System, method and apparatus for real-time access to networked radiology data

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a handheld patient device associated with a patient, a DICOM image associated with the patient and generated by a diagnostic device;

encrypting, by the handheld patient device, the DICOM image, wherein the handheld patient device is one of a tablet computer and a smartphone; and

transmitting, by the handheld patient device, the encrypted DICOM image to a medical professional device associated with a medical professional.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the DICOM image is managed in a HIPAA-compliant manner.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising linking, by the handheld patient device, the encrypted DICOM image to a unique patient identifier associated with the patient.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the diagnostic device is configured to transmit the DICOM image to the handheld patient device via one of a wireless connection and a wired connection.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the DICOM image is encrypted using a hypertext transfer protocol secure method.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the diagnostic device is one of an electrocardiograph (ECG), a pulse oximeter, a blood pressure cuff, a spirometer, a sphygmomanometer, a weight scale, a stethoscope, a blood chemistry analyzer, a microscope, an ultrasounds probe, a glucometer, a horoscope, a prothrombin time and international normalized ratio (PT/INR) machine, a medication station, an abdominal probe, a vascular access probe, an endocavity probe, an ophthalmology probe, a proscope, a thermometer, and a remotely-controlled 360 degree high definition camera.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the medical professional device is remote from the handheld patient device.

8. A system comprising

a handheld patient device associated with a patient, the handheld patient device being one of a tablet computer and a smartphone, and the handheld patient device comprising:

data processing hardware; and

memory hardware in communication with the data processing hardware, the memory hardware storing instructions that when executed on the data processing hardware cause the data processing hardware to perform operations comprising:

receiving a DICOM image associated with the patient and generated by a diagnostic device;

encrypting the DICOM image; and

transmitting the encrypted DICOM image to a medical professional device associated with a medical professional.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the DICOM image is managed in a HIPAA-compliant manner.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise linking the encrypted DICOM image to a unique patient identifier associated with the patient.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the DICOM image is encrypted using a hypertext transfer protocol secure method.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the diagnostic device is configured to transmit the DICOM image to the data processing hardware of the handheld patient device via one of a wireless connection and a wired connection.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the diagnostic device is one of an electrocardiograph (ECG), a pulse oximeter, a blood pressure cuff, a spirometer, a sphygmomanometer, a weight scale, a stethoscope, a blood chemistry analyzer, a microscope, an ultrasounds probe, a glucometer, a horoscope, a prothrombin time and international normalized ratio (PT/INR) machine, a medication station, an abdominal probe, a vascular access probe, an endocavity probe, an ophthalmology probe, a proscope, a thermometer, and a remotely-controlled 360 degree high definition camera.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the medical professional device is remote from the handheld patient device.

15. A tablet computer associated with a patient comprising:

data processing hardware; and

memory hardware in communication with the data processing hardware, the memory hardware storing instructions that when executed on the data processing hardware cause the data processing hardware to perform operations comprising:

receiving a DICOM image associated with the patient and generated by a diagnostic device;

encrypting the DICOM image; and

transmitting the encrypted DICOM image to a medical professional device associated with a medical professional.

16. The tablet computer of claim 15 , wherein the DICOM image is managed in a HIPAA-compliant manner.

17. The tablet computer of claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise linking the encrypted DICOM image to a unique patient identifier associated with the patient.

18. The tablet computer of claim 15 , wherein the DICOM image is encrypted using a hypertext transfer protocol secure method.

19. The tablet computer of claim 15 , wherein the data processing hardware is configured to receive the DICOM image from the diagnostic device via one of a wireless connection and a wired connection.

20. The tablet computer of claim 15 , wherein the diagnostic device is one of an electrocardiograph (ECG), a pulse oximeter, a blood pressure cuff, a spirometer, a sphygmomanometer, a weight scale, a stethoscope, a blood chemistry analyzer, a microscope, an ultrasounds probe, a glucometer, a horoscope, a prothrombin time and international normalized ratio (PT/INR) machine, a medication station, an abdominal probe, a vascular access probe, an endocavity probe, an ophthalmology probe, a proscope, a thermometer, and a remotely-controlled 360 degree high definition camera.