Visualization of medical conditions in a virtual universe

• US 8,977,959 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2009
• Issued: 03/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Baughman, Aaron K., Dawson, Christopher J., Graham, Barry M., Kamalsky, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): PITARO, RYAN F
• Application Number:
  US12/410,538
• Publication Number:
  US 20100251117A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,176 Days
• Field of Search: 715/706, 715/757
• US Class Current: 715/706
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/006 based on simulated virtual individual or collective life forms, e.g. social simulations or particle swarm optimisation [PSO]
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/50 for simulation or modelling of medical disorders

Abstract

This disclosure provides a system and method to enable the diagnosis, prognosis and emulation of medical conditions using virtual world environments. The system and method combines probabilistic and pattern recognition mechanisms for both real and virtual world applications to increase health care reach and presence within computational environments. The disclosure describes a system and method that uses physiological measurements and behaviors to diagnose a medical condition. Experimental data, either gathered or generated, provide points for emulation. An emulation algorithm increases the feeling of user presence within a virtual world. Avatar behaviors are mapped to scripts which describe the output of the medical diagnosis and prognosis algorithm. Based on proposed treatment plans, emulations can be run, and the appearance of the avatar altered based on the outcome (e.g., improvement, worsening, etc.).

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for virtual diagnosis comprising:

receiving data, which includes patient imaging data, for a patient in a memory medium, the patient being an actual human patient that has a current medical condition;

generating a set of avatars corresponding to the actual human patient using the data, each avatar of the set of avatars being generated to have an appearance of the patient and to emulate a current physical state and movements of the patient based on the medical condition indicated by the data;

providing an interface that enables the patient to select an avatar that most closely matches the physical state of the patient from the set of avatars and to modify the avatar to more closely match the physical state of the patient;

receiving in the memory medium a treatment plan from a remote medical practitioner in a virtual clinic to address the medical condition of the patient in the memory medium;

simulating an outcome for the patient based upon the treatment plan, said simulating comprising use of probabilistic and pattern recognition mechanisms for analysis of a combination of said treatment plan and potential prognoses and diagnoses to identify the outcome as a most plausible outcome; and

adjusting the appearance of the avatar to reflect a series of predicted changes in the physical state of the patient over time based on the simulating of the outcome.

2. The method of claim 1, the data comprising physical measurements, medical history, and symptoms.

3. The method of claim 1, the generating comprising using a set of algorithms to determine a probability of ailments given the data.

4. The method of claim 3, the set of algorithms comprising a Hidden Markov Model.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising mapping graphical overlays and behavior scripts to ailments and outputs of the set of algorithms.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising using a threshold bar to determine the outputs.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selection of a treatment plan; and

adjusting the appearance of the avatar as the patient progresses through the treatment plan.

8. A computer-implemented system for virtual diagnosis comprising:

a module for receiving data, which includes patient imaging data, for a patient in a memory medium, the patient being an actual human patient that has a current medical condition;

a module for generating a set of avatars corresponding to the actual human patient using the data, each avatar of the set of avatars being generated to have an appearance of the patient and to emulate a current physical state and movements of the patient based on the medical condition indicated by the data;

a module for providing an interface that enables the patient to select an avatar that most closely matches the physical state of the patient from the set of avatars and to modify the avatar to more closely match the physical state of the patient;

a module for receiving a treatment plan from a remote medical practitioner in a virtual clinic to address the medical condition of the patient in the memory medium;

a module for simulating an outcome for the patient based upon the treatment plan, said simulating comprising use of probabilistic and pattern recognition mechanisms for analysis of a combination of said treatment plan and potential prognoses and diagnoses to identify the outcome as a most plausible outcome; and

a module for adjusting the appearance of the avatar to reflect a series of predicted changes in the physical state of the patient over time based on the simulating of the outcome.

9. The system of claim 8, the data comprising physical measurements, medical history, and symptoms.

10. The system of claim 8, the generating comprising using a set of algorithms to determine a probability of ailments given the data.

11. The system of claim 10, the set of algorithms comprising a Hidden Markov Model.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising mapping graphical overlays and behavior scripts to ailments and outputs of the set of algorithms.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising using a threshold bar to determining the outputs.

14. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a selection of a treatment plan; and

adjusting the appearance of the avatar as the patient progresses through the treatment plan.

15. A computer readable storage device containing a program product for virtual diagnosis, the computer readable medium comprising instructions for causing a computer system to:

receive data, which includes patient imaging data, for a patient, the patient being an actual human patient that has a current medical condition;

generate a set of avatars corresponding to the actual human patient using the data, each avatar of the set of avatars being generated to have an appearance of the patient and to emulate a current physical state and movements of the patient based on the medical condition indicated by the data;

provide an interface that enables the patient to select an avatar that most closely matches the physical state of the patient from the set of avatars and to modify the avatar to more closely match the physical state of the patient;

receive a treatment plan from a remote medical practitioner in a virtual clinic to address the medical condition of the patient;

simulate an outcome for the patient based upon the treatment plan, said simulating comprising use of probabilistic and pattern recognition mechanisms for analysis of a combination of said treatment plan and potential prognoses and diagnoses to identify the outcome as a most plausible outcome; and

adjust the appearance of the avatar to reflect a series of predicted changes in the physical state of the patient over time based on the simulating of the outcome.

16. The computer readable storage device containing the program product of claim 15, the data comprising physical measurements, medical history, and symptoms.

17. The computer readable storage device containing the program product of claim 15, the computer readable medium further comprising instructions for causing the computer system to use a set of algorithms to determine a probability of ailments given the data.

18. The computer readable storage device containing the program product of claim 17, the set of algorithms comprising a Hidden Markov Model.

19. The computer readable storage device containing the program product of claim 17, the computer readable medium comprising instructions for causing the computer system to map graphical overlays and behavior scripts to ailments and outputs of the set of algorithms.

20. The computer readable storage device containing the program product of claim 19, the computer readable medium further comprising instructions for causing the computer system to use a threshold bar to determining the outputs.

21. The computer readable storage device containing the program product of claim 15, the computer readable medium further comprising instructions for causing the computer system to:

receive a selection of a treatment plan; and

adjust the appearance of the avatar as the patient progresses through the treatment plan.

22. A method for deploying an application for virtual diagnosis, comprising:

deploying a computer infrastructure being operable to;

receive data, which includes patient imaging data, for a patient in a memory medium, the patient being an actual human patient that has a current medical condition;

generate a set of avatars corresponding to the actual human patient using the data, each avatar of the set of avatars being generated to have an appearance of the patient and to emulate a current physical state and movements of the patient based on the medical condition indicated by the data;

provide an interface that enables the patient to select an avatar that most closely matches the physical state of the patient from the set of avatars and to modify the avatar to more closely match the physical state of the patient;

receive a treatment plan from a remote medical practitioner in a virtual clinic to address the medical condition of the patient in the memory medium;

simulate an outcome for the patient based upon the treatment plan, said simulating comprising use of probabilistic and pattern recognition mechanisms for analysis of a combination of said treatment plan and potential prognoses and diagnoses to identify the outcome as a most plausible outcome; and

adjust the appearance of the avatar to reflect a series of predicted changes in the physical state of the patient over time based on the simulating of the outcome.

23. A data processing system for virtual diagnosis, comprising:

a memory medium containing instructions;

a bus coupled to the memory medium; and

a processor coupled to the bus that when executing the instructions causes the data processing system to;

receive data, which includes patient imaging data, for a patient, the patient being an actual human patient that has a current medical condition;

generate a set of avatars corresponding to the actual human patient using the data, each avatar of the set of avatars being generated to have an appearance of the patient and to emulate a current physical state and movements of the patient based on the medical condition indicated by the data;

provide an interface that enables the patient to select an avatar that most closely matches the physical state of the patient from the set of avatars and to modify the avatar to more closely match the physical state of the patient;

receive a treatment plan from a remote medical practitioner in a virtual clinic to address the medical condition of the patient;

simulate a set of outcomes for the patient based upon the treatment plan, said simulating comprising use of probabilistic and pattern recognition mechanisms for analysis of a combination of said treatment plan and potential prognoses and diagnoses to determine which outcome is most plausible; and

adjust the appearance of the avatar to reflect a series of predicted changes in the physical state of the patient over time based on the simulating of the outcome.