| Method and apparatus for collecting and analyzing surface wound data -> Monitor Keywords |
|
|
 
Method and apparatus for collecting and analyzing surface wound dataRelated Patent Categories: Data Processing: Presentation Processing Of Document, Operator Interface Processing, And Screen Saver Display Processing, Operator Interface (e.g., Graphical User Interface), On-screen Workspace Or Object, Instrumentation And Component Modeling (e.g., Interactive Control Panel, Virtual Device)Method and apparatus for collecting and analyzing surface wound data description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20080098322, Method and apparatus for collecting and analyzing surface wound data. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority of provisional application Ser. No. 60/809,853, filed Jun. 1, 2006, the entire contents of which is incorporated by reference herein. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] 1. Field of the Invention [0004] The present invention relates to the collection and analysis of data relating to surface wounds suffered by a population of humans. [0005] 2. Description of Related Art [0006] When humans (e.g., military and/or civilian) sustain surface wounds (fatal or non-fatal), it is common for a medical practitioner or examiner to record data associated with the surface wounds and injuries. The term "wound" refers to the tearing of the skin by a bullet, fragment, etc. The term "injury" refers to the trauma to the internal organ. A fragment might come in through the front of the chest and exit the person's back, causing two wounds. On the way through it might hit the right lung and aorta, causing two injuries. The examiner typically records such surface wound and internal injury data as subjective notes. The examiner may indicate the location, size, and shape of the surface wound(s) on 2D anterior and posterior human outlines on a sheet of paper. [0007] There is a need to statistically analyze such wound data and associated injury data to identify trends/patterns over a large population of wound victims. Unfortunately, it is difficult or impossible to objectively/quantifiably compare conventional wound/injury data due to its subjective language and non-quantified description of the location of surface wounds and injuries. Consequently, individuals wishing to analyze such wound/injury data must rely on qualitative analysis. There remains a need for a method and apparatus for objectively collecting and analyzing surface wound data. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0008] Accordingly, one or more embodiments of the present invention provides a method and apparatus for objectively/quantifiably recording 31) data indicating the location of human surface wounds by drawing surface wounds onto a virtual, parameterized 3D human model. The objective data may also include data relating to injuries associated with the surface wounds, as well as data relating to personal protective equipment (PPE) used by the human when wounded. Such objective data may be added to a database containing additional records for additional surface wounds/injuries/PPEs and/or additional subject humans. The database can then be statistically analyzed to objectively identify trends, patterns, wound densities, etc. for a population of subject humans. The records can be filtered based on a variety of criteria in the records to analyze focused subsets of the records. The analysis may be used for various purposes (e.g., improve medical training for common surface wounds; improve PPE such as body armor for body areas that are commonly wounded; improve PPE design for parts of PPEs that commonly fail, especially where failure results in more severe wounds/injuries; improve tactical training for military personnel to better protect commonly wounded areas of the body, etc.). [0009] Another aspect of one or more embodiments of the present invention provides a method of collecting wound information. The method includes recording at least one surface wound subrecord into a first electronic record for a first subject human. Recording each of the at least one surface wound subrecords comprises drawing location information of a surface wound sustained by the first subject human onto computer-generated skin of a computer-generated 3D human model, and recording that location information to the associated surface wound subrecord. The method also includes recording at least one injury subrecord into the first electronic record, wherein recording each of the at least one injury subrecords comprises recording information concerning an injury sustained by the first subject human. The method also includes recording in the first electronic record a relationship between at least one of the surface wound subrecords and at least one of the injury subrecords. [0010] According to a further aspect of one or more of these embodiments, the method also includes, prior to drawing the location information, recording into the first electronic record at least one body characteristic for the first subject human. At least one characteristic of the 3D human model is based on the recorded at least one body characteristic, and the at least one body characteristic comprises at least one of height, weight, gender, and body type. [0011] According to a further aspect of one or more of these embodiments, the method also includes recording into at least one of the surface wound subrecords tactical data relating to a circumstance under which the associated surface wound was sustained. [0012] According to a further aspect of one or more of these embodiments, the location information includes 3D vector information of an entry or exit direction associated with the surface wound. [0013] According to a further aspect of one or more of these embodiments, the 3D human model has internal anatomical landmarks, and drawing the location information includes selectively changing a transparency of the skin to facilitate location of the surface wound relative to at least one of the internal landmarks. The internal landmarks may include skeletal landmarks and/or internal organ landmarks. [0014] According to a further aspect of one or more of these embodiments, a database includes the first electronic record and a plurality of additional electronic records for a plurality of additional subject humans. Each of said plurality of additional records includes at least one associated surface wound subrecord and at least one injury subrecord. As explained below, statistical analysis may be conducted on the entire population of records, or a filtered subset of the records. [0015] According to a further aspect of one or more of these embodiments, the method also includes correlating the first electronic database record to a 3D medical image of the first human. The method may include displaying a 3D medical image of the first human and the drawn wound information in a superimposed view. The method may include analyzing an injury shown in the 3D medical image in view of the drawn location information. The method may include using a superimposed 3D medical image of the first human to locate the surface wound on the model. [0016] According to a further aspect of one or more of these embodiments, recording each of the at least one surface wound subrecords comprises entering additional information about the drawn surface wound, including at least one of: a severity of the surface wound, a wound type for the surface wound, wound entry information, wound exit information, wound path information, wound depth, amputation category of the surface wound, tourniquet status, notes relating to the surface wound, an identification of the first human, time of injury causing the surface wound, date of injury causing the surface wound, gender of the first human, height of the first human, weight of the first human, and body type of the first human. [0017] According to a further aspect of one or more of these embodiments, the method also includes recording at least one personal protective equipment subrecord into the first electronic record, each of the at least one personal protective equipment subrecords comprising information relating to personal protective equipment used by the first subject human when the first subject human was wounded. Recording each of the at least one personal protective equipment subrecords includes drawing damage location information relating to damage sustained by the personal protective equipment onto a computer-generated representation of the personal protective equipment. The method may also include recording in the first electronic record a relationship between at least one of the surface wound subrecords and at least one of the personal protective equipment subrecords. [0018] Another aspect of one or more embodiments of the present invention provides a method of collecting wound information. The method includes drawing location information of a surface wound of a subject human onto computer-generated skin of a computer-generated 3D human model, the location information including 3D vector information of an entry or exit direction associated with the surface wound. The method also includes recording the location information into an electronic record of a database. [0019] Another aspect of one or more embodiments of the present invention provides a surface wound data entry system for carrying out the above-described method. [0020] Another aspect of one or more embodiments of the present invention provides a method of analyzing surface wound information stored in a database, the database comprising a plurality of electronic database records, each record of which comprises at least one surface wound subrecord, each surface wound subrecord comprising location information for a surface wound sustained by an associated subject human. The method includes statistically analyzing the electronic database records. [0021] According to a further aspect of one or more of these embodiments, analysis may be done on a filtered subset of the total record population. Filtering may be done based on at least one selected criterion within the records. Filtering may include drawing a surface region onto computer-generated skin of a computer-generated 3D human model, filtering the electronic database records to identify a subset of records that contain surface wounds sustained in the drawn surface region, and statistically analyzing the subset of the electronic database records. [0022] According to a further aspect of one or more of these embodiments, the statistical analysis comprises aggregating the records to identify wound density as a function of surface location over a plurality of subject humans. [0023] According to a further aspect of one or more of these embodiments, filtering criterion includes at least one of: injuries occurring before or after selected times and/or dates; injuries occurring during selected time and/or date ranges; AIS code of injuries/wounds; injury/wound severity; information associated with injuries that caused the wound(s); injury mechanism; geographic location where injury was incurred; surface wound type; location of the surface wound on the subject human; subject human information; an ISS code for the subject human; and presence and/or type of personal protective equipment used. Continue reading about Method and apparatus for collecting and analyzing surface wound data... Full patent description for Method and apparatus for collecting and analyzing surface wound data Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Method and apparatus for collecting and analyzing surface wound data 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. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Method and apparatus for collecting and analyzing surface wound data or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Method and apparatus for in-band discovery of capabilities of managed devices Next Patent Application: Multimedia visual progress indication system Industry Class: Data processing: presentation processing of document ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Method and apparatus for collecting and analyzing surface wound data patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.16174 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Software: Finance , AI , Databases , Development , Document , Navigation , Error 174 |
 * Protect your Inventions * US Patent Office filing 
PATENT INFO |
|
