Electronically initiating an administration of a neuromodulation treatment regimen chosen in response to contactlessly acquired information

• US 20110028798A1
• Filed: 07/28/2009
• Published: 02/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gearbox LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Wood, Lowell L. JR., Rivet, Dennis J., Hyde, Roderick A., Sweeney, Elizabeth A., Wood, Victoria Y.H., Leuthardt, Eric C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,697,336 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0044 for the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02411 of foetuses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/05 Detecting, measuring or recording for diagnosis by means of electric currents or magnetic fields; Measuring using microwaves or radio waves impedance plethysmography A61B5/0295; measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof A61B5/11; detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof A61B5/24
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising

Abstract

Described embodiments include a system, and a method. A described method includes acquiring electronic data indicative of a property of a mammal without making physical contact with the mammal. The method also includes extracting digital information indicative of a physiological characteristic of the mammal from the electronic data indicative of the property of the mammal. The method further includes choosing from an electronically accessible treatment database a neuromodulation treatment regimen for administration to the mammal in response to the information indicative of a physiological characteristic of the mammal. The method also includes electronically initiating an administration of the chosen neuromodulation treatment regimen to a nervous system component of the mammal.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

acquiring electronic data indicative of a property of a mammal without making physical contact with the mammal;

extracting digital information indicative of a physiological characteristic of the mammal from the electronic data indicative of the property of the mammal;

choosing from an electronically accessible treatment database a neuromodulation treatment regimen for administration to the mammal in response to the information indicative of a physiological characteristic of the mammal; and

electronically initiating an administration of the chosen neuromodulation treatment regimen to a nervous system component of the mammal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the acquiring electronic data indicative of a property of a mammal without making physical contact with the mammal includes:

acquiring electronic data indicative of a property of a mammal present in a space without making physical contact with the mammal; and

wherein the extracting digital information indicative of a physiological characteristic of the mammal from the electronic data indicative of the state of the mammal includes;

in an operation performed at a location remote from the space, extracting digital information indicative of a physiological characteristic of the mammal from the electronic data indicative of the state of the mammal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the acquiring electronic data indicative of a property of a mammal without making physical contact with the mammal includes:

acquiring electronic data indicative of a property of a mammal present in a space without making physical contact with the mammal; and

wherein the choosing from an electronically readable treatment database a neuromodulation treatment regimen for administration to the mammal in response to the information indicative of a physiological characteristic of the mammal includes;

in an operation performed at a location remote from the space, choosing from an electronically readable treatment database a neuromodulation treatment regimen for administration to the mammal in response to the information indicative of a physiological characteristic of the mammal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the acquiring electronic data indicative of a property of a mammal without making physical contact with the mammal includes:

acquiring electronic data indicative of a property of a mammal present in a space without making physical contact with the mammal;

wherein the extracting digital information indicative of a physiological characteristic of the mammal from the electronic data indicative of the property of the mammal includes;

in an operation performed at a location remote from the space, extracting digital information indicative of a physiological characteristic of the mammal from the electronic data indicative of the property of the mammal; and

wherein the choosing from an electronically readable treatment database a neuromodulation treatment regimen for administration to the mammal in response to the information indicative of a physiological characteristic of the mammal includes;

in another operation performed at another location remote from the space, choosing from an electronically readable treatment database a neuromodulation treatment regimen for administration to the mammal in response to the information indicative of a physiological characteristic of the mammal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the extracting digital information indicative of a physiological characteristic of the mammal from the electronic data indicative of the property of the mammal includes:

at least one of distilling, inferring, or deriving digital information indicative of a physiological characteristic of the mammal from the electronic data indicative of the property of the mammal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the extracting digital information indicative of a physiological characteristic of the mammal from the electronic data indicative of the property of the mammal includes:

extracting using an artificial intelligence tool digital information indicative of a physiological characteristic of the mammal from the electronic data indicative of the property of the mammal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the extracting digital information indicative of a physiological characteristic of the mammal from the electronic data indicative of the state of the mammal includes:

in an operation performed in a space, extracting digital information indicative of a physiological characteristic of the mammal from the electronic data indicative of the property of the mammal; and

wherein choosing from an electronically readable treatment database a neuromodulation treatment regimen for administration to the mammal in response to the information indicative of a physiological characteristic of the mammal includes;

in another operation performed at a location remote from the space, choosing from an electronically readable treatment database a neuromodulation treatment regimen for administration to the mammal in response to the information indicative of a physiological characteristic of the mammal.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the choosing from an electronically readable treatment database a neuromodulation treatment regimen for administration to the mammal in response to the information indicative of a physiological characteristic of the mammal includes:

choosing from an electronically readable treatment database a neuromodulation treatment regimen for administration to the mammal in response to a selected outcome and the information indicative of a physiological characteristic of the mammal.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the choosing from an electronically readable treatment database a neuromodulation treatment regimen for administration to the mammal in response to the information indicative of a physiological characteristic of the mammal includes:

choosing from a digitally maintained treatment decision table a neuromodulation treatment regimen for administration to the mammal in response to the information indicative of a physiological characteristic of the mammal.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the choosing from an electronically readable treatment database a neuromodulation treatment regimen for administration to the mammal in response to the information indicative of a physiological characteristic of the mammal includes:

choosing from a digital library correlating physiological characteristics and neural stimuli a neuromodulation treatment regimen for administration to the mammal in response to the information indicative of a physiological characteristic of the mammal.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the choosing from an electronically readable treatment database a neuromodulation treatment regimen for administration to the mammal in response to the information indicative of a physiological characteristic of the mammal includes:

deciding if treatment is indicated in response to the information indicative of a physiological characteristic of the mammal, and if treatment is indicated choosing from an electronically readable treatment database a neuromodulation treatment regimen for administration to the mammal in response to the information indicative of a physiological characteristic of the mammal.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronically initiating an administration of the chosen neuromodulation treatment regimen to a nervous system component of the mammal includes:

facilitating a transformation of a physiological characteristic of the mammal to a selected state by electronically initiating an administration of the chosen neuromodulation treatment regimen to a nervous system component of the mammal.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronically initiating an administration of the chosen neuromodulation treatment regimen to a nervous system component of the mammal includes:

substantially transforming a physiological characteristic of the mammal to a selected state by electronically initiating an administration of the chosen neuromodulation treatment regimen to a nervous system component of the mammal.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronically initiating an administration of the chosen neuromodulation treatment regimen to a nervous system component of the mammal includes:

an electronically initiating an administration of a selected outcome-promoting dose of the chosen neuromodulation treatment regimen to a nervous system component of the mammal.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronically initiating an administration of the chosen neuromodulation treatment regimen to a nervous system component of the mammal includes:

electronically initiating an administration of the chosen neuromodulation treatment regimen to a nervous system component of the mammal and provoking a selected outcome.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronically initiating an administration of the chosen neuromodulation treatment regimen to a nervous system component of the mammal includes:

administering the chosen neuromodulation treatment regimen to a nervous system component of the mammal and achieving a selected change of a state of the mammal.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronically initiating an administration of the chosen neuromodulation treatment regimen to a nervous system component of the mammal includes:

administering the chosen neuromodulation treatment regimen to a nervous system component of the mammal and achieving a selected change of a state of the mammal

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

physically associating with an object a sensor device operable to generate electronic data indicative of a property of the mammal without making contact with the mammal.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

illuminating at least a portion of the mammal with an energy.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

physically associating with an object a sensor device operable to generate electronic data indicative of a property of the mammal without making contact with the mammal; and

illuminating at least a portion of the mammal with an energy to which the sensor device is responsive.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating the electronic data indicative of a property of the mammal via an electrically conductive pathway to a device operable to extract the information indicative of a physiological characteristic of the mammal from the electronic data indicative of a property of the mammal.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

wirelessly communicating the electronic data indicative of a property of the mammal to a device that extracts the information indicative of a physiological characteristic of the mammal from the electronic data indicative of a property of the mammal.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating the extracted information indicative of a physiological characteristic of the mammal via an electrically conductive pathway to another device that determines the neuromodulation treatment regimen for administration to the mammal in response to the information indicative of a physiological characteristic of the mammal.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

wirelessly communicating the extracted information indicative of a physiological characteristic of the mammal to another device that determines the neuromodulation treatment regimen for administration to the mammal in response to the information indicative of a physiological characteristic of the mammal.

25. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating the chosen neuromodulation treatment regimen via an electrically conductive pathway to a further device that electronically administers the chosen neuromodulation to a nervous system component of the mammal.

26. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

wirelessly communicating the chosen neuromodulation treatment regimen to a further device that electronically administers the chosen neuromodulation to a nervous system component of the mammal.

27. A method comprising:

acquiring electronic data indicative of a property of a subject mammal without making physical contact with the subject mammal;

extracting digital information indicative of a physiological characteristic of the subject mammal from the electronic data indicative of the property of the mammal;

choosing from an electronically readable treatment database a neuromodulation treatment regimen for administration to a patient mammal in response to the information indicative of a physiological characteristic of the subject mammal;

recognizing a substantial likeness between the subject mammal and a patient mammal; and

automatically initiating an administration of the chosen neuromodulation to a nervous system component of the patient mammal.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the automatically initiating an administration of the chosen neuromodulation to a nervous system component of the patient mammal includes :

automatically initiating an administration of the chosen neuromodulation to a nervous system component of the patient mammal only if the confirmation operation recognizes a substantial likeness between the subject mammal and a patient mammal.

29. A system comprising:

means for acquiring electronic data indicative of a property of a mammal without making physical contact with the mammal;

means for extracting information indicative of a physiological characteristic of the mammal from the electronic data indicative of the property of the mammal;

means for choosing in response to the information indicative of a physiological characteristic of the mammal and from an electronically readable treatment database a neuromodulation treatment regimen for administration to the mammal; and

means for automatically initiating an administration of the chosen neuromodulation treatment regimen to a nervous system component of the mammal.

30. The system of claim 29, further comprising:

means for transmitting a signal indicative of the electronic data indicative of a property of the mammal.

31. The system of claim 29, further comprising:

means for receiving a signal indicative of the electronic data indicative of a property of the mammal.

32. The system of claim 29, further comprising:

means for transmitting a signal indicative of the extracted information indicative of a physiological characteristic of the mammal.

33. The system of claim 29, further comprising:

means for receiving a signal indicative of the extracted information indicative of a physiological characteristic of the mammal.

34. The system of claim 29, further comprising:

means for transmitting a signal indicative of the chosen neuromodulation treatment regimen.

35. The system of claim 29, further comprising:

means for receiving a signal indicative of the chosen neuromodulation treatment regimen.