Method and equipment configured for verifying presence of a medical implant within a patient

• US 20100127074A1
• Filed: 01/22/2010
• Published: 05/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mark Andrus Flood
• Original Assignee: Mark Andrus Flood
• Inventors: Flood, Mark Andrus
• Granted Patent: US 8,015,029 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/65 stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS

Abstract

A system comprises means for authenticating an identity of a medical implant patient using at least a portion of information provided on an identification card and means for displaying an image showing a medical implant as actually implanted within the medical implant patient and an image showing an implant operation scar of the medical implant patient resulting from actual implantation of the medical implant therein thereby allowing the displayed image of the medical implant to be visually compared against a corresponding image provided on the identification card and allowing verification that the medical implant patient has a scar thereon appearing the same as the image showing the implant operation scar of the medical implant patient resulting from actual implantation of the medical implant. Displaying the images is performed in response to successfully authenticating the identity of the medical implant verification patient.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

means for authenticating an identity of a medical implant patient using at least a portion of information provided on an identification card; and

means for displaying an image showing a medical implant as actually implanted within the medical implant patient and an image showing an implant operation scar of the medical implant patient resulting from actual implantation of the medical implant therein thereby allowing said displayed image of the medical implant to be visually compared against a corresponding image provided on the identification card while the image showing the medical implant as actually implanted within the medical implant patient is being displayed and allowing verification that the medical implant patient has a scar thereon appearing the same as the image showing the implant operation scar of the medical implant patient resulting from actual implantation of the medical implant, wherein displaying said images is performed in response to successfully authenticating the identity of the medical implant verification patient.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein:

said displayed images are verified as being known-authentic images for the medical implant patient; and

displaying said images includes retrieving said images from a secure image repository.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein:

authenticating the identity of the medical implant patient includes displaying authenticated medical implant verification account information thereby allowing said displayed medical implant verification account information to be compared to said information provided on the identification card; and

said medical implant verification account information includes implant identification information designating a type of the medical implant, contact information for a surgeon having performed the operation for implanting the medical implant, and information designating a location of the body of the patient at which the medical implant is located.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein:

said displayed images are verified as being known-authentic images for the medical implant patient; and

displaying said images includes retrieving said images from a secure image repository.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for accessing medical implant verification account information for the medical implant patient; and

means for displaying said medical implant verification account information, wherein said medical implant verification account information includes implant identification information designating a type of the medical implant, contact information for a surgeon having performed the operation for implanting the medical implant, and information designating a location of the body of the patient at which the medical implant is located.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein:

authenticating the identity of the medical implant patient includes displaying authenticated medical implant verification account information thereby allowing said displayed medical implant verification account information to be compared to said information provided on the identification card;

said medical implant verification account information includes implant identification information designating a type of the medical implant, contact information for a surgeon having performed the operation for implanting the medical implant, and information designating a location of the body of the patient at which the medical implant is located; and

said displayed images are verified as being known-authentic images for the medical implant patient; and

displaying said images includes retrieving said images from a secure image repository.

7. A method configured verifying presence of a medical implant implanted within a medical implant patient, comprising:

at least one data processing device accessing, from memory coupled to said at least one data processing device, instructions causing said at least one data processing device to authenticate an identity of the medical implant patient using information provided on an identification card; and

said at least one data processing device accessing, from said memory, instructions causing said at least one data processing device to display an image showing a medical implant as actually implanted within the medical implant patient and an image showing an implant operation scar of the medical implant patient resulting from actual implantation of the medical implant therein thereby allowing said displayed image of the medical implant to be visually compared against a corresponding image provided on the identification card while the image showing the medical implant as actually implanted within the medical implant patient is being displayed and allowing verification that the medical implant patient has a scar thereon appearing the same as the image showing the implant operation scar of the medical implant patient resulting from actual implantation of the medical implant, wherein causing said at least one data processing device to display said images is performed in response to the identity of the medical implant verification patient being successfully authenticated.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein:

said displayed images are verified as being known-authentic images for the medical implant patient; and

causing said at least one data processing device to display said images includes causing said at least one data processing device to retrieve said images from a secure image repository.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein:

causing said at least one data processing device to authenticate the identity of the medical implant patient includes causing said at least one data processing device to display authenticated medical implant verification account information thereby allowing said displayed medical implant verification account information to be compared to said information provided on the identification card;

said medical implant verification account information includes implant identification information designating a type of the medical implant, contact information for a surgeon having performed the operation for implanting the medical implant, and information designating a location of the body of the patient at which the medical implant is located.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein:

said displayed images are verified as being known-authentic images for the medical implant patient; and

causing said at least one data processing device to display said images includes causing said at least one data processing device to retrieve said images from a secure image repository.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

said at least one data processing device accessing, from said memory, instructions causing said at least one data processing device to access medical implant verification account information for the medical implant patient; and

said at least one data processing device accessing, from said memory, instructions causing said at least one data processing device to display said medical implant verification account information, wherein said medical implant verification account information includes implant identification information designating a type of the medical implant, contact information for a surgeon having performed the operation for implanting the medical implant, and information designating a location of the body of the patient at which the medical implant is located.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein:

causing said at least one data processing device to authenticate the identity of the medical implant patient includes causing said at least one data processing device to display authenticated medical implant verification account information thereby allowing said displayed medical implant verification account information to be compared to said information provided on the identification card;

said medical implant verification account information includes implant identification information designating a type of the medical implant, contact information for a surgeon having performed the operation for implanting the medical implant, and information designating a location of the body of the patient at which the medical implant is located; and

said displayed images are verified as being known-authentic images for the medical implant patient; and

causing said at least one data processing device to display said images includes causing said at least one data processing device to retrieve said images from a secure image repository.

13. A computer-readable medium having tangibly embodied thereon and accessible therefrom a set of instructions interpretable by at least one data processing device, said set of instructions configured for causing said at least one data processing device to carry out operations for:

authenticating an identity of a medical implant patient using information provided on an identification card; and

displaying an image showing a medical implant as actually implanted within the medical implant patient and an image showing an implant operation scar of the medical implant patient resulting from actual implantation of the medical implant therein thereby allowing said displayed image of the medical implant to be visually compared against a corresponding image provided on the identification card while the image showing the medical implant as actually implanted within the medical implant patient is being displayed and allowing verification that the medical implant patient has a scar thereon appearing the same as the image showing the implant operation scar of the medical implant patient resulting from actual implantation of the medical implant, wherein displaying said images is performed in response to successfully authenticating the identity of the medical implant verification patient.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein:

said displayed images are verified as being known-authentic images for the medical implant patient; and

displaying said images includes retrieving said images from a secure image repository.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein:

authenticating the identity of the medical implant patient includes displaying authenticated medical implant verification account information thereby allowing said displayed medical implant verification account information to be compared to said information provided on the identification card; and

said medical implant verification account information includes at least one of implant identification information designating a type of the medical implant, contact information for a surgeon having performed the operation for implanting the medical implant, and information designating a location of the body of the patient at which the medical implant is located.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein:

said displayed images are verified as being known-authentic images for the medical implant patient; and

displaying said images includes retrieving said images from a secure image repository.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein:

said set of instructions configured for causing said at least one data processing device to carry out operations for accessing medical implant verification account information for the medical implant patient and displaying said medical implant verification account information; and

said medical implant verification account information includes implant identification information designating a type of the medical implant, contact information for a surgeon having performed the operation for implanting the medical implant, and information designating a location of the body of the patient at which the medical implant is located.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 wherein:

authenticating the identity of the medical implant patient includes displaying authenticated medical implant verification account information thereby allowing said displayed medical implant verification account information to be compared to said information provided on the identification card;

said medical implant verification account information includes implant identification information designating a type of the medical implant;

contact information for a surgeon having performed the operation for implanting the medical implant, and information designating a location of the body of the patient at which the medical implant is located; and

said displayed images are verified as being known-authentic images for the medical implant patient; and

displaying said images includes retrieving said images from a secure image repository.