Remote health care information input apparatus

• US 5,865,745 A
• Filed: 11/27/1996
• Issued: 02/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CareStream Health Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Schmitt, Eric L., Rogers, Michael K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lateef, Marvin M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAW, SHAWNA JEANNINE
• Application Number:
  US08/757,364
• Time in Patent Office: 797 Days
• Field of Search: 128/653.1, 128/920, 128/922, 128/924, 128/897, 395/924, 250/580, 250/584, 600/407
• US Class Current: 600/407
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 42/02 using X-rays
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 42/047 provided with marking means
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/92 Computer assisted medical diagnostics

Abstract

A health care information input apparatus comprising:

a substantially rectangular housing having a front wall;

a computer having memory mounted in said housing;

a touch screen mounted on said front wall of said housing and connected to said computer;

a bar code scanner mounted in said housing and having a scanning face which is mounted on said front wall of said housing adjacent to said touchscreen, said bar code scanner connected to said computer; and

a network interface socket mounted on said housing and connected to said computer;

wherein information input at said touch screen and at said bar code scanner are stored in said computer memory for transmission via said network interface.

Claims

1. A health care information input apparatus comprising:

a single substantially rectangular housing having a front wall;

a computer having memory mounted in said housing;

a touch screen mounted on said front wall of said housing and connected to said computer;

a bar code scanner fixedly mounted in said housing and having only a scanning face which is mounted on said front wall of said housing closely adjacent to and below said touchscreen, said bar code scanner connected to said computer; and

a network interface socket mounted on said housing and connected to said computer;

wherein information input at said touch screen and at said bar code scanner are stored in said computer memory for transmission via said network interface.

2. The data input apparatus of claim 1 wherein said scanning face of said bar code scanner is mounted below said touch screen.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said housing has a depth dimension that is substantially less than its height and width dimensions.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 including means for mounting said apparatus on a wall.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said computer displays on said touch screen a sequence of screens which facilitate the entry into said computer of patient information and/or x-ray exam information relating to exposed storage phosphors.

6. A health care information system comprising:

a storage phosphor reader for converting a latent x-ray image

stored in an exposed storage phosphor into a digital x-ray image, wherein said x-ray image represents a body part of a patient;

a workstation connected to and located near said storage phosphor reader for processing digital x-ray images from said reader; and

a health care data input apparatus located remote from but connected to said workstation for inputting patient information and/or x-ray exam information relating to exposed storage phosphors to be read by said storage phosphor reader;

said apparatus including;

a single substantially rectangular housing having a front wall;

a computer having memory mounted in said housing;

a touch screen mounted on said front wall of said housing and connected to said computer; and

a bar code scanner fixedly mounted in said housing and having only a scanning face which is mounted on said front wall of said housing closely adjacent to and below said touchscreen, said bar code scanner connected to said computer;

wherein information relating to an exposed storage phosphor can be inputted by a user into said apparatus either by means of said touch screen interface or by means of said bar code scanner, and wherein said apparatus transmits said information to said workstation for storage, so that said information can be linked to a digital x-ray image read from said exposed storage phosphor by said storage phosphor reader.