Structured Reference Frame for Medical Reporting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical reporting systems are inefficient and prone to errors due to the need to work with separate medical images and simplified anatomical drawings, lacking the ability to link recorded information to specific anatomical features or pathologies, and unable to automatically process or analyze data from these images.
Innovation Solution
A structured reference frame system that associates anatomical features or pathologies on actual patient images with structured data, allowing for the creation of a structured image set that provides a spatiotemporal context, enabling detailed data entry and automatic generation of reports, and incorporating geometric mapping for enhanced diagnosis and analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional anatomical cartoons and separate medical images are used, then the system is simple to operate, but the accuracy and detail of anatomical representation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the medical image and anatomical cartoon into a single integrated display where the cartoon is overlaid on the actual medical image. This allows the system to maintain high anatomical representation accuracy by showing both the real image and the simplified cartoon simultaneously, rather than requiring separate views or manual switching between them.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a simplified cartoon copy of the anatomical structures from the detailed medical image. This cartoon version retains the essential anatomical features while being easier to annotate and interpret, allowing users to work with a simplified representation that accurately reflects the underlying medical image data.
2Productivity
If workers manually annotate and modify drawings by working back and forth between images, then the drawing can be customized to show observations, but the efficiency deteriorates and errors increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system combines the medical image, anatomical cartoon, and annotation capabilities into a single integrated interface. Users can annotate the cartoon directly without needing to switch between separate image viewers and drawing tools, eliminating the back-and-forth workflow that causes inefficiency and errors.
Solution Approach 2:
The anatomical cartoon serves as an intermediary layer between the detailed medical image and the annotation process. Users annotate the simplified cartoon rather than the complex medical image directly, reducing errors while maintaining accuracy. The cartoon mediates the interaction between the raw image data and the final annotated report.
3Extent of automation
If simple anatomical cartoons are used, then the drawing is easy to create and modify, but the ability to process and analyze data by computerized systems deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system transforms the anatomical cartoon from a static image into a data-rich structure by associating it with structured data elements. Each anatomical feature in the cartoon is linked to machine-readable parameters and metadata, enabling computerized systems to process and analyze the data while the cartoon remains easy to create and modify visually.
Solution Approach 2:
The anatomical cartoon serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides a visual representation easy to create and modify, while also serving as a data structure that can be processed by computerized systems. The cartoon is not just an image but a multi-functional element that bridges visual communication and data processing needs.
4Loss of information
If recorded coded data is associated with anatomical features on simple drawings, then the data can be structured, but the spatial and temporal context deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the structured data association with the visual spatial context by overlaying data annotations directly on the anatomical cartoon which is itself overlaid on the medical image. This integration preserves spatial relationships and temporal context while maintaining structured data organization, avoiding the need for separate data management systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a enriched copy of the anatomical cartoon that includes both visual information and structured data associations. This copied structure retains the simplicity of the original cartoon while adding layers of spatial and temporal context through integrated data elements, allowing comprehensive information storage without increasing operational complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates generally to a system and methods for medical reporting. More specifically, the invention is directed to a system that includes a structured reference frame component through the use of which one or more anatomical features or pathologies that are shown on an actual image taken of a patient can be associated with the data and other information provided in a structured knowledge base. Certain embodiments of the system include a structured reference frame component that can be used for a plurality of medical images taken of a patient, the plurality of images being ones taken, for example, of different views or projections or at different times to provide what is termed for purposes of this application a structured image set. Advantageously, such a structured image set places the subject anatomical feature or pathology in a greater spatial and/or temporal context. Additionally, embodiments of the invention allow users through the use of structured image set to annotate, augment, and overall interact with the clinically more accurate and detailed medical image, not the conventional anatomical cartoons.