Clinical Test Reliability Range Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Laboratory instruments often produce clinical test results that are outside their reliability range, making these results unusable or difficult to interpret, as they may be incorrect or unreliable, and there is no clear way to manipulate or act upon these results.
Innovation Solution
A method is provided where a computing device processes the results of a clinical test to generate a relational result, which includes information about whether the result is outside the reliability range and specifies the bounds of this range. This relational result allows for determining if a laboratory rule's condition is met, enabling appropriate actions to be taken based on the test results.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a laboratory instrument reports a result outside the reliability range, then the result is considered unusable or incorrect, but this causes loss of potentially valuable diagnostic information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the laboratory result information into multiple components: the numerical result value, the reliability range bounds (lower and upper limits), and the reliability status indicator. This segmentation allows the system to process and evaluate different aspects of the result separately, enabling diagnostic information to be extracted even when the numerical value falls outside the reliability range.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary evaluation of the result against the reliability range before discarding it. By comparing the numerical result with the stored lower and upper bounds of the reliability range, the system determines in advance whether the result is within acceptable limits, and if not, what specific actions (such as requesting additional samples or alerting clinicians) should be taken to preserve diagnostic information.
2Reliability
If the laboratory result is outside the reliability range, then the result cannot be used to determine laboratory rule conditions, but this limits the ability to take timely clinical actions
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary assessment of whether result manipulation is possible before clinical decisions are required. By pre-evaluating the reliability status and comparing the result against the reliability range, the system determines in advance what actions can be taken, reducing delays in clinical decision-making processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the reliability status and range information are continuously monitored and used to adjust laboratory rule evaluations. When results fall outside the reliability range, the system provides feedback about the specific bounds and reliability status, enabling clinicians to make informed decisions about whether to request repeat testing or proceed with alternative diagnostic pathways.
3Reliability
If the numerical result is not reliable, then it cannot be manipulated further, but this prevents extraction of any useful diagnostic information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the result information into the numerical value, reliability status, and reliability range bounds. This allows the system to evaluate the reliability aspects separately from the numerical value, enabling extraction of diagnostic information from the reliability status and bounds even when the numerical result itself is unreliable.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameters used for evaluation from relying solely on the numerical result value to incorporating the reliability status and range bounds. By evaluating whether the result is above the upper bound, below the lower bound, or within the range, the system extracts diagnostic information based on these parameter changes rather than discarding the entire result.
Data Source
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AI summary
Aspects relate to a method, a data processing system, a laboratory instrument, a computer program and a computer-readable medium. The method comprises obtaining, by a computing device, a relational result for a first clinical test. The first clinical test is carried out on a biological sample by a first laboratory instrument, the biological sample being in a sample container. The relational result comprises first information and second information, the first information specifying that a laboratory result for the first clinical test is outside a reliability range for the first clinical test carried out by the first laboratory instrument and the second information specifying one or more of an upper bound and a lower bound of the reliability range. The method further comprises assessing, by the computing device, whether a condition of a laboratory rule is determinable by using the first information and the second information. The laboratory rule specifies one or more actions that are to be taken depending on the outcome of a determination of the condition. At least one action of the one or more actions is to be taken on one or more of the biological sample, the sample container and the relational result and/or the one or more actions comprise displaying information about one or more of the biological sample, the sample container, the relational result and a patient. If the condition is determinable and, according to the outcome of the determination of the condition, the one or more actions are to be taken, the method comprises causing, by the computing device, the one or more actions to be taken.