Apparatus and method for displaying normalized clinical test data

• US 5,675,760 A
• Filed: 09/08/1994
• Issued: 10/07/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toa Medical Electronics Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Toa Medical Electronics Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kanamori, Shigeo, Asano, Kaoru, Houwen, Berend
• Primary Examiner(s): Jankus, Almis R.
• Application Number:
  US08/303,205
• Time in Patent Office: 1,125 Days
• Field of Search: 395/140, 395/155-161, 395/326, 395/333-335, 364/413.01-413.12
• US Class Current: 345/440
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00891 Displaying information to the operator
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

A calculator selects desired data out of a set of data obtained by analyzing a sample, such as blood or urine, and normalizes the selected data with respect to a predetermined level. The normalized values obtained by the calculator may be displayed as values and/or graphs. The graphical display may show a partition line set according to the experiences of the laboratory, so the graph may be quickly understood.

Claims

1. An apparatus for displaying clinical test result information on blood or urine, comprising:

calculating means for selecting data out of a set of measured data, the measured data being obtained by analyzing blood or urine, in accordance with the clinical test result information to be obtained and normalizing the selected data based upon a predetermined rule;

inputting means for inputting a user-selected threshold level for the clinical test result information; and

display means for displaying, as a fraction of a frame, at least one normalized value obtained by the calculating means, the display means further displaying a partition line in the frame as a standard for judging the clinical test result information, the partition line indicating a proportion of the frame, the proportion corresponding to the user-selected threshold level input by the inputting means;

control means for controlling the interaction of the calculating means, the inputting means, and the display means.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said calculating means includes a fuzzy reasoning means or a neural network.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said calculating means normalizes said selected data based upon the predetermined rule to a value ranging from 0 to 1 using a normalizing function, the normalizing function being adaptively changed by said fuzzy reasoning means or neural network.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said display means displays said normalized value as the fraction of the frame together with a border defining said frame and a numerical character indicating said normalized value, and further displaying a predetermined threshold in the form of a partition line on the frame.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said display means displays said numerical character and the fraction of the frame by changing the character'"'"'s color or the fraction'"'"'s color when the normalized value exceeds the corresponding predetermined threshold.

6. A method for displaying test result information, comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting at least one data from among measured data in accordance with the test result information to be obtained;

(b) normalizing selected data to a value;

(c) inputting a user-selected threshold level for the test result information;

(d) displaying the normalized value as a fraction of a geometric shape, the fraction having a correspondence to the value determined in said step (b); and

(e) displaying a partition line for the geometric shape, the partition line indicating a proportion of the geometric shape, the proportion having a correspondence to the user-selected threshold level input in said step (c).

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the normalizing of step (b) includes the sub-steps of:

(b1) selecting a non-linear membership function corresponding to the selected data; and

(b2) normalizing the selected data according to the membership function so as to provide the value between zero and one.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said step (d) further includes the sub-steps of:

(d1) displaying text identifying the selected data; and

(d2) displaying in arabic numerals the value determined in said step (b).

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said sub-steps (d1) and (d2) change a display characteristic of the displayed text or arabic numerals, respectively, when the normalized value exceeds the user-selected threshold.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the display characteristic is color.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the geometric shape is a rectangular box, and further wherein said step (d) includes:

displaying the borders of the rectangular box; and

said step (e) includes;

displaying the partition line as two collinear line segments orthogonal to opposite sides of the rectangular box.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein said step (d) includes changing a display characteristic of the fraction of the geometric shape corresponding to the displayed normalized value when the normalized value exceeds the user-selected threshold of said step (c).

13. The method of claim 6, wherein said step (b) includes the sub-steps of:

(b1) storing at least one normalizing function corresponding to at least one selected data, the normalizing function being used to normalize the selected data to the value between zero and one; and

(b2) adaptively changing the normalizing function.

14. The method of claim 6, wherein said step (d) includes:

displaying the border of the geometric shape; and

wherein said step (e) includes;

displaying the partition line as at least one line segment stretching outside the border of the geometric shape.

15. An apparatus for displaying test result information, comprising:

a calculator for selecting data out of a set of measured data in accordance with the test result information to be obtained, and normalizing the selected data to a value;

an input device for inputting a user-selected threshold level for the test result information; and

a display for displaying the normalized value from said calculator as a fraction of a geometric shape, the fraction being equal to the value determined by said calculator,

said display also for displaying a partition line for the geometric shape, the partition line indicating a proportion of the geometric shape, the proportion corresponding to the user-selected threshold level input by said input device; and

a controller for controlling the interaction of said calculator, said input device, and said display.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further including:

a memory for storing at least one non-linear normalizing function corresponding to the test result information,

wherein said calculator normalizes the selected data according to the corresponding normalizing function so as to provide the value between zero and one.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, said display further displaying text representing the selected data and, in arabic numerals, the value determined by said calculator.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, said display changing a display characteristic of the text or the arabic numeral for the selected data when the normalized value exceeds the user-selected threshold.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, said display further displaying a border of the geometric shape, and displaying the partition line as two collinear line segments orthogonal to opposite borders of the geometric shape.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, said display changing a display characteristic of the fraction of the geometric shape when the normalized value exceeds the user-selected threshold.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, further including:

a memory for storing at least one membership function corresponding to the test result information, said calculator normalizing the selected data according to the corresponding membership function so as to provide the value between zero and one; and

fuzzy reasoning means or a neural network for adaptively changing the membership function.