Blood Loss Guidance Using Image Analysis and Protocol Staging
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Inaccurate reporting and mismanagement of patient blood loss during medical procedures lead to complications such as delayed resuscitation, increased infection risk, and tissue death due to visual estimation methods.
Innovation Solution
A system and method utilizing image analysis and weight measurement techniques to estimate blood loss, coupled with a customizable blood loss protocol, provides real-time guidance to medical personnel through visual, audio, and tactile notifications based on patient stages of blood loss severity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If visual estimation method is used to measure patient blood loss, then the operation is simple and quick, but the measurement precision is poor leading to significant error
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical/visual estimation method with an image processing system that captures images of blood collection containers and automatically analyzes blood volume using computer vision algorithms. This substitution eliminates human visual estimation errors while maintaining operational simplicity through automated image capture and analysis.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a digital copy (image) of the blood collection container and its contents, then analyzes this copy to determine blood volume. This allows precise measurement without directly manipulating the actual blood or requiring complex physical measurement devices, resolving the contradiction between accuracy and complexity.
2Reliability
If real-time blood loss monitoring is implemented, then patient outcomes are improved, but the loss of time for data collection and analysis increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by automatically capturing images of blood collection containers at scheduled intervals during the procedure. The image processing and blood volume calculation are initiated in advance, allowing real-time monitoring without delaying clinical decision-making, thus improving reliability while minimizing time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The system makes the blood loss assessment self-service by automatically processing images and calculating volumes without requiring manual intervention from medical personnel. This automation eliminates time-consuming manual measurement steps while ensuring continuous real-time monitoring, thereby improving patient outcome reliability without significant time penalty.
3Measurement precision
If automated image processing is used to estimate blood loss, then measurement precision is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex manual measurement procedures with an automated image processing system that uses computer vision to estimate blood volume. This substitution improves precision by eliminating human estimation errors while the automation of the image processing pipeline reduces the perceived complexity for end users, as the system performs calculations independently.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4
AI summary
Described herein are example methods and example systems for providing guidance to a user during a medical procedure. The example methods may be performed by one or more processors and may include estimating a blood loss of a patient, determining a current patient stage of a blood loss protocol based on the estimated patient blood loss, and providing guidance to a user based on the current patient stage of the blood loss protocol. The blood loss protocol may include a plurality of stages, and each stage may include one or more elements. Providing guidance to a user may include selecting one or more elements from the current patient stage of the blood loss protocol.