Diagnostic system and portable telephone device

• US 20040109571A1
• Filed: 09/25/2003
• Published: 06/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Takashi Yoshimine
• Original Assignee: Takashi Yoshimine
• Inventors: Yoshimine, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 7,291,106 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/67
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0051 for taking saliva or sputum samples devices for receiving spittle A61J9/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/00 Measuring for diagnostic purposes radiation diagnosis A61B6/00; diagnosis by ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves A61B8/00; Identification of persons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0013 Medical image data A61B1/00011, A61B6/56, A61B8/56 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/411 Detecting or monitoring allergy or intolerance reactions to an allergenic agent or substance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4803 Speech analysis specially adapted for diagnostic purposes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/04 Electric stethoscopes microphones, acoustic transducers therefor H04R
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/045 Detection of Korotkoff sounds A61B5/0225 takes precedence; measuring blood pressure A61B5/021
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/92 Computer assisted medical diagnostics

Abstract

A patient registers his audible sound when he is in good health. When he is not feeling well, and even when he is in good health, he may contact regularly with a medical institution. Once he pronounces words to his mobile phone, the audible sound will be stored in a storing portion for storing audible sound information of the patient and will be processed by a computer that gives diagnosis to the patient and the patient will be informed of the diagnosis through a public line.

Claims

1. (Amended) A diagnosing system comprising:

means for causing a medical institution located at a place distant from a patient to receive a predetermined word selected from an audible sound information actually pronounced by the patient and transmitted from the patient to the medical institution.

means for making a diagnosis on a health condition of the patient corresponding to the received audible sound information and transmitting the diagnosis to the patient.

2. The diagnosing system as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the diagnosing means has:

means for storing the audible sound information of the patient when the patient is in good health; and

means for comparing the audible sound information of the patient with the audible sound information stored in the storing means and transmitting the diagnosis to the patient.

3. (Amended) A diagnosing system comprising:

means for storing an audible sound information of a patient when the patient is in good health;

audible sound information transmitting means for selecting a predetermined word from the audible sound information actually pronounced by the patient and transmitting the predetermined word to a medical institution located at a place distant from the patient;

audible sound information receiving means for receiving the transmitted audible sound information; and

means for making a first diagnosis on a health condition of the patient by comparing the received audible sound information of the patient with the stored information and transmitting the first diagnosis to the patient.

4. The diagnosing system as set forth in claim 3,

wherein the audible sound information transmitting means is a mobile phone carried by the patient.

5. (Amended) The diagnosing system as set forth in claim 4,

wherein the first diagnosis is transmitted to the mobile phone.

6. The diagnosing system as set forth in claim 3,

wherein the audible sound information transmitted to the medical institution is the audible sound information of the patient used when communicating.

8. The diagnosing system as set forth in claim 3,

wherein one of the audible sound information transmitting means and the audible sound information receiving means transmits and receives the audible sound information for a predetermined time period beginning from when the patient starts communicating.

9. (Amended) The diagnosing system as set forth in claim 4,

wherein the mobile phone has:

means for obtaining a magnified image of a saliva spattered as the patient communicates;

image transmitting means for transmitting the magnified image of the saliva to the medical institution; and

wherein the medical institution receives the transmitted image of the saliva and makes the first diagnosis by examining the patient corresponding to the transmitted image of the saliva and the audible sound information, then transmits the first diagnosis to the patient.

10. The diagnosing system as set forth in claim 3, further comprising:

means for making a second diagnosis of the patient different from the first diagnosis when a disparity is found between the audible sound information of the patient with the audible sound information stored in the storing means.

11. The diagnosing system as set forth in claim 10,

wherein the means for making the second diagnosis include:

a diagnosing apparatus having an image pick-up means for picking up an image information and a stethoscope for picking up a sound information and that the image pick-up means and the stethoscope are integrally connected;

means for transmitting the picked-up sound information and the image information obtained from the diagnosing apparatus to the medical institution; and

means for causing the medical institution make the second diagnosis of the patient corresponding to the picked-up image information by the diagnosing apparatus and transmitting the second diagnosis to the patient.

12. The diagnosing system as set forth in claim 11,

wherein the stethoscope has a sound pick-up portion and an image pick-up portion being disposed inside the sound pick-up portion, picking up an image of the patient as contacting the patient.

13. The diagnosing system as set forth in claim 12,

wherein one of the magnifying means and the image pick-up portion is at least one of a charge coupled device camera (CCD) and a complementary metal oxide semiconductor camera (CMOS).

14. The diagnosing system as set forth in claim 4,

wherein the mobile phone has a speaker and a vibration detecting sensor, the sensor is disposed near the speaker and detects a vibration caused on a face of the patient as the patient communicates and outputting a signal corresponding to the detected vibration;

wherein the medical institution examines the patient corresponding to the outputted signal from the vibration detecting sensor, and transmits the first diagnosis.

19. (New) The diagnosing system as set forth in claim 11, further comprising:

an USB interface capable of outputting at least one of the sound information picked up by the stethoscope and the image information picked-up by the image pick-up means.

7. (Canceled)

15. A mobile phone having a means for obtaining a magnified image of a human saliva.

16. The mobile phone as set forth in claim 15,

wherein the magnifying means has a CCD near the sound pick-up portion.

17. The mobile phone as set forth in claim 16,

wherein the magnifying means is a lens system introducing the picked-up image of the saliva to the CCD.

18. The mobile phone as set forth in claim 15,

wherein the mobile phone has a speaker and a vibration detecting sensor, the sensor is disposed near the speaker and detects a vibration caused on a face of the patient as the patient communicates.

20. (New) A diagnosing system, comprising:

means for storing an audible sound information of a patient when the patient is in good health;

a mobile phone carried by the patient for transmitting the audible sound information actually pronounced by the patient to a medical institution located at a place distant from the patient;

audible sound information receiving means for receiving the transmitted audible sound information; and

means for making a diagnosis on a health condition of the patient by comparing the received audible sound information of the patient with the stored information and transmitting the first diagnosis to the patient;

wherein the mobile phone has means for obtaining a magnified image of a saliva spattered as the patient communicates and an image transmitting means for transmitting the magnified image of the saliva to the medical institution;

wherein the medical institution receives the transmitted image of the saliva and makes the diagnosis by examining the patient corresponding to the transmitted image of the saliva and the audible sound information, then transmits the first diagnosis to the patient.

21. (New) A diagnosing system, comprising:

means for storing an audible sound information of a patient when the patient is in good health;

audible sound information transmitting means for transmitting the audible sound information actually pronounced by the patient to a medical institution located at a place distant from the patient;

audible sound information receiving means for receiving the transmitted audible sound information;

means for making a first diagnosis on a health condition of the patient by comparing the received audible sound information of the patient with the stored information and transmitting the first diagnosis to the patient; and

means for making a second diagnosis of the patient different from the first diagnosis when a disparity is found between the audible sound information of the patient with the audible sound information stored in the storing means;

wherein the second diagnosing means has;

a diagnosing apparatus having an image pick-up means for picking up an image information and a stethoscope for picking up a sound information and that the image pick-up means and the stethoscope are integrally connected;

means for transmitting the picked-up sound information and the image information obtained from the diagnosing apparatus to the medical institution; and

means for causing the medical institution make the second diagnosis of the patient corresponding to the picked-up image information by the diagnosing apparatus and transmitting the second diagnosis to the patient.

22. (New) The diagnosing system as set forth in claim 21,

wherein the stethoscope has a sound pick-up portion and an image pick-up portion being disposed inside the sound pick-up portion, picking up an image of the patient as contacting the patient.

23. (New) The diagnosing system as set forth in claim 22,

wherein one of the magnifying means and the image pick-up portion is at least one of a charge coupled device camera (CCD) and a complementary metal oxide semiconductor camera (CMOS).

24. (New) A diagnosing system, comprising:

means for storing an audible sound information of a patient when the patient is in good health;

audible sound information transmitting means for transmitting the audible sound information actually pronounced by the patient to a medical institution located at a place distant from the patient;

a mobile phone for receiving the transmitted audible sound information;

means for making a diagnosis on a health condition of the patient by comparing the received audible sound information of the patient with the stored information and transmitting the first diagnosis to the patient; and

a vibration detecting sensor disposed near the speaker and detects a vibration caused on a face of the patient as the patient communicates;

wherein the medical institution examines the patient corresponding to the outputted signal from the vibration detecting sensor and transmits the diagnosis to the mobile phone.