Methods, systems, and computer program products for processing a periodontal chart to store the information items therein in a construct that preserves the relationships between the information items

1 . A method, comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, a periodontal chart image with columns wherein each column is associated with a unique set of teeth, and the periodontal chart image includes column boundaries including:

at least one column boundary undefined by column separator indicia and which is derivable using optical character recognition, and

rows corresponding to measurement names;

processing, by the one or more processors, the periodontal chart image using optical character recognition to obtain pocket measurements associated with a plurality of teeth along with positional coordinates of each of the pocket measurements;

applying, by the one or more processors, layout rules associated with the periodontal chart image to identify which respective ones of the pocket measurements correspond to which respective ones of the plurality of teeth;

converting, by the one or more processors, the pocket measurements on the periodontal chart image into a specified data format that includes a tooth location and tooth number; and

storing, by the one or more processors, the pocket measurements in a computer-readable construct having the specified data format that preserves relationships between the respective ones of the pocket measurements and the respective one of the plurality of teeth.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

applying, by the one or more processors, layout rules associated with the periodontal chart image to associate one or more measurement names with the pocket measurements;

applying, by the one or more processors, layout rules associated with the periodontal chart image to associate one or more measurement dates with the pocket measurements; and

applying, by the one or more processors, layout rules associated with the periodontal chart image to identify a tooth location for each of the pocket measurements;

wherein storing the pocket measurements comprises:

storing, by the one or more processors, the pocket measurements in the computer-readable construct having the specified data format that preserves the relationships between the respective ones of the pocket measurements and the respective one of the plurality of teeth, that preserves relationships between the one or more measurement names and the pocket measurements, that preserves relationships between the one or more measurement dates and the pocket measurements, and that preserves relationships between the tooth locations and the pocket measurements.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the tooth location is facial, lingual, or buccal.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the layout rules specify that row coordinates are used to differentiate the pocket measurements for different ones of the plurality of teeth;

wherein the layout rules specify that the one or more measurement names have similar column coordinates;

wherein the layout rules specify that the one or more measurement dates have similar column coordinates; and

wherein the layout rules specify that ones of the pocket measurements corresponding to a same one of the plurality of teeth have similar column coordinates.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the layout rules specify that ones of the pocket measurements corresponding to teeth 1-16 in the facial location are in a first quarter section of the periodontal chart image as defined by column coordinates;

wherein the layout rules specify that ones of the pocket measurements corresponding to teeth 1-16 in the lingual location are in a second quarter section of the periodontal chart image as defined by column coordinates;

wherein the layout rules specify that ones of the pocket measurements corresponding to teeth 32-17 in the lingual location are in a third quarter section of the periodontal chart image as defined by column coordinates; and

wherein the layout rules specify that ones of the pocket measurements corresponding to teeth 32-17 in the facial location are in a fourth quarter section of the periodontal chart image as defined by column coordinates.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

enhancing, by the one or more processors, the periodontal chart image prior to processing the periodontal chart image using optical character recognition.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein enhancing the periodontal chart image comprises:

removing, by the one or more processors, extraneous information from the periodontal chart image;

normalizing, by the one or more processors, the background of the periodontal chart image;

changing, by the one or more processors, one or more font colors used in the periodontal chart image; or

changing, by the one or more processors, one or more font sizes used in the periodontal chart image.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying, by the one or more processors, the column boundaries in the periodontal chart image;

wherein identifying the column boundaries in the periodontal chart image comprises:

identifying, by the one or more processors, the column boundaries in the periodontal chart image using image segmentation when the periodontal chart image includes column separator indicia; and

deriving, by the one or more processors, the column boundaries using optical character recognition coordinates when the periodontal chart images does not include column separator indicia.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the computer-readable construct having the specified data format is a JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) string.

10 . A system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more memories storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving a periodontal chart image with columns wherein each column is associated with a unique set of teeth, and the periodontal chart image includes column boundaries including:

at least one column boundary undefined by column separator indicia and which is derivable using optical character recognition, and

rows corresponding to measurement names;

processing the periodontal chart image using optical character recognition to obtain pocket measurements associated with a plurality of teeth along with positional coordinates of each of the pocket measurements;

applying layout rules associated with the periodontal chart image to identify which respective ones of the pocket measurements correspond to which respective ones of the plurality of teeth;

converting the pocket measurements on the periodontal chart image into a specified data format that includes a tooth location and tooth number; and

storing the pocket measurements in a computer-readable construct having the specified data format that preserves relationships between the respective ones of the pocket measurements and the respective one of the plurality of teeth.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise:

applying layout rules associated with the periodontal chart image to associate one or more measurement names with the pocket measurements;

applying layout rules associated with the periodontal chart image to associate one or more measurement dates with the pocket measurements; and

applying layout rules associated with the periodontal chart image to identify a tooth location for each of the pocket measurements;

wherein storing the pocket measurements comprises:

storing the pocket measurements in the computer-readable construct having the specified data format that preserves the relationships between the respective ones of the pocket measurements and the respective one of the plurality of teeth, that preserves relationships between the one or more measurement names and the pocket measurements, that preserves relationships between the one or more measurement dates and the pocket measurements, and that preserves relationships between the tooth locations and the pocket measurements; and

wherein the tooth location is facial, lingual, or buccal.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the layout rules specify that row coordinates are used to differentiate the pocket measurements for different ones of the plurality of teeth;

wherein the layout rules specify that the one or more measurement names have similar column coordinates;

wherein the layout rules specify that the one or more measurement dates have similar column coordinates; and

wherein the layout rules specify that ones of the pocket measurements corresponding to a same one of the plurality of teeth have similar column coordinates.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the layout rules specify that ones of the pocket measurements corresponding to teeth 1-16 in the facial location are in a first quarter section of the periodontal chart image as defined by column coordinates;

wherein the layout rules specify that ones of the pocket measurements corresponding to teeth 1-16 in the lingual location are in a second quarter section of the periodontal chart image as defined by column coordinates;

wherein the layout rules specify that ones of the pocket measurements corresponding to teeth 32-17 in the lingual location are in a third quarter section of the periodontal chart image as defined by column coordinates; and

wherein the layout rules specify that ones of the pocket measurements corresponding to teeth 32-17 in the facial location are in a fourth quarter section of the periodontal chart image as defined by column coordinates.

14 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise:

enhancing the periodontal chart image prior to processing the periodontal chart image using optical character recognition;

wherein enhancing the periodontal chart image comprises:

removing extraneous information from the periodontal chart image;

normalizing the background of the periodontal chart image;

changing one or more font colors used in the periodontal chart image; or

changing one or more font sizes used in the periodontal chart image.

15 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise:

identifying the column boundaries in the periodontal chart image;

wherein identifying the column boundaries in the periodontal chart image comprises:

identifying the column boundaries in the periodontal chart image using image segmentation when the periodontal chart image includes column separator indicia; and

deriving the column boundaries using optical character recognition coordinates when the periodontal chart images does not include column separator indicia.

16 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving a periodontal chart image with columns wherein each column is associated with a unique set of teeth, and the periodontal chart image includes column boundaries including:

at least one column boundary undefined by column separator indicia and which is derivable using optical character recognition, and

rows corresponding to measurement names;

processing the periodontal chart image using optical character recognition to obtain pocket measurements associated with a plurality of teeth along with positional coordinates of each of the pocket measurements;

applying layout rules associated with the periodontal chart image to identify which respective ones of the pocket measurements correspond to which respective ones of the plurality of teeth;

converting the pocket measurements on the periodontal chart image into a specified data format that includes a tooth location and tooth number; and

storing the pocket measurements in a computer-readable construct having the specified data format that preserves relationships between the respective ones of the pocket measurements and the respective one of the plurality of teeth.

17 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise:

applying layout rules associated with the periodontal chart image to associate one or more measurement names with the pocket measurements;

applying layout rules associated with the periodontal chart image to associate one or more measurement dates with the pocket measurements; and

applying layout rules associated with the periodontal chart image to identify a tooth location for each of the pocket measurements;

wherein storing the pocket measurements comprises:

storing the pocket measurements in the computer-readable construct having the specified data format that preserves the relationships between the respective ones of the pocket measurements and the respective one of the plurality of teeth, that preserves relationships between the one or more measurement names and the pocket measurements, that preserves relationships between the one or more measurement dates and the pocket measurements, and that preserves relationships between the tooth locations and the pocket measurements; and

wherein the tooth location is facial, lingual, or buccal.

18 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17 , wherein the layout rules specify that row coordinates are used to differentiate the pocket measurements for different ones of the plurality of teeth;

wherein the layout rules specify that the one or more measurement names have similar column coordinates;

wherein the layout rules specify that the one or more measurement dates have similar column coordinates;

wherein the layout rules specify that ones of the pocket measurements corresponding to a same one of the plurality of teeth have similar column coordinates;

wherein the layout rules specify that ones of the pocket measurements corresponding to teeth 1-16 in the facial location are in a first quarter section of the periodontal chart image as defined by column coordinates;

wherein the layout rules specify that ones of the pocket measurements corresponding to teeth 1-16 in the lingual location are in a second quarter section of the periodontal chart image as defined by column coordinates;

wherein the layout rules specify that ones of the pocket measurements corresponding to teeth 32-17 in the lingual location are in a third quarter section of the periodontal chart image as defined by column coordinates; and

wherein the layout rules specify that ones of the pocket measurements corresponding to teeth 32-17 in the facial location are in a fourth quarter section of the periodontal chart image as defined by column coordinates.

19 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise:

enhancing the periodontal chart image prior to processing the periodontal chart image using optical character recognition;

wherein enhancing the periodontal chart image comprises:

removing extraneous information from the periodontal chart image;

normalizing the background of the periodontal chart image;

changing one or more font colors used in the periodontal chart image; or

changing one or more font sizes used in the periodontal chart image.

20 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise:

identifying the column boundaries in the periodontal chart image;

wherein identifying the column boundaries in the periodontal chart image comprises:

identifying the column boundaries in the periodontal chart image using image segmentation when the periodontal chart image includes column separator indicia; and

deriving the column boundaries using optical character recognition coordinates when the periodontal chart images does not include column separator indicia.