JPH07146830A - Communication equipment for medical image - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the overhead of communication processing between a medical image diagnostic device and to provide the fast communication of image data by providing a memory device large in capacity and attaching a function to execute a line connection function and a protocol processing function served by each medical image diagnostic device on this communication equipment instead of it. CONSTITUTION:This communication equipment 1 for medical image performs the communication processing by an instruction from the medical image diagnostic device 10. A command and a parameter to be processed by the communication equipment 1 are written on the command register 16 of the communication equipment 1, and the software of a control part 4 performs processing by interpreting their contents. The memory device 2 large in capacity is provided. Therefore, when medical image data is processed by communication, it is possible to reduce the number of times of division and transfer of large amount of data between the medical image diagnostic device 10 and to reduce the overhead of the communication processing. Furthermore, it is possible to reduce the lowering of the performance of the medical image diagnostic device 10 due to a burden on the communication processing, which enables the equipment to be used as the one dedicated for diagnosis.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a medical image communication device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Medical image diagnostic apparatuses such as CT, MRI, DR, CR, and ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus connected via a network are provided with a medical image communication apparatus. The transmission / reception of image data is controlled in each medical image diagnostic apparatus via the.

[0003]

However, in such a configuration, when a large amount of image data such as a DR image is communicated, the image data is stored in a storage device such as a magnetic disk in a medical image diagnostic apparatus. In this case, since the area of the storage device of the medical image communication apparatus is small, it is necessary to divide and transfer the image data.

Therefore, the divided transfer processing of the image data frequently occurs between the storage devices of the medical image diagnostic apparatus and the medical image communication apparatus.

Therefore, it is necessary to perform the management process of the transfer source and transfer destination addresses of the medical image data for each divided transfer process, and the process of confirming how much the divided image data has been transferred, and the magnetic disk. It has been pointed out that the overhead of software and hardware due to frequent access to the network becomes large.

Further, in an image database for image data management for registering various image data generated in various places in a hospital in a database or transferring the image data to a medical image diagnostic apparatus, a plurality of medical image diagnostic apparatus requests image data transmission processing. ,
There is a case where a reception processing request occurs, and in each communication processing, a network connection setting processing, a packet division processing of image data after the network connection setting, a communication processing according to a protocol for each network connection, etc. occur. It has been pointed out that the communication processing becomes large.

Therefore, the present invention has been made under such circumstances, and an object thereof is to reduce the so-called overhead of the communication processing with the medical image diagnostic apparatus, and It is to provide a medical image communication device capable of high-speed communication of image data.

[0008]

In order to achieve such an object, the present invention basically comprises a plurality of medical image diagnostic apparatuses connected via a network, and these medical image diagnostic apparatuses are provided. In a medical image communication device that controls the exchange of data with

It is characterized in that it is provided with a large-capacity storage device, and is provided with a function of executing the line connection function and the protocol processing function which each medical image diagnostic apparatus has processed.

[0010]

According to the medical image communication apparatus configured as described above, the medical image communication apparatus is provided with a large-capacity storage device, and the line connection function and the protocol processing function, which are conventionally processed by the medical image diagnostic apparatus, can be executed instead. Like For this reason,
When performing communication processing of medical image data, the so-called overhead of the communication processing can be reduced by reducing the number of division transfer of large-capacity data with the medical image diagnostic apparatus. Further, the medical image diagnostic apparatus can be used as a dedicated diagnostic apparatus because the performance degradation due to the communication processing load can be reduced.

Therefore, the communication processing of the medical image diagnostic apparatus can be reduced and the medical image data can be communicated at high speed.

[0012]

1 is a schematic overall block diagram showing an embodiment of a medical image communication apparatus according to the present invention. The medical image communication apparatus 1 is roughly classified into a storage device 2 for storing a large amount of image data, a network interface unit 3 for a communication line, and a control unit 4 for transmitting / receiving data recorded in the storage device 2. And a bus interface unit 5 for the medical image diagnostic apparatus, an internal bus 6 for connecting the storage device 2, the network interface unit 3, the control unit 4, and the bus interface unit 5. The medical image communication apparatus 1 configured in this manner is connected to the memory space of the medical image diagnostic apparatus 10 via the VME bus 7.

Here, the storage device 2 is composed of a RAM and is composed of a buffer memory 11 for storing data, and a medical image diagnostic device 10 which is made via a bus interface section 5.
Memory arbitration circuit 12 that arbitrates access from the controller and access from the control unit 4. Further, the buffer memory 11 is provided in its own address space of the medical image diagnostic apparatus 10 as shown in FIG.
The position and size of the buffer memory can be managed.

Although not shown, the network interface section 3 is a so-called ISO8802-3 or A.
A network interface for transmitting and receiving data in accordance with the NSI / IEEE802.3 standard, and is connected to the network 8.

The control unit 4 includes an MPU 13 for operating software for internal control processing and protocol processing executed by the medical image communication apparatus 1, and a ROM 1.
4 and RAM 15. More specifically, the control of the network interface unit 3, the interpretation of the control command given from the medical image diagnostic apparatus 10 through the command register 16 of the bus interface unit 5, the control command is processed, and the result of this process is displayed. The control software 100 is displayed on the medical image diagnostic apparatus 10 via the status register 17 of the bus interface unit 5. In addition, according to a control command given from the medical image diagnostic apparatus 10, a packet used for setting / releasing a network connection and transmitting data is created, interpretation of various packets received from the network 8 via the network interface unit 3 and data are performed. It has communication protocol processing software 101 that performs transmission / reception protocols.

As shown in FIG. 2, the bus interface section 5 includes a command register 16 for the medical image diagnostic apparatus 10 to set a communication control command, and a command set in the command register 16 for software in the control section 4. Status register 17 that displays the processing result
Consists of. By providing the command register 16 and the status register 17 in its own address space of the medical image diagnostic apparatus 10, the positions of the command register 16 and the status register 17 can be managed.

Next, the operation of the medical image communication apparatus 1 thus configured will be described. First, the medical image communication apparatus 1 performs communication processing by being supported by the medical image diagnostic apparatus 10. Commands and parameters to be processed by the medical image communication apparatus 1 are written in the medical image communication apparatus 1 and the command register 16 thereof. This command register 16
3, the process identifier 40, the process command 41, the partner address 42 of the partner medical image communication device that is the transmission destination, the own address 43 of the own medical image communication device that is the communication source, and the data A buffer position 44 of the buffer memory 11 used for transmission / reception, a buffer size 45 indicating the size of the buffer memory, and a connection number 46.

The buffer position 44 and the buffer size 45 indicating the size of the buffer memory are set to the position of the buffer memory by setting the memory buffer 11 in its own address space of the medical image diagnostic apparatus 10. The size can be managed.

When commands and parameters are written from the medical image diagnostic apparatus 10 to the command register 16,
The software of the control unit 4 interprets the contents of the command register 16 and performs processing according to the command and parameters. The process performed by the control software 100 of the control unit 4 will be described in detail later, but an outline thereof will be described here. In the case of the transmission process, the transmission data written in the buffer memory 11 is cut into each size that the network interface unit 3 can handle. However, this is communication protocol processing software 101
And the data is transmitted via the network interface unit 3. Further, in the case of reception processing, the data received by the network interface unit 3 is processed by the communication protocol processing software 101, and the received data passed to the control software 100 is sequentially written in the buffer memory 11.

When the processing of the control software 100 of the control unit is completed, the software writes the processing result in the status register 17 and indicates it to the medical image diagnostic apparatus 10.
As shown in FIG. 4, the status register 17 includes a processing identifier 50 indicating which processing has been performed, a processing command 51 indicating a processed command, a counterpart address 52 of the medical image communication apparatus which is a counterpart of the processing, and a self-address. Own address 53 of the medical image communication device, the buffer position 54 of the buffer memory 11 used for data transmission / reception, the buffer size 55 indicating the size of the buffer memory, the connection number 56, and whether or not the processing is normally completed. Processing result 57 indicating

The buffer position 54 of the buffer memory 11 and the buffer size 5 indicating the size of the buffer memory
By providing the memory buffer 11 in its own address space of the medical image diagnostic apparatus 10, the position 5 can manage the position and size of the buffer memory in the setting.

Next, each process performed by the medical image processing apparatus will be described below. First, the setting of the network connection will be described.

For example, in order for two medical image communication apparatuses to set a connection, one medical image diagnostic apparatus issues a connection wait command and waits for a connection request from any medical image processing apparatus. Then, the other medical image diagnostic apparatus requests connection setting to the medical image communication apparatus waiting for connection.

FIG. 5 shows the operation of the network connection performed by the medical image communication devices 21 and 31. When the medical image diagnostic apparatus 20 sets the network connection wait, the medical image communication apparatus 21
Then, the command and parameter waiting for connection are written into the command register 23 via the VME bus 22. The connection waiting command and parameter are a processing identifier 40 = 01, a processing command 41 = 01, a partner address 42 = 01 of a partner medical image communication device that is a transmission destination, and a self medical image communication device that is a transmission source. Address 43 =
02, buffer memory 11 used for transmitting and receiving data
Buffer 44 = 330000, a buffer size 45 = 1000 indicating the size of the buffer memory, and a connection number 46 = 01.

The control unit 25 of the medical image communication device 21 is
According to the support written in the command register 23, it waits for the arrival of the network connection request packet 100 received from the other medical image communication apparatus 31 via the network interface 26. When the medical image communication device 21 receives the network connection request packet 100, the processed processing identifier 50 =
01, the processed processing command 51 = 01, the partner address 52 = 01, of the partner medical image communication device that is the transmission destination,
A self-address 53 = 02 of the own medical image communication device that is the transmission source, and a storage device 27 used for data transmission / reception
The buffer position of the internal buffer memory 54 = 33000
0, buffer size 55 indicating the size of the buffer memory
= 1000, connection number 56 = 01 and processing result 5
The value 0 is written to 7 in the status register 24 to indicate that the connection waiting process is completed. Also, the connection acceptance packet 120 is transmitted to the medical image diagnostic apparatus 31 that has requested the network connection.

The control unit 25 carries out the packet transmission processing, the reception processing, the reading of the command register 23, and the writing of the status register 24 by software via the internal bus 28.

Next, when the medical image diagnostic apparatus 30 sets a network connection request, the connection request command is sent to the medical image communication apparatus 31 and the connection number requested by the partner apparatus for setting the connection is VME.
Write to the command register 33 via the bus 32. The connection request command includes a process identifier 40 = 02, a process command 41 = 02, a partner address 42 of the partner's medical image communication device that is the destination, and a self-address 43 of the sender's own medical image communication device. = 02, buffer position 44 of the buffer memory 11 used for data transmission / reception 44 = 330000, buffer size 45 = 1000 indicating the size of the buffer memory, connection number 4
It consists of 6 = 01.

The medical image communication device 31 makes a network connection request to another medical image diagnostic device 21 connected by the network 8 in accordance with an instruction written from the medical image diagnostic device 30 to the command register 33 via the VME bus 32. The packet 100 is transmitted. The medical image communication device 21 receives the network connection acceptance packet 120 from the medical image communication device 20,
Similar to the connection wait command, the contents of the command processed from the parameters given by the command register 33 and the processing result are written in the status register 34 and shown to the medical image diagnostic apparatus 30.

Next, the transmission / reception processing of the image data after setting the connection will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. When the medical image diagnostic apparatus 20 transmits image data, the transmission data is written in the storage device 25, and then the processing identifier 40 = 03, the processing command 41 = 03, and the communication destination medical image communication of the other party in the command register 23. Device partner address 42 = 01, own medical image communication device that is the sender 43 = 02, buffer position 11 of buffer memory 11 used for data transmission and reception
= 330000, buffer size 45 = 1000 indicating the size of the buffer memory, connection number 46 = 01
Write.

Next, the medical image communication device 21 converts the image data in the storage device into the network interface 2 according to the value of the command register 23 as shown in FIG.
6, the connection number, the address of the partner medical image communication device 31 and the divided image data are packetized, and the partner medical image communication device 31 is packetized.
To the communication protocol processing software 101. At this time, the control software 100 divides the data to be transmitted, cuts the data in the buffer memory in order of p1, p2, ..., And p1000 into an appropriate size from the tip of the buffer memory and delivers it to the communication protocol processing software 101. When the network interface unit 3 is used, the size of the packet to be divided is
It is 1.5 Kbytes. The transmission process is terminated when the communication protocol processing software 101 receives a reception completion packet from the partner medical image communication device 31 after transmitting all the data in the buffer memory, and the control software 100 processes it. The result is written in the status register 24, and the medical image diagnostic imaging apparatus 20 detects the end of the process by looking at the status register 24.

The contents to be written in the status register 24 are the contents and the processing result of the command processed from the parameter given in the command register 33 as in the connection wait command.

When the medical image diagnostic apparatus 30 receives data, the processing identifier 40 = 04, processing command 4
1 = 04, the other party's address 42 of the medical image communication apparatus of the transmission source, and the own address 43 = 02 of the own medical image communication apparatus of the transmission source, and the buffer memory 11 used for data transmission / reception. Buffer position 44 = 3
30,000, buffer size 45 = 1000 indicating the size of the buffer memory, connection number 46 = 01 are written to wait for the reception of data from the partner medical image communication device.

Next, as shown in FIG. 7, the communication protocol processing software 201 receives the packetized data continuously sent from the partner medical image communication apparatus 21 via the network interface section 3 and receives it. The control software 202 sequentially stores in the buffer memory of the storage device 31. The reception is completed when the designated buffer memory is full, and the reception is completed when the reception completion packet is received by the partner medical image communication device 21, and the control software 100 writes the processing result in the status register 34. . The medical image diagnostic apparatus 30 detects the end of processing by looking at the status register 34. The contents written to the status register 34 are the contents and the processing result of the command processed from the parameters given to the command register 33 as in the connection wait command.

Next, the release of the network connection will be described with reference to FIG. In order to release the connection between the two medical image diagnostic apparatuses 20 and 30 that have established a connection, both the medical image diagnostic apparatuses 20 and 30 issue a connection release request command, and the medical image communication apparatuses 21 and 31. Connection release request packet 140
Is sent to disconnect the medical image communication devices 21 and 31 from each other. Both medical image communication devices 2
The connection release processings 1 and 31 are performed by the mutual medical image communication apparatuses transmitting the connection release acceptance packet 140 and receiving the connection release confirmation packet from the other party.

Next, the operation of releasing the network connection will be described. When the medical image diagnostic apparatus 20 releases the network connection, the medical image diagnostic apparatus 20 sends 2 to the command register via the VMEbus 22.
3 connection release request command and the connection number for releasing the connection are set in the command register 23 via the VMEbus 32, and the value is the processing identifier 40 = 0.
5, processing command 41 = 05, partner address 42 of medical image communication device of the other party that is the sender 42 = 01, own address 43 of the own medical image communication device that is the sender of the sender 43 = 0
2. The buffer position of the buffer memory 11 used for data transmission / reception 44 = 330000, the buffer size 45 = 1000 indicating the size of the buffer memory, and the connection number 46 = 01.

The medical image communication device 21 transmits a network connection release request packet 140 to another medical image diagnostic device 30 in accordance with the instruction written in the command register 23. The medical image communication apparatus 31 returns the network connection release request packet 160. Upon receiving the connection release acceptance 160, the medical image communication apparatus 21 writes in the status register 24 a connection number, which is set as an end code and is set for each connection, which is set as an end code. The medical image diagnostic apparatus 20 detects the end of processing by looking at the status register 24.

When the medical image diagnostic apparatus 30 releases the network connection, the process identifier 40 = 0 in the command register 33 of the medical image communication apparatus 31.
5, processing command 41 = 05, partner address 42 = 02 of the partner medical image communication device that is the sender, buffer position 44 = 33 of the buffer memory 11 used for sending and receiving
0000, buffer size 45 = 1000 indicating the size of the buffer memory, and connection number 46 = 01 are written.

The medical image communication apparatus 31 transmits a network connection release request packet 141 to another medical image diagnostic apparatus 20 according to the instruction written in the command register 33. Upon receiving the network connection release request packet, the medical image diagnostic apparatus 20 returns a connection release acceptance packet 161. The medical image communication device 31 uses the connection release acceptance packet 161.
When it receives, the status register 34 writes the completion code of the connection release as a completion code and a connection number determined for each connection.
The medical image diagnostic apparatus 30 detects the end of processing by looking at the status register.

Further, the medical image communication apparatus 1 processes each of the above processes in units of a process identifier 40. Therefore, the medical image diagnostic apparatus 10 arbitrarily sets a process identifier and manages the process identifier so that a plurality of communication processes can be performed by the medical image communication apparatus 1.
Can be done.

According to the medical image communication apparatus shown in the above-mentioned embodiment, it is equipped with a large-capacity storage device, and instead executes the line connection function and the protocol processing function which were conventionally processed by the medical image diagnostic apparatus. Will be able to. Therefore, when performing communication processing of medical image data, it is possible to reduce the number of times of division transfer of large-capacity data with the medical image diagnostic apparatus and reduce the so-called overhead of the communication processing. Further, the medical image diagnostic apparatus can be used as a dedicated diagnostic apparatus because the performance degradation due to the communication processing load can be reduced. Therefore,
The communication processing of the medical image diagnostic apparatus can be reduced, and the medical image data can be communicated at high speed.

[0041]

According to the medical image communication apparatus described above, the so-called overhead of communication processing with the medical image diagnostic apparatus can be reduced, and high-speed communication of image data can be performed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing an embodiment of a medical image communication apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of an arrangement in a medical image diagnostic apparatus such as a command register of the medical image communication apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a command register processed by the medical image communication apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of a status register processed by the medical image communication apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of a connection setting means by the medical image communication apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of an image data transmission processing means by the medical image communication apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a reception processing unit of image data by the medical image communication apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of a connection releasing means in the medical image communication apparatus according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Medical Image Communication Device 2 Storage Device 3 Network Interface Unit 4 Control Unit 5 Bus Interface 10 Medical Image Diagnostic Device

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Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A medical image communication apparatus comprising a plurality of medical image diagnostic apparatuses connected via a network, and controlling transmission and reception of data to and from these medical image diagnostic apparatuses, comprising a large-capacity storage device. At the same time, a medical image communication apparatus is provided with a function of executing the line connection function and the protocol processing function which each medical image diagnosis apparatus has processed instead.