Computerized method and system for associating a portion of a diagnostic image with an electronic record

Abstract

A computerized method for associating one or more portions of a diagnostic image with one or more electronic records is provided. The method includes receiving a diagnostic image having data particular to at least two persons and associating a first portion of the diagnostic image with an electronic record. The method may further include storing the first portion of the diagnostic image with the electronic record and/or associating and storing a common portion of the diagnostic image with the electronic record, the common portion consisting of data common to each person whose data is shown on the image. In one embodiment, the method may further include modifying the received diagnostic image and associating and storing the modified image with an electronic record. A computer system for associating at least a portion of a diagnostic image with an electronic record is also provided.

1 . A method in a computing environment for associating one or more portions of a diagnostic image with one or more electronic records, the method comprising: 
 receiving the diagnostic image, the diagnostic image including data particular to at least two persons; and    associating a first portion of the diagnostic image with a first electronic record.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the diagnostic image is at least one of an image of a diagnostic gel and an image of a diagnostic spot assay.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the diagnostic image comprises at least one of capturing the diagnostic image and importing the diagnostic image.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the diagnostic image consists of data particular to a first of the at least two persons, and wherein the first electronic record is correlated with the first person.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising storing the first portion of the diagnostic image with the first electronic record.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising associating a common portion of the diagnostic image with the first electronic record, the common portion of the diagnostic image consisting of data common to each of the at least two persons.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the common portion of the diagnostic image comprises at least one of a molecular weight marker, a positive control, and a negative control.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising storing the common portion of the diagnostic image with the first electronic record.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising independently storing the first portion of the diagnostic image and the common portion of the diagnostic image with the first electronic record.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising: 
 aggregating the first portion of the diagnostic image and the common portion of the diagnostic image to create a hybrid image; and    storing the hybrid image with the first electronic record.    
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising associating a second portion of the diagnostic image with a second electronic record.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the second portion of the diagnostic image consists of data particular to a second of the at least two persons, and wherein the second electronic record is correlated with the second person.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising storing the second portion of the diagnostic image with the second electronic record.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising associating a common portion of the diagnostic image with at least one of the first electronic record and the second electronic record, the common portion of the diagnostic image consisting of data common to each of the at least two persons.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the common portion of the diagnostic image comprises at least one of a molecular weight marker, a positive control, and a negative control.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising storing the common portion of the diagnostic image with the at least one of the first electronic record and the second electronic record.  
     
     
         17 . A method in a computing environment for associating one or more portions of a diagnostic image with at least one electronic record, the method comprising: 
 receiving the diagnostic image, the diagnostic image including data particular to at least two persons;    modifying the diagnostic image to create a modified image; and    associating the modified image with the electronic record.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein receiving the diagnostic image comprises at least one of capturing the diagnostic image and importing the diagnostic image.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein modifying the diagnostic image comprises parsing the diagnostic image to create the modified image, the modified image consisting of data particular to a first of the at least two persons.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising storing the modified image with the electronic record, the electronic record being correlated with the first of the at least two persons.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising parsing the diagnostic image to create a common image portion, the common image portion consisting of data common to each of the at least two persons.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the data common to each of the at least two persons comprises at least one of a molecular weight marker, a positive control, and a negative control.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising storing the common image portion with the electronic record.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising aggregating the modified image and the common image portion to create a hybrid image.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising storing the hybrid image with the electronic record, the electronic record being correlated with the first of the at least two persons.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein modifying the diagnostic image comprises parsing the diagnostic image to create the modified image, the modified image consisting of data particular to a first of the at least two persons and data common to each of the at least two persons.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the data common to each of the at least two persons comprises at least one of a molecular weight marker, a positive control, and a negative control.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising storing the modified image with the electronic record, the electronic record being correlated with the first of the at least two persons.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein modifying the diagnostic image comprises obscuring at least a portion of the diagnostic image to create the modified image, the modified image consisting of data particular to a first of the at least two persons.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising storing the modified image with the electronic record, the electronic record being correlated with the first of the at least two persons.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising obscuring the diagnostic image to create a common image portion, the common image portion consisting of data common to each of the at least two persons.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the data common to each of the at least two persons comprises at least one of a molecular weight marker, a positive control, and a negative control.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising storing the common image portion with the electronic record.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising aggregating the modified image and the common image portion to create a hybrid image.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , further comprising storing the hybrid image with the electronic record, the electronic record being correlated with the first of the at least two persons.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein modifying the diagnostic image comprises obscuring at least a portion of the diagnostic image to create the modified image, the modified image consisting of data particular to a first of the at least two persons and data common to each of the at least two persons.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the data common to each of the at least two persons comprises at least one of a molecular weight marker, a positive control, and a negative control.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 36 , further comprising storing the modified image with the electronic record, the electronic record being correlated with the first of the at least two persons.  
     
     
         39 . A computer system for associating a portion of a diagnostic image with an electronic record, the system comprising: 
 a receiving module for receiving the diagnostic image, the diagnostic image including data particular to at least two persons; and    an association module for associating a portion of the diagnostic image with the electronic record.    
     
     
         40 . The computer system of  claim 39 , further comprising a storage module for storing the portion of the diagnostic image with the electronic record.  
     
     
         41 . The computer system of  claim 39 , further comprising a modification module for modifying the diagnostic image to create a modified image.  
     
     
         42 . The computer system of  claim 41 , further comprising a storage module for storing the modified image with the electronic record.  
     
     
         43 . A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method, the method comprising: 
 receiving a diagnostic image, the diagnostic image including data particular to at least two persons; and    associating a portion of the diagnostic image with an electronic record.    
     
     
         44 . A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method, the method comprising: 
 receiving a diagnostic image, the diagnostic image including data particular to at least two persons;    modifying the diagnostic image to create a modified image; and    associating the modified image with an electronic record.    
     
     
         45 . A computer system for associating a portion of a diagnostic image with an electronic record, the system comprising: 
 means for receiving the diagnostic image, the diagnostic image including data particular to at least two persons; and    means for associating the portion of the diagnostic image with the electronic record.    
     
     
         46 . The computer system of  claim 45 , further comprising means for storing the portion of the diagnostic image with the electronic record.  
     
     
         47 . The computer system of  claim 45 , further comprising means for modifying the diagnostic image to create a modified image.  
     
     
         48 . The computer system of  claim 47 , further comprising means for storing the modified image with the electronic record.  
     
     
         49 . A method in a computing environment for associating at least two portions of a diagnostic gel image with at least two electronic records, the method comprising: 
 receiving the diagnostic gel image, the diagnostic gel image including data particular to at least two persons;    associating a first portion of the diagnostic gel image with a first electronic record, the first electronic record being correlated with a first person; and    associating a second portion of the diagnostic gel image with a second electronic record, the second electronic record being correlated with a second person.    
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 49 , further comprising: 
 storing the first portion of the diagnostic gel image with the first electronic record; and    storing the second portion of the diagnostic gel image with the second electronic record.    
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 49 , further comprising associating a common portion of the diagnostic gel image with each of the first and second electronic records, the common portion of the diagnostic gel image consisting of data common to each of the first and second persons.  
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 51 , further comprising storing the common portion of the diagnostic gel image with each of the first and second electronic records.  
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 49 , further comprising: 
 modifying the diagnostic gel image to create a modified image; and    storing the modified image with each of the first and second electronic records.