Method and system for early detection of infectious diseases or symptoms of bioterrorism attacks

• US 20030129578A1
• Filed: 06/04/2002
• Published: 07/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: HealtheTech, Inc. (Morgan Stanley)
• Original Assignee: HealtheTech, Inc. (Morgan Stanley)
• Inventors: Mault, James R.
• Application Number:
  US10/162,510
• Publication Number:
  US 20030129578A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/4
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/50 Chemical analysis of biological material, e.g. blood, urine; Testing involving biospecific ligand binding methods; Immunological testing measuring or testing processes involving enzymes or microorganisms, compositions or test papers therefor; processes for forming such compositions, condition responsive control in microbiological or enzymological processes C12Q
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/80 for detecting, monitoring or modelling epidemics or pandemics, e.g. flu
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A method and system for the early detection of infectious diseases, or the symptoms of bioterrorism attacks in a population, includes a plurality of local input devices located with a plurality of individuals geographically dispersed with a population, the local input devices being capable of recording information relating to certain physiological conditions of the respective individuals, and transmitting the information to a central computer via a communication network; and a central computer capable of receiving the transmitted information, of statistically analyzing the information based on a comparison of such information to information transmitted at previous times, to detect patterns of infectious diseases or symptoms of terrorism attacks, and of utilizing the statistical analysis to produce outputs relating to actions to be taken.

Claims

1. A method for the early detection of infectious diseases or the symptoms of bioterrorism attacks in a population, comprising:

recording by a plurality of individuals geographically dispersed within the population, of information relating to certain physiological conditions of the individuals;

transmitting this information to a central computer via a communication network;

producing a statistical analysis of the transmitted information, based on the geographic locations of the individuals and the comparison of the transmitted information to information transmitted at previous times, to detect patterns of infectious disease or symptoms of terrorism attacks; and

utilizing said statistical analyses to produce outputs relating to action to be taken.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said central computer, upon communication therewith being established by any of said individuals, directs a series of inquiries to the respective individuals requesting responses to be transmitted to said central computer.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the information transmitted to the central computer by said individuals relates to the presence or absence of symptoms of certain recognized diseases in the individuals.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said information is transmitted to the central computer by at least some individuals via a mobile telephone.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said information is transmitted to the central computer by at least some individuals via a personal digital assistant (PDA).

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said information is transmitted to the central computer by at least some individuals via a personal computer.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said information is transmitted to the central computer by at least some individuals via a desktop appliance.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said information is transmitted to the central computer by at least some individuals via an interactive TV.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said information is transmitted to the central computer by at least some individuals via a health condition monitor.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein at least certain of the physiological conditions are of respiratory parameters to be determined by analysis of an individual'"'"'s exhalations.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the respiratory parameters are determined by analyzing the flow rate and constituents of the individual'"'"'s exhalations through a flow tube.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information is transmitted to the central computer from said individuals via the Internet communication system.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein said outputs produced by the central computer include directing the individual to a healthcare agency.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein said outputs produced by the central computer include directing the delivery of selected medications to selected areas.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein said outputs produced by the central computer include alerting healthcare officials to a particular condition in a particular geographical location.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein said outputs produced by the central computer include statistical reports based on said statistical analysis.

17. A system for the early detection of infectious diseases or the symptoms of bioterrorism attacks on a population, comprising:

a plurality of local input devices located with a plurality of individuals geographically dispersed with a population, said local input devices being capable of recording informnation relating to certain physiological conditions of the respective individuals, and transmitting said information to a central computer via a communication network; and

a central computer capable of receiving said transmitted information, of statistically analyzing the informnation based on a comparison of such information to information transmitted at previous times, to detect patterns of infectious diseases or symptoms of terrorism attacks, and of utilizing said statistical analysis to produce outputs relating to actions to be taken.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein said central computer is programmed, upon communication therewith being established by any of said local input units, to direct a series of inquiries to the respective local input units requesting responses therefrom to be transmitted to the central computer, at least some of said inquiries relating to the presence or absence of certain recognized diseases.

19. The system according to claim 17, wherein at least some of said local input devices are mobile telephones.

20. The system according to claim 17, wherein at least some of said local input devices are personal digital assistants (PDAs).

21. The system according to claim 17, wherein at least some of said local input devices are personal computers.

22. The system according to claim 17, wherein at least some of said local input devices are deskctop appliances.

23. The system according to claim 17, wherein at least some of said local input devices are interactive TVs.

24. The system according to claim 17, wherein at least some of said local input devices are healthcare monitors.

25. The system according to claim 17, wherein at least some of said local input devices are respiratory analyzers.

26. The system according to claim 18, wherein said central communication network is the Internet communication network.

27. The system according to claim 17, wherein said outputs produced by the central computer, based on said statistical analysis, include directing the individual to a healthcare agency.

28. The system according to claim 17, wherein said outputs produced by the central computer, based on said statistical analysis, include directing the delivery of selected medications to selected areas.

29. The system according to claim 17, wherein said outputs produced by the central computer, based on said statistical analysis, include alerting healthcare officials to a particular health condition in a particular geographical location.

30. The system according to claim 17, wherein said outputs produced by the central computer, based on said statistical analysis, include the issuance of statistical reports based on said statistical analysis.