Early detection of contagious diseases

• US 20030204130A1
• Filed: 02/26/2003
• Published: 10/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Inventors: Chang, John, Milanovich, Fred P., Estacio, Pedro, Colston, Billy W. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,993,266 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/80 for detecting, monitoring or modelling epidemics or pandemics, e.g. flu
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/903 Radio telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/92 Computer assisted medical diagnostics

Abstract

This invention provides an electronic proximity apparatus and a surveillance method using such an apparatus for alerting individuals that are exposed to a contagious disease. When a person becomes symptomatic and is diagnosed as positive for a given contagious agent, individuals that have recently maintained a threshold proximity with respect to an infected individual are notified and advised to seek immediate medial care. Treatment of individuals in the very early phases of infection (pre-symptomatic) significantly reduces contagiousness of the infected population first exposed to the contagious disease, thus preventing spread of the disease throughout the general population.

Claims

1. A pre-symptomatic surveillance and alert method, comprising:

distributing to a plurality of individuals in a region, a personal apparatus, wherein the apparatus comprises a proximity transceiver and a data storage device,

diagnosing a contagious disease by one or more individuals that carry the apparatus,

downloading stored transmitted proximity data received by the apparatus of the diagnosed individuals,

collectively analyzing the downloaded data to determine if one or more identified individuals that carry said personal apparatus require notification,

notifying one or more identified individuals of exposure to a contagious disease; and

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising treating the notified individuals who respond for exposure to the diagnosed disease.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the transceiver and the storage device are each capable of being integrated into a personal apparatus selected from cell phones, pagers, personal identification cards, laptops, and personal digital assistants (PDA'"'"'s).

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the transceiver utilizes radio frequencies.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the transceiver utilizes optical frequencies.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the transceiver is adapted to operate using a commercial wireless communication standard.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the wireless communication standard includes IEEE802.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the standard includes Bluetooth.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the personal apparatus has an operating range of up to 150 feet.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the personal apparatus has an operating range of up to 333 feet.

11. A pre-symptomatic surveillance and alert detector, comprising:

a data collection and analysis storage unit; and

a personal apparatus that further comprises;

a proximity transceiver; and

a data storage device,

wherein a collected proximity data is for use in collective analysis with one or more proximity data collected from other personal apparatus for contagious disease identification, tracking, and/or notification.

12. The detector of claim 11, wherein the transceiver and the storage device are each capable of being integrated into a personal device selected from cell phones, pagers, personal identification cards, laptops, and Personal Digital Assistants.

13. The detector of claim 12, wherein the transceiver utilizes radio frequencies.

14. The detector of claim 12, wherein the transceiver utilizes optical frequencies.

15. The detector of claim 12, wherein the transceiver is adapted to operate using a commercial wireless communication standard.

16. The detector of claim 15, wherein the standard includes IEEE802.

17. The detector of claim 15, wherein the standard includes BlueTooth.

18. The detector of claim 11, wherein the personal apparatus has an operating range of up to 150 feet.

19. The detector of claim 17, wherein the personal apparatus has an operating range of up to 333 feet.

20. A pre-symptomatic surveillance and alert system, comprising:

a plurality of personal apparatus widely dispersed within a region, with each said apparatus comprising;

a proximity transceiver; and

a data storage device,

at least one mobile proximity data and analysis storage unit, capable of collectively analyzing downloaded proximity data received from each of the plurality of apparatus for contagious disease identification, tracking, and/or notification; and

a system administrator,

     1) capable of collectively analyzing downloaded proximity data received from each of the plurality of personal apparatus and

     2) capable of analyzing downloaded proximity data from the mobile proximity data and analysis storage units for contagious disease identification, tracking, and/or notification.

21. The network of claim 20, wherein the transceiver and the storage device are each capable of being integrated into a personal device selected from cell phones, pagers, personal identification cards, laptops, and personal digital assistants (PDA'"'"'s).

22. The network of claim 21, wherein the transceiver utilizes radio frequencies.

23. The network of claim 21, wherein the transceiver utilizes optical frequencies.

24. The network of claim 21, wherein the transceiver is adapted to operate using a commercial wireless communication standard.

25. The network of claim 24, wherein the standard includes IEEE802 technology.

26. The network of claim 24, wherein the standard includes BlueTooth technology.

27. The network of claim 20, wherein each said personal apparatus is capable of a multi-hop functionality to extend a communication range.

28. The network of claim 20, wherein the system administrator is capable of sending personal encoded information to a communication network for notification of one or more potentially infected personnel.

29. The network of claim 20, where the mobile proximity data and analysis storage unit includes a laptop computer.

30. The network of claim 20, wherein the system administrator includes a computer system.