Multimodal Medical Imagery Collaboration via Synchronized Annotation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current videoconferencing systems in the medical field lack the ability for multiple users to concurrently collaborate on medical imagery, with limited control for participants and inefficient sharing of information, particularly in DICOM environments.
Innovation Solution
A network systems apparatus and method that enables multiple users to concurrently collaborate on medical imagery by allowing real-time annotation, telestration, and saving of streaming imagery data with metadata in a single file format, using a TIMS Clini-Pod Clinical Network System comprising a server, C2I2 Clini-Port, and Clini-Dock, which manages and synchronizes medical imagery streams across multiple sources and devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional videoconferencing systems are used for medical collaboration, then basic communication is enabled, but multiple users cannot concurrently collaborate on medical imagery with real-time annotation and control
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the medical imaging collaboration task into separate functional modules: image streaming from multiple modalities, annotation layering, user control management, and synchronized display. Each module operates independently but integrates through standardized interfaces, enabling concurrent collaboration without overwhelming complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements nested annotation layers where user annotations, telestrations, and clinical data are layered over the medical imaging data without altering the original images. This nested structure allows multiple users to annotate simultaneously at different levels of detail while maintaining the integrity of the source imagery.
2Quantity of substance
If medical imagery is streamed from multiple sources, then comprehensive diagnostic information is available, but synchronization and control among multiple users becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system establishes a master timeline and synchronization protocol before the collaboration session begins. Image streams from multiple modalities are pre-synchronized to a common timebase, and user control permissions are pre-assigned, eliminating the need for real-time coordination during the actual diagnostic review.
Solution Approach 2:
A central server acts as an intermediary between multiple imaging modalities and multiple user workstations. This server manages the streaming, synchronization, and distribution of imaging data, while also coordinating user annotations and control signals, thereby simplifying the operational complexity for individual users.
3Productivity
If real-time annotation and telestration are enabled for multiple users, then collaborative clinical documentation is improved, but data management and file format standardization becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a universal annotation format that can be applied across different imaging modalities and collaboration scenarios. A single standardized data structure handles annotations, telestrations, and clinical notes, eliminating the need for modality-specific data management and simplifying interoperability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple data types including medical images, annotations, telestrations, and clinical documentation into a single integrated data structure. This unified format allows all collaboration artifacts to be managed together, reducing data management complexity while maintaining comprehensive documentation capabilities.
4Adaptability or versatility
If streaming medical imagery data is transmitted over networks, then remote collaboration is enabled, but data security and privacy protection requirements increase system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service security where authentication and authorization are automatically handled based on user identities and roles. The server automatically manages encryption keys and access permissions without requiring manual security configuration by individual users, reducing the operational complexity of security implementation.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention enables multimodal cognitive communications, collaboration, consultation and instruction with multichannel multiplexed streaming imagery data. It also enables synchronous multiparty curation, multisensory annotation and metadata tagging, as well as multi-formatted encapsulation, saving and sharing of collaborated imagery data as packetized augmented intelligence. The invention acquires both live stream and archived medical modality imagery from network-connected medical devices, cameras, signals and sensors, as well as multi-omic [phenotypic, genomic, metabolomic and radiomic] clinical data from biometric maps and movies, hapmaps, heat maps and data stream visualizations. The invention also acquires both medical and non-medical streaming imagery data from image data repositories, documents and structured reports, workstations and mobile devices, as well as from wearable computing, signals and sensors. The invention enables networked teams to interactively communicate, concurrently collaborate and bi-directionally exchange multichannel multiplexed imagery data streams, singly or together, in real time or asynchronously, generally by curating, annotating and tagging imagery information objects. The invention encapsulates and saves collaborated imagery data, together with multisensory annotations and metadata tags, in standard file formats as packetized augmented intelligence. The invention enables recursive cognitive enrichment with augmented cognitive vismemes, and saves packetized imagery information objects, multisensory annotations and metadata tags in native file formats [PDF, MPEG, JPEG, XML, XMPP, OR, SVG and DAE[ as well as in formats compliant with standards for digital communications in medicine [DICOM]. The invention enables live stream multicasting of multimodal cognitive communications and collaborative knowledge exchange with multisensory [visual, auditory, haptic] annotation and tagging of streaming imagery data, as well as secure, encrypted transmission of packetized augmented intelligence across file sharing data networks for rapid, adaptive learning, specialist skills acquisition and interoperable health information exchange.