Client Software Segmentation for Medical Imaging Version Flexibility

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing solutions for deploying multiple medical imaging applications on client hardware are burdensome for users, requiring manual version selection and potentially leading to increased time and complexity due to technical dependencies and version constraints.

Innovation Solution

A method and system where client software is divided into independent processes, including a UI container hosting a patient browser and multiple imaging applications, allowing different versions of imaging applications to be displayed transparently to the user without requiring version selection, with each imaging application independent of others and the patient browser.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If multiple versions of imaging applications are deployed on client hardware, then application versatility and version flexibility are improved, but user operation complexity and deployment time increase due to manual version selection and installation requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveapplication version flexibilityVSAvoiduser operation simplicity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The client software is divided into multiple independent processes, each hosting a specific version of the imaging application. This segmentation allows different application versions to coexist without interfering with each other, while the user interface presents a unified view regardless of which version is actively running. The segmentation resolves the contradiction by enabling version flexibility while hiding the complexity from the user.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A version selection mechanism acts as an intermediary between the user and the multiple application versions. This intermediary automatically manages which version is activated based on user needs, eliminating the need for manual installation or version selection by the end user. The intermediary layer resolves the contradiction by providing version flexibility while maintaining simple user operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple versions of imaging applications are deployed on client hardware, then application versatility is improved, but deployment time and system complexity increase due to version constraints and technical dependencies

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveapplication version flexibilityVSAvoiddeployment time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple versions of the imaging application are pre-installed and configured on the client hardware before actual use. The system is prepared in advance with all necessary version-specific components and dependencies already in place, eliminating the need for time-consuming installation or configuration during deployment. This preliminary action resolves the contradiction by enabling version flexibility while minimizing deployment time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The client software is divided into multiple independent processes, each hosting a specific version of the imaging application. This segmentation allows different application versions to coexist without interfering with each other, enabling rapid switching between versions without reconfiguration. The segmentation resolves the contradiction by enabling version flexibility while reducing deployment time through pre-configured isolation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Device complexity

If a monolithic uniform version of client software is used, then system simplicity and consistency are maintained, but user interface usability and version flexibility are reduced due to mandatory version selection

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem structure simplicityVSAvoiduser interface usability

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The user interface is designed to be universal across all application versions, providing a consistent experience regardless of which version is running. The interface layer abstracts the version differences, making it multi-functional and version-agnostic. This universality resolves the contradiction by maintaining interface simplicity while enabling version flexibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS9137332B2Method, computer readable medium and system for generating a user-interface

Publication Date: 2015.09.15 SIEMENS HEALTHINEERS AG

AI summary

A method, computer readable medium and system are disclosed. An embodiment of the method includes obtaining, by a single client, a request for data from a patient browser; querying, by the single client, at least one of a plurality of servers for the requested data, each of the plurality of servers hosting a different imaging application, the imaging applications being independent of each other, receiving, by the single client, an indication, the indication indicating that a first server of the plurality of servers contains the requested data and retrieving, by the single client, the requested data such that the associated server is transparent to the user. The different imaging applications may be different versions of the same imaging application, different applications or different imaging applications being based on different versions of the same product-line code.