Patient verification based on a landmark subsurface feature of the patient's body part

• US 8,634,598 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2011
• Issued: 01/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Modulated Imaging, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hyde, Roderick A., Kare, Jordin T., Leuthardt, Eric C., Lieberman, Erez, Rivet, Dennis J., Sweeney, Elizabeth A., Wood, Lowell L. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayat, Ali
• Application Number:
  US13/200,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20130070972A1
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: 382115-119, 382124-125, 382/128, 382/130, 235/380, 235/381, 340/5.1, 902 3- 4, 902/25, 600/109, 600/117, 600/425
• US Class Current: 382/115
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/000094 extracting biological structures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0077 Devices for viewing the surface of the body, e.g. camera, magnifying lens
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/506 for diagnosis of nerves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5241 combining overlapping images of the same imaging modality, e.g. by stitching
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5253 combining overlapping images, e.g. spatial compounding
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10068 Endoscopic image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30028 Colon; Small intestine
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/00 Image enhancement or restoration
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 Biomedical image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0014 using an image reference approach
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/337 involving reference images or patches
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/70 for mining of medical data, e.g. analysing previous cases of other patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00 Scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission; Details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/188 Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253

Abstract

Described embodiments include a system, method, and computer program product. A described system includes a feature matching circuit that receives a first reference image that includes a representation of a distinctive landmark subsurface feature of a body part of a known patient and a second reference image that includes a representation of a contemporaneously acquired landmark subsurface feature of a body part of a person presenting. A feature matching circuit determines a correspondence between the distinctive landmark subsurface feature of a body part of a known patient and the contemporaneously-acquired landmark subsurface feature of a body part of a person presenting. A data circuit generates informational data indicative of a verification of the person presenting with respect to the known patient, the verification at least partially based on the determined correspondence between the distinctive landmark subsurface feature and the contemporaneously-acquired landmark subsurface feature. A communication circuit outputs the informational data.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

(a) a receiver circuit configured to receive

(i) a first reference image that includes a representation of a distinctive landmark subsurface feature of a body part of a known patient, the first reference image acquired by a body-insertable device deployed in the body part of the known patient, and

(ii) a second reference image that includes a representation of a contemporaneously acquired landmark subsurface feature of a body part of a person presenting, the second reference image acquired by another body-insertable device deployed in the body part of the person presenting, the body part of the known patient and the body part of the person presenting being the same kind of body part;

(b) a feature matching circuit configured to determine a substantial correspondence between

(x) the distinctive landmark subsurface feature of the body part of the known patient and

(y) the contemporaneously-acquired landmark subsurface feature of the body part of the person presenting;

(c) a data circuit configured to generate informational data indicative of a verification of the person presenting with respect to the known patient, the verification at least partially based on the determined substantial correspondence between the distinctive landmark subsurface feature and the contemporaneously-acquired landmark subsurface feature; and

(d) a communication circuit configured to output the informational data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first reference image is acquired by a body-insertable device deployed in a cavity or lumen of the body part of the known patient.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the second reference image is acquired by another body-insertable device deployed in a cavity or lumen of the body part of the person presenting.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the distinctive landmark subsurface feature includes:

a distinctive landmark subsurface feature of a cavity or lumen of the body part of the known patient.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the contemporaneously acquired landmark subsurface feature includes:

a contemporaneously acquired landmark subsurface feature of a cavity or lumen of the body part of the person presenting.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the distinctive landmark subsurface feature includes:

a distinctive landmark subsurface feature of the body part of the known patient designated for an evaluation, test, diagnosis, or treatment of a possible medical condition.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the contemporaneously-acquired landmark subsurface feature includes:

a contemporaneously-acquired landmark subsurface feature of the body part of the person presenting themselves for the evaluation, test, diagnosis, or treatment of a possible medical condition.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the distinctive landmark subsurface feature includes:

a distinctive landmark subsurface feature of the body part of the known patient, and acquired from an electronically maintained record of the known patient.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the distinctive landmark subsurface feature includes:

a distinctive landmark subsurface feature of the body part of the known patient, and acquired by the system from an electronically maintained landmark subsurface feature library of the known patient.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the distinctive landmark subsurface feature includes:

a distinctive landmark subsurface feature of the body part of the known patient, and acquired by the system from an electronically maintained landmark subsurface feature atlas.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the contemporaneously-acquired landmark subsurface feature includes:

a contemporaneously-acquired landmark subsurface feature of the body part of the person currently presenting for an evaluation, test, diagnosis, or treatment of a possible medical condition.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the contemporaneously-acquired landmark subsurface feature includes:

a contemporaneously-acquired landmark subsurface feature of the body part of the person presenting themselves as the known patient.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the data circuit includes:

a data circuit configured to generate informational data indicative of a verification of the person presenting with respect to the known patient, the verification at least partially based on the determined substantial correspondence between the reference landmark subsurface feature and the contemporaneously acquired landmark subsurface feature,

otherwise, to generate informational data indicative of an absence of a verification of the person presenting with respect to the known patient, the absence of a verification at least partially based on an absence of a determined substantial correspondence between the reference landmark subsurface feature and the contemporaneously acquired landmark subsurface feature.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the communication circuit includes:

a communication circuit configured to output the informational data indicative of a verification of the person presenting with respect to the known patient, or to output the informational data indicative of an absence of a verification of the person presenting with respect to the known patient.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication circuit includes:

a communication circuit configured to provide a notification at least partially based on the informational data to at least one of a human, computer, or system.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a computer-readable media configured to maintain the informational data.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a communication device configured to display a human-perceivable depiction of the informational data.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the body-insertable device and the another body-insertable device are substantially the same type of body-insertable device.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the body-insertable device and the another body-insertable device are a substantially different type of body-insertable device.

20. A method comprising:

(a) receiving a first reference image that includes a representation of a distinctive landmark subsurface feature of a body part of a known patient, the first reference image acquired by a body-insertable device deployed in the body part of the known patient;

(b) receiving a second reference image that includes a representation of a contemporaneously acquired landmark subsurface feature of a body part of a person presenting, the second reference image acquired by another body-insertable device deployed in the body part of the person presenting, the body part of the known patient and the body part of the person presenting being the same kind of body part;

(c) determining a substantial correspondence between

(x) the distinctive landmark subsurface feature of the body part of the known patient and

(y) the contemporaneously-acquired landmark subsurface feature of the body part of the person presenting;

(d) generating informational data indicative of a verification of the person presenting with respect to the known patient, the verification at least partially based on the determined substantial correspondence between the distinctive landmark subsurface feature and the contemporaneously-acquired landmark subsurface feature; and

(e) outputting the informational data.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the determining a substantial correspondence includes:

determining a substantial correspondence between

(x) the distinctive landmark subsurface feature of a cavity or lumen of the body part of the known patient and

(y) the contemporaneously-acquired landmark subsurface feature of a cavity or lumen of the body part of the person presenting.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the determining a substantial correspondence includes:

determining a substantial correspondence between

(x) the distinctive landmark subsurface feature of the body part of the known patient who is designated for an evaluation, test, diagnosis, or treatment of a possible medical condition and

(y) the contemporaneously acquired landmark subsurface feature of the body part of the person presenting for the evaluation, test, diagnosis, or treatment of a possible medical condition.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the generating informational data indicative of a verification includes:

generating informational data indicative of a verification of the person presenting with respect to the known patient, the verification at least partially based on the determined substantial correspondence between the reference landmark subsurface feature and the contemporaneously acquired landmark subsurface feature,

otherwise, generating informational data indicative of an absence of a verification of the person presenting with respect to the known patient, the absence of a verification at least partially based on an absence of a determined substantial correspondence between the reference landmark subsurface feature and the contemporaneously acquired landmark subsurface feature.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the outputting the informational data includes:

outputting the informational data indicative of a verification of the person presenting with respect to the known patient, or outputting the informational data indicative of an absence of a verification of the person presenting with respect to the known patient.

25. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

saving the informational data in a computer-readable media.

26. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

providing a notification at least partially based on the informational data to at least one of a human, computer, or system.

27. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

outputting a signal usable in displaying a human-perceivable depiction of the verification of the person presenting with respect to the known patient.

28. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

transforming the informational data into a particular visual depiction of the verification of the person presenting with respect to the known patient.

29. A computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable media having program instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a process including;

(i) receiving a first reference image that includes a representation of a distinctive landmark subsurface feature of a body part of a known patient, the first reference image acquired by a body-insertable device deployed in the body part of the known patient;

(ii) receiving a second reference image that includes a representation of a contemporaneously acquired landmark subsurface feature of a body part of a person presenting, the second reference image acquired by another body-insertable device deployed in the body part of the person presenting, the body part of the known patient and the body part of the person presenting being the same kind of body part;

(iii) determining a substantial correspondence between

(x) the distinctive landmark subsurface feature of the body part of the known patient and

(y) the contemporaneously-acquired landmark subsurface feature of the body part of the person presenting;

(iv) generating informational data indicative of a verification of the person presenting with respect to the known patient, the verification at least partially based on the determined substantial correspondence between the distinctive landmark subsurface feature and the contemporaneously-acquired landmark subsurface feature; and

(v) outputting the informational data.

30. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the generating informational data includes:

generating informational data indicative of a verification of the person presenting with respect to the known patient, the verification at least partially based on the determined substantial correspondence between the reference landmark subsurface feature and the contemporaneously acquired landmark subsurface feature,

otherwise, generating informational data indicative of an absence of a verification of the person presenting with respect to the known patient, the absence of a verification at least partially based on an absence of a determined substantial correspondence between the reference landmark subsurface feature and the contemporaneously acquired landmark subsurface feature.

31. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the outputting the informational data includes:

outputting the informational data indicative of a verification of the person presenting with respect to the known patient, or outputting the informational data indicative of an absence of a verification of the person presenting with respect to the known patient.

32. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the process further includes:

providing a notification at least partially based on the informational data to at least one of a human, computer, or system.

33. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the process further includes:

outputting a signal usable in displaying a human-perceivable depiction of the verification of the person presenting with respect to the known patient.

34. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the process includes:

transforming the informational data into a signal usable in displaying a particular visual depiction of the verification of the person presenting with respect to the known patient.

35. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the process further includes:

storing in another computer-readable media operably coupled with the processor informational data corresponding to the verification of the person presenting with respect to the known patient.

36. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the computer-readable media includes a tangible computer-readable media.

37. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the computer-readable media includes a communications media.

38. A system comprising:

(a) means for receiving a first reference image that includes a representation of a distinctive landmark subsurface feature of a body part of a known patient, the first reference image acquired by a body-insertable device deployed in the body part of the known patient;

(b) means for receiving a second reference image that includes a representation of a contemporaneously acquired landmark subsurface feature of a body part of a person presenting, the second reference image acquired by another body-insertable device deployed in the body part of the person presenting, the body part of the known patient and the body part of the person presenting being the same kind of body part;

(c) means for determining a substantial correspondence between

(x) the distinctive landmark subsurface feature of the body part of the known patient and

(y) the contemporaneously acquired landmark subsurface feature of the body part of the person presenting;

(d) means for generating informational data indicative of a verification of the person presenting with respect to the known patient, the verification at least partially based on the determined substantial correspondence between the distinctive landmark subsurface feature and the contemporaneously-acquired landmark subsurface feature; and

(e) means for outputting the informational data.