Stroke Classification System for Emergency Routing

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for coordinating emergency services for stroke patients often lead to misjudgments in stroke classification and inadequate transportation to facilities with necessary equipment and personnel, resulting in delayed and inappropriate treatment, which can worsen patient outcomes.

Innovation Solution

A system and method that utilize a medical information system with local and central devices to receive patient identification, query databases, request video data for stroke classification, and identify optimal medical facilities based on classification, ensuring timely and appropriate care.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If emergency services transport patients to the nearest hospital, then transportation time is reduced, but the patient may arrive at a facility without adequate stroke treatment capabilities

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransportation timeVSAvoidstroke treatment capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary stroke classification and facility capability assessment before patient arrival. Emergency service personnel receive pre-coordinated instructions about which facilities are best equipped for the specific stroke type and severity, allowing them to bypass nearest-hospital routing in favor of capability-matched destinations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system establishes feedback loops between hospitals reporting their current occupancy rates and capabilities, and the central coordination system. This real-time feedback enables dynamic routing decisions that balance transportation time with facility availability and capability, ensuring patients are directed to facilities that can immediately accept and treat them.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If individual emergency service personnel perform stroke classification, then the process is simple and quick, but misjudgments occur with serious consequences

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveclassification speedVSAvoidstroke classification accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system introduces a centralized coordination system as an intermediary between emergency service personnel and final treatment decisions. Local personnel perform initial assessment using standardized protocols, then the central system coordinates with specialist physicians and facility experts to verify and refine the classification, reducing individual error while maintaining rapid response.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides preliminary guidance and decision support to emergency service personnel through standardized assessment protocols and real-time consultation capabilities. This preliminary structuring of the classification process ensures consistency and reduces the cognitive burden on individual personnel, minimizing misjudgments.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If patients are transported to hospitals with adequate equipment and personnel, then treatment quality is improved, but transportation time increases due to distance

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetreatment qualityVSAvoidtotal treatment time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts facility selection based on real-time conditions including current occupancy rates, ongoing emergencies, and facility capacity. A facility that is normally optimal may temporarily be bypassed if occupied, and the system continuously re-evaluates the best destination as the patient is en route, balancing distance with actual availability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary coordination with target facilities to confirm availability and prepare receiving teams before patient arrival. This advance preparation ensures that when patients are routed to specialized facilities, the treatment team is already ready, eliminating delays that would otherwise occur upon arrival.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

4Adaptability or versatility

If hospitals report current occupancy rates to the coordination system, then facility selection is optimized, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefacility selection optimizationVSAvoidcoordination system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses a standardized, universal communication protocol for occupancy rate reporting that can be implemented across diverse hospital information systems. The same coordination platform handles multiple functions including stroke classification, facility matching, real-time tracking, and resource allocation, reducing overall system complexity through consolidation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS20220084680A1Provision of a stroke classification and coordination of emergency services for potential stroke patients

Publication Date: 2022.03.17 SIEMENS HEALTHINEERS AG

AI summary

Methods and systems are for the provision of a stroke classification and for the coordination of emergency services for potential stroke patients. Medical information about a potential stroke patient, including video data of at least the face of the potential stroke patient, is provided. A stroke classification is provided for the potential stroke patient based on the provided medical information. A medical facility for the potential stroke patient can be identified based on the provided stroke classification.