Automated Allergy Testing System with AR Guidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current allergy testing systems are burdensome, prone to errors, and lack efficiency, leading to false positives and negatives, and require manual processes that are costly and time-consuming, with a need for improved accuracy and minimization of discomfort for patients.
Innovation Solution
An automated allergy office system utilizing augmented reality, machine learning, and electronic systems to guide medical professionals in selecting test sites, delivering allergens, and interpreting reactions, with features like RFID tags, Bluetooth low energy tags, and near field communication tags for accurate tracking and analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual allergy testing processes are used, then medical professionals can perform testing, but the process becomes burdensome, error-prone, and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an automated testing system with computer vision algorithms and machine learning models as intermediaries between the medical professional and the patient. The system captures images of skin reactions, automatically analyzes them using trained algorithms, and provides objective measurements of wheal and flare sizes, eliminating manual measurement errors while maintaining clinical workflow
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual visual assessment and physical measurement tools with automated image capture and computer vision analysis. Digital imaging systems with standardized lighting and automated image processing algorithms substitute for subjective human judgment, providing consistent, reproducible measurements across different clinicians and time points
2Measurement precision
If traditional allergy testing methods are used, then testing can be performed, but false positives and negatives occur reducing accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous monitoring of skin reactions through time-series imaging. Multiple images are captured at standardized intervals (e.g., 15, 30, 45 minutes) after allergen application, allowing the system to track the development and resolution of wheal and flare reactions. This continuous data collection enables more accurate determination of positive versus negative results by observing reaction patterns over time rather than relying on single time-point assessments
3Productivity
If manual processes are used for patient analysis and treatment, then medical professionals can manage care, but the process becomes costly and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the testing system to automatically perform functions that traditionally required manual intervention. The computer vision algorithms automatically measure reaction sizes, the machine learning models automatically interpret results and generate diagnostic recommendations, and the system automatically documents findings in electronic health records. This self-service capability reduces clinician workload and increases testing throughput without requiring proportionally more staff
Data Source
AI summary
An automated allergy office system and method provides a medical professional with a new allergy treatment plan to administer to a patient. The automated allergy office system comprises a viewing device to select a test site on the patient's skin that is clear. A multiple test applicator is in cooperative engagement with a fluid tray and delivers a small amount of a first allergen to a first test site on the patient's skin as a small amount of a second allergen is delivered to a second test site on the patient's skin. The allergy condition of the patient is detected as a wheal forms at the first test site after fifteen minutes. The elements of the treatment plan are retrieved from a database for treating the patient's allergy condition. The patient's electronic medical record is checked to confirm that the allergy treatment is new for this patient.