METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ANNOTATION OF MEDICAL IMAGERY TO FACILITATE PATIENT IDENTIFICATION, DIAGNOSIS, AND TREATMENT

摘要

A method and apparatus for annotation of medical imagery to facilitate patient identification. diagnosis and treatment is characterized by an imaging device fo r producing a first signal representative of sensed characteristics of the individ ual and a minutiae generator which receives the first signal and produces a second signa l representative of minutiae of the individual. the minutiae corresponding to spec ific branch points of blood vessels of the individual. A minutiae data generator anal yzes the characteristics of minutiae and produces a third signal representative of th e characteristics which is stored in a minutiae database for each of the plurality of known individuals and their medical conditions. The minutiae and minutiae data m ay be used to annotate medical imagery to facilitate subsequent image comparison by providing standardized registration points and time-varying characteristics. A minutiae matcher pairs corresponding second signals and third signals from a cur rent patient with those from a database record, and the paired signals are used to al ign the images and compare them. The minutiae analysis techniques of the invention can b e used to identify medical patients, assist in the diagnosis of medical conditions and detect and monitor the use of alcohol and drugs including anesthesia.