Medicinal substance identification based on container recognition
Inventors
Keefe, Gary • Srnka, Lawrence • Botten, Peter
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-9830521-B2
Publication Date
2017-11-28
Expiration Date
Abstract
Provided is a system for identifying a drug container that includes an image capture device configured to capture an optical image of a portion of a label provided to the drug container, and a non-transitory computer storage medium storing a plurality of features for each of a plurality of different drugs included in a database. The features associated with each of the plurality of different drugs are suggestive of an identity of a drug identity but do not, alone, positively identify the drug identity. A processing component is configured to receive data representing the optical image transmitted by the image capture device and to identify a candidate for the drug identity based on the plurality of features associated with the candidate.
Core Innovation
The disclosed invention is a system and methods for suggesting an identity of a drug within a drug container based on an image of at least a portion of the drug container. The system captures an image of a portion of a label provided to the drug container and evaluates content included in the image. It references a database comprising a plurality of drug entries and a plurality of features associated with each drug entry, where each feature is suggestive of a drug identity but does not, alone, uniquely identify the drug identity.
A core aspect is feature evaluation with an objective-feature absence determination. The processor determines that an objective feature which, alone, is uniquely determinative of the identity of the drug is not present in the image by detecting an absence of a computer-readable barcode from the label. The processor then identifies a candidate for the identity of the drug in response to determining that the objective feature is not identifiable from the image.
The invention further uses multiple non-unique but collectively suggestive features to retrieve and identify a candidate identity, including features obtained by evaluating image content. In some embodiments, optical character recognition converts a portion of the image into text, and the resulting text is evaluated as one of the plurality of features. The invention includes presenting the candidate to a user, requesting manual entry or confirmation when certainty or probability does not meet a threshold, and initiating printing of a label comprising label content that includes the identity of the drug in response to receiving confirmation, where the printed label is applied to another container to store the drug.
Claims Coverage
The provided document excerpt includes multiple independent claims: clm-00001, clm-00007, clm-00012, clm-00016, and clm-00019. Across these claims, the inventive coverage is built around imaging a label portion, using a drug-entry database with non-unique suggestive features, determining absence of a uniquely determinative objective feature (computer-readable barcode), and retrieving a candidate with optional probability or certainty thresholds and user confirmation, with optional printing to an additional container.
Label-image capture for drug identity suggestion
An image capture circuit captures an image of a portion of a label provided to the drug container or an image of at least a portion of the drug container captured by an image capture device.
Suggestive non-unique features associated with drug entries
A database stores a plurality of drug entries and a plurality of features associated with each drug entry, wherein each feature is suggestive of a drug identity corresponding to the drug entry but does not, alone, uniquely identify the drug identity.
Objective feature absence detection via missing computer-readable barcode
The processor determines that an objective feature which, alone, is uniquely determinative of the identity of the drug is absent from the image by detecting an absence of a computer-readable barcode from the label provided to the drug container appearing in the image.
Candidate identification by evaluating image features against the drug database
A processor evaluates content included in the image and identifies a candidate for the identity of the drug by evaluating each of the plurality of features included in the image and referencing the drug database.
Certainty or probability threshold triggering manual identity entry
The method determines a probability that the candidate matches the identity of the drug within the drug container, compares the probability to a threshold minimum probability, and requests manual entry of a user-specified identity in response to determining that the probability is not greater than the threshold minimum probability, or determines a degree of certainty and requests entry when the degree of certainty does not exceed a threshold minimum certainty.
User confirmation and printed label for another container
The system requests confirmation that the candidate matches the identity of the drug, and in response to receiving said confirmation initiates printing of a label comprising label content comprising the identity of the drug to be applied to another container that is to store the drug.
Overall, the independent claims consistently cover image-based drug identity suggestion that relies on non-unique suggestive features from a drug-entry database, combined with detecting absence of a uniquely determinative objective feature, and can include threshold-based requests for manual entry, user confirmation, and printing of label content for application to another container.
Stated Advantages
Suggests an identity of a drug within a drug container based on an image of at least a portion of the drug container.
Identifies a candidate by evaluating non-unique but collectively suggestive image-derived features when an objective uniquely determinative feature is absent.
Uses certainty or probability thresholds to determine when manual entry of a user-specified identity is requested.
Provides for manual confirmation of a candidate against the identity on a label.
Initiates printing of a label containing label content with the identity of the drug for application to another container.
Documented Applications
Suggesting an identity of a drug within a drug container based on images of drug container label portions, including prompting clinician or user entry or confirmation when barcode-based objective identification is absent.
Printing labels containing the identity of a drug in response to confirmation for application to another container that stores the drug.
Configuring presentation and handling for suggesting drug identity, including presenting candidates to a clinician, clinician login or preferences, and kit-based drug selection.
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