Hand-held diagnostic systems and methods of use thereof

• US 20070211965A1
• Filed: 03/07/2006
• Published: 09/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Alverix, Inc. (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: Alverix, Inc. (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Helbing, Rene, Grot, Annette, Fouquet, Julie
• Application Number:
  US11/369,573
• Publication Number:
  US 20070211965A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/313
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/00 Other methods or instruments for diagnosis, e.g. instruments for taking a cell sample, for biopsy, for vaccination diagnosis vaccination prophylaxis, vaccination therapy A61B17/20; Sex determination; Ovulation-period determination menstruation tables G06C3/00; Throat striking implements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2010/0003 including means for analysis by an unskilled person
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/21 Combinations with auxiliary equipment, e.g. with clocks or memoranda pads
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality

Abstract

A diagnostic system in accordance with the invention is housed in a hand-held personal communications device (PCD). The diagnostic system includes a data capture system that is used to capture diagnostic data. The diagnostic system also includes a data storage system and a processing system. The data storage system stores reference diagnostic data that is used by the processing system in conjunction with the captured diagnostic data to obtain a diagnostic result.

Claims

1. A method for using a hand-held personal communications device (PCD) for diagnosis, the method comprising:

providing the hand-held PCD;

storing reference diagnostic data in the hand-held PCD;

using the hand-held PCD to obtain diagnostic data; and

processing the diagnostic data and the reference diagnostic data to obtain a diagnostic result.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the hand-held PCD is one of a) a telephone, b) a cellular phone, c) a personal digital assistant (PDA), and d) a digital camera.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

storing reference diagnostic data comprises receiving in the PCD, reference diagnostic data from a communications device located external to the PCD.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the communications device is one of a) a telephone, b) a cellular phone, and c) a computer.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein:

storing reference diagnostic data comprises using the hand-held PCD to capture a diagnostic image.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

using the hand-held PCD to obtain diagnostic data comprises capturing a first image of an object; and

processing the diagnostic data and the reference diagnostic data comprises processing the first image of the object and the reference diagnostic data to obtain a diagnostic result.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

transmitting the diagnostic result to a remote recipient through a wireless communications network.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the hand-held PCD is a first cellular phone; and

the diagnostic result is transmitted to a remote recipient through a cellular communications network.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the diagnostic result is received by the remote recipient on one of a) a second cellular phone, b) a telephone, c) a communications device, and d) a computer.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the object is a testing strip; and

processing the first image of the object comprises identifying the presence of a first stripe in the testing strip.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

processing the first image of the object further comprises identifying the presence of a second stripe in the testing strip.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the hand-held PCD is a first cellular phone; and

the diagnostic result is displayed on a display screen of the first cellular phone.

13. A diagnostic system housed in a hand-held personal communications device (PCD), the system comprising:

a data capture system configured to capture diagnostic data;

a data storage system configured in part to store reference diagnostic data; and

a processing system configured in part to process captured diagnostic data and the reference diagnostic data to obtain a diagnostic result.

14. The diagnostic system of claim 13, wherein:

the hand-held PCD is one of a) a telephone, b) a cellular phone, c) a personal digital assistant (PDA), and d) a camera.

15. The diagnostic system of claim 14, further comprising:

an output device configured to provide the diagnostic result to one of a) a user of the PCD and b) a remote recipient.

16. The diagnostic system of claim 15, wherein:

the output device is one of a) a display screen of the PCD and b) a wireless transceiver of the PCD.

17. The diagnostic system of claim 14, wherein the data capture system comprises an image capture system configured to capture an image of an object.

18. The diagnostic system of claim 17, wherein:

the image capture system comprises one of a) a camera configured to capture the image using visible light and b) an camera configured to capture the image using infra-red light.

19. The diagnostic system of claim 18, wherein:

the object changes state from a first state to a second state, the first state being captured as part of the reference diagnostic data and the second state being captured as a part of the diagnostic data.

20. The diagnostic system of claim 19, wherein:

the object is a testing strip; and

the first state comprises a first stripe present on the testing strip.

21. The diagnostic system of claim 19, wherein:

the object is a testing strip;

the first state comprises a first stripe present on the testing strip; and

the second state comprises a second stripe present on the testing strip.

22. The diagnostic system of claim 13, further comprising:

an output device comprising at least one of a) a display screen, b) an audio synthesizer, c) a wired communication link, d) a wireless communication link, and e) an optical communication link.

23. A diagnostic system comprising:

a microphone housed in a hand-held personal communications device (PCD), the microphone operable to receive a first audio tone;

a data storage system housed in the PCD, the data storage system operable to storing reference diagnostic data;

an audio-processing system housed in the PCD, the audio-processing system operable to process the first audio tone and the reference diagnostic data to obtain a diagnostic result.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the PCD is one of a) a cellular phone, b) a personal digital assistant (PDA), and c) a digital camera.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the first audio tone is a modem tone and the PCD is operable as a modem.