Apparatus, Method and Computer-Readable Storage Medium For Evaluating A Physiological Condition of a Patient

Abstract

A method is provided that includes receiving measurements of biological elements from a blood sample of a patient. The respective biological elements are managed by the endocrine system, which is organizable in axes including a corticotropic axis, gonadotropic axis, thyreotropic axis and somatotropic axis. The method includes calculating a plurality of indexes as functions of the measurements. The indexes reflect physiological relationships between the biological elements and the hormones that manage the respective biological elements, and at least some of the indexes reflect physiological relationships between hormones across axes of the endocrine system. The method also includes evaluating the indexes by axis of the endocrine system to facilitate identification of one or more dysfunctions capable of participating in the genesis, installation and evolution of a pathology, and thereby formulate a diagnosis of the patient. And the method includes administering a therapy to the patient in accordance with the diagnosis.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving measurements of biological elements from a blood sample of a patient, the respective biological elements being managed by hormones produced by glands of the endocrine system of the patient, wherein the glands and respective hormones are organizable in axes including a corticotropic axis, gonadotropic axis, thyreotropic axis and somatotropic axis;   calculating a plurality of indexes as functions of the measurements, reflecting physiological relationships between the biological elements and the hormones that manage the respective biological elements, at least some of the indexes reflecting physiological relationships between hormones across axes of the endocrine system;   evaluating the indexes by axis of the endocrine system and in sequence from the corticotropic axis to the gonadotropic axis, and then to the thyreotropic axis and somatotropic axis, the indexes being evaluated to facilitate identification of one or more dysfunctions capable of participating in the genesis, installation and evolution of a pathology, and thereby identify a functional imbalance in a state of the patient; and   generating a recommended therapeutic strategy for the patient to facilitate correction of the identified functional imbalance.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the measurements, calculating the plurality of indexes and evaluating the indexes occur in a first instance to identify the functional imbalance, and occur in a second instance subsequent to an administering of the recommended therapeutic strategy to thereby validate the identified functional imbalance and efficiency of the recommended therapeutic strategy. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the measurements includes receiving the measurements to an apparatus including a processor and a memory storing executable instructions that in response to execution by the processor cause the apparatus to at least calculate the plurality of indexes. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein calculating the plurality of indexes includes calculating one or more direct indexes as functions of variables including the measurements, and calculating one or more indirect indexes as functions of variables including the one or more direct indexes. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein each of one or more indexes evaluate a level of activity, yield or circulating rate, and include as variables, measurements or direct indexes affecting the respective level of activity, yield or circulating rate. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein at least one of the respective one or more indexes is in the form of a ratio including a numerator and denominator, and include a variable in the numerator to reflect the level of activity, yield or circulating rate varying like the respective variable, or a variable in the denominator to reflect the level of activity, yield or circulating rate varying like the reverse of the respective variable. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 administering the recommended therapeutic strategy to the patient. 
 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein evaluating the indexes includes for each axis of the endocrine system, evaluating a subset of the indexes according to a predetermined search sequence of the indexes of the respective subset. 
     
     
         9 . A method comprising:
 receiving measurements of biological elements from a blood sample of a patient, the respective biological elements being managed by hormones produced by glands of the endocrine system of the patient, wherein the glands and respective hormones are organizable in axes including a corticotropic axis, gonadotropic axis, thyreotropic axis and somatotropic axis;   calculating a plurality of indexes as functions of the measurements, reflecting physiological relationships between the biological elements and the hormones that manage the respective biological elements, at least some of the indexes reflecting physiological relationships between hormones across axes of the endocrine system; and   evaluating the indexes by axis of the endocrine system and in sequence from the corticotropic axis to the gonadotropic axis, and then to the thyreotropic axis and somatotropic axis, the indexes being evaluated to facilitate identification of one or more dysfunctions capable of participating in the genesis, installation and evolution of a pathology, and thereby identify a functional imbalance in a state of the patient, wherein evaluating the indexes also facilitate generation of a recommended therapeutic strategy for the patient to facilitate correction of the identified functional imbalance,   wherein receiving the measurements, calculating the plurality of indexes and evaluating the indexes are performed by an apparatus including a processor and a memory storing executable instructions that in response to execution by the processor cause the apparatus to at least receive the measurements, calculate the plurality of indexes and evaluate the indexes.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein receiving the measurements, calculating the plurality of indexes and evaluating the indexes occur in a first instance to identify the functional imbalance, and occur in a second instance subsequent to an administering of the recommended therapeutic strategy to thereby validate the identified functional imbalance and efficiency of the recommended therapeutic strategy. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein calculating the plurality of indexes includes calculating one or more direct indexes as functions of variables including the measurements, and calculating one or more indirect indexes as functions of variables including the one or more direct indexes. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein each of one or more indexes evaluate a level of activity, yield or circulating rate, and include as variables, measurements or direct indexes affecting the respective level of activity, yield or circulating rate. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein at least one of the respective one or more indexes is in the form of a ratio including a numerator and denominator, and include a variable in the numerator to reflect the level of activity, yield or circulating rate varying like the respective variable, or a variable in the denominator to reflect the level of activity, yield or circulating rate varying like the reverse of the respective variable. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising:
 generating the recommended therapeutic strategy for the patient to facilitate correction of the identified functional imbalance. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein evaluating the indexes includes for each axis of the endocrine system, evaluating a subset of the indexes according to a predetermined search sequence of the indexes of the respective subset. 
     
     
         16 . An apparatus comprising a processor and a memory storing executable instructions that in response to execution by the processor cause the apparatus to at least:
 receive measurements of biological elements from a blood sample of a patient, the respective biological elements being managed by hormones produced by glands of the endocrine system of the patient, wherein the glands and respective hormones are organizable in axes including a corticotropic axis, gonadotropic axis, thyreotropic axis and somatotropic axis;   calculate a plurality of indexes as functions of the measurements, reflecting physiological relationships between the biological elements and the hormones that manage the respective biological elements, at least some of the indexes reflecting physiological relationships between hormones across axes of the endocrine system; and   evaluate the indexes by axis of the endocrine system and in sequence from the corticotropic axis to the gonadotropic axis, and then to the thyreotropic axis and somatotropic axis, the indexes being evaluated to facilitate identification of one or more dysfunctions capable of participating in the genesis, installation and evolution of a pathology, and thereby identify a functional imbalance in a state of the patient, wherein evaluating the indexes also facilitate generation of a recommended therapeutic strategy for the patient to facilitate correction of the identified functional imbalance.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the apparatus is caused to receive the measurements, calculate the plurality of indexes and evaluate the indexes in a first instance to identify the functional imbalance, and in a second instance subsequent to an administering of the recommended therapeutic strategy to thereby validate the identified functional imbalance and efficiency of the recommended therapeutic strategy. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the apparatus being caused to calculate the plurality of indexes includes being caused to calculate one or more direct indexes as functions of variables including the measurements, and calculate one or more indirect indexes as functions of variables including the one or more direct indexes. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein each of one or more indexes evaluate a level of activity, yield or circulating rate, and include as variables, measurements or direct indexes affecting the respective level of activity, yield or circulating rate. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein at least one of the respective one or more indexes is in the form of a ratio including a numerator and denominator, and include a variable in the numerator to reflect the level of activity, yield or circulating rate varying like the respective variable, or a variable in the denominator to reflect the level of activity, yield or circulating rate varying like the reverse of the respective variable. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the memory stores further executable instructions that in response to execution by the processor cause the apparatus to further:
 generate the recommended therapeutic strategy for the patient to facilitate correction of the identified functional imbalance.   
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the apparatus being caused to evaluate the indexes includes for each axis of the endocrine system, being caused to evaluate a subset of the indexes according to a predetermined search sequence of the indexes of the respective subset. 
     
     
         23 . A computer-readable storage medium for performing a performance-option valuation, the computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein that in response to execution by a processor cause an apparatus to at least:
 receive measurements of biological elements from a blood sample of a patient, the respective biological elements being managed by hormones produced by glands of the endocrine system of the patient, wherein the glands and respective hormones are organizable in axes including a corticotropic axis, gonadotropic axis, thyreotropic axis and somatotropic axis;   calculate a plurality of indexes as functions of the measurements, reflecting physiological relationships between the biological elements and the hormones that manage the respective biological elements, at least some of the indexes reflecting physiological relationships between hormones across axes of the endocrine system; and   evaluate the indexes by axis of the endocrine system and in sequence from the corticotropic axis to the gonadotropic axis, and then to the thyreotropic axis and somatotropic axis, the indexes being evaluated to facilitate identification of one or more dysfunctions capable of participating in the genesis, installation and evolution of a pathology, and thereby identify a functional imbalance in a state of the patient, wherein evaluating the indexes also facilitate generation of a recommended therapeutic strategy for the patient to facilitate correction of the identified functional imbalance.   
     
     
         24 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 23 , wherein the apparatus is caused to receive the measurements, calculate the plurality of indexes and evaluate the indexes in a first instance to identify the functional imbalance, and in a second instance subsequent to an administering of the recommended therapeutic strategy to thereby validate the identified functional imbalance and efficiency of the recommended therapeutic strategy. 
     
     
         25 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 23 , wherein the apparatus being caused to calculate the plurality of indexes includes being caused to calculate one or more direct indexes as functions of variables including the measurements, and calculate one or more indirect indexes as functions of variables including the one or more direct indexes. 
     
     
         26 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 25 , wherein each of one or more indexes evaluate a level of activity, yield or circulating rate, and include as variables, measurements or direct indexes affecting the respective level of activity, yield or circulating rate. 
     
     
         27 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 26 , wherein at least one of the respective one or more indexes is in the form of a ratio including a numerator and denominator, and include a variable in the numerator to reflect the level of activity, yield or circulating rate varying like the respective variable, or a variable in the denominator to reflect the level of activity, yield or circulating rate varying like the reverse of the respective variable. 
     
     
         28 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 23 , wherein the computer-readable storage medium has further computer-readable program code portions stored therein that in response to execution by the processor cause the apparatus to further:
 generate the recommended therapeutic strategy for the patient to facilitate correction of the identified functional imbalance.   
     
     
         29 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 23 , wherein the apparatus being caused to evaluate the indexes includes for each axis of the endocrine system, being caused to evaluate a subset of the indexes according to a predetermined search sequence of the indexes of the respective subset.