Data analysis system

• US 20030225315A1
• Filed: 08/29/2002
• Published: 12/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qinetiq Limited (QinetiQ Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Qinetiq Limited (QinetiQ Group PLC)
• Inventors: Merrett, Philip Jonathan, Shaikh, Loua Asad Hanna Al
• Granted Patent: US 7,081,091 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/339 Displays specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7445 Display arrangements, e.g. multiple display units
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/92 Computer assisted medical diagnostics

Abstract

A system and method for gathering and displaying information in data intensive environments. It is particularly concerned with data analysis in a critical care environment to provide a graphical display of derived information, comprising a series of bar charts (a-h) representative of a corresponding series of functions (32). Each bar chart comprises a linear series of time-divided segments (34) wherein each segment (34) of each bar chart (a-h) is assigned a colour corresponding to the status of that function (32). The status of each function (32) is derived by scoring contributory data indicators in accordance with pre-set threshold values, and logically combining to produce a status score for each function. Interventions that affect particular functions may also be recorded and displayed against those functions so that their effect is readily discernible.

Claims

1. A method of analysis of data measured in a time-varying environment, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) Gathering (74) data, generated during a selected time period, from monitoring equipment (16, 18) and/or personnel;

(b) Comparing (76) each data item gathered at Step (a) with preset threshold values;

(c) For each of a selected group of functions (32), each function having a status which is contributory to an overall status of the environment and the number of functions in the group being less than the number of data items, scoring (80) each function (32) on the basis of the comparisons made at Step (b) for all data items indicative of the status of that function;

(d) Converting (82) scores obtained at Step (c) to a colour representation and assigning these colours to correspondingly scoring functions at the time period,

(e) Displaying a series of bar charts (a-h) on a display screen, wherein each bar chart (a-h) corresponds to one of the group of functions (32) and comprises a linear series of time-divided segments, and wherein each segment corresponding to the time period on each bar chart is coloured with the colour assigned to the corresponding function at Step (d); and

(f) Repeating steps (a) to (e) for an adjacent time period, whilst preserving bar chart (a-h) segment colouration for at least one previous time period.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the data relates to the physical condition of a patient.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein the group of functions (32) comprise the functioning of at least two of the major organ systems:

respiratory, cardiovascular, coagulation, renal, hepatic and neurological.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein the group of functions (32) comprise the functioning of all six of the major organ systems.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein the group of functions (32) additionally comprise the functioning of the gastrointestinal system.

6. A method according to claim 4 or 5 wherein the scoring is carried out in accordance with the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scoring system, or a modified version thereof.

7. A method according to any preceding claim wherein bar chart segment colouration is preserved for at least 8 previous time periods.

8. A method according to claim 7 wherein each time period is one hour long.

9. A method according to claim 7 or 8 wherein each bar chart extends horizontally across the display with each successive time period.

10. A computer system (24) configured:

to provide a graphical display of derived information, the display 30 comprising a series of bar charts (a-h) representative of a corresponding series of functions (32), each bar chart comprising a linear series of time-divided segments (34) wherein each segment (34) of each bar chart (a-h) is one of a set of permitted colours,

to assign the colours to the segments in accordance with the status of the corresponding function (32) at the time period represented by that segment

to derive the status of each function (32) from a number of data indicators extracted from a database (20) wherein each data indicator comprises an experimental observation made on a system at a time corresponding to the time period represented in the bar chart by the relevant segment, and the status of each function (32) is derived by scoring contributory data indicators in accordance with preset threshold values to produce a status score for each function.

11. A computer system (24) according to claim 10 wherein the data indicators comprise observations made on a hospital patient.

12. A computer system (24) according to claim 11 wherein the data indicators comprise information indicative of one or more of:

patient blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, central venous pressure, pulmonary artery catheter data, cardiac output, vascular resistance, urine output, respiratory rate, blood chemistry, haemoglobin, white cells, coagulation profile and arterial blood gases.

13. A computer system (24) according to claim 11 or 12 wherein the functions comprise the functioning of at least two of the following organ systems:

respiratory, cardiovascular, coagulation, renal, hepatic, neurological and gastrointestinal.

14. A computer system (24) according to claim 13 wherein the status of each function is derived from the data indicators in accordance with the SOFA scoring system, or a modified version thereof.

15. A monitoring system 10 which graphically displays derived information, the system 10 comprising:

monitoring equipment (16, 18) arranged to make periodic observations on a subject system,

a database (20) arranged to store as data items results of periodic observations made by the monitoring equipment,

a processor arranged to analyse periodically the stored data items to provide an indication as to status of a selected group of functions (32), the status of each function being deducible as a score from a subset of the data items compared with preset threshold values, and

a display means arranged to display a series of bar charts (a-h) representative of the group of functions (32), each bar chart comprising a linear series of time-divided segments (34) wherein each segment (34) of each bar chart (a-h) is one of a set of permitted colours, the colours being assigned to the segments in accordance with the score obtained for the corresponding function (32) at the time period represented by that segment.

16. A monitoring system in accordance with claim 15 also including a manual data input (14) arranged to write information to the database (20) in the form of data items, these data items corresponding to results of manual observations made on the system.

17. A monitoring system in accordance with claim 15 or 16 wherein the monitoring equipment (16, 18) comprise medical monitoring equipment and the subject system is a patient.

18. A monitoring system according to claim 17 wherein the data indicators comprise information indicative of one or more of:

patient blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, central venous pressure, pulmonary artery catheter data, cardiac output, vascular resistance, urine output, respiratory rate, blood chemistry, haemoglobin, white cells, coagulation profile and arterial blood gases.

19. A monitoring system according to claim 17 or 18 wherein the functions comprise the functioning of at least two of the following organ systems:

respiratory, cardiovascular, coagulation, renal, hepatic, neurological and gastrointestinal.

20. A monitoring system according to claim 19 wherein the status of each function is derived from the data indicators in accordance with the SOFA scoring system, or a modified version thereof.

21. A computer readable medium embodying instructions for execution by a processor, the computer readable medium comprising:

(a) Program code for reading data items from a database (20), the data items being generated during a selected time period from monitoring equipment (16, 18) and/or personnel;

(b) Program code for comparing each-data item with preset threshold values;

(c) Program code for scoring each of a selected group of functions (32), each function having a status which is contributory to an overall status of the environment and the number of functions in the group being less than the number of data items, scoring being done on the basis of the comparisons made for all data items indicative of the status of that function;

(d) Program code for converting function scores to a colour representation and assigning these colours to correspondingly scoring functions at the time period,

(e) Program code for displaying a series of bar charts (a-h) on a display screen, wherein each bar chart (a-h) corresponds to one of the group of functions (32) and comprises a linear series of time-divided segments, and wherein each segment corresponding to the time period on each bar chart is coloured with the colour assigned to the corresponding function.

22. A computer readable medium according to claim 21 wherein the data indicators comprise observations made on a patient.

23. A computer readable medium according to claim 22 wherein the data indicators comprise information indicative of one or more of:

patient blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, central venous pressure, pulmonary artery catheter data, cardiac output, vascular resistance, urine output, respiratory rate, blood chemistry, haemoglobin, white cells, coagulation profile and arterial blood gases.

24. A computer readable medium according to claim 22 or 23 wherein the functions comprise the functioning of at least two of the following organ systems:

respiratory, cardiovascular, coagulation, renal, hepatic, neurological and gastrointestinal.

25. A computer readable medium according to claim 24 wherein the status of each function is derived from the data indicators in accordance with the SOFA scoring system or a modified version thereof.

26. A method of analysis of data measured in an environment that varies with time, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) Gathering data, generated during selected time interval(s), from monitoring equipment and/or personnel;

(b) Comparing each data item gathered at Step (a) with preset threshold values;

(c) For each of a selected group of functions, each function having a status which is contributory to an overall status of the environment and the number of functions in the group being less than the number of data items, scoring each function on the basis of the comparisons made at Step (b) for all data items indicative of the status of that function;

(d) Converting scores obtained at Step (c) to one of a number of selected visual representations and assigning those representations to correspondingly scoring functions for a specific time period;

(e) Recording one or more interventions conducted upon, and capable of affecting, the environment;

(f) Displaying a series of graphical representations on a display screen, wherein each graphical representation corresponds to one of the group of functions and comprises a series of time-divided segments arranged sequentially, and wherein each segment corresponding to the time period on each graphical representation is visually represented according to the visual representation assigned to the corresponding function at Step (d); and

(g) Displaying on the display screen the one or more interventions adjacent to one or more of the segments corresponding to the time of the intervention and/or adjacent to a timeline corresponding to the time-divided segments, so as to facilitate a comparison of the effect of the intervention on the environment.

(h) Repeating steps (a) to (e) for an adjacent time period, whilst preserving the segment'"'"'s visual representation for at least one previous time period.

27. A method of analysis according to claim 26, wherein the data relates to the physical condition of a patient.

28. A method of analysis according to claim 26 or 27, wherein the intervention is displayed against the segments of one or more, and preferably all, of the functions that it is capable of affecting.

29. A method of analysis according to any one of claims 26 to 28, wherein the intervention is displayed as selected details and/or as a marker.

30. A method of analysis according to claim 29, in which a marker is solely employed, but further details of the intervention are accessible for display by the user.

31. A method of analysis according to any one of claims 26 to 30, wherein a protocol by which an intervention is conducted is additionally recorded and is displayed or accessible for display by the user.