Method of operating a general purpose digital computer for use in controlling the procedures and managing the data and information used in the operation of clinical (medical) testing and screening laboratories
First Claim
1. A digital computer system in a clinical testing laboratory having assay equipment for assaying free Beta in a biological sample obtained from a pregnant patient and utilizing other patient data and reference data, the computer system comprising:
- input means for inputting patient data for a pregnant patient into an electronic memory;
a processor for creating an individual record for each patient in response to said patient data;
said processor assigning specific accession numbers for each specimen, creating an assay format for a biological sample, and interfacing with the assay equipment to control the assaying of said biological sample for free Beta;
means for electronically communicating results from the assaying for free Beta into said memory in machine readable form;
said processor reading said assay results and, using said assay results, patient data, and reference data, calculating a patient specific risk that the patient is carrying a fetus having a designated defect;
and said processor creating a first patient report in machine readable form utilizing said patient record, said assay results and said patient specific risk; and
means for transmitting said patient report to an output device to produce a second patient report in human readable form.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A digital computer system in a clinical testing laboratory assays free Beta in a biological sample obtained from a pregnant patient and uses the resulting data, along with other patient and reference data, to create a patient profile. Operations of the system include inputting patient data for a pregnant patient into an electronic memory and creating an individual profile for each patient. The processor assigns specific accession numbers for each specimen, creates an assay format for a biological sample, and interfaces with the assay equipment to control the assaying of the biological sample for free Beta. The assay results are communicated into memory in machine readable form and used along with patient data and reference data to calculate a patient specific risk that the patient is carrying a fetus having a designated defect. From all the input data, the processor creates comprehensive patient profiles in both machine readable form and human readable form.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A digital computer system in a clinical testing laboratory having assay equipment for assaying free Beta in a biological sample obtained from a pregnant patient and utilizing other patient data and reference data, the computer system comprising:
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input means for inputting patient data for a pregnant patient into an electronic memory; a processor for creating an individual record for each patient in response to said patient data; said processor assigning specific accession numbers for each specimen, creating an assay format for a biological sample, and interfacing with the assay equipment to control the assaying of said biological sample for free Beta; means for electronically communicating results from the assaying for free Beta into said memory in machine readable form; said processor reading said assay results and, using said assay results, patient data, and reference data, calculating a patient specific risk that the patient is carrying a fetus having a designated defect; and said processor creating a first patient report in machine readable form utilizing said patient record, said assay results and said patient specific risk; and means for transmitting said patient report to an output device to produce a second patient report in human readable form. - View Dependent Claims (2, 13, 14)
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3. A digital computer system in a prenatal screening laboratory having assay equipment for assaying free Beta in a biological sample obtained from a pregnant patient, and utilizing other patient data and reference data, the computer system comprising:
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input means for inputting patient data into an electronic memory; a processor for creating an individual record for each patient in response to said patient data; said processor assigning specific accession numbers for each specimen creating an assay format for a biological sample and interfacing with the assay equipment to control the assaying of said biological sample for free Beta; means for electronically communicating results from the assaying for free Beta into said memory in machine readable form; said processor reading said assay results and, using said assay results, patient data, and reference data, calculating a patient specific risk that the patient is carrying a fetus having a designated defect; and said processor creating a first patient report in machine readable form utilizing said patient record, said assay results and said patient specific risk; means for transmitting said patient report to an output device to produce a second patient report in human readable form. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 15, 16)
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6. A method of operating a digital computer in a prenatal screening laboratory having assay equipment for assaying free Beta in a biological sample obtained from a pregnant patient, the method comprising:
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inputting patient data into an electronic memory; processing said patient data to create an individual record for each patient in response to said patient data; creating an assay format for a biological sample; interfacing with the assay equipment to control the assaying of said biological sample for free Beta; electronically communicating results from the assaying for free Beta into said memory in machine readable form; processing said assay results and, using said assay results, patient data, and reference data, calculating a patient specific risk that the patient is carrying a fetus having a designated defect; creating a first patient report in machine readable form utilizing said patient record, said assay results and said patient specific risk; and transmitting said patient report to an output device to produce a second patient report in human readable form. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 17, 18)
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Specification