Abstract:
The present disclosure provides a personalized medical video story, comprising: at least a portion of a prerecorded stock tutorial video having stock information and one or more uncompleted segments for inserting personalized medical information onto a single recording medium. The personalized medical information includes personalized health information including vital health statistics. The at least a portion of the prerecorded stock tutorial video includes stock information on a variety of medical maladies combined with the personalized medical information. The stock tutorial video includes insertion points within the uncompleted segments for inserting the personalized medical information. The personalized medical information at the insertion points is merged with the at least a portion of the prerecorded stock tutorial video for producing at least a portion of the personalized medical video story.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENTS AND APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, filed Jun. 1, 2011, entitled “PERSONALIZED MEDICAL RECORD,” by Xu et al. is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The present disclosure pertains generally to medical stories or records for creating electronic personalized multimedia files, and more specifically to creating a personalized health related record and electronic file incorporating user-supplied digital images, information, health data, and video combined with stock video footage and/or synchronized further with audio recordings. The personalized record informs and educates the patient along with other health care professionals. 
         [0003]    It is expensive to provide standard health care information via personal interaction with a healthcare professional. Many videos exist that describe all types of maladies and treatments. On the other hand, the details of a given patient&#39;s specific condition and treatment will not be provided in a standard video. Also, important details from a discussion with a healthcare professional may not be well understood, not accurately remembered nor accurately shared with other interested parties. What is needed is a cost effective way to provide and save general and specific healthcare information in an electronic record to allow a patient to view multiple times and share with concerned parties. 
         [0004]    Medical videos currently in the public domain are typically standard tutorials. Personalized videos described in the public domain concern other applications. For example, production of personalized video stories can include unfinished stories that are first recorded on a video medium with blank segments. Digital sequences can be used to complete the segments, for example, by portraying a character with a keyed-out facial area, and then using the digitized image of a subject to complete the character. A plurality of different stories may be prerecorded, each substantially completed but including a plurality of unfinished segments. The stories may include animation, for example in the form of cartoons, with personalizing components being recorded onto the previously uncompleted file or tape in such a way that a smooth, visual transition is realized at the start and ending of each segment. 
         [0005]    Other applications can include a personalized system that combines user-supplied data and digital visual images or stored archival stock video footage and popular music works of the last century to generate a personalized life story documentary movie. The personalized system gathers input from the user, such as age, gender, and allows the user to upload personal digital images, video, and other electronic files. The user inputs dates of each image or video uploaded so that the personalized video system can chronologically order the items. The personalized video system can combine the user-supplied information and digital media with archived stock video and/or audio footage of significant events and famous personalities to place the recipient&#39;s life story in historical context. The personalized system can also provide a music soundtrack and synchronizes the display of the digital media and archived footage to the selected soundtrack. One embodiment allows the user to upload birth certificates, marriage certificates, newspaper clippings or other digitally scanned material for use in the system. Another embodiment allows the user to record or upload a voiceover narrative, sound effects or other audio content. 
         [0006]    What is needed is a cost-effective way to provide general and specific healthcare information that a patient can (on demand) update, maintain, review, access and/or share remotely with concerned parties. The disclosure below describes personalized medical record information directed toward a particular individual&#39;s healthcare history that has different properties than the personalized video that has been previously disclosed. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0007]    The present disclosure provides a personalized medical video story, comprising: at least a portion of a prerecorded stock tutorial video having stock information and one or more uncompleted segments for inserting personalized medical information onto a single recording medium; the personalized medical information includes personalized health information including vital health statistics; the at least a portion of the prerecorded stock tutorial video includes the stock information on a variety of medical maladies combined with the personalized medical information; the stock tutorial video includes insertion points within the uncompleted segments for inserting the personalized medical information; and, the personalized medical information at the insertion points merged with the at least a portion of the prerecorded stock tutorial video for producing at least a portion of the personalized medical video story. 
         [0008]    The present disclosure further provides a medical video story comprising: at least a portion of a prerecorded stock tutorial video having stock information incorporated with one or more uncompleted segments for inserting personalized medical information onto a single recording medium; the at least a portion of the prerecorded stock tutorial video includes the stock information on a variety of medical maladies combined with the personalized medical information; the stock tutorial video includes insertion points within the uncompleted segments for inserting the personalized medical information; the personalized medical information at the insertion points is merged with the personalized medical video story; wherein the personalized medical information includes providing a sequence of information selected from the group consisting of a recording of a discussion with a health practitioner, components from a video scripting language, and graphical and textural image annotations. 
         [0009]    As further described herein, the term ‘personalized electronic record’ refers to a personalized health related story, i.e. medical record story or history. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  shows, in highly schematic form, an outline of a personalized video tutorial for an individual and an associated malady; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a drawing which illustrates a range of motion, namely, a comparison of current range of motion to a normal range of motion (and/or historical range of motion); 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  depicts a side by side historical x-ray comparison (i.e. x-rays taken at two different time periods) showing a patient&#39;s bone joint degeneration over time; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is an exemplary graph displaying one patient&#39;s personalized medical history showing a trend of a vital sign; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  provides an exemplary listing of annotations associated with an image, graph, or video for organizing a personalized medical record; 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  provides another listing of annotations associated with modifying a personalized medical record; and, 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  provides an exemplary listing of treatments, options and/or recommendations for an individual and his/her associated malady. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0017]    To be described in more detail hereinafter, the present disclosure provides a personalized medical record/electronic file  100  that combines stock tutorial medical record/video information with personalized information and/or maladies for a specific patient. Personalized information can include patient identification, inserted, overlaid, or parameterized information (still images, video, audio, text or graphics, etc.), historical sequence of images, differences from normal or previous states (range of motion, shape, size, texture, etc.), and instructions for therapy and/or treatment. 
         [0018]    The present disclosure provides hardware apparatus and medical video stories whereby a pre-recorded stock video may be personalized by combining live or digitally captured images to segments of the pre-recorded stock video. In addition to personalized imagery, the system, which will subsequently be described in detail, is adaptable to the inclusion of personalized health information, diagnostics, and/or treatments. The system is additionally capable of including captioning such as an individual&#39;s name  105  or other information as part of the personalization of the underlying medical record. 
         [0019]    There are several ways in which the personalized medical record  100  can be created. One could start with a standard stock video, prerecording, or medical record information  110 . Stock or ‘canned’ videos  110  can be created in a manner that readily allows personalization, such as fixed insertion points between frames and within frames. The frames can allow for video, pictorial, textual, textural, and audio insertion. For example, blank areas can represent ‘blank canvas’ portions of the video or frames where information may be inserted. There can be known portions of the video or frames where movement or other features can be varied, augmented, personalized, and/or edited, etc. There can be a graphical user interface (GUI) that prompts (and enables) a practitioner to insert information in order to, for example, modify ranges, sizes, or qualities of a feature. The personalized medical record/video  100  can be partially created using recorded information from a discussion with a practitioner and all other medical professionals encountered. The personalized medical electronic record/video can also be facilitated, for example, using components from a video scripting language such as AVISynth, where the script can be either written directly or can be constructed from prompts as a GUI input or a query interface. 
         [0020]    Many prerecorded videos exist that describe all types of maladies and treatments that could be used to convey standard information for crafting the electronic personalized medical record. Albeit, the details of a given patient&#39;s specific condition and treatment will not be provided in a standard file or video and must be conveyed in some personalized manner. In many instances, medical information can be too sophisticated and detailed for a patient to fully understand from a one-time discussion, especially if they lack a relevant background or are under the stress of their condition or treatment. Details may not be accurately remembered, nor accurately or timely shared with other interested parties such as family members, other care takers, insurance providers, and legal parties. In other situations, lack of portability or accessibility prohibits sharing with interested parties. 
         [0021]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , the medical record, indicated generally at  100 , includes a non-personalizable portion  110  having stock information related to particular health maladies that can be edited. Along with the non-personalizable portion  110  there are one or more personalized segments such as that shown at  115 ,  120 . 
         [0022]    A video camera can be used to capture the image of the person or object to be used for personalization purposes. In the event that a flat image is to be used for such personalization, a camera may be replaced with another electronic device such as a scanner, graphical input device and so forth. The electronic capturing device can be interfaced to a central computer having a keyboard (not shown), the computer can be responsible for the various editing and control features necessary to carry out personalization associated with producing a final electronic record  100 . The Keyboard can be customized or replaced with any type of input device, including a touch screen, voice input, etc. 
         [0023]    As outlined above, the present disclosure comprises a personalized electronic medical record/video  100  that combines stock prerecorded tutorial files  110  with information personalized for a specific patient along with an associated malady or history  115 ,  120 . Personalized information can be inserted, overlaid, etc., and can include patient identification information  105 , parameterized information (still images, video, audio, text or graphics, etc.), historical sequence of images ( FIG. 3 ), differences from normal or previous states (range of motion, shape, size, texture, etc.) ( FIG. 2 ), and/or instructions for therapy ( FIG. 7 ). One could start with a standard stock video which has been prerecorded or created in a manner that readily allows personalization, such as fixed insertion points between frames and/or within frames. There can be “blank canvas” portions of the video, frames, or audio track where information may be inserted. The standard stock information  110  is downloaded into the personalized medical record  100  for editing. There can be known portions of the video frame sequence where movement or other features can be varied. There can be a GUI ( FIGS. 5 and 6 ) that prompts a practitioner to insert information or modify ranges, sizes, or qualities of a feature; and records audio and video information. The personalized video can be modified, for example, using recorded information from a discussion with a practitioner. The personalized medical record/video can be created from components using a video scripting language such AVISynth, where the script can be either written directly or constructed from prompts as a GUI input or a query interface. The record video can also be created using video editing software, such as, Adobe After Effects, Microsoft Movie Maker, etc. 
         [0024]    The personalized information in the medical record will contain relevant identifications, which can include information such as patient&#39;s name  105 , medical topic  115 , date  106 , preparer  107 , responsible physicians/technicians, etc.  FIG. 1  provides an example of the presentation of some of this information in a title slide format. 
         [0025]    In one exemplary illustration, standard medical files  110  exist that show the operation of joints, such as a hip joint. The range of motion  112  can be presented for both a normal joint and an abnormal joint (i.e. overlaid onto the video) for a particular person by parameterizing the motion in the stock video (e.g. degree of motion per frame).  FIG. 2  shows exemplary ranges  114 ,  116 , where the narrower angle  114  could be due to an arthritic condition is compared with a normal range  116  of motion.  FIG. 2  shows the narrower range of motion  114  with arrows and angles (textural annotations), while in a personalized video it could be shown dynamically by specifying and allowing a video segment showing the personal range of motion. Graphical overlays, such as arrows  118  can also be included to aid in visualizing the range. Another alternative is to present two embedded videos within the full video frame, one with a standard or normal range, and the other with a personalized range. 
         [0026]    Medical images can be inserted as a comparison to a standard or viewed in a historical sequence. Referring to  FIG. 3 , an x-ray of a healthy hip  130  may be shown next to a person-specific arthritic hip  140  so that the cartilage and joint degeneration  142  can be compared to normal  132  and better understood. Any imaging modality may be used (e.g., MRI, PET, external views showing posture or skin). Any anatomical structure can be viewed, including skeletal feature and soft tissue features. The comparisons  130 ,  140  can be between multiple historical instances in order to teach the progression of a malady, such as x-rays of a hip taken at different years  150 ,  152 .  FIG. 3  shows an example of two personalized images  130 ,  140  showing one exemplary patient&#39;s history  150 ,  152 . The layout can be personalized depending on, for example, how many images will be included or the amount of text information to be added. The length of the inserted section can also be personalized depending on, for example, the corresponding audio file that explains the symptoms or the condition. 
         [0027]    Graphics, such as arrows and circles  118 ,  132 ,  142  can be used to highlight a person specific feature within a standard or personalized image. Graphs ( FIG. 4 ) can be included to teach the progression of a malady, such as weight, range of motion, tumor size, etc. as it evolves over time. Instructive text, such as a bulleted list of key points or annotations to an image, graph or video can be included. As discussed,  FIGS. 2 and 3  both show examples of graphics that highlight personalized medical information. 
         [0028]      FIG. 4  shows another example of a personalized patient&#39;s medical history  180  displaying a trend  185  of a vital sign (i.e. A1C level)  186  as it would be without treatment  182  compared to the levels with treatment  184 . 
         [0029]    One example of a GUI outline  200  is displayed in  FIG. 5 . Each field can be associated with a pull-down menu. For example, under the stock video  210 , the first pull-down menu can contain body parts such as hip, arm, etc. and the second pull-down menu can contain files only related to hip or arm. In the inserted fields, the patient ID and name  205  that are obtained can then be used to construct the pull-down menu with, for example file names only related to the patient. Alternatively, the information can be gathered through a query based input medical video story. The gathered information can include the following (the list is not all inclusive): 
         [0030]    1) Date 206: 
         [0031]    2) Patient ID  207 : 
         [0032]    3) Patient Name  205 : 
         [0033]    4) Specify stock video name in sequence  210 : 
         [0034]    5) To be inserted image file name (in sequence, e.g. before, after)  215 : 
         [0035]    6) Descriptive text to be inserted  216 ,  217 : 
         [0036]    7) To be inserted audio file name (in sequence)  220 : 
         [0037]    8) To be inserted video file name (in sequence)  225  and/or: 
         [0038]    9) Specify range of motion (degree)  230 . 
         [0039]      FIGS. 5 and 6  provide examples of a GUI screens  202 ,  302  that prompts a user to select certain elements for adding and/or editing (i.e. a menu of options). The GUI also organizes the personalized medical record and all associated and attached information. For example,  FIG. 6  lists an electronic medical record  300  by the type of media, namely, videos  325 , audios  320 , and pictures  330 . The medical record further includes patient name  305 , date  306 , and patient ID  307 . The GUI allows the user to add or remove media from the medical record(s)  100 ,  200 ,  300  and to maintain a listing of all media files within the medical record(s)  100 ,  200 ,  300 . 
         [0040]    Certain conditions, for example, such as liver problems and skin problems, can be observed as graininess or texture within an image. The images can be provided that show personalized textural differences. For example, and image of skin or the liver with a standard texture can be shown possibly with a visual enhancement of the texture through some means such as edge enhancement. A personalized image can be shown with the same visual enhancement to enable easy comparison to a standard or to an historical state of a particular malady. 
         [0041]    Besides still images and text information, a section of video can be inserted or overlaid to the stock video as well. For example, a video sequence from an exam (e.g. ultrasound  225 ,  325 ) that shows a specific condition that is to be addressed by a personalized subsequent treatment. 
         [0042]    The personalized medical information can include vital signs and information selected from the group consisting of x-rays, blood tests, blood pressure, pulse rate, respiration rate, temperature, weight, height, BMI index, oxygen levels, urine samples, fecal samples, EKGs, cholesterol levels, blood sugar levels, and medical professionals&#39; notes. Some of these vital signs will be general and included in all medical records while other will be customized relative to a particular&#39;s patient&#39;s ailments. For example, a diabetic patient may have vital signs for the following: fasting blood glucose, A1C (glycohemoglobin), microalbumin/creatinine, HDL/LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, lipid profile, urinalysis for glucose/protein/ketones, insulin, and C-peptide, et al. The personalized medical record  100 ,  200 ,  300  can thus include vital signs pulled from the patient&#39;s history wherein not all of the same vital signs are tracked for every patient. For illustration,  FIG. 4  displays historical information of A1C data  186  that can be inserted into the video media component  225 ,  325  along with a doctor&#39;s audio file  220 ,  320  which can be used to explain vital signs and other data present in the medical record. 
         [0043]    As described, the medical record  100 ,  200 ,  300  with non-personalizable portions is made available on an electronic medium such as a tape, flash drive, server, electronic file, et. al., prior to the personalization process. The medical record can include a combination of stock video, personal information, and standard video editing tools. An edit list can also prepared for each story, enabling an apparatus to accurately and efficiently advance to each personalizable segment through the use of associated time codes. During personalization, the video is played, preferably using a fast transport mode, to each of the personalizable segments using the time codes. Once the personalizable segment has been reached the contents of segment can be made available as a digital sequence within computer, with the image introduced into the area using a template. The sequence and image, along with other optional personalization elements, including sound, narration, dialog, and so forth, are recorded onto the file until the end of the personalizable segment is reached, at which time the file is again advanced to the next personalizable segment, at which point a process identical to that just described is performed, the combination of the non-personalizable portions in conjunction with the personalizable segments, once completed, forming a final, personalized medical record product. 
         [0044]    In addition to image, video, text, graphic insertion or overlays; audio files can be replaced or inserted to further personalize the video. One example of an audio file is reading the information on the slide for patients that choose to have it read. It could also be input as text, as spoken segments specifically for the video, or it could include audio recordings of conversations or sessions such as a radiologist speaking, i.e. doctor notes, on their findings regarding the particular image. The written/spoken language could be selectable and the voice could be selectable depending on personal preference. 
         [0045]    The personalized medical record/video can be constructed by one of several methods. A manual-level practitioner could write a script that uses a video scripting language, such as AVISynth. Running the script can play the video. Another manual creating medical video story can directly edit the video using video editing software, such as Adobe After Effects, et al. The information from the GUI can be converted to parameters (e.g. location of the insertion or overlay, length of the insertion or overlay, appearance of the insertion or overlay) used by AVISynth, for example, to assemble the script that produces the personalized medical record/video  100 ,  200 ,  300 . The personalized medical record/video can then be sent to patients or other parties who have been granted permission and access to view the information either through means such as a web link to a hosting website, email, or hardcopy DVDs. It can also become a component in a patient&#39;s electronic medical record. Potential uses of the electronic medical record can be to inform or remind a patient, family member, health care practitioner, or healthcare student, about recommendations  350 , an upcoming procedure (e.g., operation), a course of therapy  360 , nature of a condition and its potential progression, dietary and other lifestyle factors associated with a condition, payment and paperwork processing (refer to  FIG. 7 ). 
         [0046]    Additional uses of the medical record/video can include secondary viewing parties, such as insurance payers, second opinion healthcare practitioners, and/or as a legal record of information given to a patient. The medical record/video can be viewed before meeting with a practitioner to save practitioner&#39;s time and maximize visit discussion and outcomes. The medical record/video can also be viewed after a meeting as a reminder or to allow deeper understanding and study, or to inform others what may not have been present. 
         [0047]    It will be appreciated that variants of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be combined into many other different systems or applications. Various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims.