Network-Centric Windowing System for Medical Data Integration
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In medical suites performing interventional procedures, consolidating relevant information for clinical roles is complicated due to poor hardware/software integration of multi-vendor medical equipment, leading to inconvenient and costly video distribution systems that cannot handle data access by software, limiting flexibility and real-time simultaneous viewing across multiple locations.
Innovation Solution
A network-centric, distributed windowing system with data-centric communication enables sharing of graphics state over a data network, using publish-subscribe messaging and microservices to combine graphic content from disparate sources into a unified, real-time composite image, allowing control over visual appearance and configuration, and easy integration of new equipment and software without significant development effort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If video distribution systems are used to consolidate information from multiple medical devices, then information can be presented to multiple clinical roles, but the system becomes costly and inflexible with limited data accessibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a window manager system as an intermediary layer between medical devices and display devices. This window manager communicates over standard data networks using publish-subscribe messaging, replacing proprietary video distribution systems. The window manager enables flexible data access and composition without requiring expensive dedicated video infrastructure, thus improving adaptability while managing system complexity through standardized interfaces
Solution Approach 2:
The window manager is designed to handle multiple types of data sources (medical devices, software applications, third-party equipment) and display them on multiple display devices simultaneously. It provides universal data access and composition capabilities that work across different vendors and device types, eliminating the need for separate video distribution systems for each device
2Ease of operation
If each display device shows only a subset of information required by clinical roles, then display requirements are met, but information consolidation becomes complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The window manager merges data from multiple sources including medical devices, software applications, and third-party equipment into unified display compositions. It combines these diverse data streams and presents them on display devices in configurations that meet clinical role requirements, simplifying information access while managing integration complexity through centralized composition logic
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments information presentation by allowing different display devices to show different subsets of information tailored to specific clinical roles. The window manager manages these segmented displays independently, enabling each display to be optimized for specific users while maintaining access to the full data set through the centralized system
3Adaptability or versatility
If output devices are positioned to serve multiple individuals, then information sharing is improved, but space constraints make positioning inconvenient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from physical positioning of output devices to virtual positioning through software-controlled display composition. The window manager can position and arrange information from multiple sources on display devices without requiring physical movement of medical equipment. This allows information sharing across multiple locations and users while eliminating space constraints that would otherwise limit device positioning
4Adaptability or versatility
If new equipment and software are integrated into the system, then functionality is expanded, but significant development effort is required
Solution Approach 1:
The window manager provides universal data access and composition capabilities that work with multiple types of data sources including medical devices, software applications, and third-party equipment. It uses standardized data network communication and publish-subscribe messaging that can accommodate new equipment and software without requiring significant development effort, thus enabling easy system expansion
Solution Approach 2:
The window manager acts as an intermediary that abstracts the complexity of data integration. New equipment and software can connect to the system through standard data network interfaces using publish-subscribe messaging, without requiring deep integration work. The window manager handles the complexity of data composition and distribution, making the system easily expandable
Data Source
AI summary
A system, method and computer readable medium to render, as a single image, source data from a network of data providers, that provide source data of a respective data type. A composition space contains two-dimensional (2D) display surfaces to which the source data is provided from the data providers, and transformation operator surfaces, which are located at different positions in a depth direction than the 2D display surfaces. Each of the transformation operator surfaces represent a respective visual transformation operation on surfaces of the 2D display surfaces that are positioned at lesser depths than the transformation operator surface. Using data-centric communication, updates are published to the 2D display surfaces, the updates including the source data from the data providers, and, upon detecting an update to a subscribed 2D display surface, the subscribed 2D display surface is rendered as the single image by performing the visual transformation operations.