Image acquisition for medical dose preparation system

• US 9,489,489 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baxter Corporation Englewood (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Baxter Corporation Englewood (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Weber, Wesley J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Anyikire, Chikaodili E
• Application Number:
  US14/438,544
• Publication Number:
  US 20150286798A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,334 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2037/005 Tables specially adapted for laboratories
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/40 by shape or form, e.g. by using shape recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0076 Medicament distribution means with pill counting devices A61J7/02; with time indication A61J7/04; containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents B65D83/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0084 for multiple medicaments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20132 Image cropping
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 Biomedical image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/11 Region-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/136 involving thresholding
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/38 Circuits or arrangements for blanking or otherwise eliminating unwanted parts of pictures H04N1/387 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

Use of improved image acquisition for a medical dose preparation system. The medical dose preparation system may include a work station for capturing medical dose preparation images (e.g., to document preparation of a mediation dose). The medical dose preparation image may be captured by a video data stream processor capable of performing an auto cropping technique on a video data stream received from an image device. Accordingly, memory resources may be more efficiently employed while maintaining high quality medical dose preparation images.

Claims

1. A system for medical dose preparation management, the system comprising:

an imaging device having an imaging field encompassing a medical dose preparation staging region, the imaging device being operable to output digital image data of the imaging field including the medical dose preparation staging region;

a processor in operative communication with the imaging device to receive the digital image data of the imaging field;

a display in operative communication with the processor to receive the digital image data of the imaging field and display a corresponding image of the imaging field that is perceivable by a user, wherein the processor is operable to process the digital image data to identify at least one region of interest within the imaging field corresponding to at least one medication receptacle disposed in the medical dose preparation staging region, wherein the processor is operable to analyze the digital image data to identify the at least one region of interest by comparing the digital image data to a background image of the medical dose preparation staging region that does not include any medication receptacle in the medical dose preparation staging region, and wherein the at least one region of interest is defined by a bounding area that is visually differentiated in relation to said corresponding image on the display by the processor in a manner visually perceivable by the user;

a user control device controllable by the user and in operative communication with the processor to initiate the capture of medical dose preparation image data from the digital image data at the processor, wherein the medical dose preparation image data includes image data corresponding to at least a portion of the at least one region of interest defined by the bounding area that is visually differentiated in relation to said corresponding image on the display, and that excludes other image data corresponding with another portion of the imaging field; and

a memory in operative communication with the processor to receive and store the medical dose preparation image data.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the digital image data comprises a video data stream.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the processor is operable to analyze the video data stream comprising the digital image data to identify the region of interest.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the excluded portion of the imaging field is outside the region of interest.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein in said comparing a predetermined subset of the digital image data is compared to a corresponding subset of the background image.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the predetermined subset corresponds to a plurality of pixels of the digital image data.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of pixels extend across substantially the entire digital image data in at least a first direction.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of pixels extend across substantially all of the digital image data in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

9. The system according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of pixels form a grid over the digital image data.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the grid comprises grid lines that are spaced in relation to a known size of medication receptacles.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein the region of interest is defined by a bounding area defined by a plurality of edges.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of edges is disposed at an identified location of the predetermined subset of the digital image data at least partially based on a threshold difference between the digital image data and the background image at the identified location.

13. The system according to any one of claim 6, wherein the processor is operable to calculate intensity data for each pixel of the predetermined subset of the digital image data and for each pixel of the corresponding predetermined subset of the background image.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein said intensity data is filtered.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein said intensity data undergoes at least one of high pass filtering.

16. The system according to claim 13, wherein the threshold difference comprises a predetermined difference in intensity data between the predetermined subset of the digital image data and the background image.

17. The system according to claim 13, wherein each pixel of the predetermined subset is compared to a plurality of adjacent corresponding pixels from the background image.

18. The system according to claim 12, and wherein the identified location corresponds to one of a minimum or maximum threshold difference along the grid lines in the first direction or in the second direction.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the identified location is selected to correspond to the next most remote grid line of the grid exterior to the threshold difference in the first direction and in the second direction along the grid line.

20. The system according to claim 11, wherein the bounding area is represented by at least one of a superimposed box, and as an area displayed in a manner different than that of an area outside of the bounding area.