Remote control of medical devices using instant messaging infrastructure

1. A method of transferring medical images from a medical image database using an instant messaging (IM) infrastructure comprising:

establishing, by an IM server, a first IM session with a medical workstation, the medical workstation

being in communication with the medical image database via a communication path independent of the IM server, and

including a user interface with a display enabling a user of the medical workstation to select one or more images from the medical image database to be viewed on the display;

establishing a second IM session with a mobile device, wherein the mobile device is on an IM roster of the medical workstation and the medical workstation is on an IM roster of the mobile device;

sending, by the IM server, roster and presence information to the mobile device and the medical workstation;

providing a list of image results to be displayed on a user interface of the mobile device;

facilitating, by the IM server, communication of a command from the mobile device to the medical workstation, the command being a request to transfer an image from the medical image database to at least one of the mobile device and a second medical workstation;

providing, to the mobile device, a list of destinations available to receive the image, the list of destinations including the second medical workstation and being displayed by the mobile device on the user interface;

receiving, with the command from the mobile device, a selection of a destination from the list of destinations, the destination being the second medical workstation; and

providing the command with the selection of the destination to the medical workstation to facilitate transferring of the image to the second medical workstation.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: adding the mobile device to the IM roster of the medical workstation after receipt of a unique connection ID from the mobile device that was previously provided in an out-of-band communication by the medical workstation.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: adding the medical workstation to the IM roster of the mobile device after receipt of a unique connection ID from the mobile device that was previously provided in an out-of-band communication by the medical workstation.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein, in response to the command, the image is transferred via a proxy server from the medical image database to the at least one of the mobile device and a second medical workstation.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein, in response to the command, the image is generated from a Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) file stored on the medical image database.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the medical image database resides on at least one selected from the group of the medical workstation, on an external hard drive directly connected to the medical workstation via serial cable, and on a network hard drive.

7. A method of transferring medical images from a medical image database using an instant messaging (IM) infrastructure comprising:

establishing, by a mobile device, an IM session with an IM server;

receiving presence information regarding a medical workstation that is on an IM roster of the mobile device, the medical workstation being in communication with the medical image database via a communication path independent of the IM server;

displaying, on a user interface of the mobile device, a list of image results received from the IM server including a first image and a second image;

receiving, by the mobile device, a selection of the second image;

sending, by the mobile device, a command via the IM server to the medical workstation, the command being a request to transfer the second image from the medical image database to at least one of the mobile device and a second medical workstation;

receiving a list of destinations available to receive the image, the list of destinations including the second medical workstation;

displaying, on the user interface of the mobile device, the list of destinations; and

receiving a selection of a destination from the list of destinations, the destination being the second medical workstation,

wherein sending the command via the IM server to the medical workstation includes sending an image move command that identifies the destination selected such that the second image is transferred to the second medical workstation.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

receiving a unique connection ID previously provided in an out-of-band communication by the medical workstation; and

sending a roster update request with the unique connection ID to update at least one of the IM roster of the mobile device to include the remote medical workstation, and an IM roster of the remote medical workstation to include the mobile device.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the roster update request further includes a nickname identifying the remote medical workstation.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein, in response to the command, the second image is transferred via a proxy server from the medical image database to a second medical workstation.

11. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

receiving, in response to the command, the second image on the mobile device; and

displaying the second image on the mobile device.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the command is generated by the mobile device in response to the selection, which is a user selection of a representation of the second image on a graphical user interface of the mobile device.

13. The method of claim 7 , wherein, in response to the command, the second image is generated from a Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) file stored on the medical image database and then transferred to the mobile device.

14. The method of claim 7 , wherein the medical image database resides on at least one selected from the group of the medical workstation, on an external hard drive directly connected to the medical workstation via serial cable, and on a network hard drive.

15. The method of claim 7 , wherein displaying the list of image results further comprises:

displaying a list of studies for a plurality of patients on a single screen of the graphical user interface, the studies being grouped by patient such that a first patient is listed with at least a first study and a second patient is listed with at least a second study and third study,

wherein each of the first, second, and third studies includes at least one series of images.

16. A method of transferring medical images from a medical image database using an instant messaging (IM) infrastructure comprising:

establishing, by a medical workstation, an IM session with an IM server, wherein the medical workstation being in communication with the medical image database, and

including a user interface with a display enabling a user of the medical workstation to select one or more images from the medical image database to be viewed on the display;

receiving, by the medical workstation, presence information regarding a mobile device that is on an IM roster of the medical workstation;

providing, by the medical workstation, a list of image results to be displayed on a user interface of the mobile device;

receiving, by the medical workstation, a command via the IM server from the mobile device, the command being a request to transfer an image from the medical image database to at least one of the mobile device and a second medical workstation;

retrieving, by the medical workstation, the image from the medical image database via a communication path independent of the IM server; and

sending, by the medical workstation, the image to at least one of the mobile device and the second medical workstation,

wherein the command received via the IM server includes an identification of a destination provided by the mobile device in response to a selection from a list of destinations available to receive the image, the destination being the second medical workstation, and

wherein sending the image includes sending the image to the second medical workstation in response to receipt of the command.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising providing a unique connection ID in an out-of-band communication that authenticates a roster update request from the mobile device to add at least one of (i) the mobile device to the IM roster of the medical workstation and (ii) the medical workstation to an IM roster of the mobile device.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein sending the image to at least one of the mobile device and the second medical workstation includes sending the image via a proxy server.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein, in response to the command, the image is generated from a Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) file stored on the medical image database and then transferred to the mobile device.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the medical image database resides on at least one selected from the group of the medical workstation, on an external hard drive directly connected to the medical workstation via serial cable, and on a network hard drive.

21. An instant messaging (IM) server for facilitating transfer of medical images from a medical image database, the IM server comprising:

a first IM session with a medical workstation, the medical workstation

being in communication with the medical image database via a communication path independent of the IM server, and

including a user interface with a display enabling a user of the medical workstation to select one or more images from the medical image database to be viewed on the display;

a second IM session with a mobile device;

a non-transitory memory storing

an IM roster of the medical workstation including the mobile device, and

an IM roster of the mobile device including the medical workstation;

a presence module that sends roster and presence information to the mobile device and the medical workstation; and

a message routing module that

provides a list of image results to be displayed on a user interface of the mobile device,

routes a command from the mobile device to the medical workstation, the command being a request to transfer an image from the medical image database to at least one of the mobile device and a second medical workstation,

provides, to the mobile device, a list of destinations available to receive the image, the list of destinations including the second medical workstation and being displayed by the mobile device on the user interface,

receives, with the command from the mobile device, a selection of a destination from the list of destinations, the destination being the second medical workstation, and

provides the command with the selection of the destination to the medical workstation to facilitate transferring of the image to the second medical workstation.

22. The IM server of claim 21 , further comprising: a roster management module that

receives a unique connection ID from the mobile device that was previously provided in an out-of-band communication by the medical workstation, and

in response, adds at least one of (i) the mobile device to the IM roster of the medical workstation and (ii) the medical workstation to the IM roster of the mobile device.

23. The IM server of claim 21 , wherein the medical image database resides on at least one selected from the group of the medical workstation, on an external hard drive directly connected to the medical workstation via serial cable, and on a network hard drive.