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Data analysis systemRelated Patent Categories: Surgery, Diagnostic TestingData analysis system description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060206012, Data analysis system. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
[0001] This invention relates generally to systems and methods for information analysis in data intensive environments and to applications thereof for use as an aid in making decisions. It is particularly concerned with data analysis in a critical care environment. [0002] Whilst computerisation has clearly been beneficial to numerous aspects of modern life, its increasing use in data capture has given rise to a new problem. Automated monitors and measuring systems can take readings more frequently than was possible with their manually operated predecessors. Whenever a decision or assessment is to be made based on the readings from these systems, there is accordingly a vast amount of data available. The sheer volume of data alone may obscure judgment but, more often than not, the assessment must also be made rapidly. Such situations will be referred to as data intensive environments. [0003] One example of a data intensive environment is that encountered in a hospital, in particular in intensive care and high dependency units. Current clinical practice requires that a plethora of specific medical data are measured in the critically ill patient. Different data are collected at various intervals and are traditionally entered onto large paper-based observation charts. Psychological studies have shown that the normal human brain can handle some 20 variables at any one time. There is thus always a danger of information overload, even for skilled staff. Each patient's paper chart must be studied carefully in order to detect important changes in his or her condition. Unfortunately, there is often only recognition of an acute system failure once an adverse trend has been established. [0004] There is now the added complication that newer technological advances have allowed closer monitoring of a patient, for example heart rate and blood pressure changes may now be recorded every few seconds; this has also increased the contribution to the data burden. Although theoretically therefore, such close monitoring may allow early detection of adverse trends so that prompt early corrective measures may be instituted, in practice the amount of data often makes its interpretation more difficult. [0005] The clinical environment is rife with distractions which often put staff under extreme pressure; this is particularly exacerbated with the high level of alarms. Moreover, the level of expertise amongst clinicians for signal interpretation can vary considerably, with the lesser skilled staff more likely to make errors in diagnosis and selection of the most appropriate treatment. Particularly where it is necessary for staff to assess medical data by referring to known organ system failure scoring systems, lesser skilled staff are more likely to make an inaccurate assessment of the patient's condition, or to take longer to recognise an adverse trend. [0006] A further problem is that the data available needs to be assessed having regard to recent clinical interventions, which interventions have traditionally only been recorded by nursing staff as hand annotations to paper charts. [0007] U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,920 to Marshall et al. describes a patient monitoring system, which creates graphical displays of pulmonary and other patient functions in order better to present a wealth of information to the clinician. In a preferred display, eight principal variables are displayed radially, with their arrangement and size intended to assist the clinician. This prior art system, although capable of providing a sophisticated modelling capacity, does not display the overall patient status in such a way as to be readily intelligible by lesser skilled staff (or indeed, relatives of patients); nor does it display interventions or facilitate an assessment of their effect on related organ systems. [0008] There is therefore a perceived need to provide a system which assists an assessor in making a judgment based on analysis of large amounts of data, by enabling an increase in the speed with which the judgment is reached and potentially improving the accuracy of the diagnosis. In particular, in the field of critically ill patient care, there is a perceived need for a system with which regularly-collected patient data can be distilled to provide a reduced data set from which an assessment of patient condition can more readily be made. [0009] The present invention provides a method of analysis of data measured in an environment, the method comprising the steps of: [0010] (a) Gathering data, generated at selected time intervals, from monitoring equipment and/or personnel; [0011] (b) Comparing each data item gathered at Step (a) with preset threshold values; [0012] (c) For each of a selected group of functions, each function having a status which is contributory to an overall status of the environment and the number of functions in the group being less than the number of data items, scoring each function on the basis of the comparisons made at Step (b) for all data items indicative of the status of that function; [0013] (d) Converting scores obtained at Step (c) to one of a number of selected visual representations and assigning those representations to correspondingly scoring functions for a specific time period, [0014] (e) Displaying a series of graphical representations on a display screen, wherein each graphical representation corresponds to one of the group of functions and comprises a series of time-divided segments arranged sequentially, and wherein each segment corresponding to the time period on each graphical representation is visually represented according to the visual representation assigned to the corresponding function at Step (d); and [0015] (f) Repeating steps (a) to (e) for an adjacent time period, whilst preserving the segment's visual representation for at least one previous time period. [0016] Different types of data may be gathered at different intervals depending on their respective availability. The time periods into which the displayed segments are divided are preferably adjustable to allow a user to adjust the display. Hence, the time periods will not usually match the sampling intervals of the data, in which case the last available data will have to be used. Where the display time period is altered by the user, the status of each function for each new segment is recalculated. [0017] The graphical representation may comprise any suitable method of display, providing that it extends along a time line and is formed of time-divided segments arranged adjacent or close to one another in time order. Usually, a bar chart of straight, parallel bars (or thick lines) will be most appropriate, as this has been found to be the most readily intelligible display format. However, other arrangements such as straight or curved lines, usually arranged parallel to one another and representing the various functions may be used as well. Circles divided into respective sectors with a circumference representing the timeline may also be appropriate, for example where only a few functions are being monitored. [0018] The visual representation found to be the most effective is the use of different colours. For example, any functions at a critical level could be represented in red or orange colours, while other colours, possible matching the order of the spectrum, can portray increasingly less critical levels. However, different forms of hatching, different tones (i.e. light to dark variations), or, for example, merely labelling with alphanumeric characters may also be employed. The respective functions may be distinguished from one another by a secondary visual indication. For example, where hatching or tonal differences are employed to denote status, the respective functions can be distinguished from one another by being different colours, and vice versa. [0019] In an important aspect of the present invention, there is recorded in the above method one or more interventions conducted upon, and capable of affecting, the environment, the method further comprising displaying on the display screen the one or more interventions adjacent to one or more of the segments corresponding to the time of the intervention and/or adjacent to a timeline corresponding to the time-divided segments, so as to facilitate a comparison of the effect of the intervention on the environment. [0020] This aspect is of particular value in medical applications, where the data relates to the physical condition of a patient. [0021] The intervention may be displayed against the segments of one or more, and preferably all, of the functions that it is capable of affecting. Importantly, this allows a user at a glance to recognise whether the intervention has had an impact on the related functions. The intervention is usually displayed as selected details and/or as a marker. Where a marker is solely employed, further details of the intervention are preferably accessible for display by the user. [0022] Advantageously, a protocol by which an intervention is conducted is additionally recorded and is displayed or accessible for display by the user. The protocols may be pre-grouped to a particular function, for example an organ system in medical applications, so that the intervention can be displayed against the functions (e.g. organ systems) it affects. Alternatively, the intervention can designate the functions it affects when it is first entered. Either way, it is advantageous to have a default setting whereby the intervention is indicated next to a general timeline or general condition indicator. [0023] As a result of the above, the invention is able to provide a real-time single-screen display that allows direct comparison of the functions of the environment and their correlation with any interventions performed. [0024] The present invention further provides a method of analysis of data measured in a time-varying environment, the method comprising the steps of: Continue reading about Data analysis system... Full patent description for Data analysis system Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Data analysis system patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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