System for calculating analytical data and making calculation results available as an output

• US 6,810,391 B1
• Filed: 09/02/1999
• Issued: 10/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GMBH (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Horn, Joachim, Birkhoelzer, Thomas, Pellegrino, Marco
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ramesh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Booker, Kelvin
• Application Number:
  US09/388,627
• Time in Patent Office: 1,881 Days
• Field of Search: 706/50, 706/8, 706/20, 706/16, 706/60, 706/924, 706/934, 706/9, 706/48, 706/15, 706/45, 600/300, 128/904, 128/924
• US Class Current: 706/8
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7264 Classification of physiological signals or data, e.g. using neural networks, statistical classifiers, expert systems or fuzzy systems neural networks per se G06N3/00; expert systems per se G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/20 for electronic clinical trials or questionnaires
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/904 Telephone telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/924 using artificial intelligence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 706/924 Medical

Abstract

a System for calculating and emitting analytical data, particularly medically relevant analytical data, has a computer with an evaluation unit for analyzing information entered by the system user and for generating the analytical data, and an output medium provided at the user side. The evaluation unit is configured for interrogating and accepting information that can be entered at the user side such that the information can be entered autonomously by the user based on a number of inquiries which are predefined at the system side, and which can be selected with reference to each response, and which can be made available as an output to user via the output medium. The evaluation unit is configured for controlling an interactive information capture such that, depending on the running information compilation, specific inquiries can be formulated and shown to the user. The evaluation unit is configured for processing information that is random in content and for evaluating the analytical data with a value measure lying between two extreme values. The analytical data that is generated on the basis of the running information compilation can be interrogated by the user at any time and supplied to the user as an output upon such interrogation.

Claims

1. A computing system comprising:

a computer including evaluation means for analyzing information which is entered into said computer and for generating analytical data based on said information;

user input means for allowing a user to enter said information into said computer;

an output means connected to said computer for displaying an output generated by said computer;

said evaluation means comprising means for configuring and interrogating and accepting said information entered through said input means for organizing input of said information based on a plurality of inquiries produced by said evaluation means, said evaluation means selecting said inquires based on information entered in response to at least one previous inquiry, said inquiries being made available at said output means;

said evaluation means comprising means for controlling interactive acquisition of said information based on a running compilation of information for formulating and emitting said inquiries to said output means, and said evaluation means comprising means for processing information which is random in content and for producing a continuous value measure between two extreme values as a characterization of an analytical result based on said information, and said input means selectively providing said running information compilation on said output means at any time in response to receipt of a command from a user;

and a storage unit in which information entered via said input means is selectively filed and retrieved.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said evaluation means is operable in a plurality of operating modes, and wherein an operating mode for said evaluation means can be set via said input means.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said evaluation means comprises means for calculating said value measure from a calculation algorithm selected from the group consisting of fuzzy logic and probability algorithms.

4. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said evaluation means comprises means for formulating an inquiry based on an analytical calculation of a potential informational gain of the inquiry.

5. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said evaluation means comprises means for making predetermined inquiries available via said output means in a hierarchically structured form for incremental answering via said input means.

6. A system as claimed in claim 5 wherein said evaluation unit makes a plurality of predetermined inquiries available for common display in a question menu at said output means.

7. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said storage unit contains predetermined information related to a specific user.

8. A system as claimed in claim 7 wherein said evaluation unit has access to said information in said storage unit automatically.

9. A system as claimed in claim 7 wherein said evaluation means has access to said information in said storage unit upon output at said output means of an inquiry relating to said information stored in said storage unit.

10. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said evaluation means comprises means for making analytical data available at said output means in a plurality of forms.

11. A system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a storage unit in which additional informational data, relative to said analytical data, are contained, said additional data being accessible by said evaluation means.

12. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said computer and said output means are disposed remote from each other.

13. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said computer and said output means are disposed together so as to be simultaneously accessible by a user operating said input means.

14. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said storage unit is disposed remote from said output medium.

15. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said storage unit is disposed remote from said computer.

16. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said storage unit is integrated in said computer.

17. A computing system comprising:

a computer including evaluation means for analyzing information which is entered into said computer and for generating analytical data based on said information;

user input means for allowing a user to enter said information into said computer;

an output means connected to said computer for displaying an output generated by said computer;

said evaluation means comprising means for configuring and interrogating and accepting said information entered through said input means for organizing input of said information based on a plurality of inquiries produced by said evaluation means, said evaluation means selecting said inquires based on information entered in response to at least one previous inquiry, said inquiries being made available at said output means;

said evaluation means comprising means for controlling interactive acquisition of said information based on a running compilation of information for formulating and emitting said inquiries to said output means, and said evaluation means comprising means for processing information which is random in content and for producing a continuous value measure between two extreme values as a characterization of an analytical result based on said information, and said input means allowing a user to retrieve, and have available as an output on said output medium, said running information compilation at any time;

and said evaluation means comprising means for calculating and emitting, at said output means, a weight designation identifying a significance of each inquiry shown at said output means, based on an analysis of a weighted reduction of entropy in said evaluation means dependent on response information which can be given in response to said inquiry.

18. A computer including evaluation means for analyzing information which is entered into said computer and for generating analytical data based on said information;

user input means for allowing a user to enter said information into said computer;

an

output means connected to said computer for displaying an output generated by said computer;

said evaluation means comprising means for configuring and interrogating and accepting said information entered through said input means for organizing input of said information based on a plurality of inquiries produced by said evaluation means, said evaluation means selecting said inquires based on information entered in response to at least one previous inquiry, said inquiries being made available at said output means;

said evaluation means comprising means for controlling interactive acquisition of said information based on a running compilation of information for formulating and emitting said inquiries to said output means, and said evaluation means comprising means for processing information which is random in content and for producing a continuous value measure between two extreme values as a characterization of an analytical result based on said information, and said input means allowing a user to retrieve, and have available as an output on said output medium, said running information compilation at any time;

and said evaluation means comprising means, upon entry of an interrogation termination via said input means, for determining whether a relevant item of information has been omitted from said running information compilation and for indicating said omission at said output means.

19. A system as claimed in claim 18 wherein said evaluation means comprises means for displaying a preliminary calculation result, with said relevant item of information omitted, at said output medium, and for simultaneously displaying an inquiry to obtain said relevant item of information.

20. A computing system comprising:

a computer including evaluation means for analyzing information which is entered into said computer and for generating analytical data based on said information;

user input means for allowing a user to enter said information into said computer;

an output means connected to said computer for displaying an output generated by said computer;

said evaluation means comprising means for configuring and interrogating and accepting said information entered through said input means for organizing input of said information based on a plurality of inquiries produced by said evaluation means, said evaluation means selecting said inquires based on information entered in response to at least one previous inquiry, said inquiries being made available at said output means;

said evaluation means comprising means for controlling interactive acquisition of said information based on a running compilation of information for formulating and emitting said inquiries to said output means, and said evaluation means comprising means for processing information which is random in content and for producing a continuous value measure between two extreme values as a characterization of an analytical result based on said information, and said input means selectively providing said running information compilation on said output means at any time in response to receipt of a command from a user;

and said evaluation means comprising means for making available, at said output means, at least a part of information entered said via input means on which said value measure is based, and means for calculating a change in said value measure which would occur if a selected item of information were omitted, and displaying an indication of said change of said value measure at said output means.