Resource management in a multi-modality medical system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10847264-B2
Application number	US-201816102038-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 13, 2018
Priority date	Dec 20, 2012
Publication date	Nov 24, 2020
Grant date	Nov 24, 2020

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 utilizes a shared resource of the multi-modality medical device, wherein the multi-modality medical device comprises a single device including:
a first modality component associated with a first 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 sensor configured to obtain the intravascular data and a flexible elongate member sized and shaped for positioning within the vessel of the patient;
a second modality component associated with a second modality different from the first modality; and
the shared resource, wherein the shared resource is configured to be utilized by the first modality component to perform a workflow action associated with the intravascular data in the multi-modality medical procedure and configured to be utilized by the second modality component to perform an additional workflow action in the multi-modality medical procedure, wherein the workflow action is associated with acquiring the intravascular data, displaying the intravascular data, or both;

determining if the patient is permitted to undergo the multi-modality medical procedure;
subsequent to initializing the case and determining that the patient is permitted to undergo the multi-modality medical procedure, receiving, from the first modality component, a first request to utilize the shared resource to perform the workflow action;
determining, based on the first request to utilize the shared resource, that the shared resource should be exclusively accessed by the first modality component;
exclusively accessing the shared resource by the first modality component based on the determination that the shared resource should be exclusively accessed;
subsequent to the first modality component exclusively accessing the shared resource, receiving a second request to utilize the shared resource from the second modality component; and
responsive to receiving the second request to utilize the shared resource, notifying the second modality component that access to the the shared resource is unavailable.

2. The method of claim 1 , further including:
subsequent to notifying the second modality component:
determining that access to the shared resource is available; and
exclusively accessing the shared resource by the second modality component.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the shared resource comprises a viewport configured to display information associated with the multi-modality medical procedure.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein exclusively accessing the shared resource includes disabling buttons displayed on the viewport that are associated with system-level functionality.

5. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the first modality is associated with at least one of imaging, a pressure-related determination, or a flow-related determination; and
wherein the second modality is associated with at least one of therapy, imaging, a pressure-related determination, or a flow-related determination.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
making a token available by a case management component in communication with a resource arbiter component, wherein possession of the token indicates authorization to utilize the shared resource, the multi-modality medical device further comprising the case management component and the resource arbiter component, wherein the resource arbiter component is in communication with the first and second modality components such that the first request and the second request are received at the case management component via the resource arbiter component; and
passing, by the case management component, the token to the first modality component or the second modality component.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein determining that the shared resource should be exclusively accessed by the first modality component comprises determining, by the resource arbiter component, if the case management component or the first modality component has possession of the token.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
utilizing the shared resource, by the first modality component, to perform the workflow action.

9. A system, comprising:
an intravascular guidewire or catheter comprising a flexible elongate member sized and shaped to be positioned within a vessel of a patient, the intravascular guidewire or catheter further comprising a sensor configured to obtain intravascular data associated with the vessel of the patient; and
a multi-modality medical device in communication with the intravascular guidewire or catheter, wherein the multi-modality medical device is a single device comprising:
a first modality component associated with a first modality and configured to perform a workflow action associated with the intravascular data in a multi-modality medical procedure, wherein the workflow action is associated with acquiring the intravascular data, displaying the intravascular data, or both;
a second modality component associated with a second modality different from the first modality and configured to perform an additional workflow action in the multi-modality medical procedure;
a shared resource configured to be utilized in the multi-modality medical procedure by the first modality component to perform the workflow action or the second modality component to perform the additional workflow action;
a resource arbiter component in communication with the first modality component and the second modality component, and configured to:
receive a first request from the first modality component to utilize the shared resource; and
determine, based on the first request to utilize the shared resource, that the shared resource should be exclusively accessed by the first modality component,

wherein the first modality component is configured to exclusively access the shared resource based on the determination that the shared resource should be exclusively accessed;
a case management component in communication with the resource arbiter component and, following initialization of a case associated with the patient undergoing the multi-modality medical procedure and a determination that the patient is permitted to undergo the multi-modality medical procedure, configured to:
notify the second modality component that access to the shared resource is unavailable responsive to a second request from the second modality component to utilize the shared resource received subsequent to the first modality component exclusively accessing the shared resource.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the second modality component is configured to exclusively access the shared resource subsequent to the case management component notifying the second modality component and the resource arbiter component determining that access to the shared resource is available.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the shared resource comprises a viewport configured to display information associated with the multi-modality medical procedure.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first modality component exclusively accessing the shared resource includes disabling buttons displayed on the viewport that are associated with system-level functionality.

13. The system of claim 9 ,
wherein the first modality is associated with at least one of imaging, a pressure-related determination, or a flow-related determination; and
wher

Assignees

• Volcano Corp
• Philips Image Guided Therapy Corp

Inventors

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

Classifications

• 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

• G16H40/20 Primary

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

• G16H40/60 Primary

  for the operation of medical equipment or devices · CPC title