Smartphone Stool Imaging for Non-Invasive IBD Monitoring

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for diagnosing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are invasive and inconvenient, requiring colonoscopies and blood/stool tests, and lack objective validation of stool characteristics for disease activity assessment.

Innovation Solution

A smartphone-based application captures images or videos of stool samples, analyzed using AI algorithms trained by physician feedback, to determine IBD activity by assessing characteristics like Bristol Stool scale, blood, mucous, and environment, providing disease activity information without the need for invasive tests.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If colonoscopy and blood/stool tests are used for IBD diagnosis, then diagnostic accuracy is improved, but patient convenience and comfort deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvediagnostic accuracyVSAvoidpatient convenience

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses smartphone camera images as a non-invasive copy or representation of stool characteristics. Instead of requiring physical stool collection and laboratory analysis, the system captures visual information through a smartphone camera and uses AI algorithms to analyze stool form, color, and other characteristics from the images, providing diagnostic information without invasive procedures

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical and invasive colonoscopy procedure with an optical-based smartphone imaging system. The mechanical insertion of a colonoscope is substituted by using a smartphone camera to capture images, combined with AI image processing algorithms that automatically analyze stool characteristics and provide diagnostic insights

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If frequent monitoring is implemented to assess treatment efficacy, then disease management quality is improved, but patient burden and resource consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedisease management qualityVSAvoidpatient burden

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables patients to perform self-monitoring by capturing stool images with their own smartphones at home. The AI algorithms automatically analyze the images and provide feedback on disease activity and treatment efficacy, eliminating the need for patients to travel to healthcare facilities for routine monitoring and reducing the time and effort required

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements continuous feedback by analyzing stool images and providing real-time or near-real-time information about disease activity. This allows patients and healthcare providers to monitor treatment efficacy continuously and make timely adjustments to therapy based on objective measurements from stool characteristics

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS20240366193A1Systems and methods for stool characterization as non-invasive measures of disease activity

Publication Date: 2024.11.07 CYLINDER HEALTH INC

AI summary

A method includes receiving one or more stool images from a client device; determining, from the one or more stool images, one or more stool characteristics; and providing disease activity information to the client device, based at least in part on analyzing the one or more stool characteristics.