EXTENDED MEDICAL TEST SYSTEM

• US 20180055357A1
• Filed: 08/23/2016
• Published: 03/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Inventors: Meyerson, Craig M., Maier, David J., Whitaker, Tyson B., Martin, Scott Andrew, Fitch, Timothy R., Emmons, Kirsten M., Clark, Andrew David, Mehta, Aalok, Bregeon, Frederic, Daley, Stephen C.
• Granted Patent: US 10,835,120 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0431 Portable apparatus, e.g. comprising a handle or case
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2576/00 Medical imaging apparatus involving image processing or analysis A61B1/00009, A61B6/52 and A61B8/52 take precedence; image processing per se G06T; details of algorithms for analysing medical images G06T7/0012
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/14 Arrangements specially adapted for eye photography apparatus or arrangements for taking photographs per se G03B
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/18 Arrangement of plural eye-testing or -examining apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0077 Devices for viewing the surface of the body, e.g. camera, magnifying lens
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1032 Determining colour for diagnostic purposes measuring colour in general G01J3/46
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1176 Recognition of faces
• 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 5/743 Displaying an image simultaneously with additional graphical information, e.g. symbols, charts, function plots
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing

Abstract

An extended medical test system provides a user-friendly apparatus that can be used to perform a plurality of diagnostic functions. In an example of an eye examination system, the system is configured to capture one or more patient images containing a patient'"'"'s eye and a surrounding body portion, and perform additional diagnostic functions as well as the eye examination.

Claims

1. An apparatus for a medical test, the apparatus comprising:

an image capture device configured to capture a patient image, the patient image including an eye and a surrounding facial portion around the eye; and

an evaluation device configured to;

determine a point of interest associated with the surrounding facial portion in the patient image;

determine a property associated with the point of interest from the patient image;

compare the property with a reference property; and

evaluate a change in the property.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image capture device captures the patient image at a first time and captures a reference image at a second time prior to the first time, and the evaluation device is further configured to:

determine the point of interest in the reference image;

determine the reference property associated with the point of interest from the reference image; and

evaluate the change in the property based on a difference between the property and the reference property over a period of time, the period of time being determined by a difference between the first time and the second time.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the evaluation device is further configured to generate a diagnosis based on the change in the property.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the evaluation device is further configured to generate a recommendation based on the diagnosis.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an output device configured to present an evaluation output, the evaluation output including the change in the property.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the output device includes a display screen configured to display the evaluation output.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the point of interest includes a first point of interest and a second point of interest, the first point of interest being selected from the eye in the patient image, and the second point of interest being selected from the surrounding facial portion in the patient image.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first point of interest is selected from a group consisting of pupil, lens, iris, cornea, suspensory ligaments, ciliary body, aqueous humour, vitreous humor, sclera, choroid, retina, and fovea of the eye.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the second point of interest is selected from a group consisting of a skin color, an eyebrow, a nose, a lip, a forehead, a cheek, and a surrounding eye.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a patient identification device configured to evaluate the patient image and identify a patient associated with the patient image.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a handheld structure configured to house the image capture device and the evaluation device.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an attachment device configured to attach a mobile computing device, wherein a combination of the attachment device and the mobile computing device includes the image capture device and the evaluation device.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a standalone station configured to include the image capture device and the evaluation device.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a walk-through frame configured to include the image capture device and the evaluation device.

15. A method of performing a medical test, the method comprising:

obtaining a patient image, the patient image including an eye and a surrounding facial portion around the eye;

determining a point of interest associated with the surrounding facial portion in the patient image;

determining a property associated with the point of interest from the patient image;

comparing the property with a reference property; and

evaluating a change in the property.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the patient image is obtained at a first time, and the method further comprises:

obtaining a reference image at a second time prior to the first time, the reference image including the eye and the surrounding facial portion;

determining the point of interest in the reference image;

determining the reference property associated with the point of interest from the reference image;

evaluating the change in the property based on a difference between the property and the reference property over a period of time, the period of time being determined by a difference between the first time and the second time.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

presenting an evaluation output via an output device, the evaluation output including the change in the property.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein determining a point of interest includes:

determining a first point of interest, the first point of interest being selected from the eye in the patient image; and

determining a second point of interest, the second point of interest being selected from the surrounding facial portion in the patient image.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first point of interest is selected from a group consisting of pupil, lens, iris, cornea, suspensory ligaments, ciliary body, aqueous humour, vitreous humor, sclera, choroid, retina, and fovea of the eye;

and

wherein the second point of interest is selected from a group consisting of a skin color, an eyebrow, a nose, a lip, a forehead, a cheek, and a surrounding eye.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

identifying a patient based on the patient image.