System And Method For Mapping Pain Depth

• US 20090005649A1
• Filed: 06/28/2007
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Psychological Applications LLC
• Original Assignee: Psychological Applications LLC
• Inventors: BAIRD, John C., ARSCOTT, John R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,021,298 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: A61B 5/7475 User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

A pain depth mapping system and method may be used to map the location and depth of pain experienced by a user (e.g., a patient). The pain depth mapping system and method is capable of displaying one or more body representations with symptom representations representing the location of the pain. The pain depth mapping system and method allows the user to delineate one or more user-defined pain depth regions on a cross-section of the body representation with the symptom representations to form a pain map. The symptom mapping system and method may also allow the user to vary the pain intensity represented by the symptom representations as the user delineates the user-defined pain depth region(s).

Claims

1. A computerized method of mapping pain depth, the method comprising:

displaying at least one body representation on a display, wherein the body representation represents at least a portion of the body of the user;

receiving at least one pain location user input indicating at least one user-selected pain location on the body representation, the pain location user input being generated by activating a user input device while an indicator is located at the user-selected location on the body representation corresponding to a location of pain experienced by the user;

displaying a cross-section of the body representation at the user-selected location;

receiving at least one pain depth user input indicating user-selected pain depth locations on the cross-section of the body representation, the pain depth user input being generated by continuously activating a user input device for a period of time while moving an indicator across the user-selected pain depth locations on the cross-section of the body representation corresponding to pain depth experienced by the user within the body;

displaying symptom representations at the user-selected pain depth locations on the cross-section of the body representation in response to the pain depth user input, wherein the symptom representations are displayed as the indicator moves across the user-selected pain depth locations to delineate a user-defined pain depth region at least partially filled in with the symptom representations on the cross-section of the body representation; and

recording a pain map formed by at least one user-defined pain depth region to evaluate the pain experienced by the user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the symptom representations includes displaying symptom representations with different color densities to represent different intensities of pain.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein each of the symptom representations includes a predetermined pattern of dots, and wherein the color densities of the symptom representations are based, at least in part, on the number of the dots displayed in a region.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein each of the symptom representations includes at least one dot having a variable shade, and wherein the color densities of the symptom representations are based, at least in part, on the shade of the dots displayed in a region.

5. The method of claim 1 further including comparing the symptom map to a library of data to determine a diagnosis, wherein the library of data includes data previously recorded for other patients.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving at least one pain depth user input includes receiving at least one user input generated by holding down a button on a mouse while moving a cursor controlled by the mouse over the locations on the display, and wherein the symptom representations are displayed at the locations of the cursor on the display as the cursor moves over the locations.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving at least one erasure user input indicating at least one user-selected location with at least one symptom representation to be erased; and

erasing the at least one symptom representation in response to the erasure user input such that the user-defined pain depth region is modified.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the body representation includes displaying a three-dimensional body representation representing at least a portion of the body.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a body positioning user input indicating a direction of movement of the three-dimensional body representation; and

displaying at least one different perspective of the three-dimensional body representation in response to the body positioning user input and corresponding to the direction of movement.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising, prior to receiving at least one pain location user input:

receiving at least one pain region user input indicating user-selected locations on the body representation, the pain region user input being generated by continuously activating a user input device for a period of time while moving an indicator across the user-selected locations on the body representation corresponding to locations of pain experienced by the user; and

displaying symptom representations at the user-selected locations on the body representation in response to the pain region user input, wherein the symptom representations are displayed as the indicator moves across the user-selected locations to delineate a user-defined pain region at least partially filled in with the symptom representations on the body representation, wherein the symptom representations represent locations of the pain within the pain region.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein receiving the at least one pain location user input includes receiving a maximum pain location user input indicating a user-selected location of maximum pain within the pain region.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the symptom representations represent different intensities of the pain within the pain region.

13. A machine-readable medium whose contents cause a computer system to perform a method of mapping pain depth according to claim 1.

14. A computerized method of mapping pain depth, the method comprising:

displaying at least one three-dimensional body representation on a display, wherein the body representation represents at least a portion of the body of the user;

receiving a body positioning user input indicating a direction of movement of the three-dimensional body representation;

displaying at least one different perspective of the three-dimensional representation in response to the body positioning user input and corresponding to the associated direction of movement;

receiving at least one pain region user input indicating user-selected locations on the body representation, the pain region user input being generated by continuously activating a user input device for a period of time while moving an indicator across the user-selected locations on the body representation corresponding to locations of pain experienced by the user;

displaying symptom representations at the user-selected locations on the body representation in response to the pain region user input, wherein the symptom representations are displayed as the indicator moves across the user-selected locations to delineate a user-defined pain region at least partially filled in with the symptom representations on the body representation, wherein the symptom representations represent locations of the pain within the pain region;

receiving at least one maximum pain location user input indicating at least one user-selected maximum pain location within the pain region on the body representation, the user input being generated by activating a user input device while an indicator is located at the user-selected maximum pain location on the body representation corresponding to a location of maximum pain experienced by the user;

displaying a cross-section of the body representation at the user-selected maximum pain location;

receiving at least one pain depth user input indicating user-selected pain depth locations on the cross-section of the body representation, the user input being generated by continuously activating a user input device for a period of time while moving an indicator across the user-selected locations on the cross-section of the body representation corresponding to locations of pain experienced by the user within the body; and

displaying symptom representations at the user-selected pain depth locations on the cross-section of the body representation in response to the user input, wherein the symptom representations are displayed as the indicator moves across the user-selected pain depth locations to delineate a user-defined pain depth region at least partially filled in with the symptom representations on the body representation, and wherein at least one user-defined pain region and at least one pain depth region form a symptom map used to evaluate the pain experienced by the user.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the intensities of the symptoms are represented by user-defined color densities of the symptom representations.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein each of the symptom representations includes a predetermined pattern of dots, and wherein the color density of the symptom representations is based, at least in part, on a number of the dots displayed within a region.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein each of the symptom representations includes at least one dot having a variable shade, and wherein the color density of the symptom representations is based, at least in part, on the shade of the dots displayed with a region.

18. The method of claim 15 comprising:

receiving at least one user input indicating less intensity at user-selected locations on the body representation, the user input being generated by activating the user input device while moving the indicator across user-selected locations on the body representation corresponding to locations where symptom intensity is to be decreased; and

decreasing the color density of the symptom representations at the user-selected locations in response to the user input.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein the symptom representations are not displayed at locations outside of the body representation even when the indicator moves outside of the body representation.

20. The method of claim 14 further comprising quantifying symptom intensity for at least one location on at least one user-defined symptom region forming the symptom map.

21. A machine-readable medium whose contents cause a computer system to perform a method of mapping pain depth according to claim 14.