The present invention pertains to point of care diagnostics (POCD) and will be described with particular reference thereto. However, it is to be appreciated that the invention may also find application in other areas which involve the collection and analysis of blood, tissue, or other bodily materials.
Currently, blood and other tissue and fluid samples are taken from a patient and placed in an appropriate, usually sealed container. In some instances, the sample is analyzed with automated analysis equipment which is located in the same room as the patient. Once the sample is analyzed, a human operator correlates the test results with the specific patient. In other instances, the attendant marks the containers with an identification of the patient and the containers are sent to a central laboratory for analysis. Often, the containers are marked with a bar code which is read by the analysis equipment such that the test results are automatically correlated with the bar code identification. However, a human operation is still used to correlate a specific patient with the bar code.
Although the medical personnel are well-trained, these manual steps still raise the possibility for human error. Because a course of treatment is often predicated on the analysis results, any instances of human error can have dire consequences.
The present application is directed to reducing or eliminating the potential for human error.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a point of care diagnostics system is provided. A container receives a biological sample from a patient. An analyzer assembly receives the biological container and generates both analysis results of the biological sample and a biometrically based patient indicator.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a method of point of care diagnosing is provided. A biological sample is taken of a patient. The sample is analyzed and the analysis results are generated along with a biometrically based patient identification for use in correlating the analysis results with the patient from whom the biological sample was taken.
One advantage of the present invention resides in a reduction in the potential for human error.
Another advantage of this invention resides in an improved confidence that analytical results are attributed to the proper patient.
Yet another advantage of this invention resides in increased assurance that a patient is receiving a proper course of treatment.
Still further advantages of the present invention will be appreciated to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading and understand the following detailed description.
The invention may take form in various components and arrangements of components, and in various steps and arrangements of steps. The drawings are only for purposes of illustrating the preferred embodiments and are not to be construed as limiting the invention.
With reference to
The needle end 14 of the capillary tube projects through a biometric sensor surface 20. More specifically to the illustrated embodiment, the sensor surface 20 is a glass or transparent plate 22 below which a fingerprint scanner 24 is mounted. When the patient presses its finger against the glass plate 22 and the capillary needle 14 to draw the blood sample, the scanner reads the patient's fingerprint. Concurrently, a reader 26 reads the unique identification on the label 16. A processor 28 receives the fingerprint information from the scanner and the unique serial number from the reader 26 and provides this information to a central hospital patient records memory 30.
In an alternate embodiment, the label reader 26 is replaced with a label printer. The processor 28 communicates biometric information from the scanner 24 to the printer to print the biometric identification as a coded identification of the patient or to the central memory to determine the identity of the patient. A central processor 32 then retrieves the patient identification and communicates it to the sampling processor and printer, which prints the patient identification on the label 16 in a machine-readable format.
An automated analysis system 40 receives the container and appropriately positions it with appropriate analysis electronics and other equipment 42 as may be appropriate to perform the requested analysis. The analysis system 40 further includes a reader 44 which reads the label 16. A processor 46 receives the label information from the reader 44 and the analysis results from the automated analysis equipment 42 and communicates the information to the central hospital memory 30 for storage in the patient's records. If the label 16 on the container carries a unique serial number, the processor 32 at the central memory correlates the serial number with the serial number communicated from the sampling processor 28 at a sampling station. The central processor 32 or the analyzer processor 42 further correlates the biometric scanner information with a specific patient such that the analysis results are loaded into the proper patient record in the central patient memory 30. If the label carries an identification of the patient, then the processor loads the analysis results into the file of the patient identified on the label.
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The analysis system generates an analysis results record 72, which includes identification 74 of the sample analyzed. The identification can include the unique sample serial number read by the reader 44 from the analyzed container, an electronic representation of a fingerprint or other biometric measurement as measured by the scanner 54, a manually entered identification of the sample or the patient, or the like. The sample record further includes an electronic representation 76 of the analysis of the preselected DNA markers, as well as the other results 78 of the analysis performed.
When the analysis record 72 is sent to the central patient records memory 30, the central processor 32 looks at information previously entered into the patient memory to correlate the sample identification 74 with a patient identification 62. Once the corresponding patient has been identified, the processor 32 compares the preselected DNA markers 66 of the patient record with the DNA markers 76 of the analysis record. If the DNA markers match, then the analysis results are entered into the patient's records. If the DNA information does not match, then a warning is sent indicating that samples may have been inadvertently interchanged. Preferably, the central processor 32 further uses the DNA information 76 from the sample record to identify the patient to whom the test results belong. Although a comparison with all patient records can be performed, the search can often be simplified through the use of a priori information. For example, samples with a detected DNA mismatch can be held in a buffer and compared first with each other. As another example, where appropriate, the search may be limited to patients who are currently in the medical facility. Preferably, the central processor 32 generates a report identifying the most probable patient(s) to whom the analysis belongs. Alternately, the patients who have samples in testing can be identified in the patient database and the central processor 32 can look to match the patients with samples being analyzed to the analysis results. Of course, if a patient and test results cannot be paired up to a certainty, new samples are taken and the analysis is repeated.
The invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments. Modifications and alterations may occur to others upon reading and understanding the preceding detailed description. It is intended that the invention be constructed as including all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/IB2005/054057 | 12/5/2005 | WO | 00 | 6/5/2007 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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60634674 | Dec 2004 | US |