Method for displaying variations in cells and tissues

• US 20040215487A1
• Filed: 04/25/2003
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: James P. Murphey
• Original Assignee: James P. Murphey
• Inventors: Murphey, James P.
• Application Number:
  US10/423,580
• Publication Number:
  US 20040215487A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/40 for data related to laboratory analysis, e.g. patient specimen analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/70 for mining of medical data, e.g. analysing previous cases of other patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A method for displaying variations in cells and tissues wherein one or more analysts analyze features of medical importance in cytology specimens or surgical specimens to determine the degree of variation. A numeric or alphabetic scale is established, going from the least possible variation to the greatest possible variation of the feature. Using such a scale, each analyst assigns a number or letter to the degree of variation. These numbers or letters are displayed in specific locations along the first axis of an orthogonal system. In different locations along a second axis the numbers or letters are displayed according to the date the specimen was created. To facilitate comparison and the detection of trends, for each specimen the same type of information is displayed in the same position along the first axis.

Claims

1. A method for displaying variations in cells and tissues, which comprises:

displaying for a specimen along a first axis of an orthogonal system information for the specimen including for one or more features that have been analyzed by one or more analysts a number or letter, from a scale of consecutive numbers or letters representing the spectrum of possible variations in such feature wherein the number or letter indicates the degree of variation of the feature within the scale, representing, for each of the one or more analysts, the degree of variation of the feature analyzed with each particular item of information being at a specified position along the first axis while also placing farther along a second axis the same type of information for one or more additional specimens taken from the same body site of a same patient or organism with each particular item of information for the additional specimens being located at the same position along the first axis as it was for the first specimen with the position along the second axis being arranged chronologically based upon the date a given specimen was obtained.

2. The method for displaying variations in cells and tissues as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

parallel to the first axis, labeling the positions at which information is presented to indicate the nature of the information at that point.

3. The method for displaying variations in cells and tissues as recited in claim 2, wherein:

the displaying is done on a computer display and generated from a computer based upon data input into the computer.

4. The method for displaying variations in cells and tissues as recited in claim 3, wherein:

the first axis is a horizontal axis.

5. The method for displaying variations in cells and tissues as recited in claim 4, further comprising:

displaying for each specimen along the first axis the number or letter representing the consensus degree of variation for one or more features analyzed while also placing farther along the second axis the consensus degree of variation for one or more additional specimens taken from the same body site of a same patient or organism with each consensus degree of variation for the additional specimens being located at the same position along the first axis as it was for the first specimen with the position along the second axis being arranged chronologically based upon the date a given specimen was obtained.

6. The method for displaying variations in cells and tissues as recited in claim 3, further comprising:

displaying for each specimen along the first axis the number or letter representing the consensus degree of variation for one or more features analyzed while also placing farther along the second axis the consensus degree of variation for one or more additional specimens taken from the same body site of a same patient or organism with each consensus degree of variation for the additional specimens being located at the same position along the first axis as it was for the first specimen with the position along the second axis being arranged chronologically based upon the date a given specimen was obtained.

7. The method for displaying variations in cells and tissues as recited in claim 2, wherein:

the first axis is a horizontal axis.

8. The method for displaying variations in cells and tissues as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

displaying for each specimen along the first axis the number or letter representing the consensus degree of variation for one or more features analyzed while also placing farther along the second axis the consensus degree of variation for one or more additional specimens taken from the same body site of a same patient or organism with each consensus degree of variation for the additional specimens being located at the same position along the first axis as it was for the first specimen with the position along the second axis being arranged chronologically based upon the date a given specimen was obtained.

9. The method for displaying variations in cells and tissues as recited in claim 2, further comprising:

displaying for each specimen along the first axis the number or letter representing the consensus degree of variation for one or more features analyzed while also placing farther along the second axis the consensus degree of variation for one or more additional specimens taken from the same body site of a same patient or organism with each consensus degree of variation for the additional specimens being located at the same position along the first axis as it was for the first specimen with the position along the second axis being arranged chronologically based upon the date a given specimen was obtained.

10. The method for displaying variations in cells and tissues as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the displaying is done on a computer display and generated from a computer based upon data input into the computer.

11. The method for displaying variations in cells and tissues as recited in claim 10, wherein:

the first axis is a horizontal axis.

12. The method for displaying variations in cells and tissues as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

displaying for each specimen along the first axis the number or letter representing the consensus degree of variation for one or more features analyzed while also placing farther along the second axis the consensus degree of variation for one or more additional specimens taken from the same body site of a same patient or organism with each consensus degree of variation for the additional specimens being located at the same position along the first axis as it was for the first specimen with the position along the second axis being arranged chronologically based upon the date a given specimen was obtained.

13. The method for displaying variations in cells and tissues as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

displaying for each specimen along the first axis the number or letter representing the consensus degree of variation for one or more features analyzed while also placing farther along the second axis the consensus degree of variation for one or more additional specimens taken from the same body site of a same patient or organism with each consensus degree of variation for the additional specimens being located at the same position along the first axis as it was for the first specimen with the position along the second axis being arranged chronologically based upon the date a given specimen was obtained.

14. The method for displaying variations in cells and tissues as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the first axis is a horizontal axis.

15. The method for displaying variations in cells and tissues as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

displaying for each specimen along the first axis the number or letter representing the consensus degree of variation for one or more features analyzed while also placing farther along the second axis the consensus degree of variation for one or more additional specimens taken from the same body site of a same patient or organism with each consensus degree of variation for the additional specimens being located at the same position along the first axis as it was for the first specimen with the position along the second axis being arranged chronologically based upon the date a given specimen was obtained.

16. The method for displaying variations in cells and tissues as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

displaying for each specimen along the first axis the number or letter representing the consensus degree of variation for one or more features analyzed while also placing farther along the second axis the consensus degree of variation for one or more additional specimens taken from the same body site of a same patient or organism with each consensus degree of variation for the additional specimens being located at the same position along the first axis as it was for the first specimen with the position along the second axis being arranged chronologically based upon the date a given specimen was obtained.

17. A method for displaying variations in cells and tissues, which comprises:

displaying for a specimen along a first axis of an orthogonal system information for the specimen including for one or more features that have been analyzed by one or more analysts a number, from a scale of consecutive numbers representing the spectrum of possible variations in such feature wherein the number indicates the degree of variation of the feature within the scale, representing, for each of the one or more analysts, the degree of variation of the feature analyzed with each particular item of information being at a specified position along the first axis while also placing farther along a second axis the same type of information for one or more additional specimens taken from the same body site of a same patient or organism with each particular item of information for the additional specimens being located at the same position along the first axis as it was for the first specimen with the position along the second axis being arranged chronologically based upon the date a given specimen was obtained.

18. A method for displaying variations in cells and tissues, which comprises:

analyzing features of medical importance in a specimen;

assigning to each of said features a number or letter from a scale of consecutive numbers or letters representing the spectrum of possible variations in such feature wherein the number or letter indicates the degree of variation of the feature within the scale; and

displaying for the specimen along a first axis of an orthogonal system information for the specimen including the number or letter representing, for each of one or more of several analysts, the degree of variation for one or more features analyzed with each particular item of information being at a specified position along the first axis while also placing farther along a second axis the same type of information for one or more additional specimens taken from the same body site of a same patient or organism with each particular item of information for the additional specimens being located at the same position along the first axis as it was for the first specimen with the position along the second axis being arranged chronologically based upon the date a given specimen was obtained.

19. The method for displaying variations in cells and tissues as recited in claim 18, further comprising:

parallel to the first axis, labeling the positions at which information is presented to indicate the nature of the information at that point.

20. The method for displaying variations in cells and tissues as recited in claim 19, wherein:

the displaying is done on a computer display and generated from a computer based upon data input into the computer.

21. The method for displaying variations in cells and tissues as recited in claim 20, wherein:

the first axis is a horizontal axis.

22. The method for displaying variations in cells and tissues as recited in claim 21, further comprising:

displaying for each specimen along the first axis the number or letter representing the consensus degree of variation for one or more features analyzed while also placing farther along the second axis the consensus degree of variation for one or more additional specimens taken from the same body site of a same patient or organism with each consensus degree of variation for the additional specimens being located at the same position along the first axis as it was for the first specimen with the position along the second axis being arranged chronologically based upon the date a given specimen was obtained.

23. The method for displaying variations in cells and tissues as recited in claim 20, further comprising:

displaying for each specimen along the first axis the number or letter representing the consensus degree of variation for one or more features analyzed while also placing farther along the second axis the consensus degree of variation for one or more additional specimens taken from the same body site of a same patient or organism with each consensus degree of variation for the additional specimens being located at the same position along the first axis as it was for the first specimen with the position along the second axis being arranged chronologically based upon the date a given specimen was obtained.

24. The method for displaying variations in cells and tissues as recited in claim 19, wherein:

the first axis is a horizontal axis.

25. The method for displaying variations in cells and tissues as recited in claim 24, further comprising:

displaying for each specimen along the first axis the number or letter representing the consensus degree of variation for one or more features analyzed while also placing farther along the second axis the consensus degree of variation for one or more additional specimens taken from the same body site of a same patient or organism with each consensus degree of variation for the additional specimens being located at the same position along the first axis as it was for the first specimen with the position along the second axis being arranged chronologically based upon the date a given specimen was obtained.

26. The method for displaying variations in cells and tissues as recited in claim 19, further comprising:

displaying for each specimen along the first axis the number or letter representing the consensus degree of variation for one or more features analyzed while also placing farther along the second axis the consensus degree of variation for one or more additional specimens taken from the same body site of a same patient or organism with each consensus degree of variation for the additional specimens being located at the same position along the first axis as it was for the first specimen with the position along the second axis being arranged chronologically based upon the date a given specimen was obtained.

27. The method for displaying variations in cells and tissues as recited in claim 18, wherein:

the displaying is done on a computer display and generated from a computer based upon data input into the computer.

28. The method for displaying variations in cells and tissues as recited in claim 27, wherein:

the first axis is a horizontal axis.

29. The method for displaying variations in cells and tissues as recited in claim 28, further comprising:

displaying for each specimen along the first axis the number or letter representing the consensus degree of variation for one or more features analyzed while also placing farther along the second axis the consensus degree of variation for one or more additional specimens taken from the same body site of a same patient or organism with each consensus degree of variation for the additional specimens being located at the same position along the first axis as it was for the first specimen with the position along the second axis being arranged chronologically based upon the date a given specimen was obtained.

30. The method for displaying variations in cells and tissues as recited in claim 27, further comprising:

displaying for each specimen along the first axis the number or letter representing the consensus degree of variation for one or more features analyzed while also placing farther along the second axis the consensus degree of variation for one or more additional specimens taken from the same body site of a same patient or organism with each consensus degree of variation for the additional specimens being located at the same position along the first axis as it was for the first specimen with the position along the second axis being arranged chronologically based upon the date a given specimen was obtained.

31. The method for displaying variations in cells and tissues as recited in claim 18, wherein:

the first axis is a horizontal axis.

32. The method for displaying variations in cells and tissues as recited in claim 31, further comprising:

displaying for each specimen along the first axis the number or letter representing the consensus degree of variation for one or more features analyzed while also placing farther along the second axis the consensus degree of variation for one or more additional specimens taken from the same body site of a same patient or organism with each consensus degree of variation for the additional specimens being located at the same position along the first axis as it was for the first specimen with the position along the second axis being arranged chronologically based upon the date a given specimen was obtained.

33. The method for displaying variations in cells and tissues as recited in claim 18, further comprising:

displaying for each specimen along the first axis the number or letter representing the consensus degree of variation for one or more features analyzed while also placing farther along the second axis the consensus degree of variation for one or more additional specimens taken from the same body site of a same patient or organism with each consensus degree of variation for the additional specimens being located at the same position along the first axis as it was for the first specimen with the position along the second axis being arranged chronologically based upon the date a given specimen was obtained.

34. A method for displaying variations in cells and tissues, which comprises:

analyzing features of medical importance in a specimen;

assigning to each of said features a number from a scale of consecutive numbers representing the spectrum of possible variations in such feature wherein the number indicates the degree of variation of the feature within the scale; and

displaying for the specimen along a first axis of an orthogonal system information for the specimen including the number representing, for each of one or more of several analysts, the degree of variation for one or more features analyzed with each particular item of information being at a specified position along the first axis while also placing farther along a second axis the same type of information for one or more additional specimens taken from the same body site of a same patient or organism with each particular item of information for the additional specimens being located at the same position along the first axis as it was for the first specimen with the position along the second axis being arranged chronologically based upon the date a given specimen was obtained.