Compact imaging instrument system

• US 6,393,431 B1
• Filed: 12/28/1998
• Issued: 05/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Inventors: Perkins, David G., Wilson, Stephen C., Salvati, Jon R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mizrahi, Diane D.
• Application Number:
  US09/221,795
• Time in Patent Office: 1,240 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/104, 707/10, 707/101
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0004 for electronic operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00052 positioned at proximal end of the endoscope body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00105 characterised by modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/04 combined with photographic or television appliances
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/042 characterised by a proximal camera, e.g. a CCD camera
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/227 for ears, i.e. otoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0276 Determining malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0295 adapted for recording user messages or annotations
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0456 Apparatus provided with a docking unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/1208 Multiple lens hand-held instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

An imaging instrument includes a compact hand-held housing having an electronic imaging element supported within a housing, and a plurality of interchangeable instrument heads separably attachable to the housing. Each of the instrument heads includes an optical system disposed in alignment with the electronic imaging element along an instrument viewing axis. Preferably, the instrument includes a controller with sufficient programmable logic to capture and store a plurality of imaging images which can be transferred along with audio and/or annotation data relating to a captured image. Corresponding video, control and audio data can be then transferred using a receiving cradle to a computer which contains software which organizes the stored data for further processing. In a preferred example, the audio files can be transcribed through a network utilizing voice recognition software.

Claims

1. A method for creating and maintaining records containing at least image, text and audio data during a physician'"'"'s office encounter said method comprising the steps of:

attaching at least one medical diagnostic instrument head including at least one of a otoscopic, episcopic and ophthalmoscopic instrument head to a hand-held digital camera thereby creating a hand-held medical multimedia instrument;

capturing image data relating to at least one medical target of a patient using said hand-held medical multimedia instrument;

capturing audio data corresponding to at least one patient using said hand-held medical multimedia instrument;

capturing control data relating to at least captured image and audio data using said hand-held multimedia instrument;

transferring the captured audio, control and image data from said multimedia instrument to at least one of a local and remote computer station;

storing said data in a database associated with said computer station;

transferring audio data from said computer station to at least one transcription site;

transcribing said audio data at said at least one transcription site into text-readable data;

transferring said text-readable data from said at least one transcription site to said computer database for storage thereof;

wherein said transferring step includes the further step of incorporating said text-readable data with associated image, control and audio data as part of a patient specific data record.

2. A method according to claim 1, including a network center having data storage means, said network center being interconnected to a plurality of transcription sites and at least one said computer station, the method including the additional steps of:

transferring stored audio data from said at least one computer station to said network center;

storing the transferred audio data in said data storage means;

transferring said audio data to said at least one transcription site for transcription of said audio data;

creating text-readable data at said at least one transcription site;

transferring said text-readable data to said computer station; and

incorporating said text-readable data with associated image and audio data into said patient specific data record in said computer database.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said hand-held multimedia instrument includes means for receiving and storing at least one form of data from a number of discrete instruments and annotation means for annotating onto captured image data, wherein said method includes the step of transferring all stored data, including annotation data and received and stored instrument data, to said computer station.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said at least one computer station includes identification means for discriminating object recognizable symbols from a captured image, said method including the steps of:

scanning stored images received from hand-held medical multimedia instrument for object symbology;

decoding said symbology if detected by said identification means.

5. A method according to claim 1, including the additional steps of:

initializing at least one patient encounter by creating a data file within data storage means of the digital camera of said medical multimedia instrument;

capturing image, control and audio data relating to said at least one encounter using said multimedia instrument;

transferring all captured data from the data storage means of said hand-held multimedia instrument to said computer station;

storing captured data in said computer database;

converting said stored data of each patient encounter into a separate report template having allocation for all captured data based on said created data file;

transferring audio data to a network center having means for identifying and storing said audio data;

sending identified audio data relating to a user to a transcription site for transcription;

transcribing said identified audio data into text-readable data;

transferring the text-readable data to said network center;

transferring the text-readable data to said computer station; and

incorporating said text-readable data into the corresponding report template.

6. A method according to claim 5, including the step of adding other patient-related data to said data file prior to transferring said captured data from said hand-held multimedia instrument to said computer station.

7. A method according to claim 4, in which said multimedia instrument includes means for receiving and storing data from a plurality of separate instruments and means for annotating captured image data relating to at least one patient of interest, said computer site having means for storing all transferred data from said medical multimedia instrument into said report template.

18. A method according to claim 1, including the additional steps of:

transferring at least portions of said patient specific data record to said hand-held multimedia diagnostic instrument; and

using said hand-held diagnostic instrument to display at least portions of said patient specific data record.

19. A method according to claim 18, including the additional steps of releasing a first instrument head from said hand-held digital camera following examination of a first area of interest and attaching at least a second instrument head prior to examining at least a second area of interest.

8. A data management system for use in a physician office encounter, said system comprising:

at least one hand-held multimedia examination instrument comprising a hand-held digital camera having at least one medical diagnostic instrument head attached thereto, said instrument having imaging means for capturing at least one image of interest, audio recording means for recording audio data relating to said at least one image, control data recording means for capturing data necessary for the management of captured image and audio data, and first data storage means for storing captured image and audio data; and

means for transferring audio data between said first data storage means and transcribing means for converting said audio data into text-readable data.

9. A data management system as recited in claim 8, wherein said transferring means includes at least one of a local and remote computer station having second data storage means capable of storing all captured data from said hand-held multimedia examination instrument.

10. A data management system as recited in claim 8, wherein said computer station includes identification means for identifying data files created by said multimedia examination instrument and means for placing said captured data into a report template stored by said second data storage means, and in which said transferring means includes a network center interconnected to said computer station, said network center interconnecting at least one computer station with a plurality of transcription sites, said network center including a computer having centralized data storage means.

11. A system according to claim 8, in which said hand-held multimedia examination instrument includes means for receiving and storing data from discrete instruments and means for annotating captured image data relating to a subject of interest, said computer station having means for storing all data transferred from said hand-held multimedia examination instrument into a corresponding report template.

12. A system according to claim 8, wherein said at least one multimedia examination instrument includes means for securing against theft and unauthorized use, said computer station having means for authenticating control data transferred from said at least one hand-held multimedia examination instrument and for disabling said at least one examination instrument upon detection of an unauthorized use.

13. A system according to claim 12, wherein said at least one multimedia examination instrument includes means for counting the number of images captured, said disabling means being connected with said counting means to disable said instrument after a predetermined number of images have been taken.

14. A system according to claim 9, wherein said transferring means includes means for capturing audio and control data obtained over a telephone line as a second data storage means redundant to said examination instrument, said transferring means further being capable of sending audio and control data needed to identify subjects of said instrument obtained by said second data storage means to said computer station.

15. A system according to claim 9, including template means for forming patient records for retaining stored data from said at least one multimedia examination instrument, said transcription means including means for transferring data to selective fields of selective patient records created by said template means.

16. A system according to claim 9, wherein said transferring means includes means for automatically transferring stored data to a plurality of remote locations for consultation upon transfer of said stored data to said first storage means.

17. A system according to claim 9, wherein said transferring means includes means for transferring stored data between other multimedia examination instruments.

20. A system according to claim 8, wherein said instrument heads are releasably attachable to said hand-held digital camera, said instrument heads including at least one of an otoscopic, episcopic and ophthalmoscopic instrument head.

21. A system according to claim 20, wherein said instrument heads are releasably attachable to said digital camera.