Patient medical support system and related method
First Claim
1. A patient medical support system, comprising:
- at least one article of medical equipment for use at a patient location;
a telepresence system for use at the patient location, including an audio input device;
a video camera;
a video output device; and
an audio output device;
wherein at least one of the audio input device and the video camera are adapted to accept a first communication from a first user of the patient medical support system at the patient location for transmission to a second user at a monitoring location remote from the patient location and wherein at least one of the video output device and the audio output device are adapted to present a second communication received from the second user;
an imaging system adapted to acquire one or more image of the patient, the one or more image containing information indicative of a health status of the patient;
a controllable lighting system includingat least one light source adapted to illuminate at least a portion of the patient during acquisition of the one or more image;
an optical system; and
a positioning system;
wherein the controllable lighting system has at least one controllable lighting system parameter that influences at least one of the amount or type of information indicative of the health status of the patient in the one or more image;
at least one user identity input device adapted to receive at least one identity input containing biometric information indicative of an identity of the first user;
electrical control circuitry includingcircuitry for receiving a signal from the at least one article of medical equipment;
circuitry for controlling the at least one controllable lighting system parameter to increase the amount or type of information indicative of the health status of the patient in the one or more image; and
an identity determination module operatively connected to the at least one user identity input device and configured to determine an identity of the first user based on the identity input received via the user identity input device; and
communication circuitry for wirelessly communicating information between the electrical control circuitry and the monitoring location, the information including at least one of a telepresence system communication signal including at least one of the first communication and the second communication and an identification data signal indicative of the identity of the first user.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A medical equipment case is provided for containing and transporting at least one article of medical equipment and a two-way audio-visual system. Such equipment may be used, for example, for telemedicine applications by a patient discharged from a hospital, or other subject in need of remote health care monitoring. The medical equipment case may include features that provide for security and facilitate return of the medical equipment case and medical equipment and audio-visual system contained therein, such as machine-readable indicia encoding information for return of the case from a usage location. The medical equipment case and contained medical equipment and two-way audio visual system together form a medical support system that can be used by a patient discharged from a hospital. Methods of controlling the medical support system are also described.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A patient medical support system, comprising:
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at least one article of medical equipment for use at a patient location; a telepresence system for use at the patient location, including an audio input device; a video camera; a video output device; and an audio output device; wherein at least one of the audio input device and the video camera are adapted to accept a first communication from a first user of the patient medical support system at the patient location for transmission to a second user at a monitoring location remote from the patient location and wherein at least one of the video output device and the audio output device are adapted to present a second communication received from the second user; an imaging system adapted to acquire one or more image of the patient, the one or more image containing information indicative of a health status of the patient; a controllable lighting system including at least one light source adapted to illuminate at least a portion of the patient during acquisition of the one or more image; an optical system; and a positioning system; wherein the controllable lighting system has at least one controllable lighting system parameter that influences at least one of the amount or type of information indicative of the health status of the patient in the one or more image; at least one user identity input device adapted to receive at least one identity input containing biometric information indicative of an identity of the first user; electrical control circuitry including circuitry for receiving a signal from the at least one article of medical equipment; circuitry for controlling the at least one controllable lighting system parameter to increase the amount or type of information indicative of the health status of the patient in the one or more image; and an identity determination module operatively connected to the at least one user identity input device and configured to determine an identity of the first user based on the identity input received via the user identity input device; and communication circuitry for wirelessly communicating information between the electrical control circuitry and the monitoring location, the information including at least one of a telepresence system communication signal including at least one of the first communication and the second communication and an identification data signal indicative of the identity of the first user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of controlling a patient medical support system, comprising:
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accepting a first communication from a first user of the patient medical support system at a patient location via a telepresence system at the patient location, the telepresence system including an audio input device, a video camera, a video output device, and an audio output device, and wherein the patient medical support system is located at the patient location and includes the telepresence system, an article of medical equipment, a user identity input device, communication circuitry, and electrical control circuitry; transmitting the first communication to a monitoring location via the communication circuitry; receiving a second communication from the monitoring location with the communication circuitry; presenting the second communication to the first user via the telepresence system; acquiring one or more image of the patient, the one or more image containing information indicative of a health status of the patient; controlling at least one controllable lighting system parameter of a controllable lighting system to influence at least one of the amount or type of information indicative of the health status of the patient in the one or more image, the controllable lighting system including at least one light source adapted to illuminate at least a portion of the patient during acquisition of the one or more image, an optical system, and a positioning system; receiving at least one user identity input containing biometric information indicative of an identity of the first user from the user identity input device; determining the identity of the first user based on biometric analysis of the identity input using an identity determination module of the electrical control circuitry; receiving a signal from the at least one an article of medical equipment with the electrical control circuitry, the signal including medical data acquired with the at least one article of medical equipment; and communicating information between the electrical control circuitry at the patient location and the remote location via the communication circuitry at the patient location, the information including at least one of the identity of the first user, the medical data acquired with the at least one article of medical equipment, at least one instruction for controlling the at least one article of medical equipment, and information indicative of an operational status of the patient medical support system. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An article of manufacture, comprising:
one or more non-transitory machine-readable data storage media bearing one or more instructions for accepting a first communication from a first user of the patient medical support system at a patient location via a telepresence system at the patient location, the telepresence system including an audio input device, a video camera, a video output device, and an audio output device, and wherein the patient medical support system is located at the patient location and includes the telepresence system, an article of medical equipment, a user identity input device, communication circuitry, and electrical control circuitry; transmitting the first communication to a monitoring location via the communication circuitry; receiving a second communication from the monitoring location with the communication circuitry; presenting the second communication to the first user via the telepresence system; acquiring one or more image of the patient, the one or more image containing information indicative of a health status of the patient; controlling at least one controllable lighting system parameter of a controllable lighting system to influence at least one of the amount or type of information indicative of the health status of the patient in the one or more image, the controllable lighting system including at least one light source adapted to illuminate at least a portion of the patient during acquisition of the one or more image, an optical system, and a positioning system; receiving at least one user identity input containing biometric information indicative of an identity of the first user from the user identity input device; determining the identity of the first user based on biometric analysis of the identity input using an identity determination module of the electrical control circuitry; receiving a signal from the at least one an article of medical equipment with the electrical control circuitry, the signal including medical data acquired with the at least one article of medical equipment; and communicating information between the electrical control circuitry at the patient location and the remote location via the communication circuitry at the patient location, the information including at least one of the identity of the first user, the medical data acquired with the at least one article of medical equipment, at least one instruction for controlling the at least one article of medical equipment, and information indicative of an operational status of the patient medical support system. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
Specification