access right is authenticated, when the medical data is stored, the transmission control unit 131e transmits the medical data which is stored in storage means such as the memory 132 or the hard disk 133 shown in
By the way, in the embodiment, the taking control unit 131a, the image processing unit 131b, the output unit 131c, the identification information creating unit 131d, and the transmission control unit 131e are formed by the CPU and the software, however, they may be formed by digital circuits or analog circuits.
Next, the operation of the medical data storage system including the client terminals according to the embodiment will be described by referring to
At step S11, the client terminal 13 of the clinic 10 inputs medical data from the imaging modality 11 or the examination device 12, and stores the medical data in storage means such as a memory or a hard disk. Then, at step S12, the client terminal 13 creates unique identification information by coupling patient identification information included in patient information corresponding to the medical data, and medical facility identification information attached to the respective medical facilities for identifying the medical facilities.
At step S13, the client terminal 13 queries the access right to the authentication server 21 of the data center 20. After the access right is authenticated, the process moves to step S14, and the client terminal 13 transmits the stored medical data with at least the unique identification information to the database server 24 of the data center 20.
At step S21, the database server 24 of the data center 20 records the received medical data with at least the unique identification information to the recording medium such as a hard disk in which the medical data base 25 has been recorded.
At step S15, the operator inputs patient identification information as a target of retrieval by the operation of the input unit 61 of the client terminal 13 or the like. Then, at step S16, the client terminal 13 creates unique identification information by coupling the inputted patient identification information and the medical facility identification information attached to the respective medical facilities for identifying the medical facilities.
At step S17, the client terminal 13 queries the access right to the authentication server 21 of the data center 20. After the access right is authenticated, the process moves to step S18, and the client terminal 13 transmits the unique identification information to the database server 24 of the data center 20.
At step S22, the database server 24 of the data center 20 retrieves the medical data corresponding to the received unique identification information, from medical data which have been recoded in the recording medium of the medical database 25.
Next, the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the second embodiment, in the medical data storage system shown in
The memory 74 temporarily stores the medical data received from the client terminal 13. In the hard disk 75, software (program) for allowing the CPU 73 to perform operation is recorded. As the recording medium for recording the program, not only the built-in hard disk 75, but also an external hard disk, a flexible disk, an MO, an MT, a RAM, a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, or the like may be used.
Next, function blocks. 73a to 73d formed by the CPU 73 and the software (program) will be described.
When the medical data is stored, the reception control unit 73a receives medical data which is obtained by the imaging or the examination for the purpose of diagnosis, and patient information including patient identification information corresponding to this medical data, and medical facility identification information attached to the respective medical facilities for identifying the medical facilities, from the client terminal 13.
The identification information creating unit 73b creates unique identification information by coupling the patient identification information and the medical facility identification information which are received by the reception control unit 73a. The medical data management unit 73c correlates the medical data which is received by the reception control unit 73a, and the unique identification information which is created by at least the identification information creating unit 73b, and then records them in the recording medium of the medical database 25.
Here, it is desired that the medical data management unit 73c records the medical data and the unique identification information with medical facility identification information of the consultation facility to which access control information for controlling access to the medical data has been attached, in the recording medium of the medical database 25.
When the medical data is retrieved, the reception control unit 73a receives the patient identification information and the medical facility identification information as a target of retrieval from the client terminal 13. The identification information creating unit 73b creates unique identification information by coupling the patient identification information and the medical facility identification information which are received by the reception control unit 73a. The retrieval control unit 73d retrieves the medical data corresponding to the unique identification information which is created by the identification information creating unit 73b, from the medical data which have been recorded in the recording medium of the medical database 25.
Since the medical data is stored in the data center 20 in association with the unique identification information, only the client who has transmitted the medical data can perform the retrieval without complicating the hierarchy structure of the medical data. Further, in the case where the access control information is added and stored with the medical data and the unique identification information, other medical facilities corresponding to the medical facility identification information which has been allowed to access the medical data can also access the medical data.
In the above description, when the medical data is stored, the information on the attributes of patients (patient attribute information) has been transmitted from the client terminal 13 to the data center 20, this patient attribute information has been recorded in the patient information database or the like within the data center 20, and the identification information creating unit 73b queries Basic Resident Registers network based on the recorded patient attribute information, and thereby, the acquisition of the corresponding Basic Resident Registers number may be tried. When the Basic Resident Registers number is acquired successfully, the identification information creating unit 73b correlates the Basic Resident Registers number and the patient identification information, and stores them in a table in the patient information database or the like. Further, the medical data management unit 73c records the medical data and the unique identification information with the above-described Basic Resident Registers number in association with these in the recording medium of the medical database 25.
When the medical data is retrieved, the patient identification information of the patient and the medical facility identification information as a target of retrieval are transmitted from the client terminal 13 to the database server 24. The identification information creating unit 73b of the database server 24 refers to the above-described table based on the patient identification information as a target of retrieval, and thereby, reads out the corresponding Basic Resident Registers number. The retrieval control unit 73d retrieves the medical data corresponding to the above-described Basic Resident Registers number from the medical data which have been recorded in the recording medium of the medical data base 25. In the case where the same patient has been examined in plural medical facilities, even when different medical facility identification information is attached to the medical data of the same patient, by retrieving the medical data based on the Basic Resident Registers number used commonly over the entire country, the medical data transmitted from all of the medical facilities can be retrieved.
Especially, with respect to the medical data of the patient introduced by the first consultation facility to the second consultation facility, when the medical data transmitted from the first consultation facility is stored, access control information representing the fact that access is allowed in association with the medical facility identification information of the second consultation facility, and thereby, the Basic Resident Registers number of the patient is correlated with the patient identification information to be available. The authentication server 21 performs the determination as to there is an access right or not based on the access control information.
Alternatively, in place of the Basic Resident Registers number, the authentication by biometrics may be used. The authentication by biometrics refers to confirmation as to the identity using a fingerprint, a facial form, a hand form, an iris, or the like unique to each person for the purpose of entering and leaving a facility which attaches importance on security, log-in to an information system, or the like.
That is, when the medical data is stored, the identification information creating unit 73b of the database server 24 correlates the living body information on at least one of a fingerprint, a facial form, a hand form, an iris of a patient, and the patient identification information based on the patient attribute information transmitted from the client terminal 13, and then stores them in a table, and records the above-described living body information in association with the medical data received by the reception control unit 73a, in the recording medium of the medical database 25.
When the medical data is retrieved, the patient identification information of the patient and the medical facility identification information as a target of retrieval are transmitted from the client terminals 13 to the database server 24. The identification information creating unit 73b of the database server 24 refers to the above-described table based on the patient identification information as a target of retrieval, and thereby, reads out the corresponding living body information. The retrieval control unit 73d retrieves the medical data corresponding to the above-described living body information, from the medical data which have been recorded in the recording medium of the medical database 25.
By the way, in the embodiment, the reception control unit 73a, the identification information creating unit 73b, the medical data management unit 73c, and the retrieval control unit 73d are formed by the CPU and the software, however, they may be formed by digital circuits or analog circuits.
Next, the operation of the medical data storage system including the database server according to the embodiment will be described by referring to
At step S31, the client terminal 13 of the clinic 10 inputs medical data from the imaging modality 11 or the examination device 12, and stores the medical data in storage means such as a memory or a hard disk. Then, at step S32, the client terminal 13 queries the access right to the authentication server 21 of the data center 20. After the access right is authenticated, the process moves to step S33, and the client terminal 13 transmits the stored medical data with patient identification information which is included in patient information corresponding to the medical data, and medical facility identification information which is attached to the respective medical facilities for identifying the medical facilities, to the database server 24 of the data center 20.
At step S41, the database server 24 of the data center 20 creates unique identification information by coupling the patient identification information and the medical facility identification information. At step S42, the database server 24 records the received medical data with at least the unique identification information in the recording medium of the medical database 25.
At step S34, the operator inputs patient identification information as a target of retrieval by the operation of the input unit 61 of the client terminal 13 or the like. Then, at step S35, the client terminal 13 queries the access right to the authentication server 21 of the data center 20. After the access right is authenticated, the process moves to step S36, and the client terminals 13 transmits the stored medical data with at least the unique identification information from the client terminal 13 to the database server 24 of the data center 20.
At step S43, the database server 24 creates unique identification information by coupling the received patient identification information and the received medical facility identification information. At step S44, the database server 24 retrieves the medical data corresponding to the created unique identification information, from medical data recorded in the recording medium of the medical database 25.
Next, a modified example of the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the second embodiment of the present invention, the application server 26 shown in
In this case, when the reception control unit 73a of the application server 26 shown in
When the medical data is stored, the transfer control unit 73e transfers the medical data, which is received by the reception control unit 73a, with at least the unique identification information, which is created by the identification information creating unit 73b, to the database server 24. When the medical data is retrieved, the transfer control unit 73e transfers the unique identification information created by the identification information creating unit 73b, to the database server 24.
In the database server 24, when the medical data is stored, the medical data management unit 73c correlates the medical data transferred from the application server 26, and the unique identification information, and records them in the recording medium of the medical database 25. Here, the patient identification information and the medical facility identification information may not be recorded in the recording medium of the medical database 25.
When the medical data is retrieved, the application server 26 separates the unique identification information read from the medical database 25, and thereby, can transmit the patient identification information and the medical facility identification information separately to the client terminals 13. Further, the retrieval control unit 73d of the database server 24 retrieves the medical data recorded in the medical database 25, based on the unique identification information transferred from the application server 26.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-082875 | Mar 2004 | JP | national |
