Patent Publication Number: US-2019198180-A1

Title: Automatic Visual Recognition Intravenous Infusion Drop Counting Application

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to the field of healthcare related applications, and in particular, applications for mobile computing devices such as smartphones and tablets. 
     When a doctor gives an order to a nurse to administer an infusion, there are different scenarios in which the nurse will perform the infusion, in a fully modern hospital, the hospital system will calculate the drip rate of the infusion and usually, an infusion pump will administer the infusion. Therefore, the nurse does not have to calculate de drip rate and set up the drip rate in the infusion pump. However, in a scenario where the nurse has to calculate the drip rate manually and has to use a gravity drip set for intravenous infusion, the nurse has to, manually, set up the drip rate. 
     The usual way to check an intravenous infusion drip rate is as follows the nurse counts the drops passing through the intravenous drip chamber for a fifteen seconds lapse, and then she multiplies this value by four, and this is the average drip rate of the infusion and will always be an even number. If the current drip rate is thirty-two drops per minute and the desired drip rate is sixty-five drops per minute, the nurse has to open the valve to increase the drop flow. Then she has to repeat all the process; count for fifteen seconds the drops passing through the drip chamber and multiply it by four and that will be the new current drip rate, if the result is fifty-six drops per minute, for example, then the nurse has to do the process all over again. As we can see, the process is tedious and inaccurate. 
     With the Automatic Visual Recognition Intravenous Infusion Drop Counting Application software subroutine framework, it can be much faster, easier and accurate: the nurse only has to point the camera to the falling drops into drip chamber and this application will detect the drip rate and displaying it in the screen of the mobile device. If it is lower or higher, the nurse can adjust the valve until the application displays the correct drip rate. The Automatic Visual Recognition Intravenous Infusion Drop Counting Application software subroutine framework can performance this routine in a much faster and easier way; the nurse only has to point the camera to the drip chamber and the application will detect the drip rate until it matches the required value. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The Automatic Visual Recognition Intravenous Infusion Drop Counting Application software subroutine framework is an integration of image recognition algorithms, object detection algorithms and computer program instructions to, automatically, detect, count, and calculate the drip rate of, the falling drops into a drip chamber; this feature improves the determination of the drip rate. 
     The Automatic Visual Recognition Intravenous Infusion Drop Counting Application software subroutine framework is a component of a method of interaction; this process runs on a mobile phone that connects to a remote server containing data that either stores the data or processes it to be used on the device, making the device function in a determined way. 
     The Automatic Visual Recognition Intravenous Infusion Drop Counting Application also allows the nurse to manage many of the different steps or aspects that are involved in the process to administer an intravenous infusion. These aspects include, among others, in an illustrative but not limitative list: patient information or as to whom the intravenous infusion needs to be administered, what is to be administered in the infusion, the calculation of the drip rate of the infusion, setting up the infusion to the drip rate calculated, duration of the infusion, track and schedule of the number of infusions prescribed to the patient, notification to the nurse when the infusion is about to be completed, keep a record of the infusions given to a patient. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following is a detailed description of exemplary embodiments to illustrate the principles of the invention. The embodiments are provided to illustrate aspects of the invention, but the invention is not limited to any embodiment. The scope of the invention encompasses numerous alternatives, modifications and equivalent; it is limited only by the claims. 
     Numerous specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, the invention may be practiced according to the claims without some or all of these specific details. For the purpose of clarity, technical material that is known in the technical fields related to the invention has not been described in detail so that the invention is not unnecessarily obscured. 
     A invention  304 , that detects falling drops into a drip chamber  202 ; and, automatically, starts counting the drops  204  to show it in a display window  200 ; and, furthermore, compares the drip rate value obtained from the user&#39;s calculations and the physical drip rate occurring into the drip chamber into an interactive user interface  104 ; and furthermore, notifying the user when the required drip value is achieved  416 . 
     The advantages of the present invention include, without limitation, an improvement in the accuracy of the drop counting for the manual set up of intravenous infusion therapies, as shown in  FIGS. 6-600 , a reduction of the required time that a user needs to check the drip rates values, an enhancement of the visual capability of the medical staff in charge of the administration of intravenous infusion therapies, an improvement in the nurse activities to prioritize the needing of each patient, the capability to keep a record of the therapies administered to each patient, an instantaneous nurse&#39;s backup of each therapy infusion without the limitation to be writing down in paper all the aspects involved in an intravenous infusion therapy; furthermore, the invention can be linked to a central hospital&#39;s server to automatically store the selected data. 
     As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the present invention may be embodied as a system, method or computer program product. Accordingly, aspects of the present invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a “circuit,” “module” or “system.” Furthermore, aspects of the present invention may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer readable medium(s) having computer readable program code embodied thereon. 
     Any combination of one or more computer readable medium(s) may be utilized. The computer readable medium may be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium. A computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer readable storage medium would include the following: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In the context of this document, a computer readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that can contain, or store a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. 
     A computer readable signal medium may include a propagated data signal with computer readable program code embodied therein, for example, in baseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated signal may take any of a variety of forms, including, but not limited to, electro-magnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. A computer readable signal medium may be any computer readable medium that is not a computer readable storage medium and that can communicate, propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. 
     Program code embodied on a computer readable medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless, wireline, optical fiber cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of the foregoing. Computer program code for carrying out operations for aspects of the present invention may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object oriented programming language such as Java, Smalltalk, C++ or the like and conventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C” programming language or similar programming languages. The program code may execute entirely on the user&#39;s computer, partly on the user&#39;s computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user&#39;s computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user&#39;s computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider). 
     Aspects of the present invention are described below with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks. 
     These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer readable medium that can direct a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer readable medium produce an article of manufacture including instructions which implement the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks. 
     The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus or other devices to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide processes for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks. 
       FIG. 1  is an embodiment of the invention  304 , showing a mobile device  100  graphical user interface (GUI)  308  illustrating a sample implementation of the invention  104 . In accordance with embodiments of the inventive arrangements disclosed herein. The Visual Recognition and Automatic intravenous Infusion Drop Counting Application  304  is a mobile application with processes  104 ,  106 ,  108 ,  110 , where images  104  through  110  are for illustrative purposes only, and are not meant to be interpreted as an absolute implementation or limitation of an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     A mobile device  100 , for example an iPHONE, BLACKBERRY or ANDROID smartphone, can provide access to the application. The mobile device  100  can include a display area  112  and an input mechanism  114 , which, in this example, are one-and-the-same. That is, the display area  112  of a mobile device  100  can also be used as the input mechanism  114 , for example, with a touch screen. 
     Into the environment of a mobile application framework  104 , a user (nurse)  300  aims a drip chamber  202  with the camera  102  incorporated into the mobile device  100 , and the invention  304  determines when a falling drop is detected  108  into the drip chamber  202  and starts comparing the result from a previously calculated drip rate  106  and the actual value of the drip rate occurring  110  into the drip chamber  202 . 
       FIG. 2  illustrates the practical use of the invention, showing a interactive user interface  200  from the invention  304 , when said interactive user interface  200  is triggered  310  the falling drops are detected into the drip chamber  202  and its drip rate is displayed to the user (nurse)  300  with the simultaneous detection and counting feature  204  of the invention  304 . 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram illustrating the invention functionality; it shows the stages of the process of this invention, a user  300  with a mobile device  302 , which usually incorporates at least one camera  102 , and a storage medium  306 , stores this process  304  to run it into the mobile device  302  that connects to a remote server  314 . The user  300  starts using the invention  304  by interaction mechanisms (Graphical user interfaces)  308 . When the user  300  activates the process  304  to check the drip rate of an intravenous infusion, the graphical user interfaces  308  configuration guides the user to fill the intravenous infusion therapy required data  306  to start calculation and to allow the user to trigger  310  the visual recognition framework  104 . This data can be stored directly into the mobile device  302  storage medium  306 , sent through a network  312  to the application&#39;s server  314 , in which the user can manage its own patient&#39;s profiles stored  316 ; or any other server, like a hospital&#39;s server  318 . 
     Additionally, in this instance, the user can activate a reminder to be notified when the intravenous infusion therapy is going to end. 
     The invention  304  can include one or more graphical user interfaces (GUIs)  308 , and a trigger user interface  310  and an interactive user interface  200  comprising framework  104  with  106  and  110  outputs and the image recognition mechanism  108 . A GUI  308  can represent the interaction mechanism by which a user can perform functions with and/or enter data into the application  304 . Multiple GUIs  308  can exist, each presenting different data and/or functionality. The quantity of GUIs  308  and/or their configuration can depend upon the design and implementation of application  304 . 
     Network  312 , can include any hardware/software/and firmware necessary to convey data encoded within carrier waves. Data can be contained within analog or digital signals and conveyed though data or voice channels. Network  312 , can include local components and data pathways necessary for communications to be exchanged among computing device components and between integrated device components and peripheral devices. Network  312 , can also include network equipment, such as routers, data lines, hubs, and intermediary servers, which together form a data network, such as the Internet. Network  312 , can also include circuit-based communication components and mobile communication components, such as telephony switches, modems, cellular communication towers, and the like. Network  312 , can include line based and/or wireless communication pathways. 
     As used herein, presented data stores  306 ,  314  and  318  can be a physical or virtual storage space configured to store digital information. Data stores  306 ,  314  and  318  can be physically implemented within any type of hardware including, but not limited to, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a semiconductor memory, a digitally encoded plastic memory, a holographic memory, or any other recording medium. Data stores  306 ,  314  and  318  can be a stand-alone storage unit as well as a storage unit formed from a plurality of physical devices. Additionally, information can be stored within data stores  306 ,  314  and  318  in a variety of manners. For example, information can be stored within a database structure or can be stored within one or more files of a file storage system, where each file may or may not be indexed for information searching purposes. Further, data stores  306  and/or  314  and/or  318  can utilize one or more encryption mechanisms to protect stored information from unauthorized access. 
       FIG. 4  is a flowchart of the invention  304 , for improving the administration of intravenous infusion therapies. The user  300  initializes the main application  400 , then, when the user  300  has finished to fill the required data for calculation of the drip rate  106 , then is allowed to start the visual recognition framework  104 , this also initializes the image recognition algorithms  402  in searching for predetermined frames and movement parameters  404 , which are part of the computer program code of the invention  304 . The invention  304  establish a timeout to perform this search, if a falling drop is not detected into the timing parameters  406 , the application send a message to the user to make a new search  408  and returns to step  404 , is a falling drop is detected the application automatically starts counting  410  and then comparing  412  the occurring drip rate into the drip chamber  202  versus the calculated (required) drip rate  106 , this information is displayed into the interactive user interface  200  from the invention  304 , and this interaction will keep going until both drip rate values matches  106 ,  110 , allowing the user  300  to adjust  414  the valve mechanism  500  of the therapy and meet the desired value in an most faster and accurate way. When both values are equal, the invention  304  shows a message  416  to the user  300 , then the next step of the process  304  is to allow the user  300  to fix the flow rate and manage the information of this intravenous infusion therapy  418 , additionally creating a backup file  420 , to be stored either in the remote server of the application  314  or in the internal storage medium  306  of the mobile device  302 . This last feature allows the nurse to maintain focus on the patient. 
       FIG. 5  is an illustration of a valve mechanism commonly used to set up the drip, this kind of mechanism is what a nurse  300  always needs to adjust manually  414 , when an infusion pump is not available to make an intravenous infusion therapy. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates the usual way to check the drip rate, in this  FIG. 600 , a user  300  is using a watch  602  to perform an average measurement of the drip rate, note an advantage of the invention  304  is that the user/nurse does not need to start the counting process all over again each fifteen seconds, because the invention  304  keeps continuous tracking  104  of the occurring drip rate into the drip chamber  202 , making an accurate measurement of the drip rate in even less than fifteen seconds, the nurse  300  is always looking at the drip chamber  202 , and can adjust the valve mechanism  604  simultaneously, because the application  304  shows the occurring drip rate in real time. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is an embodiment of the invention 
       FIG. 2  illustrates the practical use of the invention 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram illustrating the invention functionality 
       FIG. 4  is a flowchart of the invention functionality 
       FIG. 5  is an illustration of a valve mechanism used to set up the drip rate 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a usual way to check the drip rate