Diagnostic system and method

• US 20060009683A1
• Filed: 06/29/2005
• Published: 01/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Astrazeneca AB (Astrazeneca PLC)
• Original Assignee: Astrazeneca AB (Astrazeneca PLC)
• Inventors: Shimizu, Toshiyuki, Kobayashi, Yoneyuki, Yamamoto, Hareaki, Kobayashi, Itsurou, Hosoda, Minoru, Shimizu, Yasuzumi, Kitamura, Masahiro, Kutukake, Shinji, Yamashita, Kouhei, Baba, Hajimi, Sakai, Fumihiko
• Granted Patent: US 7,835,922 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/00 Measuring for diagnostic purposes radiation diagnosis A61B6/00; diagnosis by ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves A61B8/00; Identification of persons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4824 Touch or pain perception evaluation A61B5/4821 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/20 for electronic clinical trials or questionnaires
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

A diagnostic system and method. In one embodiment, the invention is a diagnostic system comprising: a form comprising one or more diagnostic questions and one or more possible answers to each diagnostic question; a first overlay comprising one or more windows and one or more diagnostic fields, wherein when the first overlay is positioned over the form, the answers to the diagnostic questions that are indicative of the user having a first medical condition are visible through the windows of the first overlay; and wherein the one or more diagnostic fields contain criteria for diagnosing the user with the first medical condition based on the user'"'"'s selection of answers on the form that are visible through the windows of the first overlay. In other embodiments, the invention is a computer-based version of the diagnostic system and a diagnostic method.

Claims

1. A diagnostic system comprising:

a form comprising one or more diagnostic questions and one or more possible answers to each diagnostic question;

a first overlay comprising one or more windows and one or more diagnostic fields, wherein when the first overlay is positioned over the form, the answers to the diagnostic questions that are indicative of the user having a first medical condition are visible through the windows of the first overlay; and

wherein the one or more diagnostic fields contain criteria for diagnosing the user with the first medical condition based on the user'"'"'s selection of answers on the form that are visible through the windows of the first overlay.

2. The diagnostic system of claim 1 further:

wherein the form comprises a plurality of diagnostic questions and corresponding answer fields;

wherein the first overlay comprises a plurality of windows; and

wherein answers indicative of the user having the first medical condition are visible through the windows of the first overlay when the first overlay is positioned over the form.

3. The diagnostic system of claim 2 wherein the diagnostic questions pertain to frequency of headaches, length of headaches, onset of aura symptoms, location of pain, type of pain, severity of pain, physical activities that increase or decrease headaches, or presence of additional headache-related symptoms, or any combination thereof.

4. The diagnostic system of claim 3 wherein the windows on the first overlay are arranged so that when the first overlay is positioned over the form, the answers to the diagnostic questions that are indicative of the user having a migraine are visible through the windows.

5. The diagnostic system of claim 3 wherein the windows on the first overlay are arranged so that when the first overlay is positioned over the form, the answers to the diagnostic questions that are indicative of the user having a tension-type headache are visible through the windows.

6. The diagnostic system of claim 1 wherein the first medical condition is a headache based condition.

7. The diagnostic system of claim 1 wherein the first medical condition is a tension-type headache or a migraine.

8. The diagnostic system of claim 1 further comprising:

a second overlay having one or more windows and one or more diagnostic fields, wherein when the second overlay is positioned over the form, the answers indicative of the user having a second medical condition are visible through the windows of the second overlay; and

wherein the diagnostic fields of the second overlay contain criteria for diagnosing the user with the second medical condition based on the user'"'"'s selection of answers that are visible through the windows of the second overlay.

9. The diagnostic system of claim 8 wherein the first medical condition is a migraine headache and the second medical condition is a tension-type headache.

10. The diagnostic system of claim 8 wherein the first overly and the second overlay are connected along at least one side to form a file.

11. The diagnostic system of claim 10 wherein the answers to the diagnostic questions are arranged on the form so that when the form is positioned in the file between the first and second overlays and facing the first overlay, the answers indicative of the user having the first medical condition are visible through the windows of the first overlay.

12. The diagnostic system of claim 11 wherein the answer fields of the form are arranged so that when the form is positioned in the file between the first and second overlays and facing the second overlay, the answers indicative of the user having the second medical condition are visible through the windows of the second overlay.

13. The diagnostic system of claim 10 further:

wherein the form contains first and second sides, the form containing diagnostic questions and answer fields on both the first and second sides of the form; and

wherein when the form is inserted into the file, the answers on the first side of the form that are indicative of the user having the first medical condition are visible through the windows of the first overlay and the answers on the second side of the form that are indicative of the user having the second medical condition are visible through the windows of the second overlay.

14. The diagnostic system of claim 10 wherein the first overly and the second overlay are connected along two adjacent sides.

15. The diagnostic system of claim 14 wherein the first and second overlays are formed from a single piece of material that is folded in half and connected along a bottom edge.

16. The diagnostic system of claim 1 wherein the form further comprises screening questions and instructions for determining whether the user needs to answer the diagnostic questions based on the user'"'"'s answers to the screening questions.

17. The diagnostic system of claim 1 wherein the first overlay is constructed of a flexible plastic, the windows being substantially transparent.

18. The diagnostic system of claim 1 wherein the windows of the first overlay are cutouts.

19. A diagnostic system comprising:

means for displaying an electronic form having one or more diagnostic questions and a corresponding set of answers to the diagnostic question, each set of answers containing at least one answer that is indicative of the user having a first medical condition;

means for a user to select one or more of the possible answers;

means for identifying the answers selected by the user that are indicative of the user having the first medical condition; and

means for diagnosing the user with the first medical condition based on the user'"'"'s selection of answers that are indicative of the user having the first medical condition.

20. The diagnostic system of claim 19 further comprising means for indicating that the user has completed selecting answers on the electronic form.

21. A diagnostic method comprising:

a) answering one or more diagnostic questions pertaining to a user'"'"'s health by selecting one or more answers, the one or more diagnostic questions and answers being provided on a form;

b) positioning a first overlay having one or more windows and one or more diagnostic fields atop the form so that the answers indicative of the user having a first medical condition are visible through the windows of the first overlay; and

c) based on criteria in the diagnostic fields of the first overlay, diagnosing the user with the first medical condition based on the user'"'"'s selection of answers that are visible through the windows of the first overlay.

22. The diagnostic method of claim 21 wherein step c) is a self-diagnosis performed by the user.

23. The diagnostic method of claim 21 wherein the first medical condition is a headache based condition.

24. The diagnostic method of claim 21 wherein the first medical condition is a migraine or a tension-type headache.

25. The diagnostic method of claim 21 wherein the diagnostic questions pertain to frequency of headaches, length of headaches, onset of aura symptoms, location of pain, type of pain, severity of pain, physical activities that increase or decrease headaches, or presence of additional headache-related symptoms, or any combination thereof.

26. The diagnostic method of claim 25 wherein the performance of step b) results in the answers to the diagnostic questions that are indicative of the user having a migraine being visible through the windows of the first overlay.

27. The diagnostic method of claim 25 wherein the performance of step b) results in the answers to the diagnostic questions that are indicative of the user having a tension-type headache being visible through the windows of the first overlay.

28. The diagnostic method of claim 21 further comprising:

d) removing the first overlay from atop the form;

e) positioning a second overlay having one or more of the windows and one or more diagnostic fields atop the form so that answers indicative of the user having a second medical condition is visible through the windows of the second overlay; and

f) based on criteria in the diagnostic fields of the second overlay, diagnosing the user with the second medical condition based on the user'"'"'s selection of answers that are visible through the windows of the second overlay.

29. The diagnostic method of claim 28 wherein the first overly and the second overlay are connected along at least one side to form a file, and wherein step b) comprises inserting the form into the file so that a side of the form having the diagnostic questions and answers is facing the first overlay.

30. The diagnostic method of claim 28 wherein the first overly and the second overlay are connected along at least one side to form a file, and wherein step e) comprises inserting the form into the file so that a side of the form having the diagnostic questions and answers is facing the second overlay.

31. The diagnostic method of claim 21 further:

wherein the form contains first and second sides, the form containing diagnostic questions and answers on both the first and second sides of the form;

wherein the first overlay is connected to a second overlay having one or more of the windows and one or more diagnostic fields, the first and second overlays forming a file;

wherein step b) comprises inserting the form into the file so that the first side of the form faces the first overlay while the second side of the form faces the second overlay; and

wherein step c) further comprises based on criteria in the diagnostic fields of the second overlay, diagnosing the user with a second medical condition based on the user'"'"'s selection of answers that are visible through the windows of the second overlay.

32. The diagnostic method of claim 31 wherein the first overly and the second overlay are connected along two adjacent sides.

33. The diagnostic system of claim 21 wherein the form contains first and second sides, the first side of the form containing screening questions and instructions for determining whether the user needs to address questions on the second side of the form, the second side of the form comprising the diagnostic questions and answers.