Method and apparatus for generating a smooth normalized star diagram

• US 6,285,377 B1
• Filed: 06/26/1997
• Issued: 09/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Bayer Corporation (Bayer AG)
• Inventors: Sorette, Martin, Fischer, Gena, Kunicka, Jolanta, Greenbaum, Albert
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THU V
• Application Number:
  US08/882,974
• Time in Patent Office: 1,531 Days
• Field of Search: 345/441, 345/133, 345/138-140, 345/439, 345/440, 600/300, 600/309, 600/320, 600/328, 600/368, 600/485, 702/127, 702/150-153, 702/179-181, 702/189-199, 702/135, 702/139
• US Class Current: 345/441
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs

Abstract

A system and method for displaying parameters in a smoothed normalized star diagram where parameters are received from a medical laboratory instrument and processed. The processing includes calculating a normalized parameter value for each parameter using a predetermined mean and standard deviation and scaling the resulting normalized parameter value using a range restricting function. Each scaled parameter is assigned to a spoke and rays are drawn between adjacent spokes at a small angular interval. The ends of the rays are then joined by line segments, thereby constructing a smooth overall diagram.

Claims

1. A system for displaying a diagram representing a plurality of parameters, comprising:

means for receiving a raw value for each parameter;

means for determining a mean normal value and a standard deviation of the mean normal value for each parameter;

means for computing a normalized parameter value for each parameter, the normalized parameter value being a function of said raw value, mean normal value and the standard deviation of the mean normal value;

means for computing a displayed parameter value for each parameter as a function of the normalized parameter value using a range restricting function;

means for displaying three concentric circles with a common center, wherein the inner circle represents the mean normal value minus the standard deviation, the middle circle represents the mean normal, and the outer circle represents the mean normal value plus the standard deviation;

means for generating and displaying a plurality of spokes having a plurality of lengths, the number of spokes being equal to the number of parameters and the length of any of said spokes being equal to selected ones of said displayed parameter values; and

,

means for forming a plurality of rays located between two adjacent spokes, the length of each ray being a function of a weighted sum of the spokes'"'"'s length.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the normalized parameter values is computed as:

3. The system of claim 2 wherein each of the displayed parameter values is calculated according to:

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the spokes are displayed at equidistant angular intervals around the concentric circles.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the length of each ray between two adjacent spokes is computed as:

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the plurality of rays are formed with a uniform angular interval around the concentric circles and an end of the rays of each adjacent ray pairs are connected by a line segment.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein an angular interval between any of said rays is equal to or less than 1°

.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the angular interval is determined such that every spoke overlays some ray and the line segments connecting the rays are so small that the polygon they form is visually indistinguishable from a smooth curve.

9. The system of claim 8 further comprising means for performing a diagnosis wherein said diagnosis is one of a disease state such as sickle cell anemia, beta thal trait, and iron deficiency anemia.

10. The system of claim 9 further comprising a programmable computer wherein said system is installed into said computer.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said means for receiving is one of a blood analyzer, a chemical analyzer and a urine detector.

12. The system of claim 2 wherein the computing means further comprises computing said displayed parameter values using a scaling function.

13. A method for displaying a plurality of parameters comprising:

(a) receiving a raw value for each parameter;

(b) determining a mean normal value and a standard deviation of the mean normal value for each parameter;

(c) calculating a normalized parameter value for each parameter, the normalized parameter value being defined according to;

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the steps of displaying three concentric circles with a common center, the inner circle representing the mean normal value minus the standard deviation, the middle circle representing the mean normal value, and the outer circle representing the mean normal value plus the standard deviation, and displaying said displayed parameter values relative to said three circles.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising assigning each of said displayed parameter values to each of a corresponding plurality of spokes and determining a uniform angular interval between said spokes.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising the steps of generating a plurality of rays and positioning each ray being between any of said plurality of spokes, and providing each ray with a length calculated by:

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising connecting an end of each ray to each adjacent ray with a line segment.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the angular interval between rays is equal to or less than 1°

.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising providing a programmable computer and installing said method into said programmable computer.

20. The method of claim 14 further comprising assigning each of the displayed parameter values to each of a corresponding plurality of first data points having a plurality of first distances and determining a uniform angular interval between said first data points.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising the step of generating a plurality of second data points having a plurality of second distances and positioning each second data point between any adjacent two of said first data points, and providing each second data point with the second distance calculated by:

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising positioning the plurality of second data points at a uniform angular interval around the concentric circles and connecting each pair of adjacent second data points by a line segment.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the angular interval between any of said second data points is equal to or less than 1°

.

24. The method of claim 22 further comprising providing a programmable computer and installing said method into said programmable computer.

25. The method of claim 22 further comprising determining the angular interval such that every first data point overlays some second data point, and wherein the line segments connecting the second data points are so small that the polygon they form is visually indistinguishable from a smooth curve.

26. The method of claim 22 further comprising performing a diagnosis wherein said diagnosis is one of a disease state such as sickle cell anemia, beta thal trait, and iron deficiency anemia.

27. A system for displaying a diagram representing a plurality of parameters, comprising:

means for receiving a raw value for each parameter;

means for determining a mean normal value and a standard deviation of the mean normal value for each parameter;

means for computing a normalized parameter value for each parameter, the normalized parameter value being a function of said raw value, mean normal value and the standard deviation of the mean normal value;

means for computing a displayed parameter value for each parameter as a function of the normalized parameter value using a range restricting function;

means for displaying three concentric circles with a common center, wherein the inner circle represents the mean normal value minus the standard deviation, the middle circle represents the mean normal, and the outer circle represents the mean normal value plus the standard deviation;

means for generating and displaying a plurality of first data points having a plurality of first distances from the common center, the number of first data points being equal to the number of parameters and the first distance from the common center of any of said first data points being equal to a corresponding displayed parameter value; and

,

means for forming a plurality of second data points located between two adjacent first data points each second data point having a second distance from said common center that is a function of a weighted sum of the distance of said two adjacent first data points.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein each of the normalized parameter values is computed as:

29. The system of claim 28 wherein each of the displayed parameter values is calculated according to:

30. The system of claim 29 wherein the plurality of first data points are displayed at equidistant angular intervals around the concentric circles.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein the second distance between the two adjacent first data points is computed as:

32. The system of claim 31 wherein the plurality of second data points are formed with a uniform angular interval around the concentric circles and each pair of adjacent second data points are connected by a line segment.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein an angular interval between any of said second data points is equal to or less than 1°

.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein the angular interval is determined such that every first data point overlays some second data point and the line segments connecting the second data points are so small that the polygon they form is visually indistinguishable from a smooth curve.

35. The system of claim 34 further comprising a means for performing a diagnosis wherein said diagnosis is one of a disease state such as sickle cell anemia, beta thal trait, and iron deficiency anemia.

36. The system of claim 35 further comprising a programmable computer wherein said system is installed into said computer.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein said means for receiving is one of a blood analyzer, a chemical analyzer and a urine detector.