Graph database for outbreak tracking and management

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11023467-B2
Application number	US-201916460335-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 2, 2019
Priority date	Jul 2, 2018
Publication date	Jun 1, 2021
Grant date	Jun 1, 2021

Abstract

A graph database for outbreak tracking and management is disclosed. In an example embodiment, an outbreak management system includes a memory device storing instructions that define a graph database for disease outbreak tracking. The instructions specify for a given host that a host node is created and an episode node is connected to the host node via a ‘case’ link. The episode node is associated with episode parameters that are related to a disease classification of the host. In addition, the instructions specify that an outbreak node is connected to the episode node via a ‘part of’ link to indicate that the host has become part of an outbreak of the disease. The outbreak node is connected to a definition node via a ‘defined as’ link. The definition node specifies disease parameters of the disease that is related to the outbreak node.

First claim

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. An outbreak management server apparatus comprising:
a node processor; and
a memory device storing machine-readable instructions, which when executed by the node processor, cause the node processor to:
receive, via an interface, patient data related to patients,
create an outbreak tracking graph database by:
comparing the patient data to disease parameters of different diseases, the disease parameters specifying conditions for a ‘possible’ classification for the respective disease, a ‘probable’ classification for the respective disease, and a ‘confirmed’ classification for the respective disease, and
for each patient in which at least one of the ‘possible’, ‘probable’, and ‘confirmed’ classification is determined for one of the diseases, add the patient to the graph database that is associated with an outbreak of the determined disease by
creating a host node for the patient,
creating an episode node that is connected to the host node via a ‘case’ link, the episode node being associated with episode parameters that are related to the disease classification of the host, and
creating an outbreak node that is connected to the episode node via a ‘part of’ link to indicate that the host has become part of the outbreak for the determined disease, the outbreak node being connected to a definition node via a ‘defined as’ link, the definition node specifying the disease parameters of the disease that is related to the outbreak node, and

analyze, via a database analyzer, the graph database that is associated with the outbreak of the determined disease to display for identification at least one of an index patient or relationships among the patients.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the node processor to use at least a portion of the patient data to create epidemiological links between at least some of the host nodes that are linked to the same outbreak node.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the instructions further cause the node processor, via the database analyzer, to:
receive a request, from a user device, to view relationships of a designated host that is associated with a particular disease that is specified by a related outbreak node;
determine epidemiological links between the designated host and at least one of (i) other hosts that are connected to the same related outbreak node, or (ii) persons that have been in a same location at the same time as the host; and
cause a user interface to be displayed on the user device that graphically shows the designated host connected to the other hosts to show potential contacts that are at risk of contacting the particular disease that is associated with the host.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the instructions further cause the node processor to determine the ‘possible’, ‘probable’, or ‘confirmed’ classification for at least some of the other hosts; and
wherein the instructions further cause the node processor, via the database analyzer, to provide a graphical indication of the ‘possible’, ‘probable’, or ‘confirmed’ classification in the user interface for the at least some of the other hosts.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the epidemiological links include at least one of an ‘airborne’ link, an ‘animal reservoir’ link, an ‘environmental reservoir’ link, a ‘food and drinking water’ link, an ‘insect bite’ link, an ‘animal-to-person contact’ link, a ‘contaminated object’ link, a ‘droplet spread’ link, or a ‘person-to-person contact’ link, and
wherein each of the other hosts are at least one of a patient, a clinician, a person, an animal, a fomite, or an object.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the node processor to, for each host node in which specimen data is available within the patient data for the respective patient:
create a specimen node that is linked to the respective host node via a specimen link, the specimen node being associated with specimen parameters that indicate a time or status of a specimen acquired from the patient;
create an isolate node that is linked to the specimen node via an isolate link, the isolate node being associated with isolate parameters that specify an isolate in specimen results that are related to the acquired specimen; and
create an organism node that is linked to the isolate node via an organism link, the organism node being associated with organism parameters that specify at least one organism that was found in an isolation routine.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the instructions further cause the node processor to:
determine, as a first set of hosts, hosts that have the same organism specified in the respective organism parameter of the organism node;
determine as a second set of hosts from the first set of hosts, hosts that are linked to the same outbreak node; and
display a graphical representation that shows connections between the organism node and the outbreak node for the second set of hosts to show a spread of the disease and a biologic that is responsible for the outbreak of the disease.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the node processor to, for each host node in which location data is available within the patient data for the respective patient:
create a stay node that is linked to the respective host node via a stayed link, the stay node being associated with stay parameters that specify a date/time that the host node was in a particular location; and
create a location node that is linked to the stay node via an ‘in’ link, the location node being associated with location parameters that specify the particular location.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the particular location includes at least one of a hospital bed identifier or node, a room identifier or node, a corridor identifier or node, a ward identifier or node, a level identifier or node, a wing identifier or node, a hospital identifier or node, a structure identifier or node, a building identifier or node, a street identifier or node, a site identifier or node, an area identifier or node, a state identifier or node, a country identifier or node, or GPS coordinates.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the interface is configured to receive the patient data from at least one of an Electronic Medical Record (“EMR”) server or a third-party server, and wherein the patient data includes at least one of patient medical data, social media data, location data, or demographic data.

11. An outbreak management system comprising:
a memory device storing instructions therein, the instructions defining a graph database for disease outbreak tracking, the instructions specifying for a given host that:
a host node is created, the host node being associated with host parameters,
an episode node is connected to the host node via a ‘case’ link, the episode node being associated with episode parameters that are related to a disease classification of the host, and
an outbreak node is connected to the episode node via a ‘part of’ link to indicate that the host has become part of an outbreak of the disease, the outbreak node being connected to a definition node via a ‘defined as’ link, the definition node specifying disease parameters of the disease that is related to the outbreak node; and

an outbreak management server configured to:
receive patient data related to the host, and
store at least some of the received patient data to the graph database at one or more parameters of at least one of the host node, the episode node, or the outbreak node based on contents of the at least some of the received patient data matching parameter definitions of the respective node,

Assignees

• Baxter Int
• Baxter Healthcare Sa

Inventors

• Randall Paul
• Smith Ian
• Haynes Jonathan
• Wilkinson Sam

Classifications

• G06T11/26

  Drawing of charts or graphs · CPC title

• G06T2200/24

  involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs] · CPC title

• H04L67/01

  Protocols · CPC title

• G06F3/0484

  for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range · CPC title

• G16H70/60

  relating to pathologies · CPC title