Method and apparatus for mobile disaster victim identification

• US 9,582,639 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2012
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Tennessee Research Foundation (University of Teesside)
• Original Assignee: University of Tennessee Research Foundation (University of Teesside)
• Inventors: Sapp, Carl G., Haas, N. Quentin, Hansen, Scott, Wentz, Timothy R., Birdwell, J. Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Sims, Jason
• Application Number:
  US13/683,016
• Publication Number:
  US 20130131994A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,560 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G16B 20/00 ICT specially adapted for functional genomics or proteomics, e.g. genotype-phenotype associations
• CPC Class Codes: G16B 20/20 Allele or variant detection, e.g. single nucleotide polymorphism [SNP] detection
• CPC Class Codes: G16B 20/40 Population genetics; Linkage disequilibrium
• CPC Class Codes: G16B 30/00 ICT specially adapted for sequence analysis involving nucleotides or amino acids
• CPC Class Codes: G16B 30/10 Sequence alignment; Homology search
• CPC Class Codes: G16B 40/00 ICT specially adapted for biostatistics; ICT specially adapted for bioinformatics-related machine learning or data mining, e.g. knowledge discovery or pattern finding

Abstract

Mobile telecommunications or personal computing apparatus may be specially programmed for predicting whether an unknown biological specimen of an individual to be identified originates from or is related to a member of a particular family. The apparatus may comprise an input device including a barcode reader and a virtual touch screen keyboard whereby DNA profile or mass spectrometry test data may be entered among other data for an individual to be identified, for example, a missing person, victim, crime perpetrator or other unknown individual in hypothetical relationship to another individual or to a family pedigree of typed family members. The typed family pedigree in relation to the individual to be identified in hypothetical relation may be displayed on an output display of the apparatus including at least two different profile typing indicators for each displayed member of the pedigree.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of collecting first and second DNA profile data using first and second different DNA typing technologies about an unidentified remain and first and second DNA profile data of the same first and second DNA typing technologies of each of a selected first and a selected second family member genetically related to a hypothesized identity of the unidentified remain and the first and the second family members being selected via application of a family member selection rule base considering available members of the family for DNA typing, the family member data including first and second DNA profile data obtained from a specimen associated with a selected typed family member and a genetic relationship existing among each of the first and the second selected family member and the hypothesized identity of the unidentified remain, the method for determining one of a likelihood that the unidentified remain corresponds to a missing person genetically related to each of the selected first and second typed family member and that the unidentified remain can be excluded as not consistent with the first and the second selected typed family member, the method for implementation on telecommunications computer apparatus comprising a processor, an input device coupled to the processor comprising one of a touch screen of a display, a camera, a keyboard and a bar code reader for reading one and two dimension bar codes, an output device coupled to the processor comprising a display, a telecommunications interface coupled to the processor, and a memory for storing the first and the second DNA profile data obtained from said unidentified remain and said first and said second DNA profile data obtained from each specimen of said first selected and said second selected typed family member, the memory coupled to the processor, the computer-implemented method comprising:

(a) storing the first and the second DNA profile data obtained from typing said unidentified remain using the first and the second DNA typing technologies in said memory via said bar code reader input device for reading a one dimension bar code uniquely identifying the unidentified remain and two different associated two dimension bar codes for transformation to the first and the second DNA profile data of the two different typing technologies for the unidentified remain;

(b) storing a genetic relationship in said memory among said hypothesized identity of said unidentified remain of said missing person and each of said first and said second selected family member and family member and hypothesized identity identification data input via said input device;

(c) storing said first and said second DNA profile data of each of the first and the second selected family member in said memory, each of the first and the second selected family members uniquely identified by a one dimension bar code and their associated first and second DNA profile data represented by two different two dimension bar codes being uniquely transformable into first and second DNA profile data of the first and the second DNA typing technologies, said first and said second DNA profile data obtained from the specimen associated with each of the first and the second selected typed family member and storing said first and said second DNA profile data from the unidentified remain, said first and said second family member DNA profile data for each of said first and said second selected typed family member being identified with a different two-dimensional bar code representing the same first and second typing technologies used for typing the unidentified remain;

(d) displaying a family pedigree representing genetic relationships among the first and the second family members and the hypothesized identity of the unidentified remain, the family pedigree displayed on said display, said family pedigree being responsive to input received by said input device, said input causing information about a selected family member to be displayed including the stored DNA profile data associated with the selected family member, an identity being input by the input device and at least one of a first and a second type of collected DNA profile data each indicated by a predetermined color, each type comprising one of STR, Y-STR and mitochondrial DNA, at least one DNA typing technology comprising STR;

(e) evaluating the genetic consistency of said stored genetic relationship by computing a pedigree likelihood ratio for each of said stored first and said second DNA typing technologies using said DNA profile data of each of said selected typed family member with said first and said second DNA profile data of said unidentified remain and a joint likelihood ratio computed as the product of the pedigree likelihood ratios; and

(f) using the computed joint likelihood ratio to output a decision whether said stored genetic relationship and said stored first and said second DNA profile data obtained from the specimen associated with the first and second selected typed family member and said unidentified remain are consistent and outputting a decision of whether there exists one of said genetic relationship among the first and second family members and the hypothesized identity of the unidentified remain and exclusion of said genetic relationship among the first and second family members and the unidentified remain, including computing of the pedigree likelihood ratio according to evaluating the genetic consistency using a modified Elston Stewart algorithm for determining a likelihood that the unidentified remain corresponds to a missing person genetically related to each of the typed first and second second family member or can be excluded as not consistent with the typed first and second selected available family member, the modification expressing a probability of mutation.

2. The method of claim 1 where said first and said second DNA profile data each represented by first and second two dimensional bar codes is input by the bar code reader input device first reading a one-dimensional bar code uniquely identifying the unidentified remain and inputting the hypothesized identity of the unidentified remain via the input device and then reading each of the first and second different associated two-dimensional bar codes, each representing different of the first and second DNA profile data determined for each of the first and the second type of collected DNA profile data for the unidentified remain.

3. The method of claim 2 where said first and said second DNA profile data is obtained by using said a one-dimensional bar code to identify the unidentified remain and the first and second two-dimensional bar codes to identify the first and the second DNA profile data of the first and second different DNA profile technology types for the unidentified remain and accessing a particular database containing DNA profile data via a telecommunications interface.

4. The method of claim 3 where said database containing DNA profile data does not reside on the telecommunications computer apparatus and is accessed using the telecommunications interface.

5. The method of claim 1 where said DNA profile data about a selected typed first and second family member is supplemented to add first and second DNA profile data obtained from a specimen associated with a third family member selected using the family member selection rule base from available family members.

6. The method of claim 1 where the first and second DNA profile data for the unidentified remain are stored remotely in a database of first and second DNA profile data for each of a plurality of individuals.

7. The method of claim 1 where the device is hand-held.

8. The method of claim 1 where the device is a mobile telephone.

9. The method of claim 1 where the device is a tablet or a personal computer.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising outputting a decision whether it is possible that said typed unknown biological specimen originated from or can be excluded as originating from said missing person of the pedigree.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising computing and outputting a likelihood ratio determined from the stored data.

12. The method of claim 11 where said computing is performed remotely.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein one said DNA typing technology comprises STR DNA typing profile data of said unidentified remain and of said first and second selected typed family members at thirteen loci and consistency is determined from evaluating threshold values for pedigree likelihood ratios versus threshold values and determining a joint pedigree likelihood value versus a threshold value for consistency with DNA profile data of the unidentified remain.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said DNA typing technology comprises at least two of STR, Y-STR, and mitochondrial DNA typing, each DNA typing technology resulting in DNA profile data separately given by a different two dimensional bar code.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein a DNA profile of said DNA typing technology comprising at least two of STR, Y-STR, and mitochondrial DNA typing is obtained using mass spectrometry, wherein Y-STR DNA typing is usable for typing a male unidentified remain or a selected male family member.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein typed available family members are typed according to combinations of two different DNA typing technologies selected from STR, Y-STR and mitochondrial DNA typing technologies, each DNA typing technology resulting in DNA profile data separately given by a different two dimensional bar code.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein said one-dimensional bar code entry each comprises a single dimensional bar code uniquely identifying one of the unidentified remain, the first selected available family member and the second selected family member having respective associated two dimensional bar codes giving DNA profile data for two different selected DNA typing technologies.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein said output device provides a graphical representation of the family pedigree including an identity of each selected typed family member and the hypothesized identity of the unidentified remain and the at least two different DNA typing technologies for each selected family member of the family pedigree by a different predetermined color.

19. The method of claim 1 further comprising automatic acquisition of location data via a global positioning system for storage with said first and said second DNA profile data of the unidentified human remain.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprising input device entry of silhouette data for the individual to be identified.

21. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying a two dimensional bar code and associated, transformed DNA profile data of a given DNA technology type for evaluation to assure that the two dimensional bar code conforms identically with the transformed DNA profile data.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein said typed unknown biological specimen comprises a mixture of DNA of a plurality of contributor persons, the method further comprising resolving the mixture using least square deconvolution.

23. The method of claim 1 further comprising initially determining identities of the first and the second selected family members to type from the available family members using automated decision support.

29. The method of claim 1 wherein said first and said second DNA profile data comprises DNA profile data of one of a selected known available individual member of a family by genetic relationship to another known available individual member of the family and having a genetic family relationship to hypothesized identity of an unidentified remain of a missing person using the same two typing technologies for the first and second selected available family members and for the unidentified remain, one set of first and second DNA profile data taken via STR typing being uniquely transformable to loci data by a two dimension bar code by the input device.

24. Computer apparatus for collecting first and second DNA profile data using first and second different DNA typing technologies about an unidentified remain and first and second DNA profile data of the same first and second DNA typing technologies of each of a selected first and a selected second family member genetically related to a hypothesized identity of the unidentified remain and the first and second family members being selected via application of a family member selection rule base considering available family members of the family for DNA typing, the family member data including first and second DNA profile data obtained from a specimen associated with a selected typed family member and a genetic relationship existing among each of the first and the second selected family member and the hypothesized identity of the unidentified remain, the computer apparatus for calculating a pedigree likelihood ratio that either the unidentified remain corresponds to a missing person genetically related to each of the first and second selected typed family member or that the unidentified remain can be excluded as not consistent with each of the selected typed first and second family member, the computer apparatus configured for implementation on telecommunications computer apparatus comprising a processor, an input device coupled to the processor comprising one of a touch screen of a display, a camera, a keyboard and a bar code reader for reading one and two dimension bar codes, an output device coupled to the processor comprising a display, a telecommunications interface coupled to the processor, and a memory for storing the first and the second DNA profile data obtained from said unidentified remain and said first and said second DNA profile data obtained from the specimen of said first selected and said second selected typed family member, the memory coupled to the processor, the computer apparatus comprising:

(a) the memory for further storing the first and the second DNA profile data obtained from typing said unidentified remain via said bar code reader input device for reading a one dimension bar code uniquely identifying the unidentified remain and two different associated two dimension bar codes for transformation to the first and the second DNA profile data of the two different typing technologies for the unidentified remains;

(b) the memory for further storing a genetic relationship between said hypothesized identity of said unidentified remain of said missing person and of each of said first and second selected family member, the identities input via said input device;

(c) the memory for further storing said first and said second DNA profile data for each of the first and the second selected family member, each of said first and said second selected family members being uniquely identified by a one dimension bar code and identification data input by the input device, their associated first and second DNA profile data represented by two different two dimension bar codes being uniquely transformed into first and second DNA profile data of the first and second DNA typing technologies, said first and second DNA profile data obtained from the specimen associated with each of the first and the second selected typed family member and said first and said second DNA profile data obtained from the specimen of the unidentified remain via the same first and second DNA typing technologies, said first and said second DNA profile data of the first and the second selected family members being identified with a different two-dimensional bar code representing the same first and second typing technologies used for typing the unidentified remain;

(d) the display for displaying a family pedigree representing genetic relationships among the first and the second selected typed family members and the hypothesized identity of the unidentified remain, the family pedigree displayed on said display, said family pedigree being displayed responsive to input identification data for the family pedigree received by said input device, said input identification data causing information about a selected family member to be displayed including at least one of a family identity a hypothesized family identity and one of a first and a second type of collected DNA profile data indicated by a different predetermined color, the type comprising one of STR, Y-STR and mitochondrial DNA and at least one DNA typing technology comprising STR; and

(e) the processor for evaluating the genetic consistency of said first and said second DNA profile data of each of said selected typed family member with said first and said second DNA profile data of said unidentified remain, by calculating a pedigree likelihood ratio for at least the STR typing technology of the first and second typing technologies comprising the STR typing technology and outputting a consistency decision whether said stored genetic relationship and said stored first and second DNA profile data obtained from the specimen associated with the first and second selected typed family member and said unidentified remain are consistent with a predetermined threshold for the decision and a joint pedigree likelihood ratio for the first and second family members and the unidentified remain by multiplying the pedigree likelihood ratios together for the consistency decision with reference to a threshold, the processor calculating a pedigree likelihood ratio according to a modified Elston Stewart algorithm for determining a likelihood that the unidentified remain corresponds to a missing person genetically related to the selected typed first and second available family member or that the unidentified remain can be excluded as not consistent with each of the first and the second selected available typed family member, the modification expressing a probability of mutation.

25. The computer apparatus of claim 24 further comprising a global positioning system for automatically acquiring location data for storage with said first and second DNA profile data of the unidentified remain.

26. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the display is for further displaying the genetic family pedigree information including the hypothesized identity of the missing person and the first and the second selected typed family member.

27. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said input device comprises a touch screen, the touch screen comprising a virtual keyboard for inputting data for the unidentified remain.

28. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said communications interface provides access to a DNA profile database of an internet cloud service provider.