Anonymizing tool for medical data
First Claim
1. An apparatus for anonymizing medical data comprising:
- a first communications input receiving one or more patient files, each of said one or more patient files including a patient identifier;
a pair list database storing a plurality of related pair identifiers, each of said plurality of related pair identifiers including one of said patient identifiers and an associated anonymous identifier;
a pair list retriever to search said pair list database to find a first associated anonymous identifier paired with a first patient identifier;
a pair list generator to create a new associated anonymous identifier to pair with a new patient identifier, said new associated anonymous identifier and said new patient identifier comprising a new related pair identifiers, said new related pair identifiers added to said pair list database;
an anonymous file generator creating one or more anonymous files from said one or more patient files by automatically replacing each of said patient identifiers with its said associated anonymous identifier taken from said related pair identifiers.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for anonymizing medical data 10 is provided, including a first communications input 39 receiving one or more patient files 22 which include a patient identifier 46, a pair list database 44 storing a plurality of related pair identifiers54 each of which includes one of the patient identifiers 46 and an associated anonymous identifier 48, a pair list retriever 56 to search the pair list database 44 to find a first associated anonymous identifier 48 paired with a first patient identifier 44, a pair list generator 58 to create a new associated anonymous identifier 48 to pair with a new patient identifier 46 forming a new related pair identifiers 54 added to the pair list database 44, and an anonymous file generator 62 that creates one or more anonymous files 42 from the one or more patient files 22 by replacing each of the patient identifiers 46 with an associated anonymous identifier 48 from the related pair identifiers 54.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. An apparatus for anonymizing medical data comprising:
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a first communications input receiving one or more patient files, each of said one or more patient files including a patient identifier;
a pair list database storing a plurality of related pair identifiers, each of said plurality of related pair identifiers including one of said patient identifiers and an associated anonymous identifier;
a pair list retriever to search said pair list database to find a first associated anonymous identifier paired with a first patient identifier;
a pair list generator to create a new associated anonymous identifier to pair with a new patient identifier, said new associated anonymous identifier and said new patient identifier comprising a new related pair identifiers, said new related pair identifiers added to said pair list database;
an anonymous file generator creating one or more anonymous files from said one or more patient files by automatically replacing each of said patient identifiers with its said associated anonymous identifier taken from said related pair identifiers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An apparatus for anonymizing medical data comprising:
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a patient file development network, said patient file development network creating one or more patient files, each of one or more patient files including a patient identifier;
a primary care network in communication with said patient file development network, said at least one primary care network including a hospital archive system for storing said one or more patient files;
an anonymization network system including a first communications input for receiving said one or more patient files, said anonymization network system including a pair list database storing a plurality of related pair identifiers, each of said plurality of related pair identifiers including one of said patient identifiers and an associated anonymous identifier;
wherein said anonymization network system creates one or more anonymous files from said one or more patient files by automatically replacing each of said patient identifiers with its said associated anonymous identifier taken from said related pair identifiers. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of anonymizing medical data comprising:
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extracting a patient identifier from a patient file;
searching a plurality of related pair identifiers contained in a pair list database for said patient identifier;
retrieving an associated anonymous identifier paired to said patient identifier from one of said related pair identifiers;
replacing said patient identifier with said associated anonymous identifier to create an anonymous file. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification