Image acquisition for medical dose preparation system

• US 10,089,444 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2016
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baxter Corporation Englewood (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Baxter Corporation Englewood (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Weber, Wesley J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Anyikire, Chikaodili E
• Application Number:
  US15/339,390
• Publication Number:
  US 20170046502A1
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2037/005 Tables specially adapted for laboratories
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/40 by shape or form, e.g. by using shape recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0076 Medicament distribution means with pill counting devices A61J7/02; with time indication A61J7/04; containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents B65D83/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0084 for multiple medicaments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20132 Image cropping
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 Biomedical image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/11 Region-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/136 involving thresholding
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/38 Circuits or arrangements for blanking or otherwise eliminating unwanted parts of pictures H04N1/387 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

Use of improved image acquisition for a medical dose preparation system. The medical dose preparation system may include a work station for capturing medical dose preparation images (e.g., to document preparation of a mediation dose). The medical dose preparation image may be captured by a video data stream processor capable of performing an auto cropping technique on a video data stream received from an image device. Accordingly, memory resources may be more efficiently employed while maintaining high quality medical dose preparation images.

Claims

1. A work station for use in a system for medical dose preparation management, the work station comprising:

a stand including;

an imaging device having an imaging field encompassing a medical dose preparation staging region, the imaging device being operable to output digital image data of the imaging field including the medical dose preparation staging region;

a base having a support surface; and

a support extending away from the base to support the imaging device relative to the base;

a processor in operative communication with the imaging device to receive the digital image data of the imaging field;

a display in operative communication with the processor to receive the digital image data of the imaging field and display a corresponding image of the imaging field that is perceivable by a user, wherein the processor is operable to process the digital image data to identify at least one region of interest within the imaging field corresponding to at least one medication receptacle disposed on the support surface of the base in the medical dose preparation staging region, wherein the region of interest is visually differentiated in relation to said corresponding image on the display by the processor in a manner perceivable by the user;

a user control device in operative communication with the processor to initiate the capture of medical dose preparation image data from the digital image data at the processor, wherein the medical dose preparation image data includes image data corresponding to at least a portion of the region of interest that is visually differentiated in relation to said corresponding image on the display, and that excludes other image data corresponding with another portion of the imaging field; and

a memory in operative communication with the processor to receive and store the medical dose preparation image data.

2. The work station according to claim 1, further comprising:

a printer to print labels in association with fulfillment of medical dose orders.

3. The work station according to claim 1, said user control device comprising one of the following:

a foot pedal;

a button;

a touch screen;

a mouse; and

,

a keyboard.

4. The work station according to claim 1, wherein the digital image data comprises a video data stream, and wherein the processor is operable to analyze a predetermined subset of the digital image data of the video data stream to identify the region of interest.

5. The work station according to claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to analyze a predetermined subset of the digital image data to identify the region of interest.

6. The work station according to claim 5, wherein the analysis includes comparing the predetermined subset of the digital image data to a corresponding subset of a background image of the medical dose preparation staging region that does not include any medication receptacle in the medical dose preparation staging region.

7. The work station according to claim 6, wherein the imaging device is positionable in a plurality of different positions, and wherein said background image is a corresponding one of a plurality of different background images corresponding with the plurality of different positions.

8. The work station according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined subset of the digital image data corresponds to a plurality of pixels of the digital image data that extend across the digital image data in at least a first direction.

9. The work station according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of pixels extend across the digital image data in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

10. The work station according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of pixels form a grid over the digital image data, and wherein the grid comprises grid lines that are spaced in relation to a known size of medication receptacles.

11. The work station according to claim 10, wherein the at least one region of interest is defined by a bounding area on the display.

12. The work station according to claim 11, wherein said bounding area is defined by a plurality of edges that are each disposed at an identified location of the predetermined subset of the digital image data at least partially based on a threshold difference between the digital image data and the background image at the identified location.

13. The work station according to claim 12, wherein the processor is operable to calculate intensity data for each pixel of the predetermined subset of the digital image data and for each pixel of the corresponding predetermined subset of the background image.

14. The work station according to claim 13, wherein said intensity data is processed utilizing frequency domain processing.

15. The work station according to claim 13, wherein said intensity data undergoes at least one of high pass filtering and low pass filtering.

16. The work station according to claim 12, wherein the threshold difference comprises a predetermined difference in intensity data between the predetermined subset of the digital image data and the corresponding subset of the background image.

17. The work station according to claim 12, wherein each pixel of the predetermined subset of the digital image data is compared to a plurality of adjacent corresponding pixels from the corresponding subset of the background image.

18. The work station according to claim 12, wherein the identified location corresponds to one of a minimum or maximum threshold difference along the grid lines in the first direction or in the second direction.

19. The work station according to claim 12, wherein the identified location is selected to correspond to the next most remote grid line of the grid exterior to the threshold difference in the first direction and in the second direction along the grid line.

20. The work station according to claim 11, wherein the bounding area is represented by at least one of a superimposed box, and has an area displayed in a manner different than that of an area outside of the bounding area.