Method and arrangement for suppressing messages from a medical system

A method for suppressing messages from a medical system in a remote maintenance center during maintenance work includes generating an item of start information that indicates a start of the maintenance work on the medical system. The method also includes transmitting the start information to the remote maintenance center, and generating an item of end information that indicates an end of the maintenance work on the medical system. The method includes transmitting the end information to the remote maintenance center and suppressing the messages that are sent from the medical system to the remote maintenance center in a time between the start information and the end information, in the remote maintenance center.

This application claims the benefit of DE 10 2012 220 958.1, filed on Nov. 16, 2012, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD

The present embodiments relate to a method and an arrangement for suppressing messages from a medical system in a remote maintenance center while maintenance work is being carried out.

BACKGROUND

A software component makes it possible for medical systems (e.g., angiography devices) to independently report system faults or deviations from standard operation to a remote maintenance center or service center.

The published patent application DE 10 2004 045743 A1 describes remote maintenance of imaging devices, for example. Such devices are often maintained, within the scope of a first service level, by the clinic's own service technicians who, in the event of the occurrence of more specific or more complex problems, access the support of the respective manufacturer or specialized service companies within the scope of higher service levels by remote maintenance. A number of potential technical problems may be attributed to causes that may be identified in a relatively simple manner and may accordingly be frequently rectified in a simple manner. Such problems (e.g., main cable not plugged in or printer ink empty) may be solved in situ without special device knowledge. In such cases, consumables may be purchased if necessary. More complex problems may also be identified by unspecialized service technicians in situ, i. In such a case, a test routine is to be executed under certain circumstances. The routine is to be executed in order to exclude possible but irrelevant causes of a problem or to trace back to the actual cause.

If such maintenance operations are carried out by service technicians, experience shows that system deviations from standard operation caused by maintenance and thus messages in the remote maintenance center result while the work is being carried out on the medical system. The messages give rise to measures in the remote maintenance center (e.g., making contact with the affected customer, planning further service technician operations). Since several thousand medical systems may be connected to a remote maintenance center, these system messages are disruptive.

SUMMARY

The present embodiments may obviate one or more of the drawbacks or limitations in the related art. For example, a method and an associated arrangement that improve the progress of maintenance work on a medical system are provided.

System messages arriving in a remote maintenance center from a medical system are suppressed or ignored as long as maintenance work is being carried out on the medical system.

A method for suppressing messages from a medical system in a remote maintenance center while maintenance work is being carried out is provided. The method includes generating an item of start information that indicates a start of the maintenance work on the medical system, and transmitting the start information to the remote maintenance center. The method also includes generating an item of end information that indicates the end of the maintenance work on the medical system, and transmitting the end information to the remote maintenance center. The method includes suppressing the messages that are sent from the medical system to the remote maintenance center between the start information and the end information, in the remote maintenance center. One or more of the present embodiments afford the advantage that unnecessary actions and measures in a remote maintenance center are avoided.

In one development of the method, the start information and the end information may be triggered by a service technician at the location of the medical system.

In another embodiment, the start information and the end information may be generated using an input unit. In one embodiment, the input unit includes a personal digital assistant.

In one embodiment, the start information and the end information may be transmitted from the location of the medical system to the remote maintenance center.

The start information and the end information may be transmitted to the remote maintenance center by the personal digital assistant.

In one development of the method, no measures that affect the messages are taken as a result of the messages being suppressed.

In another embodiment, the start information may include a first time, and the end information may include a second time.

One or more of the present embodiments also specify an arrangement for suppressing messages. The arrangement includes a medical system that may be used to emit the messages, and a remote maintenance center that may be used to receive the messages from the medical system. The arrangement also includes an input unit in which an item of start information and an item of end information may be generated. The start information indicates the start of maintenance work on the medical system, and the end information indicates the end of the maintenance work. The arrangement also includes a suppression module in the remote maintenance center. The suppression module suppresses incoming messages from the medical system in a time between the start information and the end information.

In one development, the input unit may include a personal digital assistant.

In another embodiment, the suppression module may provide that no measures that affect the messages are taken as a result of the messages being suppressed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1shows a flowchart of one embodiment of a method for suppressing messages from a medical system1in a remote maintenance center2. It is disruptive to an operating sequence if messages M in a remote maintenance center2trigger actions during maintenance work on the medical system1by a service technician. A large number of messages M, such as fault messages and status messages, may be generated and transmitted to the remote maintenance center2during maintenance work. In order to preclude this, one or more of the present embodiments provide a simple and reliable solution.

In act100, the service technician in situ notifies his input unit5(e.g., a personal digital assistant (PDA)) that he is starting the maintenance work. The input unit5generates an item of start information Z1that is sent, via a data connection network3, to the remote maintenance center2where an on-site repair start message OSR START is generated in act101. All messages M that come from the medical system1are then suppressed (e.g., are not displayed) in act102. In addition, the remote maintenance center2does not trigger any further measures. In other words, messages M from the medical system1are ignored during the maintenance or repair period.

Once the service technician has completed his maintenance or repair work, he inputs the end of the work to his input unit5in act103, and an item of end information Z2that indicates the end of the maintenance work is generated. The end information Z2is sent, via the data connection network3, to the remote maintenance center2where an on-site repair end message OSR END is generated in act104. From this time on, messages M from the medical system1are no longer suppressed but rather are displayed and may cause further measures.

FIG. 2shows a block diagram of one embodiment of an arrangement for suppressing messages M. The arrangement includes a medical system1that emits a message M in the event of a fault, for example. The arrangement also includes a remote maintenance center2that receives and records the message M emitted by the medical system1. The start and end of maintenance work in the form of an item of start information Z1and an item of end information Z2may be produced using an input unit5.

The two items of information Z1, Z2are each transmitted to the remote maintenance center2. The medical system1and the input unit5are connected to the remote maintenance center2via a data connection network3. After the start information Z1has arrived, all messages M from the medical system1are suppressed in the remote maintenance center2by the suppression module4(e.g., the messages M do not have any effect) until the end information Z2arrives.