944 results about "Medical doctor" patented technology

Neural networks are constructed (programmed), trained on historical data, and used to predict any of (1) optimal patient dosage of a single drug, (2) optimal patient dosage of one drug in respect of the patient's concurrent usage of another drug, (3a) optimal patient drug dosage in respect of diverse patient characteristics, (3b) sensitivity of recommended patient drug dosage to the patient characteristics, (4a) expected outcome versus patient drug dosage, (4b) sensitivity of the expected outcome to variant drug dosage(s), (5) expected outcome(s) from drug dosage(s) other than the projected optimal dosage. Both human and economic costs of both optimal and sub-optimal drug therapies may be extrapolated from the exercise of various optimized and trained neural networks. Heretofore little recognized sensitivities-such as, for example, patient race in the administration of psychotropic drugs-are made manifest. Individual prescribing physicians employing deviant patterns of drug therapy may be recognized. Although not intended to prescribe drugs, nor even to set prescription drug dosage, the neural networks are very sophisticated and authoritative "helps" to physicians, and to physician reviewers, in answering "what if" questions.

Suture holding devices and methods are disclosed, including devices and methods useful in performing a transoral surgical procedure, such as a posterior gastropexy procedure. A device is disclosed which can be used by a physician in a medical procedure to automatically lock and cut a suture in one motion and without the need for additional cutting instrumentation, rather than perform separate locking and cutting actions.

The present invention generally is directed toward a spinal fixation system whereby a coupling element allows the physician to selectively lock or unlock either the connection between the coupling element and a fastener, such as to allow for repositioning of the coupling element, or the connection between the coupling element and an elongate rod. The locking or unlocking of these connections may be made independently and as desired by the physician.

The present invention generally relates to a dilator with a curved tip. The curved tip is machined through a specific range of diameters so that a physician can establish the diameter of the opening with the dilator inserted. The angle of the dilator also allows the physician to access the interspinous ligament through a minimally invasive opening in the patients back, minimizing the trauma caused to surrounding body tissue.

A system that interfaces with a workstation endocardial mapping system allows for the rapid and successful ablation of cardiac tissue. The system allows a physician to see a representation of the physical location of a catheter in a representation of an anatomic model of the patient's heart. The workstation is the primary interface with the physician. A servo catheter having pull wires and pull rings for guidance and a servo catheter control system are interfaced with the workstation. Servo catheter control software may run on the workstation. The servo catheter is coupled to an RF generator. The physician locates a site for ablation therapy and confirms the location of the catheter. Once the catheter is located at the desired ablation site, the physician activates the RF generator to deliver the therapy.

A health care system including a field module configured to gather a first portion of patient data and to send the first portion of patient data to a server, an administrative module configured to perform a plurality of functions on patient data, and a physician module configured to display patient data and perform a patient care function.

A wireless information device provides a user with context relevant information. The precise location of the wireless device is monitored by a tracking system. Using the location of the wireless device and the identity of the user, context relevant information is transmitted to the device, where the context relevant information is pre-defined, at least in part, by the user. Context relevant information served to the device depends on the identity of the user, the location of the device, and the proximity of the device to persons or objects. The wireless information device may be used by healthcare workers, such as physicians, in hospitals, although other environments are contemplated, such as hotels, airports, zoos, theme parks, and the like.

Everting filter devices and methods for using the devices, including using the devices as intra-vascular filters to filter thrombus, emboli, and plaque fragments from blood vessels. The filter devices include a filter body nominally tubular in shape and having a large proximal opening. The filter body can extend from a proximal first end region distally over the non-everted exterior surface of the filter, further extending distally to a distal-most region, then converging inwardly and extending proximally toward the filter second end region, forming a distal everted cavity. The degree of eversion of the filter can be controlled by varying the distance between the filter first end region near the proximal opening and the closed second end region. Bringing the filter first and second end regions closer together can bring filter material previously on the non-everted filter exterior to occupy the distal-most region. The everting process can also bring filter material previously in the distal-most position further into the distal everted cavity. The filter devices can be used to remove filtrate from body vessels, with the filtrate eventually occluding the distal-most region. The filter can then be further everted, bringing fresh, unoccluded filter material into place to provide additional filter capacity. Some everting filters have the capability of switching between occluding and filtering modes of operation, thereby allowing a treating physician to postpone the decision to use filtering or occluding devices until well after insertion of the device into the patient's body.

The invention relates to methods and devices for measuring pulsus paradoxus. The methods herein employ a combination of one or more forms of waveform analysis for the purpose of measuring pulsus paradoxus and diagnosing respiratory distress. The methods also combine measurements of pulsus paradoxus and physician assessments to diagnose respiratory distress. The methods also combine measurements of pulsus paradoxus and percentage oxygenated hemoglobin to diagnose respiratory distress. The devices of this invention employ pulse oximeters, arterial tonometers, finometers, or processors for the purpose of implementing the methods of the invention.

The invention relates to a method and system of physician economic performance evaluation in which the relative medical difficulty associated with patients admitted by a particular physician is determined and, given that measurement, judgments made concerning the relative amount of inpatient resources that the physician required. Also, one application of the present invention relates to a method for gainsharing of physician services using a surplus allocation methodology for rewarding physicians in relation to their performance. An incentive pool is determined from previous patient claims and payments made to physicians in advance, such as in a base year. Best practice norms are established for a plurality of classified diagnosis groups. In one embodiment of the present invention, the classified diagnosis related groups are adjusted for severity of illness to compensate for actual clinical challenges faced by individual physicians. The best practice norms can be used in the surplus allocation method for determining physician performance. The incentive is established proportional to the relationship between a physician's individual performance and the best practice norm.

The invented non-invasive vital signs monitor is in a flexible, nominally flat planar form having integral gel electrodes, a sticky-back rear surface, an internal flex circuit capable of sensing, recording and playing out several minutes of the most recently acquired ECG waveform data and a front surface that includes an outplay port. The invented non-invasive body composition ‘risk’ monitor includes a measurement device for monitoring one or more variables including body fluid mass, dehydration, respiratory rate, blood pressure, bio-impedance, cardiography such as cardiac output, and body conformation parameters. The risk monitor may be provided in a lightweight carrying case into which the vital signs monitor plugs. Thus the two monitors may be independent or they may be integrated into one portable, non-invasive device that can convey important patient data to / from a remote patient medical data center via wireless telemetry for oversight, treatment and possible intervention by a physician.

A system for identifying active implantable medical devices (AIMD) and lead systems implanted in a patient using a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag having retrievable information relating to the AIMD, lead system and / or patient. The RFID tag may store information about the AIMD manufacturer, model number, serial number; lead wire system placement information and manufacturer information; MRI compatibility due to the incorporation of bandstop filters; patient information, and physician and / or hospital information and other relevant information. The RFID tag may be affixed or disposed within the AIMD or lead wires of the lead system, or surgically implanted within a patient adjacent to the AIMD or lead wire system.

The invention comprises a virtual window system that creates a visual coherency between the image of the patient and his or her anatomy and the patient by aligning the image of the patient anatomy on the display to the patient and presenting the image to the user that feels as if the user is looking directly into the patient through the display. The invention is designed to also display medical devices, such as a minimally invasive tool. The system substantially unifies the coordinate systems of the patient, the medical device, the display, and the physician's hands. The invention creates a visual coherency between the motion of the medical device in the image and the motion of the physician's hands manipulating the device. This invention also creates a visual coherency between the motion of the image in the display and of that display.

An apparatus and method for generating a patient's medical record. The apparatus comprises a data input component that executes through a plurality of clinical, tree-like pathways that are traversed as data describing the patient's condition is entered, for example, by the physician during a clinical examination. At each node, the physician is prompted as to the additional health information required to traverse the clinical pathway. Once an end “leaf” is reached, the medical record is generated based on the path traversed through the clinical pathway. A web site stores the record for access via a web browser.

The invention relates to a method and system of physician economic performance evaluation in which the relative medical difficulty associated with patients admitted by a particular physician is determined and, given that measurement, judgments made concerning the relative amount of inpatient resources that the physician required. Also, one application of the present invention relates to a method for gainsharing of physician services using a surplus allocation methodology for rewarding physicians in relation to their performance. An incentive pool is determined from previous patient claims and payments made to physicians in advance, such as in a base year. Best practice norms are established for a plurality of classified diagnosis groups. In one embodiment of the present invention, the classified diagnosis related groups are adjusted for severity of illness to compensate for actual clinical challenges faced by individual physicians. The best practice norms can be used in the surplus allocation method for determining physician performance. The incentive is established proportional to the relationship between a physician's individual performance and the best practice norm.

A system and method for processing patient data permits physicians and other medical staff personnel to record, accurately and precisely, historical patient care information. An objective measure of a physician's rendered level of care, as described by a clinical status code, is automatically generated. Data elements used in the determination of the generated clinical status code include a level of history of the patient, a level of examination of the patient, a decision-making process of the physician treating the patient, and a "time influence factor." The quantity and quality of care information for a particular patient is enhanced allowing future care decisions for that patient to be based on a more complete medical history. Enhanced care information can be used in outcome studies to track the efficacy of specific treatment protocols. Archiving of patient information is done in a manner which allows reconstruction of the qualitative aspects of provided medical services. The medical care data can be recorded, saved, and transferred from a portable system to a larger stationary information or database system. Considerable physician and staff time are saved and precision and accuracy are significantly enhanced, by generating these clinical status codes automatically (at the point of service by the care-provider without any intermediary steps) from information recorded simultaneously with the provision of services.

CAD (computer-aided diagnosis) systems and applications for breast imaging are provided, which implement methods to automatically extract and analyze features from a collection of patient information (including image data and / or non-image data) of a subject patient, to provide decision support for various aspects of physician workflow including, for example, automated diagnosis of breast cancer other automated decision support functions that enable decision support for, e.g., screening and staging for breast cancer. The CAD systems implement machine-learning techniques that use a set of training data obtained (learned) from a database of labeled patient cases in one or more relevant clinical domains and / or expert interpretations of such data to enable the CAD systems to “learn” to analyze patient data and make proper diagnostic assessments and decisions for assisting physician workflow.

Embodiments of the invention provide a comprehensive, automated system and method for evaluating the performance of individuals or entities employed by an organization, particularly useful in peer-profiling physician performance in multi-facility environments. Embodiments of the invention can dynamically compose a virtual peer or group of peers and perform peer-profiling on each individual or group of individuals to be evaluated. For example, a composite physician may be generated from system-wide and / or state-wide healthcare data as a benchmark against which a particular physician is profiled according to industry-standard measurements. The composite physician would have equivalent or similar job function(s) as well as patient population. The composite physician enables a comprehensive “apple to apple” comparison with the particular physician, giving meaning to and facilitating the usefulness of performance evaluation results.

Medializing the middle turbinate in the nose has been realized as a solution to the common complication of adhesions following nasal and sinus surgery. The invention provides a system for medializing the middle turbinate by attaching the middle turbinate temporarily to the nasal septum. The attachment is performed using a wafer with means on both sides for attaching the wafer to a mucosal surface. The attachment may also be performed using a tissue adhesive, pins, or other medical devices described herein. The invention also provides a system for attaching the uvula to the nasopharyngeal side of the soft palate. The invention provides a medical device for use in the inventive procedures as well as methods for the procedures and kits for use by a physician.

The present invention involves placing a valve between the left atrium and the lung to prevent regurgitant flow from increasing the pulmonary pressures, which may lead to pulmonary edema and congestion. Mitral stenosis or poor synchronization of the mitral valve may add additional pressures to the left atrium thus raising the pulmonary pressures and leading to congestion in the lung vasculature. By blocking the additional pressures from the mitral regurgitant flow from reaching the pulmonary circulation, the left atrium may act as a sealed vessel to allow additional aortic output. The valve placement can be intralumenal or attached to the ostium of the atrium. The device can be placed via the vascular conduits or through a surgical procedure into the pulmonary circulation. One or more devices may be placed in each of the four pulmonary veins. Additionally only one, two, three or all four veins may be implanted with the valve as desired by the physician.

This medical (human and veterinary) CRM and ERP software affects every step of patient interaction: marketing, sales or service-related. It allows management of the workload by distributing the chores among staff members and automates medical and business processes through workflow rules. It enables users to view and update tasks, medical cases, appointments, sales, phone calls, faxes, emails, letters and automatic input of lab results into the patient's medical record. It also serves the needs of people in human resources; finance and inventory control, and integrates with Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, Great Plains and other business systems. It delivers detailed diagnostic differentials associated with a likelihood of their applicability to the given patients' record and physician's experience in his contextual situation; selects the most appropriate diagnostic procedures; offers the possibility for the user to implement context-sensitive tutorials; presents a context-sensitive source of information on diseases and medical procedures.

The present invention is an atherectomy catheter with a rotary cutting knife that is driven from the distal (nose) or side (circumference) direction. The catheter collects plaque shavings in a hollow collection chamber mounted in between the rotary cutting knife and the main catheter tubing. In contrast to prior art designs, which utilized nose mounted plaque collection chambers, the present design is able to store a substantially larger volume of removed plaque, thus increasing the length of time and amount of plaque removal that can be accomplished before the catheter must be removed from the body and cleaned. This decreases medical procedure time, allows for more complete and careful plaque removal, and reduces the burden on the patient and physician.

Medical devices such as catheters can include structure or provision that permit a physician or other health care professional to adjust the stiffness of at least a portion of the medical device. In some instances, the medical device may be adjusted prior to inserting the medical device into a patient. In some cases, the medical device may be adjusted while in use within the patient.

Systems, methods, and instruments associated with controlling the operating modes of an electrosurgical instrument using control signals delivered in a wireless manner from the electrosurgical instrument to an electrosurgical generator. The electrosurgical instrument transmits wireless control signals to the electrosurgical generator to initiate delivery of electrosurgical energy. The control signals are delivered to the electrosurgical generator without the need for a conductive cord extending between the electrosurgical generator and the electrosurgical instrument. The energy is delivered to the electrosurgical instrument, in response to the wireless control signals, along a path through an electrode and the physician utilizing the electrosurgical instrument and / or a conductive path external to the physician. The electrode upon which the physician rests provides a path for the electrosurgical energy and optionally prevents burning of the physician during an electrosurgical procedure.

The initial deployment of a self-expanding stent is performed by the physician manually retracting the sheath of a delivery system. This provides the physician with complete control of the initial deployment of the stent. Further, once the stent is securely engaged within the parent vessel, the remaining deployment over the remaining length of the stent is performed automatically by retraction of the sheath by a spring. Since the physician simply initiates the deployment of the stent, the deployment is readily performed using only a single hand of the physician.

Miniaturized, five and six degrees-of-freedom magnetic sensors, responsive to pulsed DC magnetic fields waveforms generated by multiple transmitter options, provide an improved and cost-effective means of guiding medical instruments to targets inside the human body. The end result is achieved by integrating DC tracking, 3D reconstructions of pre-acquired patient scans and imaging software into a system enabling a physician to internally guide an instrument with real-time 3D vision for diagnostic and interventional purposes. The integration allows physicians to navigate within the human body by following 3D sensor tip locations superimposed on anatomical images reconstructed into 3D volumetric computer models. Sensor data can also be integrated with real-time imaging modalities, such as endoscopes, for intrabody navigation of instruments with instantaneous feedback through critical anatomy to locate and remove tissue. To meet stringent medical requirements, the system generates and senses pulsed DC magnetic fields embodied in an assemblage of miniaturized, disposable and reposable sensors functional with both dipole and co-planar transmitters.

A system for remotely reviewing medical data allows medical data to be transmitted to a physician's mobile device from where they are stored or collected. The system includes a console, a data server and at least one mobile device, although the data server may be a software component within the console. The system may further include medical imaging equipment, medical records databases, and other sensors and servers. Medical data is routed through the console to the data server to reach the mobile device via a wireless network. After reviewing the data, physicians may transmit their comments from their mobile device to the requester by going through the same system. The data server may further include a resident messaging system that communicates to the mobile device such that the user is notified of messages or data awaiting review along with the urgency of the required review are also described.

A method is provided for a virtual clinic to establish communications and working relationships among itself, patients, physicians, and insurance companies patient to facilitate the remote diagnosis and treatment of patients. In one embodiment, a patient may contact its insurance carrier via a web page on the Internet. The insurance company then matches the patient to one of its plans and then forwards information to the virtual clinic which then responds to the patient's web request. The patient is then put in operative communication with a physician who is known by the virtual clinic to be licensed to practice medicine in the patient's current location and to have expertise in the patient's condition.