Patent ID: 8498835
Filing Date: 2013-07-30
Classification: A61B,G01R,G06T

Abstract:
1. Method for monitoring a system in which a fluid flows and in which a preselected quantity of liquid is introduced as a system event whereby the system is characterized by a change in the system with time in space comprising the steps of: a) setting parameters of data collection, suitable to be processed by an imaging apparatus associated with a processor and memory, for collecting data indicative of a system parameter that varies with time as a function of at least two variables (K,v) related to wash-in and wash-out behavior at a plurality of selected time points correlated to a system event; b) determining and storing first data points corresponding to a distinctive set of values of the at least two variables (K,v) between selected minimum and maximum values colored to meet a preselected color attribute condition, each said colored first data point being associated with a distinctive set of color hue value indicative of wash-out behavior and color intensity value indicative of wash-in behavior based on a predefined algorithm, in turn, based on the set of parameters of data collection, the plurality of selected time points, a selected quantity of liquid added or to be added to the system and the distinctive set of values of the at least two variables; c) introducing a selected quantity of liquid into the system as a system event; d) monitoring, correlated to the determination of step b), a preselected place in the system composed of second data points to collect data, suitable to be processed by imaging apparatus associated with processing and memory, according to the parameters of data collection, the plurality of selected time points, and the selected quantity of liquid added to the system, indicative of said system parameter that varies with time as a function of said at least two variables related to wash-in and wash-out behavior; e) processing the data collected with respect to the second data points according to said predefined algorithm to obtain for each second data point a distinctive set of color hue value indicative of wash-out behavior and color intensity value indicative of wash-in behavior; f) storing in memory said second data points and the distinctive sets of color hue value indicative of wash-out behavior and color intensity value indicative of wash-in behavior associated therewith; g) using imaging apparatus to visually present the preselected place in the system showing the distinctive sets of color hue and color intensity values of the second data points; whereby the associated sets of color hue values and color intensity values of the second data points correlate with the sets of color hue values and color intensity values determined in step b), which in turn, correlate with the distinctive sets of values of the at least two variables; whereby difficulties in visualization of the associated set of color hue and color intensity value of any second data point in the visual presentation can be resolved by reference to the stored data of step b) to determine the correlated distinctive set of values of the at least two variables (K,v) of the second data point.