Clinical Photo Recordkeeping System Using Cloud Storage and Alignment Guides
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Solution Overview
Problem
Clinical photographic recordkeeping systems face challenges in accessibility and alignment of before and after photos, particularly when clinicians need to access patient photos from different locations, and existing solutions require expensive equipment.
Innovation Solution
A clinical photographic recordkeeping system utilizing a remote cloud-based storage device and portable electronic devices, such as smartphones, to store and access patient photos, allowing alignment guides like opacity and outline features for consistent photo taking without the need for expensive equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If photos are stored locally on equipment at a specific office location, then photo storage is simple and direct, but photos become inaccessible when clinicians need to access them from different locations or offices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions photo storage from a single-location physical storage model to a cloud-based distributed storage model accessible across multiple dimensions (locations, devices, users). Photos are stored remotely in the cloud and accessed via network connections from any portable electronic device, eliminating the limitation of local-only access while maintaining simplicity through standardized cloud protocols.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a cloud-based remote storage system as an intermediary between the photo capture device and the clinician's access device. This intermediary enables photo transfer and access across different locations and devices without requiring direct physical connection or complex local storage infrastructure at each office.
2Measurement precision
If expensive specialized photography equipment is used, then photo quality and management capabilities are improved, but system cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the portable electronic device's existing camera to capture photos, then processes and stores digital copies of these photos in the cloud. This eliminates the need for expensive specialized photography equipment while maintaining adequate photo quality for clinical documentation purposes. The system copies photos from the device's camera to remote storage and enables alignment operations on these copies.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent leverages readily available, inexpensive portable electronic devices (smartphones, tablets) with built-in cameras instead of investing in expensive specialized photography equipment. These common devices provide sufficient photo quality for clinical recordkeeping when combined with cloud-based storage and processing capabilities.
3Manufacturing precision
If manual alignment methods are used to position the camera for after photos, then photo alignment can be achieved, but the process becomes tedious and time consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent retrieves and displays the before photo before the clinician takes the after photo, allowing the clinician to see the reference image in advance. This preliminary display of alignment guidance enables faster and more accurate positioning of the camera for the after shot, eliminating the need for tedious manual alignment attempts.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent provides real-time visual feedback by displaying the before photo and allowing overlay comparison during the after photo capture process. This feedback mechanism guides the clinician in achieving proper alignment immediately, reducing the time needed to capture aligned before-and-after photos.
Data Source
AI summary
A clinical photographic recordkeeping system includes a remote storage device and at least one portable electronic device. The remote storage device stores a patient list and patient photos. The portable electronic device includes a clinical photographic recordkeeping application. Execution of the application displays the patient list from the remote storage device based on a user logging into the application, selects a patient from the patient list based on a first user input, and displays an image showing a highlighted area of the selected patient to be photographed. The image includes a flag indicating that the patient has an existing photo on the remote storage device of the highlighted area to be photographed. A camera takes a new photo of the highlighted area of the patient based on a second user input.