Medical diagnostic computer

• US 4,290,114 A
• Filed: 07/01/1976
• Issued: 09/15/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanon S. Sinay
• Original Assignee: Hanon S. Sinay
• Inventors: Sinay, Hanon S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zache, Raulfe B.
• Application Number:
  US05/702,337
• Time in Patent Office: 1,902 Days
• Field of Search: 364/300, 364/200 MS File, 364/900 MS File
• US Class Current: 600/301
• 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: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/20 relating to practices or guidelines
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/92 Computer assisted medical diagnostics

Abstract

A computer-aided health care system for use by a paramedic. Findings taken from the patient by the paramedic are assigned numerical codes by use of preprinted forms. The paramedic uses a keyboard to enter the numerical codes into a fixed purpose computer. The computer compares the findings with a number of disease definitions stored in its memory. The computer then operates a printer to list numerical codes for all treatments to be administered. The paramedic uses these codes to enter a treatment and diagnostic manual which gives the name of the disease and specific instructions for its treatment, in the language of the paramedic.

Claims

1. The method of operating a programmed automatic electronic computer to designate appropriate medical treatment for a patient who has been examined to determine each medical finding out of a predetermined set of medical findings which is present in the patient, the computer being adapted to have loaded therein and to read a readily interchangeable mass memory unit, said computer also including an entry unit and an output display system, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) loading the computer with a preprepared, readily interchangeable mass memory unit having stored therein signals representing the definitions of a plurality of disease entities, each disease entity definition including signals representing a plurality of corresponding selected disease codes, each corresponding selected disease code representing one out of the predetermined set of possible medical findings with respect to any patient'"'"'s condition, and also including signals representing a plurality of logic codes which, together with the selected disease codes, designate a corresponding logical combination of the selected individual disease codes which defines the disease entity, said mass memory unit also having stored therein, for each disease entity definition, corresponding signals representing at least one corresponding treatment code representing an appropriate medical treatment to be given to any patient whose medical condition satisfies the disease entity definition;

(b) for each one of the predetermined set of medical findings found in the patient being treated, operating the entry unit of the computer to enter and to store in the computer electrical signals representing the corresponding disease code, whereby the stored patient disease codes represent the medical condition of the patient being treated;

(c) operating the computer to read the contents of the mass memory unit and to respond to the logic code signals and selected disease code signals of each disease entity definition to perform a corresponding logical testing of the stored patient disease codes to test and indicate if they satisfy the corresponding logical combination of selected disease codes of the disease entity and, for each of the disease entity definitions whose logical combination of selected disease codes is satisfied by the stored patient disease codes, display indicia representative of the corresponding treatment codes;

whereby the displayed indicia are representative of the treatment codes for all of the satisfied disease entity definitions.

2. A programmed computing apparatus usable by a paramedic with limited medical training to designate appropriate medical treatment for a patient to be treated who has been examined by the paramedic to determine each medical finding, out of a predetermined set of possible medical findings, which is present in the patient to be treated, said computing apparatus comprising:

(a) a programmed digital computer adapted to have loaded therein and to read from a readily interchangeable mass magnetic memory unit;

(b) said computer including a preprepared, readily interchangeable mass magnetic memory unit loaded into the computer, said unit having stored therein magnetic signals representing the definitions of a plurality of disease entities, each disease entity definition including signals representing a plurality of corresponding selected disease codes, each corresponding selected disease code representing one out of the predetermined set of possible medical findings with respect to any patient'"'"'s condition, and also including signals representing a plurality of logic codes which, together with the selected disease codes, designate a corresponding logical combination of the selected individual disease codes which defines the disease entity, said mass magnetic memory unit also having stored therein, for each disease entity definition, corresponding signals representing at least one corresponding treatment code representing an appropriate medical treatment to be given to any patient whose medical condition satisfies the disease entity definition;

(c) said computer including an entry means operable by the paramedic to enter and to store in the computer electrical signals representing the corresponding disease code for each one of the predetermined set of medical findings present in the patient, the stored patient disease codes representing the medical condition of the patient being treated;

(d) said computer futher including logical testing and display means actuable for automatically reading the contents of the mass magnetic memory unit and responding to the logic code signals and selected disease code signals of each disease entity definition to perform a corresponding logical testing of the stored patient disease codes to test and indicate if they satisfy the corresponding logical combination of selected disease codes of the disease entity and, for each of the disease entity definitions whose logical combination of selected disease codes is satisfied by the stored patient disease codes, displaying indicia representative of the corresponding treatment codes;

whereby the displayed indicia are representative of the treatment codes for all of the satisfied disease entity definitions.

3. A programmed computing apparatus usable by a paramedic with limited medical training to designate appropriate medical treatment for a patient to be treated who has been examined by the paramedic to determine each medical finding, out of a predetermined set of possible medical findings, which is present in the patient to be treated, said computing apparatus comprising:

a programmed electronic digital computer for generating electrical signals representing the definitions of a plurality of disease entities, each disease entity definition including signals representing a plurality of corresponding selected disease codes, each corresponding selected disease code representing one out of the predetermined set of possible medical findings with respect to any patient'"'"'s condition, and also including signals representing a plurality of logic codes which, together with the selected disease codes, designate a corresponding logical combination of the selected individual disease codes which defines the disease entity, said programmed electronic digital computer additionally providing for each disease entity definition, corresponding signals representing at least one corresponding treatment code representing an appropriate medical treatment to be given to any patient whose medical condition satisfies the disease entity definition;

said programmed electrical computer including an entry means operable by the paramedic to enter and to store in the computer electrical signals representing the corresponding disease code for each one of the predetermined set of medical findings present in the patient, the stored patient disease codes representing the medical condition of the patient to be treated;

said programmed electronic digital computer further including logical testing and display means responsive to the logic code signals and selected disease code signals to each disease entity definition for performing a corresponding logical testing of the stored patient disease codes to test and indicate if they satisfy the corresponding logical combination of selected disease codes of the disease entity and, for each of the disease entity definitions whose defined logical combination of selected individual disease codes is satisfied by the stored patient disease codes, displaying, responsive to said corresponding treatment code signals, indicia representative of the corresponding treatment codes representing the corresponding medical treatments to be given to the patient;

whereby the displayed indicia are representative of the treatment codes for all of the satisfied disease entity definitions.

4. The computing apparatus of claim 3 wherein for each satisfied disease entity definition said logical testing and display means of said computer additionally displays indicia representing the identification of the satisfied disease entity as a corresponding diagnosis, whereby indicia representative of both the corresponding treatment codes and diagnosis code are displayed for each satisfied disease entity definition.

5. The method of operating a programmed automatic electronic digital computer, including an entry unit and an output display system to designate appropriate medical treatment for a patient who has been examined to determine each medical finding out of a predetermined set of possible medical findings which is present in the patient, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) for each one of the predetermined set of medical findings found in the patient operating the entry unit of the computer to enter and to store in the computer electrical signals representing a corresponding disease code, whereby the stored patient disease codes represent the medical condition of the patient being treated;

(b) operating the computer in a preprogrammed mode of operation to perform the steps of;

(i) generating electrical signals representing the definitions of a plurality of disease entities, each disease entity definition including signals representing a plurality of corresponding selected disease codes, each corresponding selected disease code representing one out of the predetermined set of possible medical findings with respect to any patient'"'"'s condition, and also including signals representing a plurality of logic codes which, together with the selected disease codes, designate a corresponding logical combination of the selected individual disease codes, which defines the disease entity;

(ii) generating for each disease entity definition, corresponding signals representing at least one corresponding treatment code representing an appropriate medical treatment to be given to any patient whose medical condition satisfies the disease entity definition; and

(iii) responding to the logic code signals and selected disease code signals of each disease entity definition to perform a corresponding logical testing of the stored patient disease codes to test and indicate if they satisfy the corresponding logical combination of selected disease codes of the disease entity and, for each of the disease entity definitions whose defined logical combination of selected individual disease codes is satisfied by the stored patient disease codes, displaying indicia represented by said corresponding treatment code signals;

whereby the displayed indicia are representative of the treatment codes for all of the satisfied disease entity definitions.