ANALYSIS ENGINE WITHIN A NETWORK SUPPORTING INTRAVAGINAL MONITORING

• US 20110190580A1
• Filed: 09/27/2010
• Published: 08/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Illuminare Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: Illuminare Holdings Limited
• Inventors: Bennett, James D., Ziarno, Andrew W.
• Application Number:
  US12/890,764
• Publication Number:
  US 20110190580A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/109
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00016 using wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00034 rechargeable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00096 Optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00135 Oversleeves mounted on the endoscope prior to insertion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00142 with means for preventing contamination, e.g. by using a sanitary sheath
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00177 for 90 degrees side-viewing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/042 characterised by a proximal camera, e.g. a CCD camera
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/303 for the vagina, i.e. vaginoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/42 Gynaecological or obstetrical instruments or methods ligaturing clamps or clips for the umbilical cord A61B17/122; curettage A61B17/320708; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/425 for reproduction or fertilisation specially adapted for use with animals A61D19/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/035 Intra-uterine probes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14539 for measuring pH
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/344 Foetal cardiography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4318 Evaluation of the lower reproductive system A61B5/4343 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4343 Pregnancy and labour monitoring, e.g. for labour onset detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4839 combined with drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/68 Arrangements of detecting, measuring or recording means, e.g. sensors, in relation to patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6846 specially adapted to be brought in contact with an internal body part, i.e. invasive
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/023 : for introduction into the body, e.g. into the oesophagus oesophageal ECG probes A61B5/285
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/12 : in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters catheters per se A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4416 : related to combined acquisition of different diagnostic modalities, e.g. combination of ultrasound and X-ray acquisitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/445 : Details of catheter construction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4472 : Wireless probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0611 : Vagina
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0603 : for treatment of body cavities
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 : ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 : for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 : for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation

Abstract

An intravaginal monitoring device in a supporting network, and including supporting devices such as servers, computing devices and phone (of both medical staff and patients), together participate to collect, exchange and display data relating to a female reproductive system. Therein, and within one or many of such systems, analysis operations are performed to at least assist in reaching conclusions relating to a status of the reproductive system under service. As input to the analysis operations, one or more of, for example, (i) current and historical sensor data of varying types such as imager, temperature, pH, glucose, EKG, etc.; (ii) general medical information; (iii) patient and medical staff input; and (iv) input from other medical systems or processes. The output of analysis operations at least assists in the drawing of intermediate and final status conclusions. Analysis operations are supported by various visual working environments tailored for patients, medical staff, and third party computing systems.

Claims

1. A support architecture used to service a female reproductive system, the support architecture comprising:

a communication link;

a computing device;

an optical imaging device coupled to the computing device via the communication link;

the optical imaging device, when at least partially inserted within the female reproductive system via a vaginal channel, collects image data relating to at least portion of the female reproductive system; and

the computing device at least assisting in generation of status information, the generation of the status information involving an analysis of the image data collected.

2. The support architecture of claim 1, wherein the analysis of the image data collected involves a color analysis.

3. The support architecture of claim 1, wherein the image data comprising first image data collected during a first session and second image data collected during a second session, and the analysis of the image data collection comprising a comparison of the first image data with the second image data.

4. The support architecture of claim 1, wherein the optical image device comprising an optical imaging first sensor and a second sensor that produces second sensor data.

5. The support architecture of claim 4, wherein the generation of the status information also involves the second sensor data.

6. A method associated with a female reproductive system, the method comprising:

retrieving optical imager data related to a target area within the female reproductive system, the target area being accessible via a vaginal channel of the female reproductive system;

performing an automated analysis of the optical imager data; and

producing information based on the analysis, the information at least assisting in identifying a status for at least a portion of the female reproductive system.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the retrieving is performed by a processing circuit within a device that is at least partially inserted within the vaginal channel.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the performance of the automated analysis occurs on a computing system that supports the device via a communication link.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the optical imager data comprises first data captured during a first session and second data captured during a second session, and the automated analysis involves a comparison between the first data and the second data.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the automated analysis involves determinations made based at least in part on measurement data.

11. The method of claim 6, further comprising retrieving supplemental sensor data.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the production of the information also involves the supplemental sensor data retrieved.

13. A method used by a computing device that interacts with a monitoring device, the monitoring device having an optical imager that captures imager data from a female reproductive system via a vaginal channel, the method comprising:

receiving a first portion of the imager data, the first portion of the imager data having been captured by the optical imager during a first imaging session;

storing the first portion of the imager data;

receiving a second portion of the imager data, the second portion of the imager data having been captured by the optical imager during a second imaging session;

retrieving the first portion of the imager data from storage;

comparing the first portion of the imager data with the second portion of the imager data; and

producing, based at least in part on the comparison, status information relating to at least a portion of the female reproductive system.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the status information relates to ovulation.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the status information relates to an infection.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the status information relates to a pregnancy.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the status information relates to abnormal cervical cells.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving supplemental sensor data, and wherein the production of the status information is also based on the supplemental sensor data.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the computing device is a supporting device.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the computing device is a server.