Resource management in a multi-modality medical system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10049418-B2
Application number	US-201314103555-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2013
Priority date	Dec 20, 2012
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

Generally, the present disclosure is directed to managing shared resources in a multi-modality medical system. A multi-modality medical system acquires, stores, processes, and displays data associated with a plurality of different medical modalities. Although different, independent modules within the medical system handle different modality workflows, such modules rely on common resources in the system. The method and systems described herein coordinate usage of the common resources, such as a display viewport, among the independent modality modules. For example, a token-based, locking scheme is utilized to exclusively assign a shared resource to a single modality component. This locking scheme prevents, for example, resource deadlocks from occurring during a patient procedure, thus enhancing patient safety. This scheme also ensures, for example, that one diagnostic step in a patient procedure is completed before a second diagnostic step is started, and that all workflow operations halt in the event of an error.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of resource management in a multi-modality medical device, comprising:
initializing a case associated with a patient undergoing a multi-modality medical procedure that includes a workflow action to be performed by each of a plurality of modality components within the multi-modality medical device, the multi-modality medical device further comprising a case management component and a resource arbiter component each in communication with the plurality of modality components, wherein the multi-modality medical device comprises a single device including the plurality of modality components, the case management component, and the resource arbiter component such that the case management component and the resource arbiter component are each in communication with the plurality of modality components within the single device;
determining if the patient is permitted to undergo the multi-modality medical procedure;
in response to determining the patient is permitted to undergo the multi-modality medical procedure, making a token available to the plurality of modality components by the case management component, the token being representative of authorization for at least one modality component to perform the workflow action for the multi-modality medical procedure;
receiving, at the case management component via the resource arbiter component, a first request for the token from a first modality component associated with a first medical modality, wherein the first modality component controls operation of an intravascular guidewire or catheter to acquire intravascular data associated with a vessel of the patient, the intravascular guidewire or catheter comprising a flexible elongate member sized and shaped for positioning within the vessel of the patient, the intravascular guidewire or catheter further comprising a sensor configured to obtain the intravascular data;
passing the token from the case management component to the first modality component, possession of the token by the first modality component indicating that the first modality component is at least one of an authorized modality component to perform the workflow action for the multi-modality medical procedure, wherein the workflow action comprises acquiring the intravascular data by the intravascular guidewire or catheter;
receiving, at the case management component, the token from the first modality component;
receiving, at the case management component via the resource arbiter component, a second request for the token from a second modality component associated with a second medical modality different from the first medical modality; and
passing the token from the case management component to the second modality component, possession of the token by the second modality component indicating that the second modality component is at least one of an authorized modality component to perform the workflow action for the multi-modality medical procedure.

2. The method of claim 1 , further including:
subsequent to receiving the second request and prior to passing the token to the second component, determining whether the token is available; and
if the token is not available, waiting for the token to become available before performing the passing the token to the second component.

3. The method of claim 1 , further including, subsequent to passing token to the first component and prior to receiving the token from the first component, preventing the second component from performing the workflow action.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the action includes displaying medical data associated with the patient on a display resource within the multi-modality medical device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the workflow action includes applying a therapy to a patient.

6. The method of claim 1 , further including, revoking the token from the first modality in response to detecting an error that adversely affects patient safety.

7. The method of claim 1 , further including:
closing the case; and
in response to closing the case, making the token unavailable to the plurality of modality components.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first medical modality and second medical modality are respectively associated with one of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging, intravascular photoacoustic (IVPA) imaging, optical coherence tomography (OCT), forward looking IVUS (FL-IVUS), fractional flow reserve (FFR), x-ray angiography (XA), or coronary flow reserve (CFR).

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the workflow action comprises at least one of a diagnostic or a therapeutic medical procedure associated with a vessel of the patient.

10. A method of error management in a multi-modality medical device, comprising:
initializing a case associated with a patient undergoing a multi-modality medical procedure that includes a workflow action to be performed by a modality component within the multi-modality medical device;
determining if the patient is permitted to undergo the multi-modality medical procedure;
receiving, from the modality component, a request for a token representative of authorization to perform the workflow action;
in response to determining the patient is permitted to undergo the multi-modality medical procedure, passing the token to the modality component in the multi-modality medical device, possession of the token by the modality component indicating that the modality component is authorized to perform the workflow action associated with the patient for the multi-modality medical procedure, wherein the multi-modality medical device further comprises a system controller, a modality extension controller, and a modality workflow component, wherein the multi-modality medical device comprises a single device including the modality component, the system controller, the modality extension controller, and the modality workflow component;
performing, by the modality component, the workflow action on the patient, wherein the workflow action comprises acquiring intravascular data associated with a vessel of the patient by an intravascular guidewire or catheter comprising a flexible elongate member sized and shaped for positioning within the vessel of the patient, the intravascular guidewire or catheter further comprising a sensor configured to obtain the intravascular data, wherein the modality component controls operation of the intravascular guidewire or catheter;
detecting, while the modality component is performing the workflow action, an error that adversely affects the safety of the patient; and
in response to detecting error, revoking, by the modality extension controller in communication with the system controller and the modality workflow component, the token from the modality component to stop the performance of the workflow action.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the error inhibits acquiring the medical data.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein acquiring the medical data includes displaying images associated with the medical data on a display.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the error inhibits displaying the images on the display.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the medical data is associated with one of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging, intravascular photoacoustic (IVPA) imaging, optical coherence tomography (OCT), forward looking IVUS (FL-IVUS), fractional flow reserve (FFR), x-ray angiography (XA), or coronary flow reserve (CFR).

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein workflow action includes applying a treatment to the patient.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein revoking the token incl

Assignees

• Volcano Corp

Inventors

• Mansker Richard E
• Clark Bill
• Kerr Rex
• Spencer Jason

Classifications

• G16H40/60

  for the operation of medical equipment or devices · CPC title

• G06F19/00

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06Q50/22 Primary

  Social work or social welfare, e.g. community support activities or counselling services · CPC title

• G16H40/20 Primary

  for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms · CPC title

• G16H40/00

  ICT specially adapted for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities; ICT specially adapted for the management or operation of medical equipment or devices · CPC title