Echocardiogram Reporting Workstation Pre-fetching Loops
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Solution Overview
Problem
Echocardiography workstations face delays and inefficiencies in comparing current and prior echocardiogram findings due to large data file retrieval and lack of efficient mechanisms for linking findings with relevant views, often leading to omitted comparisons that can result in missed clinically important information about cardiac pathology progression or regression.
Innovation Solution
An echocardiogram reporting workstation with a display component, user input components, and an electronic data processing system that pre-fetches and displays relevant echocardiogram loops from prior examinations based on significant changes detected in current findings, using a standard finding-relevant view lookup table to facilitate automated comparison and reduce retrieval delays.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the system retrieves large echocardiogram data files from archival storage for comparison, then complete finding comparison can be performed, but substantial retrieval delays occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-fetching and caching echocardiogram view files and data structures from archival storage into local memory before they are actually needed for comparison. This advance retrieval eliminates wait times during the clinical workflow, as the data is already available when the echocardiologist needs to perform comparisons.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements local quality by maintaining a local cache of frequently accessed echocardiogram data in fast memory, while keeping the complete archival storage system for less frequently accessed data. This creates different levels of data accessibility - hot data in local memory for immediate access, and cold data in archival storage for complete retrieval when needed.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the system provides comprehensive finding codes for all possible current/past examination comparisons, then finding comparison capability is enhanced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies universality by implementing a single automated comparison engine that can handle all types of echocardiogram finding comparisons across different examinations and time periods. Rather than creating separate specialized tools for each comparison type, one multi-functional system performs all comparison tasks, reducing overall complexity while maintaining comprehensive capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service by automatically performing the comparison process without requiring manual intervention. The automated engine retrieves data, compares findings between current and prior examinations, and generates results independently, eliminating the need for complex manual workflows and reducing the complexity of user interaction.
3Measurement precision
If the system manually retrieves and compares prior examination loops, then detailed comparison can be performed, but workflow efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces the manual mechanical process of retrieving and comparing echocardiogram loops with an automated computational system. The automated engine electronically retrieves data, performs pixel-level or feature-level image comparison, and generates detailed comparison reports without manual intervention, maintaining high comparison precision while dramatically improving workflow efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an automated comparison engine as an intermediary between the raw echocardiogram data and the echocardiologist. This intermediary automatically performs the tedious retrieval and comparison tasks, presenting processed results to the clinician, thereby preserving detailed comparison capability while freeing the echocardiologist to focus on clinical interpretation.
Data Source
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AI summary
Echocardiogram reporting uses a list of standard echocardiogram findings (20) and a standard echocardiogram finding-relevant echocardiogram view lookup table (22). An echocardiogram reporting workstation (10) comprises a display component (12) and at least one user input component (14, 16, 18), and performs an echocardiogram examination reporting method including: interfacing with a user to enable the user to enter a current report (30) on a current echocardiogram examination of a cardiac subject; detecting a current finding value for a standard echocardiogram finding in the current report; and detecting a prior finding value for the echocardiogram finding in a prior report (36) on a prior echocardiogram examination of the cardiac subject. If a change between the current finding value and the prior finding value satisfies a significance criterion (44), a relevant change panel (52) simultaneously displays current and prior echocardiogram loops for a relevant echocardiogram view relevant to the echocardiogram finding.