TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a wound follow-up system for enabling the follow-up of the wound by exchanging data between a patient with at least one wound in any part of their body and a wound care specialist (physician/nurse).

BACKGROUND

A wound is the disruption of the integrity of the skin or mucosa as a result of a trauma or a metabolic pathology. At the same time, structures such as blood vessels, muscles, and nerves may be affected by the injury. The risk of infection increases as the skin's protective features will be impaired.

Many classifications have been made for wounds according to their clinical characteristics; acute and chronic wound definitions are the most commonly used definitions. Chronic wounds are one of the common health problems in the world and Ttirkiye. Chronic wounds are difficult to manage for both patients and healthcare professionals. While acute wounds heal rapidly, chronic wounds can take months or even years to heal. As a result of chronic wounds that cannot be treated and cared for properly, physical inadequacies can be seen in patients, their quality-of-life decreases, and limb loss (amputation, surgical amputation of the organ) may occur. Wound care and treatment require a long time. In this process, patients should be checked regularly in wound care units/outpatient clinics and the wound should be followed up regularly. These patients may disrupt hospital controls due to other chronic diseases, physical disabilities (standing wounds, amputation, etc.), economic problems, and transportation problems. In addition, situations may occur in which patients are worried about applying to the hospital and disrupt their control due to reasons such as the pandemic. Today, services such as home care services and wound care units that provide patient care services have been developed. However, due to the increase in the elderly population and chronic diseases, problems arise such as the density of the professionals who will provide this service and the fact that the segment that will receive the service does not benefit enough. On the other hand, few healthcare professionals in Ttirkiye are interested in wound care and this team has difficulties in providing adequate healthcare to patients. In addition, transportation problems may occur due to problems such as closed roads, etc. depending on the weather, especially in winter months. Based on all these reasons, there is a need for follow-up of patients with chronic wounds from home. In the present art, there is currently no system that provides remote patient and wound follow-up.

Application numbered CN104641407 discloses a system that provides training to ensure that the bleeding that occurs in a patient can be controlled. In the aforementioned system, a practitioner is monitored in real-time about the force applied to a simulated wound. The system enables the monitoring of the practitioner through a mobile application. Thus, it is ensured that the practitioner is trained in controlling bleeding. In said application, it is ensured that a practitioner is trained through a simulation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a wound follow-up system for eliminating the above- mentioned disadvantages and bringing new advantages to the related technical field.

An object of the invention is to provide a wound follow-up system that allows the wounds to be followed up remotely to ensure that the healing process of the wounds in the patients is not accelerated.

The present invention is a wound follow-up system for ensuring the follow-up of the wound by exchanging data between a patient with at least one wound in any position of the body and a wound care specialist in order to realize all the objects that will emerge from the abovementioned and the following detailed description. Accordingly, it is characterized in that it comprises a patient user terminal to allow said patient to enter data; a specialist user terminal to allow said wound care specialist to enter data; a communication unit to ensure that data is not exchanged between said patient user terminal and said specialist user terminal; a processor unit to enable processing of data received from said patient user terminal and from the said specialist user terminal, the said processor unit being configured to enable that:

- the wound images taken by an imaging unit are taken by the patient user terminal;

- the images of the wound are interpreted by image processing;

- the wounds are compared with the wound information (type of wound, location of the wound on the healing chart) previously recorded in a database; as a result of the comparison, a report on the condition of the wound is transmitted to the specialist user terminal;

- the situation analysis created by the expert regarding the condition of the wound is transmitted to the patient user terminal.

A possible embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the information recorded in said database is pre-leamed information by machine learning. Thus, it is ensured that the most correct treatment is applied to the patient by ensuring that the data used are kept up to date.

Another possible embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the imaging unit is associated with the patient user terminal. Thus, the images of the wound are taken through the imaging unit and the patient is transmitted to the specialist through the user terminal.

Another possible embodiment of the invention is characterized in that it comprises a memory unit that allows instantaneous storage of data associated with the processor unit. Thus, the expert provides access to historical information and evaluates the patient's past status. This helps to compare the time when the patient starts treatment and the instantaneous situation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURE

Figure 1 view of a wound follow-up system.

Figure 2 view of the operating scenario of a wound follow-up system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In this detailed description, the subject matter of the invention is explained only by means of examples that will not have any limiting effect for a better understanding of the subject matter.

The invention relates to a wound follow-up system (10) that enables the follow-up of the wound by exchanging data between a patient (20) with at least one wound in any part of their body and a wound care specialist (30). The aforementioned wound is characterized by a healing process that requires a long follow-up. It is ensured that chronic wounds are followed up in a possible embodiment of the invention. It is ensured that bed sores are followed up in an alternative embodiment of the invention. The following-up of surgical wounds is provided in another alternative embodiment of the invention.

The wound follow-up system (10) includes a patient user terminal (500) to allow the patient (20) to enter data regarding the condition of said wound (40), as shown in Figure 1. In a possible embodiment of the invention, the patient user terminal (500) may be a mobile application provided to a mobile device. Said mobile device may include a computer, a smartphone, etc. A website, etc. may be used as the patient user terminal (500) in an alternative embodiment of the invention. The patient user terminal (500) may be directly and/or indirectly connected to an imaging unit to enable images of the wound (40) to be taken. The display unit mentioned in a possible embodiment of the invention may be the camera provided to the mobile device. In this case, the patient (20) can load the images to the patient user terminal (500) by enabling the images of the wound (40) to be taken directly via the mobile device. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, an external camera can be used as the display unit. In this case, the images taken must be uploaded to the patient user terminal (500). The patient (20) ensures that the images are transferred to the patient user terminal (500) by ensuring that the images are taken in accordance with the mobile device.

As illustrated in Figure 1, the wound follow-up system (10) includes a specialist user terminal (600) to enable the wound care specialist (30) to present its views by examining data from the patient user terminal (500). The specialist user terminal (600) may be a mobile application provided to a mobile device in a possible embodiment of the invention. An example of a mobile device is a computer, a smartphone, etc. A website, etc. may be used as the patient user terminal (500) in an alternative embodiment of the invention. There is a communication unit (200) that allows data exchange between the patient user terminal (500) and the specialist user terminal (600). Said communication unit (200) is provided to provide wireless communication. The wound follow-up system (10) includes a processor unit (100) to enable data to be received from the patient user terminal (500) and the specialist user terminal (600). There is a memory unit (400) with which the processor unit (100) is associated to allow reading and writing data. Said memory unit (400) provides for storage of all operations via the processor unit (100). Thus, the specialist can ensure the follow-up of the treatment by comparing the time when the patient starts the treatment with their immediate condition. This allows the new specialist to easily examine the patient's wound history, especially in expert changes. Thus, the old treatment can be continued instead of restarting the treatment. The wound follow-up system (10) includes a database (300) associated with the processor unit (100). The processor unit (100) ensures the storage of the learned information about the wound (40) in the database (300). The processor unit (100) ensures that the information learned by the machine learning method is recorded in the database (300). The processing unit (100) further provides for storing information entered into the database (300) via a user interface. For example, the wound care specialist (30) ensures that the information learned in the form of experience, knowledge, sight, reading, etc. is recorded in the database (300). The database (300) may be used publicly. Thus, the accumulated data pool can be used as a pool of information created by the unit of information obtained by a large number of experts, not limited to a single specialist opinion. The processor unit (100) allows the wound images received by the imaging unit to be received by the patient user terminal (500). The processor unit (100) allows the processing of the data received from the patient user terminal (500). It enables the processing of the images taken through the imaging unit with the image processing method. The processor unit (100) enables the extraction of meaningful data from the images. The processor unit (100) enables the comparison of meaningful images and the externally entered information with the data kept from the database (300). As a result of the comparison, it enables the patient to analyze the wound condition. The processor unit (100) enables the wound condition analysis to be transmitted to the specialist user terminal (600). A wound care specialist (30) who enters the specialist user terminal (600) provides the display of the wound condition analysis of the patient. The specialist ensures that the treatments and opinions to be applied through the specialist user terminal (600) are entered. The information entered through the specialist user terminal (600) is transmitted to the patient user terminal (500).

An exemplary operating scenario of the invention is described below;

A patient with at least one wound on their body primarily allows the registration of the patient to the wound follow-up system (10) through the user terminal (500). The processor unit (100) allows the patient information entered through the patient user terminal (500) to be stored in the memory unit (400). As patient information, it is ensured that information such as the patient's name, age, weight, location of residence, condition of the wound, location of the wound in the body, how the wound is formed, etc. is obtained. The processor unit (100) allows this information to be saved in the memory unit (400), allowing a file to be created about the patient. It is also ensured that the wound care and treatment processes of the patient are recorded in the aforementioned file. Thus, it is ensured that the condition of the patient is followed up through this file. The patient defines a username and a password when first logging into the wound follow-up system (10). In the following processes, the patient can access the patient user terminal (500) with the same username and password. Thus, patientspecific personal data are protected. In addition, in accordance with the Personal Data Protection Law, the personal data and wound photos of patients and healthcare professionals are protected, and users can see and approve the relevant lighting text while registering in the system.

The wound care specialist (30) enters a record for the wound follow-up system (10) through the specialist user terminal (600). Here, the wound care specialist (30) determines a username and password to log into the specialist user terminal (600). This ensures that patients' data is protected. The information can only be shared with the wound care specialist (30). The patient ensures that images of the wound are taken through an imaging unit. The patient allows the images received through the patient user terminal (500) to be sent to the specialist user terminal (600) for transmission. The patient may also enter the patient user terminal (500) verbally and/or in writing with information about the state of the wound. For example, an elderly patient who does not know how to write on a mobile device can press a button to send a voice message to the specialist about the condition of the wound. The data entered by the patient is transmitted to the processor unit (100) before it is transmitted to the specialist user terminal (600). The processor unit (100) enables the interpretation of the images taken from the patient user terminal (500) with the image processing method. The processor unit (100) provides for comparing the signified images with previously learned and stored information in a database (300). The processor unit (100) enables the determination of the appropriate treatment for the wound. The processor unit (100) allows the data received from the patient user terminal (500) to be transmitted to the specialist user terminal (600) with the determined treatment method. The specialist enters the specialist user terminal (600) and examines the data sent by the patient with the treatment method determined by the processor unit (100). The specialist enables a form of treatment to be transmitted to the patient user terminal (500) through the specialist user terminal (600). The data exchange between the patient user terminal (500) and the specialist user terminal (600) is provided by the communication unit (200). The patient is informed about how to apply treatment remotely without prolonging the treatment method transmitted to the user terminal (500). The patient can carry out the wound treatment remotely through the wound follow-up system (10). When there is a message from the patient to the specialist or from the specialist to the patient, a notification is generated on the mobile application. After this notification, up-to-date data from the patient/specialist can be examined by entering the application.

In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the patient applies to the wound care unit/outpatient clinic with a diabetes-related wound on the right heel. For the wound followup of the patient who underwent diagnostic tests and treatment, firstly, a record is created for the mobile application provided to the smartphone. The patient enters the system with the username and password they have specified. Meanwhile, the specialist ensures that the patient's record is created in their own system. The patient ensures that their name, age, chronic diseases, height, weight, and wound information (anatomical region, type, degree, and image of the wound) are recorded in the system. Subsequently, the patient's treatment can be continued at home. During the dressings made at home, the patient provides different angles of the wound on their foot with the camera provided by the smartphone. It is ensured that the images are uploaded to the mobile application. The patient also ensures that information such as where the wound occurs and the applications (dressing, blood glucose measurements, exercise, etc.) they have made until this time is entered in writing through the mobile application. The information entered into the mobile application is processed by the processor unit (100). The processor unit (100) ensures that the appropriate treatment method is determined according to the size and depth of the bum wound according to the data processed. The information sent by the patient together with the determined treatment method is transmitted to the mobile application provided to the mobile device of the specialist. A treatment flow determined by examining the data from the specialist patient and the treatment method ensures that the patient's mobile device is transmitted. The specialist communicates the treatment method to the patient in writing. The patient can enter the mobile application and apply dressing for the wound in accordance with the treatment sent by the specialist. In particular, it can be quite difficult for disabled, bedridden patients to reach health institutions. The wound follow-up system (10) can be used to follow up the treatment of such patients remotely. This situation provides both easy access to treatment for patients and the continuity of treatment. Many patients can be treated and followed up on the same day by ensuring that work follow-up is carried out in a short time for specialists.

Another possible embodiment of the invention allows the patient to transfer the information about their wound to the specialist from their place without having to go to the health institution and to perform the follow-ups without interruption. The continuity of treatment and follow-up ensures that chronic wounds that heal late can heal within the expected time without tissue and organ loss.

The protection scope of the invention is specified in the appended claims and cannot be strictly limited to those explained in this detailed description for illustrative purposes. It is evident that a person skilled in the art may exhibit similar embodiments in light of the foregoing without departing from the main theme of the invention. Reference Numbers

10 Wound follow-up system

100 Processor unit 260 Communication unit

300 Database

400 Memory unit

500 Patient user terminal

600 Specialist user terminals 20 Patient

30 Wound care specialist

40 Wound