Establishing a biological recording timeline by artificial marking

• US 8,150,628 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2006
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Enterprise Science Fund, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hyde, Roderick A., Jung, Edward K. Y., Levien, Royce A., Lord, Robert W., Malamud, Mark A., Rinaldo, John D. Jr., Wood, Lowell L. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moran, Marjorie
• Assistant Examiner(s): Skibinsky, Anna
• Application Number:
  US11/343,944
• Publication Number:
  US 20070156346A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,254 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 702/19
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1072 measuring distances on the body, e.g. measuring length, height or thickness A61B5/1076 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/448 Hair evaluation, e.g. for hair disorder diagnosis

Abstract

A method and system are described for transmitting a timing estimate record responsive to a systemic flow of one or more artificial markers.

Claims

1. A method for generating a timing estimate record associated with systemic flow of at least one artificial marker comprising:

receiving at least one indication of at least one artificial marker by moving at least one sensor along a length of at least one outgrowth while the at least one outgrowth remains in situ;

determining, using the at least one sensor, at least one distance of the at least one artificial marker from a root of the at least one outgrowth; and

generating a timing estimate record associated with systemic flow of the at least one artificial marker using the at least one distance.

2. The method of claim 1, in which generating the timing estimate record associated with systemic flow of the at least one artificial marker further comprises:

determining, via user input, roughly a time of entry of the at least one artificial marker into a portion of a subject'"'"'s body.

3. The method of claim 1, in which generating the timing estimate record associated with systemic flow of the at least one artificial marker further comprises:

obtaining a timing estimate as a clock value substantially simultaneous with an event signaling the systemic flow of the at least one artificial marker; and

including the timing estimate in the timing estimate record.

4. The method of claim 1, in which generating the timing estimate record associated with systemic flow of artificial marker further comprises:

externally signaling the systemic flow of the at least one artificial marker.

5. The method of claim 1, in which generating the timing estimate record associated with systemic flow of the at least one artificial marker further comprises:

generating the timing estimate record at least partly based on an outgrowth-marking-timing record.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining at least one relative position of the at least one artificial marker to one or more natural markers in the at least one outgrowth.

7. The method of claim 1, in which generating the timing estimate record associated with systemic flow of the at least one artificial marker further comprises:

generating at least an event type indicator.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the timing estimate record associated with systemic flow of the at least one artificial marker further comprises:

receiving, from a capsule containing one or more artificial markers, and upon the capsule reaching a specified temperature, at least one signal usable to generate the timing estimate record.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a distance, along the at least one outgrowth, of at least one different marker from the at least one artificial marker; and

determining at least one event time value of one or more events affecting the outgrowth that are different from the systemic flow of the at least one artificial marker in response to the at least one distance of the at least one different marker from the at least one artificial marker.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a relative position, along the at least one outgrowth, of the at least one artificial marker to at least one different marker; and

determining an orientation based upon the at least one relative position.