Abstract:
A system and method for certifying a trainee to use a device is disclosed. The system and method include a testing computer configured to create an answer log containing at least one answer given by the trainee to at least one question of a certification test and a centralized grading server in communication with the testing computer, the centralized grading server configured to receive the answer log from the testing computer, evaluate the answer log to determine if the trainee has passed the certification test, and provide a license file providing a license file if the trainee passes the certification test.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present embodiments generally relate to systems and methods for training individuals to operate a device, and more particularly a medical device. 
     2. Background 
     It is costly and time consuming to train individuals to operate devices. Even more costly and time consuming is the training of individuals to operate medical devices. First, medical devices, such as x-ray, computed axial tomography (“CAT”), and magnetic resonance imaging (“MRI”) devices, are considered some of the most complex devices to operate. Second, improper operation of such a device is undesired. For example, numerous medical devices use radiation, in a variety of forms, to peer into the interior of the human body without the need of invasive surgery. 
     Individuals who operate such devices have been rigorously trained in a variety of ways. For example, individuals may be trained by having in-person instruction. In-person instruction is highly effective because the instructor can interact with the individual to determine the individual&#39;s competency. However, in-person training is costly because of the limited number of instructors. Furthermore, individuals must synchronize their schedules in order to be in attendance when the instructor is present. 
     Another form of training involves training without the use of an instructor. Typically, an individual will watch a series of videos or read books containing information for operating the medical device. By so doing, the cost of hiring an instructor and the challenges of synchronizing schedules are avoided. However, this system has the drawback of not having the ability to measure the competency of the individual being trained. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY 
     A method and system for certifying a trainee to use a device is disclosed. The method includes the acts of creating an answer log containing at least one answer given by the trainee to at least one question of a certification test, sending the answer log to a centralized grading server, evaluating the answer log to determine if the trainee has passed the certification test, providing a license file if the trainee passes the certification test and uploading the license file to the device, whereby the device is activated for the trainee to operate when the license file is uploaded into the device. 
     The system includes a testing computer configured to create an answer log containing at least one answer given by the trainee to at least one question of a certification test and a centralized grading server in communication with the testing computer. The centralized grading server is configured to receive the answer log from the testing computer, evaluate the answer log to determine if the trainee has passed the certification test, and provide a license file providing a license file if the trainee passes the certification test. 
     Further objects, features and advantages will become readily apparent to persons skilled in the art after a review of the following description, with reference to the drawings and claims that are appended to and form a part of this specification. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of one embodiment of a system for certifying a trainee to use a device; 
         FIG. 2  is another embodiment of a system for certifying a trainee to use a device, the device having a network interface; and 
         FIG. 3  is still another embodiment of a system for certifying a trainee to use a device, wherein the device certifies the trainee; and 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram of a method for certifying a trainee to use a device according to one embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a system  10  for certifying a trainee  12  is shown. The system  10  includes a testing computer  14 , a grading server  16 , and a device  18 . As will be described in more detail, the testing computer  14  and the grading server  16  function to train the trainee  12  to operate the device  18 . Additional, different or fewer components may be provided. For example, additional testing computers  14  and/or devices  18  are included in a network. As another example, the testing computer  14  is provided as part of the device  18 . 
     The testing computer  14  is a personal computer, laptop computer, a tablet, device  18  specific computer, personal data assistant, telephone or other user interface device. The testing computer  14  includes a processor  20 . The processor  20  is in communication with a memory unit  22  and a storage device  24 . The memory unit  22  and/or the storage device  24  can include a set of instructions that can be executed by the processor  20  to cause the testing computer  14  to perform any one or more of the methods or computer based functions disclosed herein. The testing computer  14  may operate in the capacity as a client user computer in a server client user network environment, or as a peer computer system in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. 
     The processor  20  is also connected to an output device  26  and an input device  28 . The output device  26  outputs data from the processor  20  to the trainee  12 . The output device  26  may be a computer screen, a printer or a removable storage device. 
     The input device  28  allows the trainee  12  to interface with the testing computer  14 . The input device  28  may be a keyboard, a curser control device, such as a mouse or trackball, or a device capable of reading computer readable medium and providing the contents of the computer readable medium to the processor  20 . 
     The testing computer  14  also includes a network interface  30  in communication with the processor  20 . The network interface  30  is a modem, Ethernet card, wireless adapter or other network interface. The network interface  30  functions to connect the testing computer  14  to a computer network. The computer network may be a local area network, a wide area network, or a distributed network, such as the Internet. 
     The grading server  16  is a personal computer, server, processing device connected with a network, or other device for processing testing data. Similar to the testing computer  14 , the grading server  16  includes a processor  32  in communication with a memory unit  23  and a storage unit  25 . The grading server  16  typically operates in the capacity of a computer network server, such as a single, centralized server or part of a network of servers operable to process testing data. The memory unit  23  and/or the storage device  25  may contain instructions that can be executed by the processor  32  to perform any one or more of the methods or computer based functions disclosed herein. 
     The grading server  16  also includes a network interface  34 . The network interface  34  functions to provide network access for the grading server  16 . The network interface  34  is a modem, port, Ethernet card or other network interface. The network interface  34  may be connected to a local area network, a wide area network, or a distributor network such as the Internet. In this embodiment, the network interface  34  of the grading server  16  is in communication with the network interface  30  of the testing computer  14 . The communication is direct, such as using modems, or indirect, such as packet based communications over a network. When connected as described above, the testing computer  14  and the grading server  16  are capable of communicating to each other. 
     The device  18  includes a processor  36  in communication with a memory unit  38  and a storage device  40 . The memory unit  38  and the storage device  40  may contain instructions executable by the processor  36  to cause the device  18  to perform any one or more of the methods or computer based functions disclosed herein. The processor  36 , memory unit  38 , and/or storage device  40  may be the processor  20 , memory unit  22 , and/or storage device  24 , respectively, or separate devices. 
     The device  18  also includes an input device  42 . The input device  42  may be a removable drive system capable of reading computer medium and providing the data from the computer readable medium to the processor  36 . The input device  42  may also be a keyboard or a curser control device, such as a mouse, one of the devices listed for input device  28  or input device  28 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , another embodiment of the system  10 ′ is shown. The system  10 ′ is similar to the system  10  of  FIG. 1 , with the addition of a network interface  44  connected to the processor  36  of the device  18 . The network interface  44  functions to provide network connectivity for the device  18 . Furthermore, the network interface  44  of the device  18  is connected to the network interface  30  of the testing computer  14  and/or the network interface  34  of the grading server  16 . 
       FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate the testing computer  14  and the device  18  are shown as two separate devices. However, the testing computer  14  and the device  18  may be the same device. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 4 , a method  50  for certifying the trainee  12  to use the device  18  is shown. In act  52 , the trainee  12  uses the testing computer  14  to download a certification test. This certification test may be downloaded from the centralized grading server or may be downloaded from any other remote device. Alternatively, act  52  may be optional because the certification test may already be downloaded to or exist on the testing computer  14 . Additionally, the testing computer  14  may download educational modules. These educational modules will contain information instructing the user  12  how to operate the device  18 . Thereafter, the user  12  may take the certification test. 
     In act  54 , the trainee  12  uses the input device  28  (as shown by arrow  44 ) to answer questions on the certification test. The questions to the certification test may be displayed on the output device  26  to the trainee  12  as shown by the arrow  46 . When the trainee  12  answers questions to the certification test, the testing computer  14  creates an answer log containing the answers given the trainee  12  to the certification test. The answer log may be stored in the storage device  24  and/or the memory unit  22 . The answer log includes actual answers or data derived from answers. For example, the testing computer may grade or score the answers and store the score in or as the answer log. 
     The certification test may be one test or may be a plurality of tests that must be completed sequentially. For example, the earlier tests could be the basics of operating the device while the later tests could be the advanced features of the device  18 . 
     In act  56 , the network interface  30  of the testing computer  14  transmits the answer related information to the network interface  34  of the grading server  16 . The answer related information may then be stored in the storage device  24  and/or the memory unit  22  of the grading server  16 . 
     As shown in act  58 , the processor  32  of the grading server  16  evaluates the answer log in order to determine if the trainee  12  has passed the certification test. The evaluation may be scoring the answers, comparing a score to a threshold or matching combinations of answers for a desired pattern. The evaluation is performed automatically or by a processor, but may include user input. Alternatively, the evaluation is performed manually by a user. 
     In act  60 , if the trainee  12  did not pass the certification test, the grading server  16  and/or the testing computer  14  provide the trainee  12  the results via the output device  26  (as shown by arrow  46 ). The results include correct answers, an indication of the questions incorrectly answered, the score, recommended training information or combinations thereof. Thereafter, the method  50  terminates. 
     As shown in act  62 , if the trainee passes the certification test, grading server  16  and/or the testing computer  14  provide the trainee  12  test results via the output device  26  (as shown by arrow  46 ). The results include correct answers, an indication of the questions incorrectly answered, the score, recommended training information or combinations thereof. The test results are communicated in an email, a link to a webpage, and/or a message sent to the testing computer  14  or the device  18 . Furthermore, the grading server  16  provides, in act  64 , a license to the trainee  12  to operate the device  18 . This license is provided to the trainee  12  via the output device  26  of the testing computer  14  (as shown by arrow  46 ). The license may be a password or may be in the form of a computer readable medium capable of interfacing with the input device  42  of the device  18 . As shown by arrow  47 , the license is then provided to the device  18  by the user  12 . 
     In act  66 , the testing computer  14  and/or the grading server  16  remove the certification test from the testing computer  14 . Act  66  is optional and is not required. Thereafter, the method  50  terminates. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 4 , another embodiment  10 ′ of performing the method  50  is shown. In this embodiment, the method  50  is performed as previously described with the exception that the license is uploaded to the device  18  automatically or in response to user input. This can be accomplished by connecting a network interface  43  of the device  18  to either the network interface  30  of the testing computer  14  and and/or the network interface  34  of the testing server  16 . The license is uploaded from either the network interface  30  of the testing computer  14  or the network interface  34  of the centralized testing server  16  to the network interface of the device  18 . By so doing, the license is automatically provided to the device  18  and does not require the interaction of the trainee  12  to input the license to the device  18 . Based on use identification, the device  18  allows operation by the user as long as the user has a license. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , another embodiment  10 ″ of performing the method  50  is shown. This embodiment is similar to the embodiment  10 ′ in  FIG. 2  with the exception that the device  18  includes the input device  42  and an output device  49 . The output device  49  may be a computer screen, a printer or a removable storage device. In this embodiment, the device  18  acts as the testing computer  14  (as best shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  as testing computer  14 ) and as the device  18 . By so doing, the device  18  performs the testing of the user  12  without the need of any additional hardware. 
     The instructions for implementing the processes, methods and/or techniques discussed above are provided on computer-readable storage media or memories, such as a cache, buffer, RAM, removable media, hard drive or other computer readable storage media. Computer readable storage media include various types of volatile and nonvolatile storage media. The functions, acts or tasks illustrated in the figures or described herein are executed in response to one or more sets of instructions stored in or on computer readable storage media. The functions, acts or tasks are independent of the particular type of instructions set, storage media, processor or processing strategy and may be performed by software, hardware, integrated circuits, firmware, micro code and the like, operating alone or in combination. Likewise, processing strategies may include multiprocessing, multitasking, parallel processing and the like. In one embodiment, the instructions are stored on a removable media device for reading by local or remote systems. In other embodiments, the instructions are stored in a remote location for transfer through a computer network or over telephone lines. In yet other embodiments, the instructions are stored within a given computer, CPU, GPU or system. 
     A periodic update may be provided, such as repeating the testing in response to a temporal trigger. The license may be operable for a limited amount of time. 
     While the above description constitutes the preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be appreciated that the invention is susceptible to modification, variation and change without departing from the proper scope and fair meaning of the accompanying claims.