Patents Examined by Mark Holcomb
  • Patent number: 9129054
    Abstract: Various systems and methods are provided for surgical and interventional planning, support, post-operative follow-up, and functional recovery tracking. In general, a patient can be tracked throughout medical treatment including through initial onset of symptoms, diagnosis, non-surgical treatment, surgical treatment, and recovery from the surgical treatment. In one embodiment, a patient and one or more medical professionals involved with treating the patient can electronically access a comprehensive treatment planning, support, and review system. The system can provide recommendations regarding diagnosis, non-surgical treatment, surgical treatment, and recovery from the surgical treatment based on data gathered from the patient and the medical professional(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: DePuy Synthes Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Namal Nawana, William C. Horton, Max Reinhardt, Jonathan Bellas, Cody Cranson, Jennifer DiPietro, Mary Louise Fowler, William J. Frasier, John Paul Griffin, Mark T. Hall, David D. Konieczynski, Michelle LeClerc, Thomas Martin, Christopher Nordstrom, Michael O'Neil, James Paiva, Matthew Parsons, Nicholas Pavento, Douglas Raymond, James J. Roveda, Sean P. Selover, Hassan A. Serhan, Michael A. Slivka, Robert E. Sommerich
  • Patent number: 9111257
    Abstract: A medical imaging apparatus operates to automatically recommend protocols suitable for image capture of a subject based on information related to the subject, and a control method operates the medical imaging apparatus. The medical imaging apparatus includes a controller which determines one or more protocols to scan a subject, classifies the protocols based on plural predefined criteria, and aligns and recommends the protocols classified according to a selected criterion if any one of the plural criteria is selected, and a display unit which displays an array of the protocols recommended by the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Keum Yong Oh, Hei Soog Kim, Kyoung Kyu Lee, Min Ha Lee, Jeong A Kang
  • Patent number: 9086356
    Abstract: Dual-energy absorptiometry is used to estimate visceral fat metrics and display results, preferably as related to normative data. The process involves deriving x-ray measurements for respective pixel positions related to a two-dimensional projection image of a body slice containing visceral fat as well as subcutaneous fat, at least some of the measurements being dual-energy x-ray measurements, processing the measurements to derive estimates of metrics related to the visceral fat in the slice, and using the resulting estimates. Processing the measurements includes an algorithm which places boundaries of regions, e.g., a large “abdominal” region and a smaller “abdominal cavity” region. Two boundaries of the “abdominal cavity” region are placed at positions associated with the left and right innermost extent of the abdominal muscle wall by identifying inflection of % Fat values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: HOLOGIC, INC.
    Inventors: Thomas L. Kelly, Kevin E. Wilson
  • Patent number: 9081075
    Abstract: An image in which an area of interest on an image is optimally susceptibility-emphasized is obtained in susceptibility-emphasized imaging. A measuring order of plural echo signals is controlled in accordance with the size of a desired area of interest of an examinee. Preferably, a target frequency in a K space is determined in accordance with the size of the area of interest, and the measuring order of plural echo signals is controlled so that an echo signal corresponding to the target frequency is measured at a target echo signal or in the neighborhood of the target echo time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: HITACHI MEDICAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masahiro Takizawa, Hiroyuki Itagaki
  • Patent number: 9070096
    Abstract: A system for providing a reliable and redundant enterprise management solution includes an appliance disposed at a healthcare facility and a pair device disposed at a remote facility. The appliance includes first processing circuitry, a first virtualization manager and a first synchronizer. The first processing circuitry is configured to enable execution of a plurality of applications. The first virtualization manager is configured to virtualize at least storage components and an execution environment for at least some of the applications. The pair device includes second processing circuitry, a second virtualization manager and a second synchronizer. The second processing circuitry provides redundancy for the first processing circuitry. The second virtualization manager is configured to provide redundancy with respect to the virtualized storage components and execution environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: McKesson Financial Holdings
    Inventors: Phillip Andrew Wright, Taber West, Jeorg William Erich Houck, Jay Avner Caviness, Peter Clowes, Chaofeng Eric Kao
  • Patent number: 9058665
    Abstract: Systems and method for identifying bone marrow in medical images are provided. A method includes obtaining a three-dimensional (3D) computed tomography (CT) volume data set corresponding to an imaged volume and identifying voxels in the 3D CT volume data set having a Hounsfield Unit (HU) value below a bone threshold. The voxels are identified without using image continuity. The method further includes marking the identified voxels as non-bone voxels, determining definite tissue voxels based on the identified non-bone voxels and expanding a region defined by the definite tissue voxels. The method also includes segmenting the expanded region to identify bone voxels and bone marrow voxels and identifying bone marrow as voxels that are not the bone voxels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Avi Bar-Shalev, Ravindra Mohan Manjeshwar
  • Patent number: 9046369
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for presenting information on a display device associated with an aircraft. A method comprises displaying a navigational map in a viewing area on the display device with initial display settings, identifying selection of a first category of information, and identifying content associated with the first category resulting in a first set of content. The method further comprises automatically updating display settings for the navigational map in response to identifying selection of the first category, wherein the display settings are updated based on the first set of content. The method further comprises displaying the first set of content on the navigational map based on the updated display settings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Michael Chytil, Pavel Kolcarek, Blake Wilson, Roger W. Burgin
  • Patent number: 9020745
    Abstract: A separate panel may be used to display business icons near images of business entries, if the GIS does not include a business's front door geolocation. Users may place icons that represent business entities near the entrances to the entity. Also, a concise but extensive display of business listing data (e.g., reviews, summaries, services, hours, etc.) in the display near the geolocation and the presentation of further information upon user actions such as a mouse-overs, may avoid browsing away from the viewing application in order to learn more about the business.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Carolyn P. Johnston, Manuel Reyes-Gomez
  • Patent number: 9020827
    Abstract: A dialysis system includes: a portable device configured to be carried by a patient and to read a marking displayed on a dialysis fluid container, the device obtaining data concerning at least one of a dialysis fluid type and a dialysis fluid volume from the marking; the device defined dialysate dwell time, alert patients for the next exchange and further configured to transfer the data to a computer; and wherein the computer is configured to use the data to track therapy progress of the product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignees: Baxter International Inc., Baxter Healthcare S.A.
    Inventors: Bijan Elahi, Ying-Cheng Lo, Vikram Prabhaker Mehendale
  • Patent number: 9002718
    Abstract: When the present time of a clock circuit is a medication time recorded in advance in a SD card, a notice that the medication time has come is given by a voice output portion or the like. Presence/absence of a medicine package in each block of a medicine package case is sensed by a medicine package sensor. The time point and the presence/absence of the medicine package are recorded in the SD card. A notice corresponding to the presence/absence is output. At a time except for the medication time, taking-out of the case, opening/closing of the cover, taking-out and return of the medicine package are recorded in the SD card based on detection signals from the medicine package sensor, medicine package case sensor, and case cover opening/closing sensor. A notice corresponding to the sensed situation is output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignees: Omron Healthcare Company Ltd.
    Inventors: Yutaka Imai, Tomonori Inoue, Kenji Eda, Takahide Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8983772
    Abstract: A method for displaying a navigation route, a navigation apparatus, and a recording medium are provided. In the method, a current location of a mobile device is detected. Next, a start point and an end point are received and a navigation route is planned accordingly. Then, an electronic map database is accessed and a navigation map is rendered on a screen of the mobile device according to the electronic map database, wherein only the map information associated with the navigation route in the electronic map database is displayed on the navigation map and the displayed map information comprises the road names of a current road and a next road associated with the current location of the mobile device in the navigation route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: HTC Corporation
    Inventor: Yu-Cheng Lee
  • Patent number: 8948475
    Abstract: A method for computing a color-coded analysis image of an examination area of an examination object from a temporal sequence of fluoroscopic images of the examination area comprising a vascular system containing arteries and/or veins is provided. An acquisition time instant has been assigned to each of the fluoroscopic images representing a given distribution of a material embolizing some of the vascular system. The fluoroscopic image spatially corresponds to an analysis image pixel by pixel. A computer receives the fluoroscopic images with a color attribute assigned to each pixel of the analysis image at an image point and a time instant. If a pixel differs from a pixel at a preceding time instant, the color attribute assumes a color attribute of the time instant and the difference. If a pixel corresponds to a background color of the analysis image, the color attribute assumes a background color.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Martin Ostermeier, Marcus Pfister, Thomas Redel
  • Patent number: 8897414
    Abstract: Method to process a set of tomosynthesis slices, comprising; acquiring images of an object of interest using a detector of a machine also comprising an X-ray emitter; reconstructing a set of tomosynthesis slices of the object using a calculator, in relation to the acquired images; displaying slices on a display monitor with a first display increment; selecting a region of interest in a slice of interest; and using a second display increment that is finer than the first display increment to display on the display monitor regions of interest belonging to slices in the set, the regions of interest corresponding to the selected region of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Sylvain Bernard, Henri Souchay
  • Patent number: 8798339
    Abstract: This invention will introduce a fast and effective target approach planning method preferably for needle guided percutaneous interventions using a rotational X-ray device. According to an exemplary embodiment A targeting method for targeting a first object in an object under examination is provided, wherein the method comprises selecting a first two-dimensional image of an three-dimensional data volume representing the object under examination, determining a target point in the first two-dimensional image, displaying an image of the three-dimensional data volume with the selected target point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventors: Pieter Maria Mielekamp, Robert Johannes Frederik Homan, Drazenko Babic
  • Patent number: 8793143
    Abstract: A report check apparatus includes an input unit which inputs data of a diagnostic reading report as a check target, a check unit which checks whether the input diagnostic reading report contains a semantic error related to diagnostic reading, and a display unit which displays a check result by the check unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Kyoko Makino, Rumi Hayakawa, Takashi Kondo, Akira Iwasa
  • Patent number: 8792689
    Abstract: Dual-energy absorptiometry is used to estimate intramuscular adipose tissue metrics and display results, preferably as related to normative data. The process involves deriving x-ray measurements for respective pixel positions related to a two-dimensional projection image of a body slice containing intramuscular adipose tissue as well as subcutaneous adipose tissue, at least some of the measurements being dual-energy x-ray measurements, processing the measurements to derive estimates of metrics related to the intramuscular adipose tissue in the slice, and using the resulting estimates. Processing the measurements includes an algorithm which places boundaries of regions, e.g., a large region and a smaller region. The regions are combined in an equation that is highly correlated with intramuscular adipose tissue measured by quantitative computed tomography in order to estimate intramuscular adipose tissue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Hologic, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas L. Kelly, Kevin E. Wilson
  • Patent number: 8788286
    Abstract: A bioinformatics method, software, database and system for predicting side effects resulting from predisposition modification are presented in which a set of attributes is used to modify an individual's attribute profile to generate a modified attribute profile. The modified attribute profile is compared against a predetermined set of attribute combinations that are statistically associated with one or more candidate side effect attributes. Attribute combinations from the set that also occur in the modified attribute profile are identified, and those candidate side effect attributes that are statistically associated with the identified attribute combinations are stored as a set of predicted side effect attributes resulting from modification of the individual's attribute profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Expanse Bioinformatics, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Alexander Kenedy, Charles Anthony Eldering
  • Patent number: 8775210
    Abstract: Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a networked healthcare data management system. Certain embodiments of the data management system include a healthcare data archive connected to a network wherein the archived data comprises diagnostic, therapeutic, and demographic data. Certain embodiments further include a worklist server connected to the network wherein the worklist server receives data descriptors from the healthcare data archive and compiles the data descriptors into worklists. Certain embodiments also include a client system connected to a network wherein the client system queries the worklist server and the worklist server answers the queries by providing at least the network location of the archived data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Yongjian Bao, William Stoval, III, Xiaofeng Xu
  • Patent number: 8775208
    Abstract: Outcomes from a patient plan of care are provided in conjunction with documentation of patient assessment items to assist clinicians in the healthcare process. A documentation area for documenting assessment items for a patient and having areas for entering patient assessment information is presented. Additionally, an outcome icon is presented in conjunction with at least one assessment item. The outcome icon relates to at least one outcome corresponding with the assessment item and is based on the patient plan of care. In response to receiving a user selection of the outcome icon, information associated with the outcome is presented in context of the documentation area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Cerner Innovation, Inc.
    Inventors: Cheryl Hertel, Cindy Stafford
  • Patent number: 8762163
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for processing healthcare claim transactions that are rejected due to a host error. The systems and methods may be carried out by a suitable service provider. A healthcare claim transaction received from a healthcare provider computer may be routed to a claims processor computer. A determination may be made that the healthcare claim transaction has not been approved as a result of a host processor error associated with the claims processor computer. Based at least in part on the determination, the healthcare claim transaction may be resubmitted to the claims processor computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: McKesson Financial Holdings Limited
    Inventor: James Morgan Ringold