Characterizing States of Subject

• US 20160210441A1
• Filed: 12/28/2015
• Published: 07/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lifetrack Medical Systems Private Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Lifetrack Medical Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Schulze, Eric, Philip Rees, Brendan, Mejia, Dennis
• Granted Patent: US 10,777,307 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0475 Special features of memory means, e.g. removable memory cards
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2576/02 specially adapted for a particular organ or body part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0013 Medical image data A61B1/00011, A61B6/56, A61B8/56 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0035 adapted for acquisition of images from more than one imaging mode, e.g. combining MRI and optical tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7246 using correlation, e.g. template matching or determination of similarity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7264 Classification of physiological signals or data, e.g. using neural networks, statistical classifiers, expert systems or fuzzy systems neural networks per se G06N3/00; expert systems per se G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7282 Event detection, e.g. detecting unique waveforms indicative of a medical condition A61B5/4094, A61B5/4818, A61B5/349, A61B5/0823 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7425 Displaying combinations of multiple images regardless of image source, e.g. displaying a reference anatomical image with a live image geometric transforms for image registration G06T3/14; enhancement using image fusion G06T5/50; algorithms for registration of images G06T7/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/743 Displaying an image simultaneously with additional graphical information, e.g. symbols, charts, function plots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7435 Displaying user selection data, e.g. icons in a graphical user interface
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/748 Selection of a region of interest, e.g. using a graphics tablet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7485 Automatic selection of region of interest
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 : Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/123 : Storage facilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/134 : Hyperlinking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 : Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 : Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0014 : using an image reference approach
• 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 30/40 : for processing medical images, e.g. editing
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 : for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

Among other things, a user of a browser is exposed simultaneously to three interfaces: A viewing interface for at least one image of a subject that is stored on a device on which the browser is running, a decision support interface that aids the user in determining the state of the subject based on the image, and a template interface that aids the user in capturing uniform descriptive information about the state of the subject. At least two of the viewing interface, the decision support interface, and the template interface operate cooperatively so that actions of the user with respect to one of the two interfaces causes changes in content exposed by the other of the two interfaces.

Claims

1-30. -30. (canceled)

31. A computer based method comprising

displaying simultaneously to a user:

(a) an image of a subject,

(b) decision support information about how to express a determination about a state of the subject based on the image of the subject, the decision support information including a representative figure that corresponds to the image of the subject and is associated with predefined words that at least partially describe the state of the subject, and

(c) interactive prose elements for expressing the determination about the state of the subject and that are invocable by the user to alter the identity of the prose elements that are displayed and available to express the determination,

in response to the user invoking the interactive prose elements, storing at least part of the expressed determination about the state of the subject.

32. The method of claim 31 comprising in response to the user invoking the representative figure of the decision support information, automatically updating the displayed interactive prose elements to include at least one of the predefined words associated with the representative figure.

33. The method of claim 31 in which the subject comprises a person, the state comprises a medical state of the person, and the determination expressed by the interactive prose elements is part of a medical report.

34. The method of claim 31 in which the display of the image of the subject comprises a tool that aids the user in interacting with the image of the subject and is context sensitive to an imaging modality or to a part of the subject that is imaged or both.

35. The method of claim 31 in which the decision support information comprises at least one normal or abnormal example or diagram.

36. The method of claim 31 in which the interactive prose elements guide the user in determining the state of the subject by representing possible attributes of the state of the subject to the user.

37. The method of claim 31 in which expressing the determination about the state of the subject comprises classifying the state of the subject by classifying information associated with the subject based on normative aggregated information associated with other subjects.

38. The method of claim 31 in which the interactive prose elements comprise text phrases.

39. The method of claim 31 in which interaction by the user with the interactive prose elements comprises the user indicating features of the state of the subject based on the image of the subject or the representative figure or both.

40. The method of claim 31 in which the decision support information comprises information about relationships between states of other subjects and attributes of other subjects including diagrams and examples.

41. The method of claim 31 in which the interactive prose elements express possible attributes of the subject and are presented in a stepwise manner representing expert knowledge.

42. The method of claim 31 in which the interactive prose elements are presented in at least two different modes suitable respectively for users of different skill levels.

43. The method of claim 31 in which the interactive prose elements are presented in a collapsed mode.

44. The method of claim 43 in which the collapsed mode enables the user to generate a report of the state of the subject by identifying only what is abnormal or requires a comment.

45. The method of claim 31 in which interaction by the user with the interactive prose elements comprises dragging and dropping images onto the interactive prose elements.

46. The method of claim 45 comprising

automatically annotating the images with attributes based on the interactive prose elements onto which the images are dropped.

47. The method of claim 45 in which dropping of an image onto one of the interactive prose elements causes the interactive prose element to expand to include additional uniform text representative of knowledge provided by a subject matter expert.

48. The method of claim 31 in which the interactive prose elements are associated with attributes of the subject and the interactive prose elements include links to elements of the decision support information associated with the attributes.

49. The method of claim 31 in which the decision support information comprises diagrams or examples.

50. The method of claim 31 comprising enabling a user to invoke one or more of elements of the decision support information and, in response to an invocation, automatically updating corresponding interactive prose elements.

51. The method of claim 31 comprising enabling a second user to interact with the interactive prose elements to change interactions of the first user, and evaluating differences between the interactions of the first user and the second user as an evaluation of the skill of one of the users.

52. The method of claim 31 comprising enabling the user to identify information about the subject as representing an example of a determination of states of similar subjects represented by elements of the decision support information, and automatically updating the decision support information to include the example.

53. The method of claim 31 in which the displayed decision support information is changed to reflect the user'"'"'s interaction with the interactive prose elements.

54. The method of claim 31 in which the decision support information that is displayed at a given time causes automatic updating of the interactive prose elements.

55. The method of claim 31 in which the interactive prose elements represent information provided by a subject matter expert based on the user'"'"'s expression of the determination about the state of the subject.

56. The method of claim 31 in which the interactive prose elements represent information provided by a subject matter expert based on the user'"'"'s expression of the determination about the state of the subject.

57. The method of claim 31 in which, if the expressed determination about the state of the subject is indicative of a critical finding that requires time sensitive action, an automatic notification is sent to a party for action.

58. The method of claim 31 comprising communicating the expressed determination to a party who has knowledge of an actual state of the subject, enabling the party to report information related to the actual state of the subject, and storing the information reported by the party for use in correlating the determination of the state of the subject expressed by the user and the information related to the actual state of the subject.

59. The method of claim 31 comprising altering the interactive prose elements to indicate to a particular user an aspect of the expressed determination that requires attention by that user.

60. The method of claim 31 in which interactive prose elements associated with a right side or a left side of the subject are made unavailable to the user.