Visualization Software Animates Human Body
IBM developed a new software program for healthcare providers, the Anatomic and Symbolic Mapper Engine (ASME). The visualization program provides clinicians a means to view electronic records with an animated version of the patient’s body, as reported by E-Health Europe.
By clicking on a specific area of the avatar, a three-dimensional representation of the body, the software retrieves records relevant to that anatomic location. Information, or records, relevant to that access point include previous imaging studies, progress notes, and laboratory data. A specific area can also be zoomed into, which narrows the searching parameters.
The team built the program as an extension of their existing medical records software, the IBM Denmark EHR. The system interfaces with SNOMED, which will support the interface between text documents and graphic concepts used for EHRs.
For now, the ASME is still a prototype. The organization plans to expand the system capabilities to include speech for the avatar. Plans are to commence pilot testing and commence marketing by September 2008.
The IBM team, based at the Zurich Research Lab, likens the new program to Google Earth. They speculate that the program will help with the identification of risk factors sooner with simplified access to previous health issues.
The program was created from an idea that originated with the software company Acure, which was recently acquired by IBM. The supposition is that combining information visually will aid in diagnosis and decision-making. It also aids clinicians with simplified access to information, which patients may not be able to readily provide.
September 28, 2007 Related topics: New Technology & Innovation, Diagnostic