Ambulatory patient health monitoring techniques utilizing interactive visual communication
First Claim
1. An interactive system for monitoring a patient'"'"'s condition by a health practitioner, said patient located at a remote location from a central monitoring station and capable of mobility so as to exercise gait, said health practitioner located at the central station, the system comprising:
- a) first audio-visual means for generating a first audio-visual signal of said patient at the remote location;
b) means for measuring a medical condition of said patient at the remote location, said means for measuring including means for visually marking specified anatomical locations on the body of said patient for measurement of a gait of said patient;
c) means for generating a ;
medical signal representative of the measured medical condition, said means for generating including the visual transmission signal of the specified anatomical locations and the changes in said anatomical locations in response to changes in patient location and position within the visual field of the means for generating a visual signal;
d) a central monitoring station;
e) means for transmission of said first audio-visual signal to said central station;
f) means for transmission simultaneously of the medical signal to said central station;
g) display means at said central station for substantially simultaneous display of said first audio-visual signal and said medical signal, said display means further including means for recordal and analysis of the anatomical location measurements of said patient;
h) second audio-visual means for generating a second audio-visual signal of said health practitioner originating from said central station;
i) means for transmission of said second audio-visual signal to said remote location; and
j) means for display of said second audio-visual signal at said remote location for observation by the patient simultaneously with transmission of the first audio-visual transmission;
whereby said patient and said health practitioner are capable of substantially simultaneous interactive communication concerning said measured medical condition.
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Abstract
An ambulatory (in the home) patient health monitoring system is disclosed wherein the patient is monitored by a health care worker at a central station, while the patient is at a remote location. The patient may be a person having a specific medical condition monitored or may be an elderly person desiring general medical surveillance in the home environment. Cameras are provided at the patient'"'"'s remote location and at the central station such that the patient and the health care worker are in interactive visual and audio communication. A communications network such as an interactive cable television is used for this purpose. Various medical condition sensing and monitoring equipment are placed in the patient'"'"'s home, depending on the particular medical needs of the patient. The patient'"'"'s medical condition is measured or sensed in the home and the resulting data is transmitted to the central station for analysis and display. The health care worker then is placed into interactive visual communication with the patient concerning the patient'"'"'s general well being, as well as the patient'"'"'s medical condition. Thus, the health care worker can make "home visits" electronically, twenty-four hours a day.
945 Citations
36 Claims
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1. An interactive system for monitoring a patient'"'"'s condition by a health practitioner, said patient located at a remote location from a central monitoring station and capable of mobility so as to exercise gait, said health practitioner located at the central station, the system comprising:
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a) first audio-visual means for generating a first audio-visual signal of said patient at the remote location; b) means for measuring a medical condition of said patient at the remote location, said means for measuring including means for visually marking specified anatomical locations on the body of said patient for measurement of a gait of said patient; c) means for generating a ;
medical signal representative of the measured medical condition, said means for generating including the visual transmission signal of the specified anatomical locations and the changes in said anatomical locations in response to changes in patient location and position within the visual field of the means for generating a visual signal;d) a central monitoring station; e) means for transmission of said first audio-visual signal to said central station; f) means for transmission simultaneously of the medical signal to said central station; g) display means at said central station for substantially simultaneous display of said first audio-visual signal and said medical signal, said display means further including means for recordal and analysis of the anatomical location measurements of said patient; h) second audio-visual means for generating a second audio-visual signal of said health practitioner originating from said central station; i) means for transmission of said second audio-visual signal to said remote location; and j) means for display of said second audio-visual signal at said remote location for observation by the patient simultaneously with transmission of the first audio-visual transmission; whereby said patient and said health practitioner are capable of substantially simultaneous interactive communication concerning said measured medical condition. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An interactive system for monitoring a patient'"'"'s condition by a health practitioner, said patient located at a remote location from a central monitoring station, said health practitioner located at the central station, the system comprising:
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a) first audio-visual means for generating a first audio-visual signal of said patient at the remote location; b) means for measuring a medical condition of said patient at the remote location, said means for measuring including means for visually marking specified anatomical locations on the body of said patient for measurement of the mobility of said patient; c) means for generating a medical signal representative of the measured medical condition, said means for generating including the visual transmission signal of the specified anatomical locations and the changes in said anatomical locations in response to changes in patient location and position within the visual field of the means for generating a visual signal; d) a central monitoring station; e) means for transmission of said first audio-visual signal to said central station; f) means for transmission simultaneously of the medical signal to said central station; g) display ;
means at said central station for substantially simultaneous display of said first audio-visual signal and said medical signal, said display means further including means for recordal and analysis of the anatomical location measurements of said patient;h) second audio-visual means for generating a second audio-visual signal of said health practitioner originating from said central station; i) means for transmission of said second audio-visual signal to said remote location; and j) means for display of said second audio-visual signal at said remote location for observation by the patient simultaneously with transmission of the first audio-visual transmission; whereby said patient and said health practitioner are capable of substantially simultaneous interactive communication concerning said measured medical condition. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An interactive system for monitoring a patient'"'"'s condition by a health practitioner, said patient located at a remote location from a central monitoring station and capable of exhibiting a visual field., said health practitioner located at the central station, the system comprising:
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a) first audio-visual means for generating a first audio-visual signal of said patient at the remote location; b) means for measuring a medical condition of said patient at the remote location, said means for measuring including means for visually marking specified anatomical locations on the body of said patient for measurement of the visual field of said patient. c) means for generating a medical signal representative of the measured medical condition, said means for generating including the visual transmission signal of the specified anatomical locations and the changes in said anatomical locations in response to changes in patient location and position within the visual field of the means for generating a visual signal; d) a central monitoring station; e) means for transmission of said first audio-visual signal to said central station; f) means for transmission simultaneously of the medical signal to said central station; g) display means at said central station for substantially simultaneous display of said first audio-visual signal and said medical signal, said display means further including means for recordal and analysis of the anatomical location measurements of said patient; h) second audio-visual means for generating a second audio-visual signal of said health practitioner originating from said central station; i) means for transmission of said second audio-visual signal to said remote location; and j) means for display of said second audio-visual signal at said remote location for observation by the patient simultaneously with transmission of the first audio-visual transmission; whereby said patient and said health practitioner are capable of substantially simultaneous interactive communication concerning said measured medical condition. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. An interactive system for monitoring a patient'"'"'s condition by a health practitioner, said patient located at a remote location from a central monitoring station, said health practitioner located at the central station, the system comprising:
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a) first audio-visual means for generating a first audio-visual signal of said patient at the remote location; b) means for measuring a medical condition of said patient at the remote location, said means for measuring including means for visually marking specified anatomical locations on the body of said patient for measurement of visual acuity of said patient; c) means for generating a medical signal representative of the measured medical condition, said means for generating including the visual transmission signal of the specified anatomical locations and the changes in said anatomical locations in response to changes in patient location and position within the visual field of the means for generating a visual signal; d) a central monitoring station; e) means for transmission of said first audio-visual signal to said central station; f) means for transmission simultaneously of the medical signal to said central station; g) display means at said central station for substantially simultaneous display of said first audio-visual signal and said medical signal, said display means further including means for recordal and analysis of the anatomical location measurements of said patient; h) second audio-visual means for generating a second audio-visual signal of said health practitioner originating from said central station; i) means for transmission of said second audio-visual signal to said remote location; and j) means for display of said second audio-visual signal at said remote location for observation by the patient simultaneously with transmission of the first audio-visual transmission; whereby said patient and said health practitioner are capable of substantially simultaneous interactive communication concerning said measured medical condition. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification