Extended medical test system
An extended medical test system provides a user-friendly apparatus that can be used to perform a plurality of diagnostic functions. In an example of an eye examination system, the system is configured to capture one or more patient images containing a patient's eye and a surrounding body portion, and perform additional diagnostic functions as well as the eye examination.
1. An apparatus for a medical test, the apparatus comprising:
an image capture device configured to capture a patient image, the patient image including an eye and a surrounding facial portion around the eye; and
an evaluation device configured to:
determine a point of interest associated with the surrounding facial portion in the patient image, the point of interest determined based on a type of the medical test, wherein the point of interest includes: (i) a first point of interest being selected from the eye in the patient image for imaging a portion of the eye associated with the first point;
and (ii) a second point of interest being selected from the surrounding facial portion around the eye in the patient image;
determine a property associated with the surrounding facial portion of the second point of interest from the patient image;
compare the property with a reference property associated with the surrounding facial portion; and
evaluate a change in the property associated with the surrounding facial portion based on a difference between the property and the reference property over a period of time to provide a medical diagnosis.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the evaluation device is further configured to generate a diagnosis based on the change in the property.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the evaluation device is further configured to generate a recommendation based on the diagnosis.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an output device configured to present an evaluation output, the evaluation output including the change in the property.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the output device includes a display screen configured to display the evaluation output.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the image capture device captures the patient image at a first time and captures a reference image at a second time prior to the first time, and the evaluation device is further configured to:
determine the point of interest in the reference image;
determine the reference property associated with the point of interest from the reference image; and
evaluate the change in the property, the period of time being determined by a difference between the first time and the second time.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first point of interest is selected from a group consisting of pupil, lens, iris, cornea, suspensory ligaments, ciliary body, aqueous humour, vitreous humor, sclera, choroid, retina, and fovea of the eye.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second point of interest is selected from a group consisting of a skin color, an eyebrow, a nose, a lip, a forehead, a cheek, and a surrounding eye.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a patient identification device configured to evaluate the patient image and identify a patient associated with the patient image.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a handheld structure configured to house the image capture device and the evaluation device.
11. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an attachment device configured to attach a mobile computing device, wherein a combination of the attachment device and the mobile computing device includes the image capture device and the evaluation device.
12. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a standalone station configured to include the image capture device and the evaluation device.
13. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a walk-through frame configured to include the image capture device and the evaluation device.
14. A method of performing a medical test, the method comprising:
obtaining a patient image, the patient image including an eye and a surrounding facial portion around the eye;
determining a point of interest associated with the surrounding facial portion in the patient image, the point of interest determined based on a type of the medical test, wherein determining the point of interest includes:
determining a first point of interest selected from the eye in the patient image for imaging a portion of the eye associated with the first point; and
determining a second point of interest selected from the surrounding facial portion in the patient image;
determining a property associated with the surrounding facial portion of the second point of interest from the patient image;
comparing the property with a reference property associated with the surrounding facial portion; and
evaluating a change in the property associated with the surrounding facial portion based on a difference between the property and the reference property over a period of time to provide a medical diagnosis.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the patient image is obtained at a first time, and the method further comprises:
obtaining a reference image at a second time prior to the first time, the reference image including the eye and the surrounding facial portion;
determining the point of interest in the reference image;
determining the reference property associated with the point of interest from the reference image;
evaluating the change in the property, the period of time being determined by a difference between the first time and the second time.
16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
presenting an evaluation output via an output device, the evaluation output including the change in the property.
17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first point of interest is selected from a group consisting of pupil, lens, iris, cornea, suspensory ligaments, ciliary body, aqueous humour, vitreous humor, sclera, choroid, retina, and fovea of the eye; and
wherein the second point of interest is selected from a group consisting of a skin color, an eyebrow, a nose, a lip, a forehead, a cheek, and a surrounding eye.
18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
identifying a patient based on the patient image.