METHOD FOR ESTIMATING A QUANTITY OF A BLOOD COMPONENT IN A FLUID CANISTER

• US 20150294461A1
• Filed: 04/15/2015
• Published: 10/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gauss Surgical, Inc. (Stryker Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Gauss Surgical, Inc. (Stryker Corporation)
• Inventors: Satish, Siddarth, Miller, Kevin J., Hosford, Andrew T., Aragon, Juan Carlos, Yacoob, Yaser, Carroll, Charlie, Kadokura, Grant, Stout, Tyler, Hsieh, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,773,320 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/49 Blood chemical methods for determining blood cell populations G01N33/5094; chemical analysis of blood groups or blood types G01N33/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10024 Color image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10152 Varying illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20072 Graph-based image processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20076 Probabilistic image processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30004 Biomedical image processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30024 Cell structures in vitro; Tissue sections in vitro
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 Biomedical image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0014 using an image reference approach
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/194 involving foreground-background segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/90 Determination of colour characteristics

Abstract

A method and system for assessing an amount of a blood component of a volume of fluid within a canister, the method comprising: receiving an image of the canister generated by the image acquisition device; selecting a first region of the image exhibiting substantially uniform color, wherein the first region of the image corresponds to a layer of fluid situated between a wall of the canister and a first feature of an insert retained in position within the canister; determining a color parameter representative of the first region; determining a concentration of a blood component within the canister, based upon the color parameter; upon determining the volume of fluid of fluid within the canister, generating an analysis informative of an amount of the blood component within the canister; and providing information derived from the analysis to an entity associated with an individual from whom the volume of fluid originated.

Claims

1. A method for assessing an amount of a blood component of a volume of fluid within a canister, comprising:

at a computing system in communication with an image acquisition device, receiving data associated with an image of the canister generated by the image acquisition device;

at the computing system, automatically selecting a first region of the image exhibiting substantially uniform color, wherein the first region of the image corresponds to a layer of fluid situated between a wall of the canister and a first feature of an insert retained in position within the canister;

at the computing system, determining a color parameter representative of the first region of the image;

at the computing system, determining a concentration of a blood component within the canister, based upon the color parameter;

upon determining the volume of fluid of fluid within the canister, generating an analysis informative of an amount of the blood component within the canister; and

at an output device in communication with the computing system, providing information derived from the analysis to an entity associated with an individual from whom the volume of fluid originated.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the first region of the image exhibiting substantially uniform color comprises retaining the insert in position prior to receiving fluid from the patient into the canister.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein retaining the insert in position comprises providing alignment between the first feature of the insert and an anti-glare layer of a color grid coupled to an external surface of the canister.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the volume of fluid within the canister comprises at least one of:

1) receiving information pertaining to the volume of fluid within the canister by the entity at an input device in communication with the computing system, and

     2) identifying a reference marker on the canister, selecting an area of the image based upon the reference marker, determining a fluid level within the canister based upon a portion of the area, and estimating the volume of fluid within the canister based upon the fluid level.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

at the computing system, automatically selecting a second region of the image exhibiting a color gradient, and determining at least one of the concentration of the blood component within the canister and a hemolysis status of fluid within the canister based upon the second region of the image.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein selecting the second region of the image exhibiting the color gradient comprises transmitting light, from a light source, through fluid within the canister, thereby inducing the color gradient.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein transmitting light comprises transmitting light from a light source coupled to the insert having the first feature.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein transmitting light comprises transmitting light characterized by wavelengths between one or more of:

400-700 nm and 800-950 nm, in relation to hemoglobin light absorption, and wherein determining the hemolysis status is based upon signals generated by an image acquisition device external to the canister.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein selecting the second region of the image exhibiting the color gradient comprises retaining a second feature of the insert in position, the second feature providing a region with a gradient in thickness between the second feature and an internal surface of the canister.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second feature comprises a set of first features arranged in a stepped configuration, each of the set of first features offset from the internal surface of the canister, and wherein the method further comprises:

generating a parameter from each of the set of first features;

classifying fluid according to a concentration regime of a set of concentration regimes based upon the parameters generated from set of first features; and

determining the concentration of the blood component within the canister based upon the concentration regime.

11. A system for assessing an concentration of a fluid component, the system comprising:

a container for receiving a volume of fluid from a patient; and

a computing system in communication with an image acquisition device and comprising;

a first module configured to receive an image dataset of the container generated by the image acquisition device;

a second module configured to automatically select a first region of the image exhibiting substantially uniform characteristics;

a third module configured to determine a parameter representative of the first region of the image; and

a fourth module configured to determine a concentration of a fluid component within the container, based upon the parameter.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising an output device in communication with the computing system, and configured to render information derived from the analysis to an entity associated with an individual from whom the volume of fluid originated, wherein the output device is integrated with the image acquisition device.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

an insert retained within the container, the insert having a first feature that defines a layer of fluid situated between an internal surface of the canister and the first feature; and

wherein the insert includes an alignment feature that couples the insert to the container, and wherein the first feature has a surface displaced from the internal surface of the container by a constant distance.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the insert includes a cylindrical base at an inferior end of the insert and a frustoconical portion superior to the cylindrical base, wherein the cylindrical base defines the first feature and wherein the frustoconical portion defines a second feature configured to provide a color gradient upon reception of fluid into the container.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the insert includes a set of first features arranged in a stepped configuration, each of the set of first features offset from the internal surface of the container and from an adjacent first feature.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the third module of the computing system is configured to generate a parameter from each of the set of first features;

classify fluid according to a concentration regime of a set of concentration regimes based upon the parameters generated from set of first features; and

determine the concentration of the fluid component within the container based upon the concentration regime.

17. The system of claim 11, further comprising an illumination module in communication with the container, wherein the illumination module is configured to transmit light through fluid within the container.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the illumination module comprises a light source configured to transmit light at wavelengths from between one or more of:

400-700 nm and 800-950 nm, in relation to hemoglobin light absorption.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the illumination module is coupled to an insert retained within the container.

20. The system of claim 11, further comprising a fifth module configured to determine a volume of fluid within the container upon at least one of:

receiving information pertaining to the volume of fluid within the canister by the entity at an input device in communication with the computing system, and

     2) identifying a reference marker on the container, selecting an area of the image based upon the reference marker, determining a fluid level within the container based upon a portion of the area, and estimating the volume of fluid within the container based upon the fluid level.