Integrated, peripheral vascular diagnostic system and method therefor
First Claim
1. An integrated, peripheral vascular diagnostic system electronically linking a doppler ultrasound unit generating ultrasound doppler data signals and at least one from the group consisting of a pulse volume recorder (PVR), an ocular pneumoplethysmograph (OPG), a photoplethysmograph (PPG), and an audio frequency analysis (AA) unit, each respectively generating PVR, OPG, PPG, and AA data signals, the integrated diagnostic system comprising:
- means for electronically acquiring and converting said doppler data signals into an initial set of digital data signals;
a computer system including a processor, a memory, a keypad input device, a display monitor, a printer and means for interfacing together said processor, said memory, said keypad, said display monitor, said printer and said means for acquiring and converting said data signals;
a data compilation means, incorporated into said computer system, for compiling and initially storing said initial set of digital data signals and patient data into said memory substantially concurrently with the acquisition of said doppler data signals, said patient data entered into said computer system via said keypad;
a report generator means, as part of said computer system, for generating at a time subsequent to the initial storage of said initial set of digital data signals and not during data acquisition, and displaying at said time subsequent, and printing at said time subsequent, a plurality of vascular diagnostic reports based upon said digital data signals and said patient data;
an analog playback means, as part of said report generator means, for presenting a visual analog version of at least some of said initial set of digital data signals and an audio analog version of at least some of said initial set of digital data signals; and
, means for selecting, during the presentation, a portion of said stored initial set of digital data signals to be included in said vascular diagnostic report.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The integrated peripheral vascular diagnostic system electronically links a pulse volume recorder PVR, an ocular pneumoplethysmograph OPG, a photoplethysmograph PPG, an audio-frequency analyzer AA unit which characterizes blood flow with a sensitive microphone, and a doppler ultrasound unit. This diagnostic equipment generates data signals. These data signals are converted into digital data signals and are stored in a database. The diagnostic system includes a computer with a processor, a memory, a keypad input device, a display monitor, a printer and an interface for connecting these electronic components together along with an interface for the PVR, OPG, PPG, AA and doppler ultrasound. The diagnostic system further includes a report generator which generates, displays and prints a plurality of vascular diagnostic reports from the digital instrument data signals and the keypad entry data. The diagnostic system also includes, in a further embodiment, an audio playback device such that the technician, when preparing the vascular diagnostic report, can listen to analog versions of the digital instrument data signals. The method for electronically integrating the vascular diagnostic system includes electronically obtaining and converting the instrument data signals into digital data signals, inputting keypad entry data representing manually acquired vascular medical data from the patient, compiling the digital data and the keypad entry data into a database and generating, displaying and printing a plurality of vascular diagnostic reports.
47 Citations
43 Claims
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1. An integrated, peripheral vascular diagnostic system electronically linking a doppler ultrasound unit generating ultrasound doppler data signals and at least one from the group consisting of a pulse volume recorder (PVR), an ocular pneumoplethysmograph (OPG), a photoplethysmograph (PPG), and an audio frequency analysis (AA) unit, each respectively generating PVR, OPG, PPG, and AA data signals, the integrated diagnostic system comprising:
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means for electronically acquiring and converting said doppler data signals into an initial set of digital data signals; a computer system including a processor, a memory, a keypad input device, a display monitor, a printer and means for interfacing together said processor, said memory, said keypad, said display monitor, said printer and said means for acquiring and converting said data signals; a data compilation means, incorporated into said computer system, for compiling and initially storing said initial set of digital data signals and patient data into said memory substantially concurrently with the acquisition of said doppler data signals, said patient data entered into said computer system via said keypad; a report generator means, as part of said computer system, for generating at a time subsequent to the initial storage of said initial set of digital data signals and not during data acquisition, and displaying at said time subsequent, and printing at said time subsequent, a plurality of vascular diagnostic reports based upon said digital data signals and said patient data; an analog playback means, as part of said report generator means, for presenting a visual analog version of at least some of said initial set of digital data signals and an audio analog version of at least some of said initial set of digital data signals; and
, means for selecting, during the presentation, a portion of said stored initial set of digital data signals to be included in said vascular diagnostic report. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An integrated, peripheral vascular diagnostic system utilizing patient data and electronically linking a doppler ultrasound unit generating ultrasound doppler data signals and at least one from the group consisting of a pulse volume recorder (PVR), an ocular pneumoplethysmograph (OPG), a photoplethysmograph (PPG), and an audio frequency analysis (AA) respective unit, each respectively generating PVR, OPG, PPG, and AA data signals, at least one of said doppler data signals and said respective data signals having an audio characteristic, the integrated diagnostic system comprising:
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means for electronically acquiring and converting said data signals into an initial set of digital data signals; a computer system including a processor, a memory, a keypad input device, a display monitor, a print unit and means for interfacing together said processor, said memory, said keypad, said display monitor, said print unit and said means for acquiring and converting said data signals; a data compilation means, incorporated into said computer system for compiling and initially storing said initial set of digital data signals and said patient data into said memory; a report generator means, as part of said computer system, for generating at a time subsequent to the initial storage of said initial set of digital data signals and not during data acquisition, displaying at said time subsequent, and printing at said time subsequent a plurality of vascular diagnostic reports based upon said digital data signals and said patient data; an analog playback means, as part of said report generator means, for presenting both a visual analog version of at least some said initial set of digital data signals and an audio analog version of at least some of said initial set of digital data signals having said audio characteristic; and
,means for selecting, during the presentation, a portion of said stored initial set of digital data signals to be included in said vascular diagnostic report. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A method for electronically integrating a vascular diagnostic system by electronically linking patient data, a doppler ultrasound unit generating ultrasound doppler data signals and at least one from the group consisting of a pulse volume recorder (PVR), an ocular pneumoplethysmograph (OPG), a photoplethysmograph (PPG), and an audio frequency analysis (AA) unit, each respectively generating PVR, OPG, PPG, and AA data signals, the method comprising the steps of:
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electronically acquiring and converting said doppler data signals into an initial set of digital data signals; compiling and initially storing said initial set of digital data signals and said patient data into a data base, said initial storage of said initial set of digital data occurring substantially concurrently with the acquisition of said instrument data signals; generating and displaying, at a time subsequent to said initial digital data storage and not during data acquisition, and printing a plurality of vascular diagnostic reports based upon said digital data signals and said patient data, at least a portion of said display and printing including the display and printing of analog representations of said digital data, the step of generating including the step of selecting a portion of said initial set of digital data representing said doppler data signals and subsequently storing said portion of digital data as part of said vascular diagnostic reports; and presenting both a visual analog version of at least some of said initial set of digital data signals and an audio analog version of at least some of said initial set of digital data signals substantially during the step of selecting. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A method for electronically integrating a vascular diagnostic system by electronically linking a doppler ultrasound unit generating ultrasound doppler data signals and at least one from the group consisting of a pulse volume recorder (PVR), an ocular pneumoplethysmograph (OPG), a photoplethysmograph (PPG), and an audio frequency analysis (AA) unit, each respectively generating PVR, OPG, PPG, and AA data signals, at least one of said doppler data signals and said respective data signals having an audio characteristic, the method comprising the steps of:
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electronically acquiring and converting said data signals into an initial set of digital data signals; compiling and initially storing said initial set of digital data signals into a data base, said initial storage of said initial set of digital data occurring substantially concurrently with the acquisition of said instrument data signals; generating and displaying, at a time subsequent to said initial digital data storage and not during data acquisition, and producing a plurality of vascular diagnostic reports based upon said digital data, at least a portion of said display including the display of analog representations of said digital data, the step of generating including the step of selecting a portion of said initial set of digital data, representing at least one of said doppler data and said respective data, and subsequently storing said portion of digital data as part of said vascular diagnostic reports; and presenting both a visual analog version of said initial set of digital data signals and an audio analog version of said initial set of digital data signals having said audio characteristic substantially during to the step of selecting. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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Specification