Billing support in a high throughput computer-aided detection environment

• US 7,236,986 B1
• Filed: 11/18/2002
• Issued: 06/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iCAD Incorporated
• Original Assignee: iCAD Incorporated
• Inventors: Sattler, Jason, Marquett, Anne C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong; Leslie
• Application Number:
  US10/298,317
• Time in Patent Office: 1,681 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/9, 707/104.1, 707/102, 705/2, 705/3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/20 Education
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• 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

A method for generating billing statements using information relating to patient identification and film images from patients. The method provides a billing output from a CAD system including the steps of performing a processing operation on patient cases with a CAD system and identifying a status associated with the output of the CAD system. The CAD processing status is computed and stored for each case in association with the patient information. A database storing the joint information provides an efficient method for generating billing statements.

Claims

1. A method of providing a billing output from a Computer-Aided Detection (CAD) system comprising the steps of:

performing an automated batch processing operation on at least one case with the CAD system, wherein the automated batch processing continues even after errors occur in the processing;

identifying a status corresponding to successful/unsuccessful processing of the at least one case;

associating the status with the output of the CAD system;

storing information corresponding to the status in a searchable format;

inputting a search query for retrieval of stored information matching the search query;

incorporating the retrieved information in the billing statement; and

billing only for the processing with the successful processing status associated with it.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein data corresponding to successful/unsuccessful processing of the at least one case affects the billing statement.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein multiple case are processed and the number of cases that result in successful/unsuccessful processing affect the billing statement.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the search query corresponds to a time period.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the output includes an authentication.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the authentication comprises an authorization number.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein multiple cases are processed and the authorization number is determined based on the number of cases with successful/unsuccessful processing and at least one other affecting factor.