JP6849451B2 - Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment and communication control program - Google Patents

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to ultrasonic diagnostic equipment and communication control programs.

The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is heavily used in medical institutions of various scales as a result of its miniaturization and high performance, either as a single apparatus or in a network environment with other electronic devices.

Medical professionals in small-scale medical institutions often use the ultrasonic diagnostic equipment alone. At that time, for example, the image data acquired by the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, the inspection contents, and the like can be stored and managed in an external storage medium, and the advantage of miniaturization of the apparatus can be utilized. On the other hand, some large-scale medical institutions use a plurality of ultrasonic diagnostic devices, other devices, other electronic devices, network storage media (network storage), etc. for medical communication standards (for example, DICOM communication standards (described later)). ), And image data etc. may be used and managed in a network environment. However, due to an increase in network load and the like, not only the conventional method but also a method of using a data management method using an external storage medium is also used. In addition, an external storage medium is also used as a means for using and managing image data (raw data, etc.) that does not comply with the DICOM image standard (described later).

As a result, medical information such as images acquired by a plurality of devices may be distributed and stored in a plurality of external storage media. In order to utilize the medical information stored in a distributed manner in a network environment, the user confirms the contents of the external storage medium connected to another device from the terminal at hand connected to the network, and then re-checks the contents. It is desirable that it can be used.

For storage media directly connected to the network (network storage, internal storage media of network-connected electronic devices, etc.), the assigned MAC address is stored in the network router, and the MAC address stored when reconnecting. A method of reading the above and simplifying the reconnection has been proposed (Reference 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-287692

The present embodiment provides an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and a communication control program thereof that can use the external storage medium connected to another apparatus via a network based on the connection history registered in the external storage medium. It is to be.

The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the embodiment includes a connection unit, a storage unit, and a control unit. An external storage medium is connected to the connection unit. The storage unit stores the communication information of the own device. The control unit performs input / output to the connected external storage medium and controls communication with other ultrasonic diagnostic devices connected to the network. Further, when the external storage medium is connected to the connection unit, the control unit uses the other communication information of the other ultrasonic diagnostic device stored in the external storage medium to transfer the communication information to the other ultrasonic diagnostic device. In addition to transmitting the information, it is possible to connect to an external storage medium connected to the connection portion from another ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.

The schematic diagram which shows the structural example of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. The schematic diagram which shows the structural example of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. The schematic diagram which shows the structural example of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. The flowchart explaining the operation example of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. The flowchart explaining the operation example of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. The schematic which shows the image list of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. The schematic which shows the image list of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. The schematic diagram which shows the structural example of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. The flowchart explaining the operation example of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. The flowchart explaining the operation example of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. The schematic diagram which shows the structural example of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. The flowchart explaining the operation example of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. The flowchart explaining the operation example of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. The flowchart explaining the operation example of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. The schematic diagram which shows the structural example of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which concerns on 4th Embodiment. The schematic diagram which shows the structural example of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which concerns on 4th Embodiment. The schematic diagram which shows the structural example of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which concerns on 4th Embodiment. The flowchart explaining the operation example of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which concerns on 4th Embodiment.

In the following description, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus may be referred to as a "device", the internal storage medium may be referred to as an "internal hard disk", a personal computer may be referred to as a "computer", and a DICOM data server program may be referred to as a "DICOM application" or "DICOM application".

<First Embodiment>
An outline of an example of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1, and then the specific contents of the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1, the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2 having the same configuration, the external storage medium 3 connectable to both devices 1 and 2, and both devices 1 and 2 are provided. It is configured to include the network N1 to be connected. The external storage medium 3 is connected to the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1, used, then removed, and then connected to the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2. In the present embodiment, in this state, the communication information i1 of the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 and the communication information i2 of the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2 are automatically combined with the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 and the second ultrasonic wave. It is shared with the diagnostic device 2 (communication information i1 and i2 will be described later). By sharing the communication information i1 and i2, a connection between the two devices is established, and files can be transmitted and received. As a result, the user U1 of the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 accesses the external storage medium 3 from the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 via the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2, and transmits / receives image data and the like. Therefore, the external storage medium 3 can be used.

[Constitution]
As shown in FIG. 1, the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 and the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2 have the same configuration and are connected by a network N1. The first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 is provided with communication information i1 and the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2 is provided with communication information i2 in each of the storage circuits 111 and 211. The storage circuit 111 and the storage circuit 211 will be described later. The external storage medium 3 is connected to the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1, used, then removed, and then connected to the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2.

The communication protocol (communication procedure) of the network N1 uses, for example, a general-purpose model of a known DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine) communication protocol as a communication standard. The general-purpose model of the DICOM communication protocol occupies only the upper layer (application layer, presentation layer, session layer) of the OSI reference model (7 layers in total), and does not limit the lower layer. For example, TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) is adopted as the transport layer which is the lower layer thereof. IP (Internet Protocol) is adopted as the lower network layer. Further, Ethernet (registered trademark) can be selected for the data link layer of the lower layer, and FDDI (Fiber-Distributed Data Interface) can be selected for the physical layer of the lowest layer. In this combination, communication by a general-purpose model of the DICOM communication protocol (hereinafter referred to as "DICOM communication") is a network by TCP / IP communication on Ethernet (registered trademark) stretched by a widely used optical fiber. Available. Hereinafter, a network connected by DICOM communication is referred to as a "DICOM communication network". Further, as the communication protocol of the network N1, a network that adopts a unique model of DICOM communication (for example, the DICOM communication protocol monopolizes all seven layers of the OSI reference model) and communicates with a dedicated cable is also available. As an example of the DICOM communication described in the present specification, a method in which DICOM communication is established in a TCP / IP communication network is adopted.

The communication information i1 of the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 connected by the DICOM communication network N1 will be described. The communication information i1 includes an IP address, a port number, an AE (Application Application) title, and available services. The IP address corresponds to the network layer and identifies the node of the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 on the DICOM communication network N1. The port number corresponds to the transport layer and identifies the application on the node of the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1. The AE title is set in the application layer. The AE title is an identifier of each process of the DICOM application (service) executed by the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1. In the DICOM communication network, it is possible to identify which device issues which service by combining the IP address, port number, and AE title. The available service is a specific service name on DICOM communication. The communication information i2 is the communication information of the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2 having the same configuration as the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1, and is the IP address, the port number, the AE title, and the same as the communication information i1. With available services.

The configuration of the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG. The first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 includes a control circuit 110, a storage circuit 111, a display 112, an input circuit 113, an external device connection device 114, and a network connection device 115.

The control circuit 110 is input / output between the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 and the external storage medium 3 connected to the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 via the external device connection device 114, and via the network connection device 115. It is a processor that processes input / output from network N1.

The storage circuit 111 is composed of a dynamic RAM or a static RAM as a main storage device. Alternatively, an internal hard disk as an auxiliary storage device may be included. The storage circuit 111 can store the communication information i2 transmitted from the external device input / output circuit 1101 (described later). Further, the storage circuit 111 can store the communication information i1 of the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1.

The display 112 is composed of a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display. When the display 112 is a touch panel on the entire surface or a part of the touch panel, the display 112 is shared with the input circuit 113. The display 112 appropriately displays the input / output results related to the ultrasonic inspection performed by the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1. In the present embodiment, the result of communication processing performed by the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1, the connection state with the external storage medium 3, files, images and the like stored in the internal hard disk and the external storage medium 3 are further displayed.

The input circuit 113 may employ a touch panel on the entire surface or a part thereof and may be provided on the display 112, or may be realized by an independent trackball, switch button, mouse, keyboard, or the like. In the present embodiment, the input circuit 113 is also used for command input, parameter setting, and the like related to communication between the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 and the external storage medium 3.

The external device connection device 114 is a device for connecting the external storage medium 3 to the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 1. The external device connection device 114 is connected to the external device input / output circuit 1101 (described later, see FIG. 2), which is one component of the control circuit 110. The external device connection device 114 can adopt, for example, a serial connection standard such as USB (Universal Serial bus) or IEE51394, or a parallel connection standard such as IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics).

The network connection device 115 adopts a predetermined communication standard such as Ethernet (registered trademark), and connects the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 1 to the network N1. Further, the network connection device 115 is connected to the communication circuit 1103 (described later) which is one component of the control circuit 110. The network connection device 115 is, for example, a LAN adapter card connected to the PCI bus slot on the motherboard, and has a unique MAC address set. The network connection device 115 can adopt a wired interface provided with a connection port to which a predetermined LAN cable is connected, or a wireless LAN interface.

The details of the control circuit 110 will be described with reference to FIG. The control circuit 110 includes an external device input / output circuit 1101, a communication processing circuit 1102, and a communication circuit 1103.

The external device input / output circuit 1101 is connected to the external device connection device 114 and the communication processing circuit 1102. When the external storage medium 3 is connected to the external device connection device 114, the external device input / output circuit 1101 detects the connection and causes the communication processing circuit 1102 to transmit the connection status signal c1. Under the control of the communication processing circuit 1102 that has received the connection status signal c1, the external device input / output circuit 1101 writes the communication information i1 to the external storage medium 3. Further, if the file in the external storage medium 3 is searched and there is communication information i2 of another second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2 connected to the same network N1, the external device input / output circuit 1101 reads out the communication information i2. , Write to the storage circuit 111. Further, when the external storage medium 3 is removed from the external device connection device 114, the external device input / output circuit 1101 causes the communication processing circuit 1102 to transmit the disconnection status signal d1. The connection status signal c1 is a signal indicating that the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 and the external storage medium 3 are connected via the external device connection device 114. The disconnection status signal d1 is a signal indicating that the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 and the external storage medium 3 are disconnected via the external device connection device 114.

The communication processing circuit 1102 is connected to the external device input / output circuit 1101 and the communication circuit 1103. The communication processing circuit 1102 displays the connection state between the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 and the external storage medium 3 on the display 112 in response to the reception of the connection status signal c1 and the disconnection status signal d1 from the external device input / output circuit 1101. , Message or icon. When the connection status signal c1 is received, the external device input / output circuit 1101 is controlled to process the above-mentioned communication information i1 and i2. Further, the communication processing circuit 1102 controls the communication circuit 1103 to transmit and receive files between the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1, the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2, and the external storage medium 3 via the network N1.

The communication circuit 1103 is connected to the communication processing circuit 1102 and the network connection device 115. The communication circuit 1103 receives control of the communication processing circuit 1102 and transmits / receives files to / from the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1, the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2, and the external storage medium 3 via the network N1.

The second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2 has the same configuration as the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1. That is, the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2 includes a control circuit 210, a storage circuit 211, a display 212, an input circuit 213, an external device connection device 214, and a network connection device 215. Further, the control circuit 210 includes an external device input / output circuit 2101, a communication processing circuit 2102, and a communication circuit 2103 (FIG. 3). Since the functions provided by each component are the same as in the case of the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1, the description thereof will be omitted. The communication information i2 of the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2 is stored in the storage circuit 211. Further, the external device input / output circuit 2101 causes the communication processing circuit 2102 to transmit the connection status signal c2 when the external storage medium 3 is connected to the external device connection device 214. Further, the external device input / output circuit 2101 causes the communication processing circuit 2102 to transmit the disconnection status signal d2 when the external storage medium 3 is removed from the external device connection device 214.

The target image data in the present embodiment is medical image data conforming to the DICOM image standard (hereinafter, referred to as "DICOM image") and medical image data that is not a DICOM image such as raw data (hereinafter, "non-DICOM image"). ”). The DICOM image standard is a container format defined by the DICOM standard and capable of including not only images but also sounds and the like. The structure is composed of a data part such as an image / sound and a header part in which the metadata is described. The metadata includes a tag in which incidental information of the data is described, a VR (Value Representation) indicating the type (numerical value, character, etc.) of the data body, and a data length. The test information, image information, personal information of the subject, etc. described in the metadata are useful information for search, diagnosis, and the like.

The term "processor" as used herein refers to, for example, a CPU (central processing unit), a GPU (graphics processing unit), or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (for example, an ASIC). Simple programmable logic device (Single Programmable Logical Device: SPLD), composite programmable logic device (Complex Programmable Logical Device: CPLD), and field programmable gate array (field programmable gate array (Field Program meaning circuit), etc.). The processor realizes the function by reading and executing the program stored in the storage circuit 111. Instead of storing the program in the storage circuit 111, the program may be directly incorporated in the circuit of the processor. In this case, the processor realizes the function by reading and executing the program embedded in the circuit. It should be noted that each processor of the present embodiment is not limited to the case where each processor is configured as a single circuit, and a plurality of independent circuits may be combined to form one processor to realize its function. Good. Further, the plurality of components in FIG. 1 may be integrated into one processor to realize the function.

The first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 corresponds to an example of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus described in the claims. Similarly, the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2 corresponds to an example of other ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus described in the claims. The external device connection device 114 corresponds to an example of the connection portion described in the claims. The storage circuit 111 corresponds to an example of a storage unit. The control circuit 110 corresponds to an example of a control unit. The communication information i1 corresponds to an example of communication information. The communication information i2 corresponds to an example of other communication information.

[Action]
Below, until the external storage medium 3 which is once connected to the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 and then currently connected to the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2 becomes available from the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1. The process will be described in order.

4A and 4B are diagrams showing the flow of processing in the present embodiment. Hereinafter, the operations of the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 and the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2 will be described along with the step numbers (S1 to S14) with reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B.

(S1)
The external device input / output circuit 1101 detects that the external storage medium 3 is connected to the external device connection device 114.

(S2)
When the external device input / output circuit 1101 detects the connection of the external storage medium 3, the external device input / output circuit 1101 causes the communication processing circuit 1102 to transmit the connection status signal c1. The communication processing circuit 1102 receives the connection status signal c1 and causes the display 112 to display characters, thumbnail displays, and the like corresponding to "connection completed" of the external storage medium 3.

(S3)
The external device input / output circuit 1101 writes the communication information i1 of the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 stored in the storage device 111 into the external storage medium 3.

(S4)
The external device input / output circuit 1101 detects the removal of the external storage medium 3 and causes the communication processing circuit 1102 to transmit the disconnection status signal d1. The communication processing circuit 1102 receives the disconnection status signal d1 and causes the display 112 to display characters, thumbnail displays, and the like corresponding to "removal completed" of the external storage medium 3.

(S5)
The external device input / output circuit 2101 of the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2 detects the connection of the external storage medium 3.

(S6)
When the external device input / output circuit 2101 detects the connection of the external storage medium 3, the external device input / output circuit 2101 causes the communication processing circuit 2102 to transmit the connection status signal c2. The communication processing circuit 2102 that has received the connection status signal c2 causes the display 212 to display characters, thumbnail displays, and the like corresponding to "connection completed" of the external storage medium 3.

(S7)
The external device input / output circuit 2101 searches for a file in the external storage medium 3. If there is communication information i1 of the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1, the external device input / output circuit 2101 reads out the communication information i1 and stores it in the storage circuit 211.

(S8)
The communication processing circuit 2102 reads out the communication information i1 of the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 and the communication information i2 of the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2 from the storage circuit 211. Further, the communication processing circuit 2102 causes the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 to transmit the connection status signal c2 and the communication information i2 of the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2 by the communication information i1.

(S9)
When the communication processing circuit 1102 of the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 receives the connection status signal c2 and the communication information i2 of the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2 from the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2, the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2 is displayed on the display 112. A display indicating that the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2 and the external storage medium 3 are connected is displayed. Further, the communication processing circuit 1102 requests an image list from the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2.

(S10)
The communication processing circuit 2102 transmits a list of images stored in the external storage medium 3 to the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1. The image list includes not only the image data name but also incidental information related to the image data (for example, the name of the subject, the date and time of the inspection, the inspection site, the name of the inspection device, etc.).

(S11)
The communication processing circuit 1102 receives the image list from the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2 and stores it in the storage circuit 111. The communication processing circuit 1102 displays the received image list on the display 112.

(S12)
The control circuit 110 stores the image data candidate selected by the operation input of the user U1 from the displayed image list in the storage circuit 111. The communication processing circuit 1102 reads out image data candidates from the storage circuit 111. The communication processing circuit 1102 requests the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2 to read out the image data candidate.

(S13)
The communication processing circuit 2102 reads the image data from the external storage medium 3 in response to the image data reading request requested from the communication processing circuit 1102, and transmits the image data to the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1.

(S14)
The communication processing circuit 1102 receives the transmitted image data, stores it in the storage circuit 111, and displays it on the display 112.

In step S9 (request for image list), a plurality of request methods may be selected. For example, upon receiving the connection status signal c2 and the communication information i2 from the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2, the communication processing circuit 1102 may automatically request an image list. Alternatively, selection conditions based on the study number, subject ID, subject name, inspection date and time, and the like may be specified in advance, and an image list that meets the selection conditions may be requested.

In step S10 (image list transmission), the communication processing circuit 2102 transmits not only the image list of the external storage medium 3 but also the list of images stored in the storage circuit 211 of the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2. May be good. The list of images to be transmitted stored in the storage circuit 211 may be the entire image list, or may be an image list that meets the selection conditions when the above selection conditions are specified.

In step S11 (display of the received image list), the received image list is displayed as a table of image attributes (study number, subject ID, subject name, inspection date and time, inspection site, etc.) for each image. You may. Further, this display method is also applied to the list of images in the storage circuit 111 of the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1, and the image list in the storage circuit 111 and the image list transmitted from the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2 are combined. , It may be a format to switch and display with tabs. Further, it is possible to contrast these tab displays when there is no image list transmitted from the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2 (FIG. 5A) and when there is (FIG. 5B). Further, even if the external storage device is currently disconnected from the device connected to the network, the image list may be saved, added to the above tab display, and continuously displayed and managed in the tab display. ..

In step S13 (transmission of an image of the external storage medium 3 by the communication processing circuit 2102), when the image list to be transmitted includes the image stored in the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2, the external storage medium 3 and the second The image stored in the storage circuit 211 of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2 may be transmitted. Further, as a configuration in which a configuration for converting raw data into a DICOM image is added to the communication processing circuit 2102 of the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2, and all the image data is transmitted to the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 as a DICOM image. May be good.

[effect]
According to the present embodiment, a user who operates a device to which an external storage medium is connected can network the external storage medium currently connected to another device based on the connection history registered in the external storage medium. It can be used through. As a result, the user can utilize the medical information distributed and stored in the external storage medium in a network environment.

<Second Embodiment>
First, an outline of an example of the present embodiment will be described, and then the specific contents thereof will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

In the first embodiment, the external storage medium 3 is sequentially connected to the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 and the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2 connected to the DICOM communication network N1. Based on the connection history (communication information i1) recorded in the external storage medium 3, the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 and the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2 share both communication information i1 and i2. As a result, the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 automatically establishes a connection with the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2 to which the external storage medium 3 is connected, and the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 and the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 are connected. Files can be transmitted and received to and from the external storage medium 3 connected to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2.

On the other hand, in the present embodiment, it is assumed that the fourth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 4 and the personal computer 5 are interconnected by the network N2 using TCP / IP communication (see FIG. 6). The fourth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 4 supports DICOM communication. On the other hand, the computer 5 supports only TCP / IP communication. The user U4 of the fourth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 4 connects the external storage medium 6 to the fourth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 4 as in the first embodiment, and removes the external storage medium 6 after use. Next, the user U5 of the computer 5 connects the external storage medium 6 to the computer 5. In the present embodiment, when the external storage medium 6 is connected to the fourth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 4, the communication information i4 and the DICOM data server program 610 of the fourth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 4 stored in the storage circuit 411 read. It is taken out and written in the external storage medium 6. The DICOM data server program 610 is an application that uses DICOM communication and is a program that realizes storage management of DICOM files (hereinafter, referred to as "DICOM application"). The DICOM application 610 includes server communication information i6. Next, when the external storage medium 6 is connected to the computer 5, the DICOM application 610 is started in the computer 5. The DICOM application 610 collects the communication information i5 of the computer 5 and the communication information i4 (described later) of the fourth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 4, and DICOM communication is performed between the DICOM application 610, the computer 5, and the fourth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 4. Is possible. As a result, the user U4 of the fourth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 4 can send and receive files by DICOM communication between the external storage medium 6 connected to the personal computer 5 and the fourth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 4. ..

The DICOM application 610 of the present embodiment realizes DICOM communication in a TCP / IP communication network. DICOM communication adopts the TCP / IP protocol in the lower layer of the protocol. Therefore, the DICOM application 610 adds information that can be transmitted through the upper layer of the DICOM communication protocol to a data file transmitted / received by TCP / IP communication, and plays a role of making the data file a data file corresponding to DICOM communication. The DICOM application 610 also has a data server function.

[Constitution]
In a part of the present embodiment, in the configuration of the first embodiment, the configurations of the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 and the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2 connected to the network N1 are connected to the fourth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus N2. It is replaced with the configuration of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 4 and the personal computer 5. Therefore, the configuration has some parts in common with the configuration of the first embodiment, and detailed description of the common parts may be omitted.

The configuration of the fourth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 4 will be described with reference to FIG. The configuration of the fourth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 4 is the same as the configuration of the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 of the first embodiment. That is, the fourth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 4 includes a control circuit 410, a storage circuit 411, a display 412, an input circuit 413, an external device connection device 414, and a network connection device 415. Further, the control circuit 410 includes an external device input / output circuit 4101, a communication processing circuit 4102, and a communication circuit 4103. Since the functions provided by each configuration are the same as in the case of the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1, the description thereof will be omitted. The communication information i4 of the fourth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 4 is stored in the storage circuit 411. The communication information i4 includes an IP address, a port number, an AE title, and available services, like the communication information i1. Further, the external device input / output circuit 4101 causes the communication processing circuit 4102 to transmit the connection status signal c4 when the external storage medium 6 is connected to the external device connection device 414. Further, the external device input / output circuit 4101 causes the communication processing circuit 4102 to transmit the disconnection status signal d4 when the external storage medium 6 is removed from the external device connection device 414.

The configuration of the computer 5 will be described with reference to FIG. The computer 5 includes a control circuit 510, a storage circuit 511, a display 512, an input circuit 513, an external device connection device 514, and a network connection device 515. Since each component except the control circuit 510 is the same as that of the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1, the description thereof will be omitted. Further, the communication information i5 of the computer 5 includes an IP address.

The communication process by the control circuit 510 of the computer 5 does not correspond to the DIOCOM communication. Therefore, the control circuit 510 cannot obtain information related to DICOM communication from the data transmitted by DICOM communication (data having a header related to DICOM communication), and recognizes this data as mere binary data.

The DICOM application 610 will be described with reference to FIG. The DICOM application 610 is copied from the fourth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 4 to the external storage medium 6 and activated in the external storage medium 6. The DICOM application 610 performs input / output processing of data to the external storage medium 6.

[Action]
Hereinafter, the process until the external storage medium 6 connected to the fourth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 4 and currently connected to the computer 5 becomes available from the fourth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 4 will be described.

7A and 7B are diagrams showing the flow of processing in the present embodiment. Hereinafter, the operations of the fourth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 4 and the computer 5 will be described along with the step numbers (S21 to 35) with reference to FIGS. 7A and 7B.

(S21)
The external device input / output circuit 4101 detects the connection of the external storage medium 6.

(S22)
When the external device input / output circuit 4101 detects the connection of the external storage medium 6, the external device input / output circuit 4101 causes the communication processing circuit 4102 to transmit the connection status signal c4. The communication processing circuit 4102 receives the connection status signal c4 and causes the display 412 to display characters, thumbnail displays, and the like corresponding to "connection completed" of the external storage medium 6.

(S23)
The external device input / output circuit 4101 writes the communication information i4 of the fourth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 4 and the DICOM application 610 stored in the storage circuit 411 into the external storage medium 6.

(S24)
The external device input / output circuit 4101 detects the removal of the external storage medium 6 and causes the communication processing circuit 4102 to transmit the disconnection status signal d4. The communication processing circuit 4102 receives the disconnection status signal d4, and causes the display 412 to display characters, thumbnail displays, and the like corresponding to "removal completed" of the external storage medium 6.

(S25)
The external device input / output circuit 5101 of the computer 5 detects the connection of the external storage medium 6.

(S26)
When the external device input / output circuit 5101 detects the connection of the external storage medium 6, the external device input / output circuit 5101 causes the communication processing circuit 5102 to transmit the connection status signal c5. The communication processing circuit 5102 receives the connection status signal c5 and stores it in the storage device 511. Further, the communication processing circuit 5102 causes the display 512 to display characters, thumbnail displays, and the like corresponding to "connection completed" of the external storage medium 6.

(S27)
The computer 5 activates the DICOM application 610 in the external storage medium 6 under the control of the control circuit 510 in response to the operation input of the user U5.

(S28)
According to the DICOM application 610, the communication information i4 of the fourth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 4 recorded on the external storage medium 6 is read out. Further, according to the DICOM application 610, the communication information i5 of the computer 5 stored in the storage circuit 511 and the connection status signal c5 indicating that the computer 5 and the external storage medium 6 are connected are read out.

(S29)
The communication information i4 read by the DICOM application 610 is used, and the server communication information i6 of the DICOM application 610, the communication information i5 of the computer 5, and the connection status signal c5 are sent to the fourth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 4. Will be sent.

(S30)
When the server communication information i6, the communication information i5, and the connection status signal c5 are received in the communication processing circuit 4102 of the fourth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 4, the computer 5 and the external storage medium 6 are connected to the display 412. A description indicating that, an icon, etc. are displayed. Further, the communication processing circuit 4102 requests an image list from the DICOM application 610.

(S31)
In the DICOM application 610, the list of images stored in the external storage medium 6 is transmitted to the fourth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 4.

(S32)
In the communication processing circuit 4102, the transmitted image list is received and displayed on the display 412.

(S33)
When the image to be read from the received image list is selected by the user U4, the communication processing circuit 4102 requests the DICOM application 610 to read the corresponding image.

(S34)
In response to the image reading requested from the communication processing circuit 4102, the DICOM application 610 reads the image from the external storage medium 6 and transmits it to the fourth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 4.

(S35)
The transmitted image is stored in the storage circuit 411 by the communication processing circuit 4102 and is displayed on the display 412.

In step S30 (image list request of DICOM application 610 by the communication processing circuit 4102), a plurality of request methods may be selected. For example, conditions such as a subject name, an examination name, and an examination date are set in advance, and an image list is automatically requested. Alternatively, it may be a method of manually requesting an image list for each condition.

In step S32 (display of the transmitted image list), the transmitted image list is divided into image attributes (study number, ID, subject name, examination name, examination date, examination time, examination site, etc.) for each image. It may be displayed as a table of. Further, this display method is also applied to the list of images of the internal hard disk (storage circuit) 411 of the fourth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 4, and the image list of the internal hard disk 411 and the image list transmitted from the DICOM application 610 are tabbed. It may be displayed by switching with. Furthermore, these tab displays can be contrasted with and without the image list transmitted from the DICOM application 610 (FIGS. 5A, 5B).

Further, a configuration for converting non-DICOM image data into a DICOM image may be added to the DICOM application 610 so that all the image data is transmitted to the fourth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 4 as a DICOM image.

[effect]
According to the present embodiment, by connecting an external storage medium in which a data server program for DICOM communication is installed to a personal computer that supports non-DICOM communication, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and an external storage medium connected to the personal computer are connected. DICOM communication is possible with and from. As a result, the user can check and reuse the contents of the external storage medium connected to the electronic device that does not support DICOM communication from the device at hand connected to the network, so that the distributed and stored medical information can be variously stored. It can be used in a network environment.

<Third Embodiment>
First, the outline of the present embodiment will be described, and then the specific contents of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

In the first embodiment, after establishing DICOM communication between the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 and the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2, the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 is connected to the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 2. Image files and the like were read and written by file transfer to and from the external storage medium 3. Further, in the second embodiment, first, the external storage medium 6 is connected to the personal computer 5 that supports non-DICOM communication. Next, by activating the DICOM application 610 in the external storage medium 6, the fourth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 4 corresponding to DICOM communication and the external storage medium 6 connected to the computer 5 corresponding to non-DICOM communication are connected. Between, the file transfer by DICOM communication became possible as in the first embodiment.

This embodiment has the same configuration as the first embodiment, that is, the seventh ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 7 and the eighth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 8 capable of performing DICOM communication, and an external storage medium connected to the eighth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 8. 9 and. However, in the present embodiment, the user U7 of the 7th ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 7 is connected to the 8th ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 8 by using the user name and password preset in the account of the 8th ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 8. The external storage medium 9 is network-mounted on the seventh ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 7. In addition, the network mount is a storage medium connected to another device via a network, and is a storage medium in the own device by using an account (user name and password are set) provided in the other device. Similarly, it refers to an operation that makes it available. Further, the storage medium that can be used by this operation may be called a network drive. Therefore, the network-mounted external storage medium 9 is accessed from the 7th ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 7 using the user name and password preset in the account of the 8th ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 8, and the file by DICOM communication is accessed. Not only sending and receiving, but also file operations (editing, reading, writing, etc.) can be performed. In order to carry out the network mount, the communication information i7 of the 7th ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 7 and the communication information i8 of the 8th ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 8 include an IP address, a port number, an AE (Application Entertainment) title, available services, and the like. In addition, the user name and password of the account provided in each device are provided.

An outline of an example of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In the present embodiment, the external storage medium 9 has a connection history with the 7th ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 7 and is currently connected to the 8th ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 8. With the external storage medium 9 connected to the 8th ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 8, the user U7 of the 7th ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 7 attaches the 7th ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 7 to the 8th ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 8. The connected external storage medium 9 is network-mounted. After that, the user U7 can access the file on the external storage medium 9 and operate the file. If the user U8 of the eighth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 8 is already operating the same file of the external storage medium 9, the control circuit 810 of the eighth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 8 restricts access to the file (for example,). Lock (exclusive processing)) and transmit a restriction start notification (for example, a lock notification (described later)) to the seventh ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 7. The seventh ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 7 displays a restriction start notification on the display 712, and notifies the user U7 of the start of file locking. When the user U8 finishes the file operation, the control circuit 810 of the eighth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 8 releases the access restriction (for example, lock (exclusive processing)) of the file, and the restriction release notification (for example, lock). A cancellation notice (described later)) is transmitted to the 7th ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 7. The seventh ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 7 displays a restriction release notification on the display 712, and notifies the user U7 of the file lock release. Here, the file lock means to prohibit the rewriting of the file, and further includes the case of prohibiting the reading of the file and the case of permitting the reading. The details of the file locking process will be described later.

[Constitution]
The configuration of the 7th ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 7, the 8th ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 8 and the storage medium 9 of the present embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment. However, in this embodiment, in order to perform network mounting, a user name and a password are exchanged for each of the communication information i7 and i8 to be exchanged in the communication between the 7th ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 7 and the 8th ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 8. Is added. Further, the configuration of the part related to the user's access processing is different from that of the first embodiment and the second embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 8, the configuration of the seventh ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 7 is the same as the configuration of the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 of the first embodiment. That is, the seventh ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 7 includes a control circuit 710, a storage circuit 711, a display 712, an input circuit 713, an external device connection device 714, and a network connection device 715. Further, the control circuit 710 includes an external device input / output circuit 7101, a communication processing circuit 7102, and a communication circuit 7103. Since the functions provided by each configuration are the same as those of the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 except for the communication processing circuit 7102, the description of that part will be omitted. The communication information i7 of the device 7 is stored in the storage circuit 711. The communication information i7 includes an IP address, a port number, an AE title, available services, a user name, and a password. Further, the external device input / output circuit 7101 causes the communication processing circuit 7102 to transmit the connection status signal c7 when the external storage medium 6 is connected to the external device connection device 714. Further, the external device input / output circuit 7101 causes the communication processing circuit 7102 to transmit the disconnection status signal d7 when the external storage medium 6 is disconnected from the external device connection device 714.

The communication processing circuit 7102 of the present embodiment confirms the account information (user name and password) of the 7th ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 7 included in the transmission from the 8th ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 8, and the 8th ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 8 Accept submissions from.

As shown in FIG. 8, the configuration of the eighth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 8 is the same as the configuration of the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 of the first embodiment. That is, the eighth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 8 includes a control circuit 810, a storage circuit 811, a display 812, an input circuit 813, an external device connection device 814, and a network connection device 815. Further, the control circuit 810 includes an external device input / output circuit 8101, a communication processing circuit 8102, and a communication circuit 8103. Since the functions provided by each configuration are the same as those of the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 except for the communication processing circuit 8102, the description of that part will be omitted. The communication information i8 of the eighth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 8 is stored in the storage circuit 811. The communication information i8 includes an IP address, a port number, an AE title, available services, a user name, and a password. Further, the external device input / output circuit 8101 causes the communication processing circuit 8102 to transmit the connection status signal c8 when the external storage medium 6 is connected to the external device connection device 814. Further, the external device input / output circuit 8101 causes the communication processing circuit 8102 to transmit the disconnection status signal d8 when the external storage medium 6 is disconnected from the external device connection device 814.

The communication processing circuit 8102 of the present embodiment confirms the account information (user name and password) of the eighth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 8 included in the transmission from the seventh ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 7, and the seventh ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 7 Accept submissions from.

The lock notification corresponds to an example of the "restriction start notification" described in the claims. Similarly, the unlock notification corresponds to an example of the "restriction release notification".

[Action]
The process until the user U7 operating the 7th ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 7 can use the external storage medium 9 network-mounted on the 7th ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 7 will be described below.

9A and 9B are diagrams showing the flow of processing in the present embodiment. Hereinafter, the operations of the 7th ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 7 and the 8th ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 8 will be described along with the step numbers (S41 to S51) with reference to FIGS. 9A and 9B.

(S41)
The external device input / output circuit 7101 detects the connection of the external storage medium 9.

(S42)
When the external device input / output circuit 7101 detects the connection of the external storage medium 9, the external device input / output circuit 7101 causes the communication processing circuit 7102 to transmit the connection status signal c7. The communication processing circuit 7102 receives the connection status signal c7 and stores it in the storage device 711. Further, the communication processing circuit 7102 causes the display 712 to display characters, thumbnail displays, and the like corresponding to "connection completed" of the external storage medium 9.

(S43)
The external device input / output circuit 7101 writes the communication information i7 of the seventh ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 7 into the external storage medium 9.

(S44)
The external device input / output circuit 7101 detects the removal of the external storage medium 9 and causes the communication processing circuit 7102 to transmit the disconnection status signal d7. The communication processing circuit 7102 receives the disconnection status signal d7, and causes the display 712 to display characters, thumbnail displays, and the like corresponding to “removal completed” of the external storage medium 9.

(S45)
The external device input / output circuit 8101 of the eighth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 8 detects the connection of the external storage medium 9.

(S46)
When the external device input / output circuit 8101 of the eighth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 8 detects the connection of the external storage medium 9, the connection status signal c8 is transmitted to the communication processing circuit 8102. The communication processing circuit 8102 receives the connection status signal c8 and stores it in the storage device 811. Further, the communication processing circuit 8102 causes the external storage medium 9 to display characters, thumbnail displays, and the like corresponding to "connection completed" on the display 812.

(S47)
The external device input / output circuit 8101 searches for a file on the external storage medium 9. If there is communication information i7 of the seventh ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 7, the external device input / output circuit 8101 reads out the communication information i7 and causes the communication processing circuit 8102 to transmit the communication information i7.

(S48)
The communication processing circuit 8102, which has received the connection status signal c8 and the communication information i7, transmits the connection status signal c8 and the communication information i8 of the eighth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 8 to the seventh ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 7 by the communication information i7. Send.

(S49)
The communication processing circuit 7102 of the seventh ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 7 receives the connection status signal c8 and the communication information i8 of the eighth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 8 from the eighth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 8. The communication processing circuit 7102 uses the 8th ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 8 as a remote host, and connects to the 8th ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 8 by using the communication information i8 (including account information (user name and password)) and the mount command. The external storage medium 9 is network-mounted (or remotely) mounted in a predetermined directory of the seventh ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 7. If there is no error from the mount command, the communication processing circuit 7102 causes the external storage medium 9 to display characters, thumbnail displays, and the like corresponding to “network mounting” on the display 712.

(S50)
The seventh ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 7 accesses the network-mounted external storage medium 9 in response to the operation input of the user U7, and performs file operations (editing, copying, etc.) such as data and images.

(S51)
The seventh ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 7 dismounts the external storage medium 9 from the predetermined directory of the seventh ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 7 by an unmount command in response to the file operation input of the user U7. If there is no error from the unmount command, the communication processing circuit 7102 deletes characters, thumbnail displays, and the like corresponding to "network mounting" from the display 712. Further, characters, thumbnail displays, etc. corresponding to "file lock processing release" may be temporarily displayed on the display 712.

[File unlock process]
In the present embodiment, when performing a file operation such as image data on the network-mounted external storage medium 9 (step S50), access restriction (for example, file lock (exclusive processing)) is applied to the file being operated. Can be applied. Below, as an example of file locking, the user U7 of the 7th ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 7 and the user U8 of the 8th ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 8 have the same image file 61 (not shown) in the external storage medium 9. The process from the start of locking to unlocking will be described on the assumption that file operations will be performed. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the process. This will be described along with the step numbers (S50-1 to S50-8). Here, the eighth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 8 starts the operation of the file 61 in the external storage medium 9 prior to the seventh ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 7.

(S50-1)
The eighth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 8 starts the operation of the file 61. The communication processing circuit 8102 of the eighth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 8 controls the external device input / output circuit 8101 and acquires the UID (used as UID-61) of the file 61. Here, the UID (Unique Identifier) is a file-specific identifier defined by the DICOM standard.

(S50-2)
The communication processing circuit 8102 performs file locking (exclusive processing) on the file 61 at the same time as the lock notification so that only the user U8 of the eighth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 8 can operate the file 61.

(S50-3)
The communication processing circuit 8102 controls the communication circuit 8103, and uses the communication information i7 to transmit the lock notification of the file 61 to the seventh ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 7. The lock notification is a predetermined signal including the UID-61 of the file 61 that is already in use.

(S50-4)
Upon receiving the lock notification, the communication processing circuit 7102 causes the display 712 to display characters, thumbnails, etc. indicating that the file is being used by the eighth ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 8. As a result, the user U7 of the seventh ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 7 recognizes that the operation on the file 61 is impossible.

(S50-5)
The communication processing circuit 8102 recognizes the operation completion command for the file 61 of the user U8, and releases the file lock of the file 61.

(S50-6)
The communication processing circuit 8102 controls the communication circuit 8103, and uses the communication information i7 to transmit the unlock notification of the file 61 to the seventh ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 7. The unlock notification is a predetermined signal including the UID-61 of the file 61 that has completed the operation.

(S50-7)
Upon receiving the unlock notification, the communication processing circuit 7102 causes the display 712 to display characters indicating "file operation is possible", thumbnail display, and the like.

(S50-8)
When the seventh ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 7 starts the operation on the file 61, the seventh ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 7 performs a process according to the operation input of the user U7.

Regarding the file lock transmitted in step S50-2, if there are multiple studies or multiple series for one subject, even for matters common to multiple studies or multiple series above the UID. , File locking may be performed. Similarly, regarding the lock notification performed in step S50-3, the lock notification may be given to the seventh ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 7 for the matters common to the plurality of studies and the plurality of series. Also, regarding file locking, when a file is accessed from the account of one device, the level of restriction is set by the device that can access the account of another device at the same time, prohibiting reading and writing of the file, prohibiting only writing, or simultaneously accessing the file. Selective restrictions such as changing can be applied. Further, the lock notification, the unlock notification, and the selective restriction of access may be applied not only to the account of the other device but also to the access from another account provided in the own device.

[effect]
According to the present embodiment, by network-mounting the external storage medium from a device to which the external storage medium is not connected, more detailed operations such as editing and restriction thereof as well as transfer to the stored data file can be performed. Is possible. In addition, file locking (exclusive operation) enables safe and efficient file operation.

<Modified example of the third embodiment>
A modification of the third embodiment is obtained by adding a plurality of ultrasonic diagnostic devices similar to the seventh ultrasonic diagnostic device 7 to the third embodiment. The third embodiment can be applied even if there are three or more ultrasonic diagnostic devices.

[effect]
According to this modification, by network-mounting an external storage medium connected to another ultrasonic diagnostic device from a plurality of ultrasonic diagnostic devices, the external storage medium is stored in the external storage medium even under a large-scale network. Data can be efficiently referenced and manipulated from multiple ultrasonic diagnostic devices. Further, in this modification, by performing file lock, lock notification, and unlock notification, the file can be operated efficiently and safely even when accessed from a plurality of ultrasonic diagnostic devices.

<Fourth Embodiment>
An outline of an example of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 11, and then specific contents of the present embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 12 and the data storage management apparatus 13 connected to the DICOM communication network N1 and compatible with DICOM communication, and a plurality of external devices (3 in the present embodiment) that can be connected to both the devices 12 and 13. It is composed of storage media 141, 142, and 143. The external storage media 141, 142, and 143 have a connection history to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 12. Similar to the first embodiment, data communication is automatically established between the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 12 and the data storage management apparatus 13. Then, a part of the data file stored in the internal hard disk (storage circuit) 1211 of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 12 is automatically distributed to the external storage media 141, 142, 143 connected to the data storage management apparatus 13. And transfer. As a result, the capacity of the hard disk built in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 12 is automatically secured. The details of the sorting method will be described later. Further, in the present embodiment, the file to be transferred is a file containing medical information (for example, an image file).

[Constitution]
As shown in FIG. 11, the configuration of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 12 is the same as the configuration of the apparatus 1 of the first embodiment. That is, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 12 includes a control circuit 1210, a storage circuit 1211, a display 1212, an input circuit 1213, an external device connection device 1214, and a network connection device 1215. A part of the storage circuit 1211 is an internal hard disk. Further, as shown in FIG. 12, the control circuit 1210 has the same configuration as the control circuit 110 of the first embodiment. That is, it includes an external device input / output circuit 12101, a communication processing circuit 12102, and a communication circuit 12103. Since the functions provided in each configuration are the same as in the case of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1, the description thereof will be omitted.

The communication information i12 of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 12 is stored in the storage circuit 1211. The communication information i12 includes an IP address, a port number, an AE title, and available services. Further, the connection status signal c12 and the disconnection status signal d12 are the same as in the previous embodiments.

The configuration of the data storage management device 13 is the same as that of the ultrasonic diagnostic device 12 except for the external device connection devices 13141, 13142, and 13143. That is, the data storage management device 13 includes a control circuit 1310, a storage circuit 1311, a display 1312, an input circuit 1313, external device connection devices 13141, 13142, 13143, and a network connection device 1315. Further, as shown in FIG. 13, the control circuit 1310 has the same configuration as the control circuit 110. That is, it includes an external device input / output circuit 13101, a communication processing circuit 13102, and a communication circuit 13103. Since the functions provided by each configuration are the same as those of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 except for the communication processing circuit 13102, the description thereof will be omitted. The communication information i13 of the data storage management device 13 is stored in the storage circuit 1311. The communication information i13 includes an IP address, a port number, an AE title, and available services. Further, the connection status signals c131, c132, c133 and the disconnection status signals d131, d132, d133 from the external device connection devices 13141, 13142, 13143 are the same as those in the previous embodiments.

The communication processing circuit 13102 includes a DICOM data server function that distributes and stores DICOM image data transmitted from the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 12 into external storage media 141, 142, and 143 connected to the data storage management apparatus 13. The DICOM image data stored in the storage unit 1211 of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 12 is stored in a two-layer directory structure for each subject (for example, three people) and for each study (for example, three examinations) from the top. Suppose you are. When the DICOM image data transmitted from the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 12 is stored in the external storage media 141, 142, 143, the communication processing circuit 13102 is, for example, for each subject (for example, one subject in each storage medium). Alternatively, it shall be distributed for each study (one study for each storage medium).

[Action]
In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the respective communication information i12 and i13 are already shared between the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 12 and the data storage management apparatus 13. Then, it is assumed that DICOM communication is established between the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 12 and the external storage media 141, 142, and 143 connected to the data storage management apparatus 13, and predetermined information can be transmitted and received. The process is common to the process (steps S1 to S14) in which predetermined information can be transmitted and received between the device 1 and the external storage medium 3 in the first embodiment. Therefore, the description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a flow of processing according to this embodiment. Hereinafter, each process will be described along with steps (S61 to S65). It is assumed that predetermined information can be transmitted / received by DICOM communication between the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 12 and the external storage media 141, 142, 143 connected to the data storage management apparatus 13.

(S61)
The communication processing circuit 12102 of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 12 calculates the capacity of the storage circuit 1211, and displays the numerical value or an icon or the like indicating a ratio to the total capacity on the display 1212.

(S62)
The communication processing circuit 12102 of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 12 causes the data storage management apparatus 13 to transmit the DICOM image data stored in the storage circuit 1211. Between the communication processing circuit 12102 and the communication processing circuit 13102 of the data storage management device 13 which is a data server, image data Stage (transmission of image data and reply of reception confirmation), commitment (request and request for image data storage). Start approval (confirmation and approval of storage) (both are DICOM service types).

(S63)
The communication processing circuit 13102 distributes and stores the transmitted image data in the external storage media 141, 142, and 143. At that time, as an example of the distribution method, the names of the subjects are prioritized, and each external storage medium 141, 142, 143 is assigned and saved with each subject as the head directory. The directory structure of the external storage medium 141 is subject P1- (study 0, study 1, study 2, study 3), and image data is stored under each study 0, 1, 2, 3. Alternatively, as another example, the study is prioritized, and each study is set as the head directory, and the communication processing circuit 13102 allocates the transmitted image data to each of the external storage media 141, 142, and 143 and stores the data. For example, the directory structure of the external storage medium 141 is subject P0-study 1, subject P1-study 1, subject P2-study 1, subject P3-study 1, and under each study 1. Image data is stored. Further, the communication processing circuit 13102 transmits a completion signal to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 12 when the distribution and storage are completed. The subdirectories P0 and study 0 are dummy directories.

(S64)
Upon receiving the save completion signal, the communication processing circuit 12102 deletes the transmitted image file from the internal hard disk 1211 and terminates the Stage communication.

(S65)
The communication processing circuit 12102 causes the display 1212 to indicate that the image data and the study have been moved. Further, the capacity of the storage circuit 1211 after deletion is calculated, and an icon or the like indicating the numerical value or the ratio to the total capacity is displayed on the display 1212.

The timing for starting step S61 (displaying the file capacity of the internal hard disk 1211) may be, for example, when a threshold value is set in advance for the free space of the internal hard disk 1211 and the free space falls below the threshold value. The determination is made by the user U12 of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 12. Alternatively, it may be automatically performed, for example, by the communication processing circuit 12102 of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 12. As a result, in order to increase the free space of the internal hard disk 1211, a series of steps (S61 to S65) of the present embodiment can be appropriately or automatically performed.

Further, in the Stage comments in steps S62 to S64, the communication processing circuit 12102 of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 12 deletes all the image data remaining in the storage circuit 1211 (as an example, it is saved in the two-layer directory of the subject-study). It is also possible to selectively delete various data such as leaving a study. Further, the transfer timing can be specified by the user U12 of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 12 as a time that has little influence on the measurement, such as when the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 12 is not in operation. Further, the image data to be transferred can be specified by the user U12 based on the image acquisition time, the inspection type, and the like. Further, the sorting criteria of step S63 are also, for example, for each subject, for each examination name, for each examination site (abdomen, heart, neck, breast, blood vessel, locomotorium, etc.), for each connection history, and for each examination department (outpatient, examination). Department, radiation department, surgery department, intensive care unit, etc.) may be adopted.

[effect]
In the present embodiment, a part of the data file stored in the internal hard disk of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is transferred to a plurality of external storage media connected to the other ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus to be transferred to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 12. The capacity of the built-in hard disk can be secured appropriately or automatically.

In the first to fourth embodiments and modifications, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus connected to the network composed of electronic devices including the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes an external device connection device, a control circuit, and a storage circuit. , At least. Then, in the first to third embodiments, and the modified example, when an external storage medium having a connection history to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is connected to another ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus or another electronic device on the network. The connection between the ultrasonic diagnostic device and other ultrasonic diagnostic device or other electronic device is automatically established, and the external connection is made from the ultrasonic diagnostic device via the other ultrasonic diagnostic device or other electronic device. There is a common effect that the storage medium can be used.

Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other embodiments, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, as well as in the scope of the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

1 Ultrasonic diagnostic device 3 External storage medium 5 Personal computer 13 Data storage management device 110 Control circuit 111 Storage circuit 112 Display 113 Input circuit 114 External device connection device 115 Network connection device 610 DICOM data server program (DICOM application)
1101 External device input / output circuit 1102 Communication processing circuit 1103 Communication circuit N1 network

Claims (14)

The connection part to which the external storage medium is connected and
A storage unit that stores communication information of the own device,
A control unit that inputs and outputs to the connected external storage medium and controls communication with other ultrasonic diagnostic devices connected to the network.
With
The control unit
When the external storage medium is connected to the connection portion,
Using the other communication information of the other ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus stored in the external storage medium, the communication information is transmitted to the other ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus capable of connecting the other ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus to the external storage medium connected to the connection portion. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit stores the communication information in the external storage medium when the external storage medium is connected to the connection unit. The control unit
Using the other communication information transmitted from the other ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, the external storage medium connected to the other ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is accessed to transmit and receive predetermined information.
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 or 2. At least a part of the predetermined information is medical image data including raw data.
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 3. The communication information further includes a user name and password of the first account provided in the other ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.
The control unit uses the communication information to mount the external storage medium connected to the other ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus as a network drive.
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 3 or 4. The control unit
Access to a predetermined file on the mounted external storage medium by another second account of the first account can be restricted.
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 5. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the access restriction can prohibit writing from the second account to the predetermined file. The access restriction is
At the time of starting and releasing the access restriction, the restriction start notification and the restriction release notification are sent to the second account.
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 6 or 7. Equipped with a plurality of the above-mentioned connections
Any of claims 3 to 8, wherein the control unit transfers a file containing medical information of the storage unit to any of the external storage media connected to each of the plurality of connection units according to a predetermined distribution standard. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus described in. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the sorting standard gives priority to sorting by subject name among the medical information. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the sorting standard gives priority to sorting by examination name among the medical information. The connection part to which the external storage medium is connected and
A storage unit that stores the communication information of the own device and the DICOM data server program provided with the server communication information.
A control unit that performs input / output to the connected external storage medium and controls communication with electronic devices connected to the network.
With
The control unit
When the external storage medium is connected to the connection portion,
The communication information and the DICOM data server program are recorded in the external storage medium, and the communication information is recorded in the external storage medium.
When the external storage medium is connected to the electronic device,
Connection to the external storage medium connected to the electronic device in response to transmission of the server communication information and the communication information of the electronic device by the DICOM data server program recorded in the external storage medium. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that enables and sends and receives predetermined information to and from the DICOM data server program. The connection part to which the external storage medium is connected and
A storage unit that stores communication information of the own device,
A control unit that inputs and outputs to the connected external storage medium and controls communication with other ultrasonic diagnostic devices connected to the network.
It is a communication control program in an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus equipped with
When the external storage medium is connected to the connection portion,
The control unit uses the other communication information of the other ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus stored in the external storage medium to transmit the communication information to the other ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.
The control unit executes a process that enables the connection from the other ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus to the external storage medium.
Communication control program. The connection part to which the external storage medium is connected and
A storage unit that stores the communication information of the own device and the DICOM data server program provided with the server communication information.
A control unit that performs input / output to the connected external storage medium and controls communication with electronic devices connected to the network.
It is a communication control program in an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus equipped with
When the external storage medium is connected to the connection unit, the control unit records the communication information of the own device and the DICOM data server program on the external storage medium.
When the external storage medium is connected to the electronic device, the server communication information and the communication information of the electronic device are transmitted to the control unit by the DICOM data server program recorded in the external storage medium.
Further, the control unit can be connected to the external storage medium connected to the electronic device.
The control unit uses the server communication information and the communication information of the electronic device to send and receive predetermined information between the DICOM data server program and execute a process.
Communication control program.

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