Infertility assessment and treatment system

• US 20070082329A1
• Filed: 10/06/2006
• Published: 04/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Pathways To Pregnancy LP
• Original Assignee: Pathways To Pregnancy LP
• Inventors: Mangal, Rakesh, Williams, Russel, Stump, David, Sharber, Daniel, Nienberg, David
• Application Number:
  US11/544,516
• Publication Number:
  US 20070082329A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/4
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2800/367 Infertility, e.g. sperm disorder, ovulatory dysfunction
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/5044 involving specific cell types
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/5073 Stem cells
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/6893 related to diseases not provided for elsewhere
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

A method for assessing fertility for a couple that includes obtaining semen analysis results from a male member of the couple, obtaining fertility survey responses from at least a female member of the couple, determining an initial location in a diagnostic matrix using the semen analysis results and the fertility survey responses, and obtaining a plurality of treatment options corresponding to the initial location in the diagnostic matrix.

Claims

1. A method for assessing fertility for a couple comprising:

obtaining semen analysis results from a male member of the couple;

obtaining fertility survey responses from at least a female member of the couple;

determining an initial location in a diagnostic matrix using the semen analysis results and the fertility survey responses; and

obtaining a plurality of treatment options corresponding to the initial location in the diagnostic matrix.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

tracking progress of the couple as the couple pursues at least one of the plurality of treatment options.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein tracking the progress of the couple comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of obtaining results of a subsequent semen analysis after the at least one treatment option has been pursued for a specified duration, obtaining a result of a test performed on the female member, determining whether the couple conceived, and an determining amount of time elapsed since the couple began pursuing the at least one treatment option.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

moving the couple from the initial location in the matrix to a new location in the matrix based on the progress of the couple.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

ranking the plurality of treatment options.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

removing at least one of the plurality of treatment options prior to ranking the plurality of treatment options, if the fertility survey results indicate that the couple will not pursue the at least one of the plurality of treatment options.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the treatment options are ranked based on the cost associated with each of the plurality of treatment options, the probability of conception associated with each of the plurality of treatment options, and the timeframe for conception associated with each of the plurality of treatment options.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the cost associated with each of the plurality of treatment options is determined using the couple'"'"'s insurance information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic matrix comprises a plurality of locations, wherein the initial location is one of the plurality of locations, wherein each of the plurality of locations is associated with a unique combination of fertility factor values.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the fertility factor values comprise a female member'"'"'s age value, an urgency value, a sperm count value, and an elapsed time value.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the sperm count value corresponds to a total motile sperm count.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the initial location in the diagnostic matrix comprises:

determining a preliminary location in the diagnostic matrix using the fertility survey analysis results;

if the preliminary location is more severe than a matrix location determined using the semen analysis results only, then the preliminary location is the initial location; and

if the preliminary location is less severe than a matrix location determined using only the semen analysis results, then the matrix location determined using only the semen analysis results is the initial location.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the matrix location determined using only the semen analysis results is the matrix location determined using only a total motile sperm count if the sperm morphology is normal, and is the matrix location determined using the total motile sperm count with an adjustment taking into account the sperm morphology if the sperm morphology is abnormal.

14. A system for assessing fertility for a couple comprising:

a fertility survey component configured to obtain responses of a fertility survey from at least a female member of the couple;

a semen analysis component configured to obtain results of semen analysis from a male member of the couple; and

a diagnostic matrix component comprising a diagnostic matrix and configured to;

determine an initial location in a diagnostic matrix using the semen analysis results and the fertility survey responses, and

obtain a plurality of treatment options corresponding to the initial location in the diagnostic matrix.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

an information gathering component configured to track progress of the couple as the couple pursues at least one of the plurality of treatment options.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein tracking the progress of the couple comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of obtaining results of a subsequent semen analysis after the at least one treatment option has been pursued for a specified duration, obtaining a result of a test performed on the female member, determining whether the couple conceived, and determining an amount of time elapsed since the couple began pursuing the at least one treatment option.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the diagnostic matrix component is further configured to move the couple from the initial location in the matrix to a new location in the matrix based on the progress of the couple.

18. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

ranking logic configured to rank the plurality of treatment options.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the ranking logic is configured to remove at least one of the plurality of treatment options prior to ranking the plurality of treatment options, if the fertility survey responses indicate that the couple will not pursue the at least one of the plurality of treatment options.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the treatment options are ranked based on the cost associated with each of the plurality of treatment options, the probability of conception associated with each of the plurality of treatment options, and the timeframe for conception associated with each of the plurality of treatment options.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the cost associated with each of the plurality of treatment options is determined using the couple'"'"'s insurance information.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein the diagnostic matrix comprises a plurality of locations, wherein the initial location is one of the plurality of locations, wherein each of the plurality of locations is associated with a unique combination of fertility factor values.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the fertility factor values comprise a female member'"'"'s age value, an urgency value, a sperm count value, and an elapsed time value.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the sperm count value corresponds to a total motile sperm count.

25. The system of claim 14, wherein determining the initial location in the diagnostic matrix comprises:

determining a preliminary location in the diagnostic matrix using the fertility survey analysis results;

if the preliminary location is more severe than a matrix location determined using the semen analysis results then the preliminary location is the initial location; and

if the preliminary location is less severe, than a matrix location determined using only the semen analysis results, then the matrix location determined using only the semen analysis results is the initial location.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the matrix location determined using only the semen analysis results is the matrix location determined using only a total motile sperm count if the sperm morphology is normal, and is the matrix location determined using the total motile sperm count with an adjustment taking into account the sperm morphology if the sperm morphology is abnormal.

27. A computer readable medium comprising instructions to:

obtain semen analysis results from a male member of the couple;

obtain fertility survey responses from at least a female member of the couple;

determine an initial location in a diagnostic matrix using the semen analysis results and the fertility survey responses;

obtain a plurality of treatment options corresponding to the initial location in the diagnostic matrix;

rank the plurality of treatment options;

track progress of the couple as the couple pursues at least one of the plurality of treatment options; and

move the couple from the initial location in the matrix to a new location in the matrix based on the progress of the couple.