A system having one or more processors, and a method for operating the system.

Abstract

Methods and devices disclosed herein relate to graphical representations of changes in a patient's condition. In various embodiments, one or more measured physiological parameters of the patient are analyzed, the analysis including determining a rate of change over time for one or more of the measured physiological parameters. Based on the analysis, a graphical user interface (GUI) is rendered. The graphical user interface includes a comet-shaped graphical element that conveys the rate of change over time for one or more of the physiological parameters. For example, the comet-shaped graphical element may include a tail of a size or shape that conveys the direction and rate of change.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Various embodiments described herein generally relate to healthcare. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, the various methods and devices disclosed herein relate to graphical representations of changes in a patient's condition.

Background Art

[0002] For example, when under particularly strict monitoring, such as in an intensive care unit (ICU), many physiological parameters of a patient are measured. It is an issue to present these measured physiological parameters to healthcare providers such as physicians and nurses. While presenting too many measured physiological parameters may be confusing, presenting too few may not be sufficient to inform healthcare providers of the patient's condition, particularly changes in the patient's condition.

[0003] In situations where patients are monitored, many existing patient monitors focus on presenting numerical values and waveforms. This information may sometimes be annotated, such as with arrows indicating the direction of change. However, usually healthcare providers ignore these annotations due to various factors, such as a lack of sufficient explanation of the time frame and a lack of clarity regarding the progress of events. Instead, patient monitors are mainly used to closely track the measured physiological parameters representing the patient's current condition and to check for data quality issues such as sensor detachment.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] To identify trends in a patient's condition over time, healthcare professionals often consult electronic medical record (EMR) systems and / or patient data management systems (PDSMs). However, typically, given the large volume of data points present in a patient's EMR, healthcare professionals' cognitive processing capabilities can quickly become overwhelmed. Furthermore, the time healthcare professionals spend interacting with the EMR system is time spent away from the patient. Consequently, in a typical workflow, healthcare professionals tend to rely on real-time information provided by patient monitors to make clinical decisions. Similar challenges arise in diagnostic situations. Theoretically, a large volume of measurable physiological parameters allows for more confident and accurate diagnoses. However, at the same time, the influx of data leads to cognitive overload.

[0005] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2018 / 087937 discloses an instrument panel for a physiological monitor that defines parameters to be displayed on the physiological monitor via corresponding instruments. The instrument surfaces indicate the range of each parameter value. Indicators specify the position on each instrument surface corresponding to the current parameter value within the range of parameter values. The position specified by each of these instruments is the midpoint of each of these instrument surfaces when each parameter is at its nominal value.

[0006] U.S. Patent Application Publication 2015 / 186602(A1) discloses a system and method for prioritizing patient health management for a patient population. For example, efficient management of patient health in a population consisting of patients with chronic diseases who live at home and are monitored using remote, continuous wearable or implantable telemetry is provided by a computer application for rendering a prioritized list of patients that can be classified according to many different criteria. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] This disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for graphically representing changes in a patient's condition. For example, in various embodiments, a graphical user interface (GUI) rendered on a display includes one or more graphical elements that convey changes in one or more measurable physiological parameters of a patient in an intuitive and quickly understandable manner. In various embodiments, these graphical elements may have various spatial dimensions selected based on the rate of change of the underlying measurable physiological parameter. For example, a graphical element rendered using the technique described herein may take the form of a comet-shaped graphical element with a tail of a size or shape that conveys the rate of change of the underlying measurable physiological parameter. For example, the length of the tail may convey the rate of change of the underlying measurable physiological parameter, a longer tail may convey a larger rate of change, and a shorter tail may convey a smaller rate of change.

[0008] In some embodiments, spatial portions or “zones” of a GUI can be visually annotated, for example, using shading, pattern filling, color, etc., to convey a desired / normal range for a given physiological parameter to be measured. To convey how the given physiological parameter to be measured is trending toward the desired range, one or more comet-shaped graphical elements are rendered in spatial relation to the visually annotated zone of the GUI, for example, by overlaying or partially overlapping the zone. In some embodiments, the GUI can include various tick marks to indicate reference values ​​for the physiological parameter. These tick marks are located within and / or outside the visually annotated spatial zone.

[0009] In some implementations, multiple comet-shaped graphical elements are presented simultaneously by a GUI. In some such embodiments, the underlying data representing multiple measurable physiological parameters are normalized relative to each other. As a result, when multiple comet-shaped graphical elements are rendered adjacent to each other, healthcare professionals can quickly infer the state of change in a patient from multiple perspectives and / or determine which physiological parameters contribute to the time-dependent changes in other physiological parameters.

[0010] In some embodiments, multiple comet-shaped graphical elements can be rendered simultaneously in a circular manner, extending radially from a central point. For example, the numerical scale on which these graphical elements are rendered may extend inward and / or outward from the central point at an angle to each other, and may be arranged, for example, in regular arcs around the central point. The measurable physiological parameters underlying these graphical elements are selected to collectively convey the tendency of the multiple comet-shaped graphical elements toward or away from a certain state or medical event. In some such embodiments, and as with the visual annotations described above, the annular spatial zone of the GUI that at least partially surrounds the central point is visually annotated (e.g., using shading, color, pattern fill, etc.) to convey the normalized desired range of each of the multiple measurable physiological parameters. As described above, each comet-shaped graphical element is rendered in spatial relation to the annular spatial zone of the graphical user interface to convey the tendency of a given measurable physiological parameter toward the desired range.

[0011] In various embodiments, a set of physiological parameters is selected to collectively represent and / or contribute to a specific medical event or state, in order to render a collection of comet-shaped graphical elements and convey information about the event or state. As an example, physiological parameters that collectively represent and / or contribute to a patient's oxygenation state may include, for example, partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2), inhaled oxygen concentration (FiO2), positive end-tidal pressure (Peep), alveolar-arterial gradient (Aa), body temperature, oxygen uptake rate (O2ER), blood pH, partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2), PaO2 / FiO2 ratio (Pa / Fi), arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2), overall oxygen supply (DO2), arterial oxygen content (CaO2), cardiac output (CO2), and / or hemoglobin (Hgb). Other combinations of these parameters with other parameters are possible to monitor oxygenation.

[0012] As another example, a set of physiological parameters is selected that collectively communicate and / or individually contribute to the determination of whether a patient is experiencing, has experienced, or is likely to experience septic shock. These parameters may include, for example, venous oxygen saturation (SvO2), mean arterial pressure (MAP), systemic vascular resistance (SVR), urine output (UO), PaO2, O2ER, stroke volume variability (SVV), body temperature, respiratory rate (RR), and CO. Other combinations of these parameters with other parameters are possible to monitor for septic shock.

[0013] As yet another example, a set of physiological parameters is selected that collectively communicate and / or individually contribute to the determination of whether a patient is experiencing, has experienced, or is likely to experience pulmonary embolism. These parameters may include, for example, SaO2, MAP, SVR, pH, CO, heart rate (HR), pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR), body temperature, RR, and / or D-dimer.

[0014] The embodiments described herein offer various technical advantages. These comet-shaped graphical elements allow healthcare professionals to easily identify / understand trends in a patient's condition over time without having to examine EMR and / or PDSM. Furthermore, given the compact nature of these elements, multiple comet-shaped graphical elements can be adapted to small areas, such as the display of a smartwatch, a patient monitor (which typically has a small display), and / or a small area of ​​a nurse's station monitor (which can also display information on other patients simultaneously), while still conveying a large amount of information.

[0015] Generally, in one embodiment, the method is carried out using one or more processors, and this method is The steps include analyzing one or more measurable physiological parameters of a patient, and determining the rate of change over time for one or more of the measurable physiological parameters, and Steps include rendering a graphical user interface based on the analysis, wherein the graphical user interface includes a comet-shaped graphical element that conveys a rate of change over time for one or more of the physiological parameters to be measured, and the comet-shaped graphical element includes a tail of size or shape that conveys the rate of change. Includes.

[0016] In various embodiments, spatial zones of a graphical user interface are visually annotated to convey a desired range of one or more measurable physiological parameters, and the comet-shaped graphical elements are rendered in spatial relation to the spatial zones of the graphical user interface to convey how the given measurable physiological parameters tend to be relative to the desired range.

[0017] In various embodiments, the analysis step includes analyzing a plurality of measurable physiological parameters of the patient, and the graphical user interface includes a plurality of comet-shaped graphical elements, each comet-shaped graphical element conveying not only the rate of change and direction of change for each of the plurality of measurable physiological parameters of the patient, but also the current value. In various embodiments, the plurality of comet-shaped graphical elements are oriented radially with respect to a central point. In various embodiments, the graphical user interface is rendered on a relatively small display, such as a smartwatch display, a wearable patient monitoring device display (e.g., worn on the patient's wrist like a watch), or other patient monitors with relatively small displays. In various embodiments, an annular spatial zone of a graphical user interface at least partially surrounding the center point is visually annotated to convey a normalized desired range for each of the plurality of measurable physiological parameters, and each comet-shaped graphical element is rendered in spatial relation to the visually annotated annular zone of the graphical user interface to convey how the corresponding measurable physiological parameter tends to move toward the desired range.

[0018] In various embodiments, the physiological parameter may be a first physiological parameter, the comet-shaped graphical element may be operable so that one or more additional comet-shaped graphical elements are rendered as part of the graphical user interface, and each of the one or more additional comet-shaped graphical elements may convey a corresponding rate of change of an additional physiological parameter that contributes to the rate of change of the first physiological parameter.

[0019] Furthermore, some implementations include one or more processors in one or more computer devices, which are operable to execute instructions stored in associated memory, which are configured to perform one of the methods described above. Some implementations also include one or more non-temporary computer-readable storage media that store computer instructions that can be executed by one or more processors to perform one of the methods described above.

[0020] It should be understood that all combinations of the concepts described above and any additional concepts discussed in more detail below (provided that such concepts are not contradictory) are considered to be part of the subject matter of the invention disclosed herein. In particular, all combinations of the claimed subject matter at the end of this disclosure are considered to be part of the subject matter of the invention disclosed herein. It should also be understood that any technical terms appearing in any disclosure that are expressly used or incorporated by reference herein should be given meaning that is most consistent with the specific concepts disclosed herein. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0021] In the drawings, similar reference numerals generally refer to the same parts across different drawings. Furthermore, the drawings are not necessarily to a fixed scale; instead, the emphasis is on illustrating the various principles of the embodiments described herein. [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows an exemplary environment in which a selected aspect of this disclosure is implemented. [Figure 2A] Figure 2A shows an exemplary graphical user interface configured in a selected aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 2B] Figure 2B shows an exemplary graphical user interface configured in a selected aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 2C] Figure 2C shows an exemplary graphical user interface configured in a selected aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 2D]Figure 2D shows an exemplary graphical user interface configured in a selected embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2E] Figure 2E shows an exemplary graphical user interface configured in a selected embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3A] Figure 3A shows an example of how a plurality of different measured physiological parameters are normalized relative to each other according to various embodiments. [Figure 3B] Figure 3B shows an example of how a plurality of different measured physiological parameters are normalized relative to each other according to various embodiments. [Figure 4A] Figure 4A shows an exemplary graphical user interface configured in a selected embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4B] Figure 4B shows an exemplary graphical user interface configured in a selected embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4C] Figure 4C shows an exemplary graphical user interface configured in a selected embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows another graphical user interface configured in a selected embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows another graphical user interface configured in a selected embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows another graphical user interface configured in a selected embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows another graphical user interface configured in a selected embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows an exemplary method for implementing a selected embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] Figure 10 shows the architecture of an exemplary computer system. **DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION**

[0022] For example, many physiological parameters of a patient are measured, especially when they are under strict monitoring, such as in an intensive care unit (ICU). The mental process of processing these measured physiological parameters by healthcare professionals, such as physicians and nurses, can be burdensome to their cognitive abilities. For instance, the numerical displays and waveforms presented by many patient monitors may not be effective in conveying changes in a patient's condition over time. To confirm trends in a patient's condition over time, healthcare professionals often consult electronic medical record (EMR) systems and / or patient data management systems (PDSMs). However, given the large number of data points typically present in a patient's EMR, the cognitive processing capacity of healthcare professionals can quickly become overwhelmed. Furthermore, the time healthcare professionals spend interacting with the EMR system is time spent away from the patient. In consideration of the foregoing, various embodiments and implementations of this disclosure concern improved graphical representations of changes in a patient's condition.

[0023] Figure 1 shows an exemplary environment using various components for implementing a selected aspect of the present disclosure. Patient 100 has various physiological parameters that are measured, for example, by various types of probes, electrodes, clinical trials, swabs, etc. These measured physiological parameters are provided to a local computer device 102 which is operably coupled with a patient monitor 104. In some embodiments, the patient monitor 104 may be a standalone computer device with onboard logic such as a processor and memory, in which case the computer device 102 may be omitted. The patient monitor 104 may display a graphical user interface “GUI” (not shown in Figure 1) configured in a selected aspect of the present disclosure to convey changes in the state of one or more measured physiological parameters over time.

[0024] For example, healthcare professionals 106 such as physicians, nurses, and clinicians may view the patient monitor 104 directly and / or operate various types of client computer devices 108 to view a GUI rendered in a selected manner of this disclosure. The computer device 108 (or other computer devices described herein) can take one or more forms of various types, such as a desktop computer device, a laptop computer device, a tablet computer device, a mobile phone computer device, a computer device in a user's car (e.g., an in-car communication system, an in-car entertainment system, an in-car navigation system), a standalone interactive speaker (including a visual sensor, if applicable), smart appliances, such as a smart television (or a standard television with a networked dongle with an automatic assistant function), and / or a user's wearable device including a computer device (e.g., a user's watch with a computer device, a user's glasses with a computer device, a virtual reality or augmented reality computer device). Additional and / or alternative client computer devices may be provided.

[0025] For example, various components shown in Figure 1, such as computing device 102, computer device 108, and / or patient monitor 104, can communicate with each other via one or more computer networks 110. One or more computer networks 110 include wired and / or wireless LANs and / or WANs (e.g., the Internet). Various computer network technologies can be implemented to facilitate communication between various components, such as Wi-Fi, cellular, Ethernet®, and optical fiber.

[0026] Various information systems may be provided that are accessible to acquire various data points related to this disclosure. For example, a hospital information system (HIS) 112 and / or an EMR / PDSM system 114 may receive and / or retain physiological parameters to be measured, for example, as part of a patient's EMR. A user interface (UI) engine 116 is configured to implement selected embodiments of this disclosure to cause various display devices, such as a patient monitor 104, a computer device 108, or other devices, such as a laptop computer 118 controlled by a patient 100 (e.g., at the patient's home or a relative's home) and / or a smartwatch 120 worn by a healthcare professional 106 (or the patient). For example, the UI engine 116 can acquire measured physiological parameters from other information systems (e.g., 112, 114), from a laboratory, and / or from equipment used to monitor the physiological parameters of patient 100, analyze these data points, and, based on this analysis, render graphical elements that convey the rate of change of various physiological parameters of patient 100. Although shown separately from the HIS 112 and EMR / PDSM 114 in Figure 1, in other embodiments, the UI engine 116 may be integrated with any of these other information systems. In some embodiments, the patient may wear a smartwatch and / or a wearable patient monitor (not shown) that includes a display on which a GUI configured in the manner of this disclosure is rendered.

[0027] Figure 2A illustrates how data conveyed by a conventional GUI 200 on the left is conveyed differently using a GUI 212 configured in a selected aspect of the present disclosure on the right. In Figure 2A, the figure has a horizontal axis that begins at a start time 202 and extends to an end time 204. In some embodiments, the start time 202 may be a selected time interval prior to the present, and the end time 204 may be the present moment. In other embodiments, the start time 202 may be the time corresponding to performing some treatment on patient 100, and the end time 204 may be a selected time interval later, such as to the present moment, or some amount of time that patient 100 is expected to respond to the treatment performed.

[0028] The vertical axis on the left side of Figure 2A represents heartbeats per minute (BPM). The line graph 206 in Figure 2A represents the BPM of patient 100 measured between time intervals 202 and 204. More generally, GUIs 200 and 212 in Figure 2A are intended to convey heart rate. A trend line 208 connecting the starting BPM value and the ending BPM value is also drawn on the left side of Figure 2A.

[0029] Accordingly, as part of the GUI 212 on the right, a comet-shaped graphical element 214 is rendered to convey the rate of change in patient 100's heart rate. Unlike GUI 200, the GUI 212 does not explicitly include a time interval (horizontal axis). Instead, the tail 216 of the comet-shaped graphical element 214 is the size and shape that conveys the rate of change in patient 100's heart rate.

[0030] The various points represented in GUI200 are also represented in GUI 212, albeit in a different way. For example, line 218 shows how the BPM measured at the beginning of time interval 202-204 transitions across the GUI to the bottom of tail 216. Line 220 shows how the BPM at the end of time interval 202-204 transitions across the GUI to the center of the circular "head" of the comet-shaped graphical element 214. The BPM measured at the end (107) is also conveyed as text at the bottom of GUI 212. Line 222 shows how the minimum measurable BPM measured between time interval 202-204 transitions across the GUI to the minimum point of range line 230. Similarly, line 224 shows how the maximum measurable BPM measured between time interval 202-204 transitions across the GUI to the maximum point of range line 230.

[0031] GUI 200 also includes a zone 210 with visual annotations that convey a desired heart rate range. Similarly, a spatial zone 228 in GUI 212 is annotated based on this desired heart rate range. A comet-shaped graphical element 214 is rendered in spatial relation to the visually annotated zone 228 in GUI 212 (e.g., overlapping, underlying, or partially overlapping) to convey how the patient 100's heart rate is trending relative to the desired range. GUI 212, including the comet-shaped graphical element 214, provides healthcare professionals with a concise, clear, compact, and intuitive way to verify the same information provided by GUI 200 with less cognitive effort.

[0032] The comet-shaped graphical element 214 can be rendered in various different ways, in particular, depending on user preferences, display space (i.e., “land”), etc., various examples of which are shown in Figures 2B-2E. In various embodiments, these various visual forms may be determined based on explicit user input, or they may be automatically selected based on user preferences, contextual data such as screen size, a measure of patient severity, etc.

[0033] In Figure 2B, a comet-shaped graphical element 214 without a range line 230 is rendered. This is sufficient as a simple representation of short-term conditions, small fluctuations in measurements, or changes achieved by medical intervention. In contrast, in Figure 2C (and 2A), a comet-shaped graphical element 214 with a range line 230 is rendered, which provides a little more information (maximum and minimum measurements). In Figure 2D, a comet-shaped graphical element with a range line 230 and annotations for the maximum BPM measurement (114) and minimum BPM measurement (54) is rendered together, for example, because a healthcare professional might want additional explanation.

[0034] In Figure 2E, the comet-shaped graphical element 214 is rendered at an angle tilted with respect to the vertical axis (not shown). A line graph 206, based on the same data (BPM measurements), is also rendered overlaid on the comet-shaped graphical element 214. Figure 2E is particularly useful for teaching new users how a GUI (e.g., 212) configured in a selected aspect of the present disclosure can present the same data as a previously used GUI (e.g., 200) in a more concise and compact way.

[0035] In various embodiments, multiple graphical elements, such as the comet-shaped graphical element 214, may be rendered simultaneously, for example, in spatial relationships with respect to each other, to convey multiple physiological parameters and / or the rate of change of the state to which these parameters contribute and / or which these parameters indicate. However, various physiological parameters are expressed and / or quantified using vastly different units of measurement. Therefore, various normalization techniques are applied to make all sets of multiple rendered graphical elements more understandable, for example, to align the normal or desired ranges of physiological parameters that are inherently disparate. Thus, for example, the visually annotated zone 228 in Figures 2A to 2E can be aligned with the corresponding annotated zones below other comet-shaped graphical elements that convey the rate of change of other measured physiological parameters. Various examples are provided in the subsequent drawings.

[0036] Figures 3A and 3B demonstrate one technique for normalizing across multiple heterogeneous physiological parameters to facilitate alignment of normal / desired ranges, and therefore to facilitate spatial adjustment of parts of a GUI that is visually annotated to indicate normal / desired ranges. A uniform display style for different physiological parameters may be based on data normalization, such as converting a primary progression of the original data scale 332 to a standardized display scale 334. In some embodiments, this conversion relies on two three-point-fitted quadratic functions. One set of three-point-fitted quadratic functions 336 may include an optimal level (C), an upper limit of the normal range (D), and an upper limit of the displayed range (E). The other set of three-point-fitted quadratic functions 338 may include a lower display limit (A), a lower limit of the normal range (B), and the optimal level (C) mentioned above. Measured physiological parameters outside the displayed range are indicated as the minimum or maximum display level. As a result of this transformation, the uniformly spaced tick marks in the original scale 332 are changed to an uneven progression of tick marks in the resulting vertical scale 334.

[0037] Figure 3B shows a further example of how heterogeneous physiological parameters are normalized using the technique described above. Above the graph of each parameter is the original scale of the measured data, which has a uniform progression, as indicated by the equally spaced tick marks. These scales are transformed into a uniform, normalized scale representation, as shown to the right of each physiological parameter. As a result of this transformation, the uniform spacing of the tick marks on the scale above is changed to a non-uniform progression of tick marks in the resulting vertical scale on the right.

[0038] Figures 4A–4C show an example of GUI 412 rendered to convey the rate of change of multiple physiological parameters at once. In Figure 4A, GUI 412 includes four linear graphical displays showing information for four different physiological categories: Flow (displaying one underlying physiological parameter "CI"), Pressure (displaying the physiological parameter "MAP"), Inotropy (displaying the physiological parameter "Ejection Factor" or "EF"), and Preload (displaying the physiological parameter "Endodiastolic Volume Coefficient" or "EDVI"). Another category of physiological parameter, such as Afterload, may also be presented, but is omitted here for brevity. These categories of physiological parameters are formed from clusters of related measured physiological parameters normalized using techniques demonstrated in Figures 3A-3B, for example, so that zones 4281-4284 with four different visual annotations representing normal ranges are visualized and adjusted, even though the underlying physiological parameters are heterogeneous. Four comet-shaped graphical elements 4141-4144 are also shown, one for each physiological parameter / category.

[0039] In Figure 4A, the portion of the comet-shaped graphical element outside the visually annotated zones 4281–4284 is rendered more clearly than the portion inside the visually annotated zones 4281–4. This is highlighted to healthcare professionals when certain physiological parameters are outside the normal range. As shown, patients for whom these physiological parameters are measured are experiencing a rapid decrease in flow, a moderate decrease in pressure, and a small decrease in systolic rate and preload. Partially highlighted “head discs” (4143, 4144) may be provided to warn observers of values ​​that are on the verge of exceeding the desired range.

[0040] In some implementations, the user can interact with GUI 412 to examine the underlying data in more detail and / or to view other measurable physiological parameters in each cluster of measurable physiological parameters that contribute to or provide evidence of various medical conditions and / or pathologies. For example, if the user clicks on the title (FLOW) above the first comet-shaped graphical element 4141, the chevron (horizontal mountain shape) to the right of the title, or in some cases, any part of the graphical display below, the interface can be expanded to represent what is shown in Figure 4B, which is the same category of physiological parameters (FLOW) but includes other related physiological parameters in the same cluster represented by additional comet-shaped graphical elements 4145 (HR (heart rate)) and 4146 (SVI (stroke volume coefficient)). Similarly, clicking on the title (PRELOAD) of the fourth comet-shaped graphical element 4144, the chevron to the right of the title, or in some cases, any part of the graphical display below, can expand the interface to represent what is shown in Figure 4C, which is the same category of physiological parameters (PRELOAD), but includes other related physiological parameters represented by additional comet-shaped graphical elements 4147 (SVV (Stroke Volume Change)) and 4148 (PPV (Positive Predictive Value)).

[0041] Figure 5 shows another variation of GUI 512, which includes a graphical representation of eight physiological parameters organized in two columns. Thus, the upper column has four comet-shaped graphical elements 5141-5144 and four visually annotated zones 5281-5284, and the lower column has four comet-shaped graphical elements 5145-5148 and four visually annotated zones 5285-5288. The upper column may include measurable physiological parameters that are too high or showing a tendency toward too high. The lower column may include measurable physiological parameters that are too low or showing a tendency toward too low. In various implementations, if a particular physiological parameter changes its trajectory, for example, from too high to too low, that parameter can be moved between columns. In some embodiments, a GUI like 512, for example, is used as a representation for intermediate explanation of the logic used to construct the circular GUI shown in Figures 6-8.

[0042] Figure 6 shows an example of a GUI 612 in which multiple (14 in this example) comet-shaped graphical elements are oriented radially (e.g., in a bullseye pattern) around a central point 650. These measured physiological parameters collectively represent the patient's oxygenation status. For clarity, the individual comet-shaped graphical elements are not numbered. An annular spatial zone 628 of the GUI, at least partially surrounding the central point 650, is visually annotated (e.g., by shading, color, pattern filling, etc.) to convey the normalized desired range for each of the multiple measured physiological parameters. Each comet-shaped graphical element is rendered in spatial relation to the visually annotated annular spatial zone 628 of the GUI 612 to convey how a given measured physiological parameter tends to move toward the desired range.

[0043] In Figure 6, the upper half of GUI 612 contains comet-shaped graphical elements representing physiological parameters that are too high and / or need to be reduced in the patient's current condition. Similarly, the lower half of GUI 612 contains comet-shaped graphical elements representing physiological parameters that are too low and / or need to be increased in the patient's current condition. The arrows below represent numerical axes or scales for each physiological parameter showing a positive increase.

[0044] One advantage of the GUI 612 bullseye structure is that it reveals the direction in which a patient's condition changes. Inward movement of the comet-shaped graphical elements indicates improvement in the patient, while outward movement indicates deterioration. Figure 7, viewed in conjunction with Figure 6, demonstrates an example of this advantage. In Figures 6 and 7, the exact same current physiological measurements are shown (explicitly indicated at the ends of radially oriented / extending axes). However, in Figure 6, the tails of the comet-shaped graphical elements show an overall outward tendency, thus indicating deterioration in the patient's condition. In contrast, in Figure 7, the tails of the comet-shaped graphical elements show an overall inward tendency, thus indicating improvement in the patient's condition.

[0045] Another advantage of the bullseye structures in Figures 6 and 7 is that they can be adapted to circular displays, such as a smartwatch 120 worn by a healthcare professional 106 in Figure 1, or a wearable patient monitor worn by a patient. Alternatively, multiple bullseye GUIs corresponding to physiological parameters measured from multiple patients can be rendered simultaneously, for example, on a larger display in a central nursing station, on a display in a clinician's office, or as part of a telemedicine dashboard.

[0046] Figure 8 shows GUI 812, which also includes a bullseye structure of comet-shaped graphical elements extending radially from a central point 850. However, GUI 812 differs from GUI 612 in several respects. For example, GUI 812 includes a circular visually annotated zone 860 that represents a range or threshold for diagnosing a condition that is (but not limited to) pulmonary embolism in this example. If all or part of the comet-shaped graphical elements fall within the circularly visually annotated zone 860, the underlying measured physiological condition meets the diagnostic requirements. Thus, in Figure 8, all physiological parameters except pH and D-dimer tend to fall within the circularly visually annotated zone 860, suggesting that the patient has or is prone to pulmonary embolism. Although not shown in Figure 8, in some embodiments, it is important to direct the attention of healthcare professionals to physiological parameters that tend to move in a negative direction; therefore, for example, contrary to Figure 4A, portions of the comet-shaped graphical elements within zone 860 with circular visual annotations may be visually highlighted.

[0047] Referring here to Figure 9, an exemplary method 900 for carrying out a selected aspect of the present disclosure is described. For convenience, the operations in the flowchart are described with reference to a system that performs these operations. This system may include various components of various computer systems. For example, the various operations are performed by one or more components of the UI engine 116 or other components of Figure 1. Furthermore, although the operations of method 900 are shown in a particular order, this is not limiting. One or more operations may be rearranged, omitted, or added.

[0048] In block 902, the system analyzes one or more measurable physiological parameters of a patient. This includes normalizing heterogeneous physiological parameters, as demonstrated in Figures 3A and 3B. This may also include determining (e.g., calculating) the rate of change over time for one or more of the measurable physiological parameters, and determining parts of other information to be conveyed by the rendered graphical elements. In block 904, based on the analysis in block 902, the system can render a graphical user interface, such as 212, 412, 512, 612, or 812. For example, the UI engine 116 can send data (e.g., markup language, rasterized data, vector image data, graphics instructions, etc.) to a remote computer device that renders a GUI based on that data. Alternatively, a device such as a patient monitor 104 may render the GUI itself based on physiological parameters received locally (e.g., measured in real time from patient 100) and / or physiological parameters obtained from an information source such as HIS 112 and / or EMR / PDSM 114.

[0049] In various embodiments, the graphical user interface may include one or more comet-shaped graphical elements (e.g., 214, 4141-4148, 5141-5148, shown in Figures 6-8) that convey the rate of change over time for one or more physiological parameters. In some implementations, each comet-shaped graphical element includes a size or shape tail (e.g., 216) that conveys the rate of change. For example, a longer tail indicates a larger rate of change over time. A short tail indicates a less dramatic rate of change. The absence of a tail indicates no change.

[0050] In block 906, the system may visually annotate spatial zones of the GUI to convey one or more desired ranges of the one or more physiological parameters to be measured. In block 908, the system may render one or more comet-shaped graphical elements in spatial relation to the visually annotated zones of the GUI to convey how a given physiological parameter to be measured is trending toward a desired range.

[0051] Figure 10 is a block diagram of an exemplary computer device 1010, which may be optionally used to perform one or more aspects of the technology described herein. The computer device 1010 typically includes at least one processor 1014 that communicates with a number of peripheral devices via a bus subsystem 1012. These peripheral devices include, for example, a storage subsystem 1024, which includes a memory subsystem 1025 and a file storage subsystem 1026, a user interface output device 1020, a user interface input device 1022, and a network interface subsystem 1016. These input and output devices enable user interaction with the computer device 1010. The network interface subsystem 1016 provides an interface to an external network and is coupled to a corresponding interface device of another computer device.

[0052] The user interface input device 1022 includes a keyboard, a pointing device such as a mouse, trackball, touchpad or graphics tablet, a scanner, a touchscreen integrated into a display, a voice input device such as a voice recognition system or microphone, and / or other types of input devices. In general, the use of the term “input device” is intended to include all possible types of devices and methods for inputting information into the computer device 1010 or a communication network.

[0053] The user interface output device 1020 includes a display subsystem, a printer, a facsimile, or a non-visual display such as an audio output device. The display subsystem may include a cathode ray tube (CRT), a flat panel device such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), a projection device, or any other mechanism for creating visible images. The display subsystem also provides a non-visual display, for example, via an audio output device. In general, the use of the term “output device” is intended to include all possible types of devices and methods for outputting information from the computer device 1010 to a user, or to another machine or another computer device.

[0054] The storage subsystem 1024 stores programming structures and data structures that provide some or all of the functions of the modules described herein. For example, the storage subsystem 1024 may include logic to perform the method of Figure 9 and selected embodiments of the normalized data processing demonstrated in Figures 3A-3B, as well as to implement the various components shown in Figure 1.

[0055] These software modules generally run on processor 1014 alone or in combination with other processors. The memory subsystem 1025 used in the storage subsystem 1024 may include many memories, including a main random access memory (RAM) 1030 for storing instructions and data during program execution, and a read-only memory (ROM) 1032 for storing fixed instructions. The file storage subsystem 1026 can provide persistent storage for program and data files and may include a hard disk drive, floppy disk drive, CD-ROM drive, optical drive, or removable media cartridge, along with associated removable media. Modules implementing functions in several implementation forms are stored by the file storage subsystem 1026 on the storage subsystem 1024 or on other machines accessible by processor 1014.

[0056] The bus subsystem 1012 provides a mechanism that enables various components and subsystems of the computer device 1010 to communicate with each other as desired. Although the bus subsystem 1012 is schematically shown as a single bus, alternative implementations of the bus subsystem may use multiple buses.

[0057] The computer device 1010 can be of any type, including workstations, servers, computer clusters, blade servers, server farms, or any other data processing system or computer device. Because computers and networks are constantly changing, the description of the computer device 1010 shown in Figure 10 is intended as a specific example to illustrate several implementation forms. Many other configurations of the computer device 1010 may have more or fewer components than the computer device shown in Figure 10.

[0058] According to this disclosure, easily recognizable visual patterns are generated and rendered, enabling faster and more reliable diagnosis than the cumbersome process of mentally associating several numbers with equivalents. This disclosure ensures that multiple factors are combined and no available facts are overlooked. Therefore, it becomes user-friendly, reduces mental workload, and creates a useful diagnostic tool.

[0059] Any changes in measurable physiological parameters in response to a treatment are reflected so that users (e.g., caregivers or clinicians) can respond immediately if there are any problematic changes in physiological parameters. Therefore, the effects of a patient's treatment are directly and immediately visualized and easily understood.

[0060] For example, if a user recognizes that a particular operation of a machine used for treatment (e.g., a ventilator) or a particular drug (e.g., administered by infusion) is causing a significant change in the patient's heart rate or oxygenation status, this is immediately reflected in a comet-shaped graphical element, and can therefore be quickly recognized and corrected by the user, for example, by changing the parameters of the machine's operation or changing the drug. Thus, both rapid diagnosis and rapid treatment, i.e., direct and rapid interaction between diagnosis and treatment, are possible in this disclosure.

[0061] While several inventive embodiments have been described and illustrated herein, those skilled in the art will readily conceive of various other means and / or configurations for performing the functions described herein and / or obtaining one or more of the results and / or benefits described herein, and each of such variations and / or modifications will be considered to fall within the scope of the inventive embodiments described herein. More generally, those skilled in the art will readily recognize that all parameters, dimensions, materials and configurations described herein are intended to be illustrative, and that actual parameters, dimensions, materials and / or configurations will depend on the specific application in which the teachings of the invention are used. Those skilled in the art will recognize many equivalents to the particular inventive embodiments described herein, or can verify them simply by using routine experimentation. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are merely illustrative, and that within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents, the inventive embodiments may be carried out in ways other than those specifically described and claimed. The inventive embodiments of this disclosure are, This specification is directed to each distinct feature, system, article, material, kit, and / or method described herein. In addition, any combination of two or more such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and / or methods is included within the scope of the inventive disclosure, provided that they are not mutually inconsistent.

[0062] As provided for and used herein, all definitions should be understood to be governed by dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and / or the ordinary meanings of the terms to which they are defined.

[0063] Even if it is not explicitly stated that there are multiple elements used in the specification and claims, unless otherwise specified, it should be understood that there is "at least one" such element.

[0064] The phrase “and / or” as used in the specification and claims should be understood to mean “either or both” of the linked elements, that is, elements that exist simultaneously in some cases and exclusively in others. Similarly, multiple elements listed using “and / or” should be interpreted as “one or more” of the linked elements. Other elements other than those specifically identified by the “and / or” clause may exist at will, regardless of whether they are related to those specifically identified elements. Thus, as an unrestrictive example, when used with an “open-ended language” such as “having,” in one embodiment it may refer to A only (optionally including elements other than B), in another embodiment it may refer to B only (optionally including elements other than A), and in yet another embodiment it may refer to both A and B (optionally including other elements), and so on.

[0065] It should be understood that “or” as used in the specification and claims has the same meaning as “and / or” as defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, “or” or “and / or” should be interpreted as inclusive, that is, including at least one of the elements of the list, but also including two or more, and optionally including additional items not on the list. For example, only terms that explicitly indicate the opposite, such as “only one of” or “exactly one of” or “consisting of” in the claims, refer to including exactly one of the elements of the list. In general, the word “or” as used herein, when accompanied by exclusive terms such as “either,” “one of,” “only one of” or “exactly one of,” shall be interpreted simply as indicating an exclusive alternative (i.e., either one of “either”), and when used in the claims, “consisting of” shall have the ordinary meaning as it is used in the field of patent law.

[0066] The phrase “at least one” in reference to a list of one or more elements, as used in the specification and claims, should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more of the elements in the list, but not necessarily including at least one of all elements specifically mentioned in the list, nor excluding any combination of elements in the list. This definition allows for the optional presence of elements other than those specifically identified in the list of elements referred to by “at least one,” regardless of whether they are related to these specifically identified elements or not. Therefore, as an example that is not limited, “at least one of A and B” (in other words, “at least one of A or B,” i.e., “at least one of A and / or B”) means that in one embodiment, there is no B and at least one A that optionally includes two or more elements (and optionally includes elements other than B); in another embodiment, there is no A and at least one B that optionally includes two or more elements (and optionally includes elements other than A); and in yet another embodiment, it means at least one A that optionally includes two or more elements and at least one B that optionally includes two or more elements (and optionally includes other elements), and so on.

[0067] Unless otherwise specified, in any method claimed herein that includes two or more steps or actions, the order of the steps or actions of the method is not necessarily limited to the order in which the steps or actions of the method are enumerated.

[0068] In the claims and specification, all transitional phrases, such as “having,” “including,” “carrying,” “possessing,” “containing,” “accompanying,” “holding,” and “composed of,” are open-ended, meaning they include but are not limited to them. Only the transitional phrases “consisting of” and “essentially consisting of” are closed or semi-closed transitional phrases, respectively, as described in Section 2111.03 of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's Manual of Patent Examination Procedures. It should be understood that certain expressions and reference numerals used in claims in accordance with Rule 6.2(b) of the Patent Cooperation Treaty ("PCT") are not limiting.

[0069] A method and a corresponding system are shown in another embodiment, and the method is The steps include analyzing one or more measurable physiological parameters of a patient, and Based on the above analysis, the step of rendering a graphical user interface. The graphical user interface includes a comet-shaped graphical element that conveys the rate of change over time for one or more measurable physiological parameters, and the comet-shaped graphical element includes a tail that is of a size or shape that conveys the rate of change.

Claims

1. A method for operating a system having one or more processors, wherein the operating method is The step of analyzing one or more measurable physiological parameters of a patient, wherein the analysis includes determining the rate of change over time for one or more of the measurable physiological parameters, and Based on the above analysis, one or more processors render a graphical user interface. It has, The graphical user interface includes a comet-shaped graphical element that shows the rate of change over time for one or more of the physiological parameters being measured, and the comet-shaped graphical element includes a tail of size or shape that shows the rate of change. A method of operation wherein the graphical user interface has a spatial zone visually annotated to indicate a desired range of one or more measurable physiological parameters, and the comet-shaped graphical elements are rendered in relation to the spatial zone of the graphical user interface to indicate how the given measurable physiological parameters are trending toward the desired range.

2. The analysis step includes the step of one or more processors analyzing multiple measurable physiological parameters of the patient, and The graphical user interface includes a plurality of comet-shaped graphical elements, each of which represents the rate of change for each of the plurality of physiological parameters measured for the patient. The operating method according to claim 1.

3. The operating method according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of comet-shaped graphical elements are oriented radially with respect to a central point.

4. The aforementioned graphical user interface is The smartwatch display, or Display for wearable patient monitoring devices The operating method according to claim 3, as rendered above.

5. The operating method according to claim 3, wherein an annular spatial zone of the graphical user interface at least partially surrounding the center point is visually annotated to indicate a normalized desired range for each of the plurality of measurable physiological parameters, and each comet-shaped graphical element is rendered in spatial relation to the visually annotated annular spatial zone of the graphical user interface to indicate how the corresponding measurable physiological parameter shows a trend toward the desired range.

6. A method for operating a system having one or more processors, wherein the operating method is The step of analyzing one or more measurable physiological parameters of a patient, wherein the analysis includes determining the rate of change over time for one or more of the measurable physiological parameters, and Based on the above analysis, one or more processors render a graphical user interface. It has, The graphical user interface includes a comet-shaped graphical element that shows the rate of change over time for one or more of the physiological parameters being measured, and the comet-shaped graphical element includes a tail of size or shape that shows the rate of change. Multiple comet-shaped graphical elements are oriented radially from a central point. The plurality of comet-shaped graphical elements oriented radially around the central point have a first bullseye structure of a plurality of bullseye structures rendered as part of the graphical user interface, each bullseye structure corresponding to a different patient, in an operating method.

7. A method for operating a system having one or more processors, wherein the operating method is The step of analyzing one or more measurable physiological parameters of a patient, wherein the analysis includes determining the rate of change over time for one or more of the measurable physiological parameters, and Based on the above analysis, one or more processors render a graphical user interface. It has, The graphical user interface includes a comet-shaped graphical element that shows the rate of change over time for one or more of the physiological parameters being measured, and the comet-shaped graphical element includes a tail of size or shape that shows the rate of change. The physiological parameters include a first physiological parameter, and the comet-shaped graphical element is operable to render one or more additional comet-shaped graphical elements as part of the graphical user interface. The operating method according to claim 1, wherein each of the one or more additional comet-shaped graphical elements indicates a corresponding rate of change of an additional physiological parameter that contributes to the rate of change of the first physiological parameter.

8. In a system having one or more processors and memory for storing instructions, the instructions are, in response to the execution of the instructions by the one or more processors, the one or more processors, The analysis involves analyzing one or more measurable physiological parameters of a patient, and the analysis includes determining the rate of change over time for one or more of the measurable physiological parameters, and Based on the above analysis, a graphical user interface is rendered. The graphical user interface includes a comet-shaped graphical element that shows the rate of change over time for one or more of the physiological parameters being measured. The aforementioned comet-shaped graphical element includes a tail which has a size or shape that indicates the rate of change. The graphical user interface has spatial zones visually annotated to indicate a desired range of one or more measurable physiological parameters, and the comet-shaped graphical elements are rendered in spatial relation to the spatial zones of the graphical user interface to indicate how the given measurable physiological parameters tend to be relative to the desired range.

9. The analysis includes an analysis of several measurable physiological parameters of the patient, and The graphical user interface includes a plurality of comet-shaped graphical elements, each of which represents the rate of change for each of the plurality of physiological parameters measured for the patient. The system according to claim 8.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of comet-shaped graphical elements are oriented radially with respect to a central point.

11. The annular spatial zone of the graphical user interface that at least partially surrounds the central point is visually annotated to indicate the normalized desired range of each of the plurality of measurable physiological parameters. Each comet-shaped graphical element is rendered in spatial relation to the visually annotated annular spatial zone of the graphical user interface to show how the corresponding measured physiological parameter shows a trend toward the desired range. The system according to claim 10.

12. In a system having one or more processors and memory for storing instructions, the instructions are, in response to the execution of the instructions by the one or more processors, the one or more processors, The analysis involves analyzing one or more measurable physiological parameters of a patient, and the analysis includes determining the rate of change over time for one or more of the measurable physiological parameters, and Based on the above analysis, a graphical user interface is rendered. The graphical user interface includes a comet-shaped graphical element that shows the rate of change over time for one or more of the physiological parameters being measured. The physiological parameter includes the first physiological parameter, The aforementioned comet-shaped graphical element is operable to render one or more additional comet-shaped graphical elements as part of the graphical user interface. A system in which each of the one or more additional comet-shaped graphical elements represents the rate of change of a corresponding additional physiological parameter that contributes to the rate of change of the first physiological parameter.

13. A non-temporary computer-readable medium having instructions, wherein the instructions are transmitted to one or more processors in response to the execution of the instructions by one or more processors. Analyze one or more measurable physiological parameters of the patient, and Based on the above analysis, a graphical user interface is rendered. The graphical user interface includes a comet-shaped graphical element that shows the rate of change over time for one or more of the physiological parameters being measured. The aforementioned comet-shaped graphical element includes a tail of size or shape that indicates the rate of change. The graphical user interface has spatial zones visually annotated to indicate a desired range of one or more measurable physiological parameters, and the comet-shaped graphical elements are rendered in spatial relation to the spatial zones of the graphical user interface to indicate how the given measurable physiological parameters tend to be relative to the desired range. At least one non-temporary computer-readable medium.

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