Device for the direct manual examination of a patient in a non-contiguous location

• US 6,491,649 B1
• Filed: 10/06/2000
• Issued: 12/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cel-Kom LLC
• Original Assignee: Ombrellaro Family LLC
• Inventors: Ombrellaro, Mark P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaver, Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): SZMAL, BRIAN SCOTT
• Application Number:
  US09/685,327
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• Field of Search: 600/587, 600/300, 600/595, 600/552, 600/553, 600/554, 600/555, 341/20, 345/161, 345/145, 345/168, 345/157, 345/156, 128/903, 128/904, 434/275
• US Class Current: 600/587
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/168 Fluid filled sensor housings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/103 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for testing the shape, pattern, colour, size or movement of the body or parts thereof, for diagnostic purposes A61B5/08 takes precedence; measuring aids for tailors A41H1/00; measuring instruments specially adapted for dentistry A61C19/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6805 Vests
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6806 Gloves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6825 Hand
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A device is disclosed that enables a physician to remotely perform a physical examination of a patient. The device includes a hand control unit (100) that is shaped to accommodate a physician'"'"'s hand, and includes a number of sensory modulation subunits (140) that can simultaneously detect applied pressure and exert pressure back to the physician. The hand control unit (100) connects through a computer (160) to a remote patient examination module (200). The patient examination module (200) interfaces with a remotely located patient, preferably by wrapping around the portion of the patient'"'"'s body that is to be examined. The patient examination module (200) includes a plurality of sensory modulation subunits (240) arranged in an array forming a flexible pad (202). In operation the sensory modulation subunits (240) of the patient examination module (200) receive a signal from the hand control unit (100) that indicates the location and magnitude of pressure'"'"'s applied to the hand control unit (100) by the physician, and replicates that pressure in the patient through the sensory modulation subunits (240), which simultaneously detect the responsive pressures exerted by the corresponding portions of the patient'"'"'s body. The magnitude and location of these responsive pressures are converted to a digital signal that is fed back to the hand control unit (100) sensory modulation subunits (140), providing the physician with a tactile response simulating direct contact with the patient.

Claims

1. A device for remotely conducting a direct manual examination of a patient comprising a hand control unit, a patient examination module, and a computer, wherein said patient examination module and said hand control unit are operatively linked to said computer and are each capable of generating a force in response to an input signal and of generating an output signal in response to a detected force, wherein said hand control unit includes at least one sensory modulation subunit comprising a slab of elastic material having an embedded pressure transducer, wherein said slab of elastic material is attached to a single channel piston-type variable resistor.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said hand control unit further comprises means for selectively interacting with said computer.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said means of selectively interacting with said computer comprises a tracking ball and a button.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein said hand control unit has a hand-shaped upper surface and further comprises a forward portion and a rearward portion, said forward and rearward portions being slidably connected whereby said hand control unit can be adjusted to accommodate different-sized hands.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein said hand-shaped upper surface comprises four fingertip portions, each containing at least one sensory modulation subunit, a distal palmar portion containing at least one sensory modulation subunit, and a proximal palmar portion containing at least one sensory modulation subunit.

6. A device for remotely conducting a direct manual examination of a patient comprising a hand control unit, a patient examination module, and a computer, wherein said patient examination module and said hand control unit are operatively linked to said computer and are each capable of generating a force in response to an input signal and of generating an output signal in response to a detected force, wherein said patient examination module comprises:

(a) a pad removably attachable to said patient, said pad comprising a plurality of expandable cells attached to a backing, said pad including means for attaching said pad to said patient;

(b) a plurality of pressure transducers attached to said plurality of expandable cells, said pressure transducers being adapted to generate a signal that is directly related to an interface pressure between said pad and said patient; and

(c) a fluid media that can be selectively directed to some of said plurality of expandable cells to produce a desired pressure within said expandable cells.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein said fluid media is air.

8. The device of claim 6 wherein said fluid media is an hydraulic fluid.

9. The device of claim 6 further comprising a p lurality of electrically actuated valves, each valve located between one of said plurality of expandable cells and a pressurized fluid media reservoir.

10. The device of claim 9 further comprising a command control box having a controller electrically connected to said plurality of valves and to said plurality of pressure transducers.

11. The device of claim 6 wherein said hand control unit comprises:

(a) a computer input device operatively linked to said computer, wherein a user can select one or more cells of said patient examination module;

(b) at least one sensory modulation subunit comprising a sensor capable of detecting pressure applied by said user to said sensor, said sensor operatively linked to said computer and said sensor producing a signal proportional to said detected pressure; and

(c) a piston capable of exerting a force detectable by said user, said piston operatively linked to said computer, wherein said exerted force is responsive to said signal generated by said patient examination module.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein said sensory modulation subunit comprises a linear actuator connected to said backing and a pressure transducer located between said linear actuator and said patient.

13. The device of claim 12 further comprising a command control box having a controller electrically connected to said sensory modulation subunit.

14. A device for simulating tactile interactions with a remote body, the device comprising:

(a) a hand control unit having at least one sensory modulation subunit;

(b) an examination subunit disposed remotely from said hand control unit, said examination subunit having a plurality of sensory modulation subunits, said examination subunit being adapted to wrap around at least a portion of the remote body; and

(c) means for operatively connecting at least one sensory modulation subunit of said hand control unit to at least one sensory modulation subunit of said examination unit such that a force applied to one connected sensory modulation subunit will cause a corresponding force to be exerted by the other connected sensory modulation subunit.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein said sensory modulation subunits comprise at least one pressure transducer and at least one variable pressure producing device.

16. The device of claim 14 wherein said means for operatively connecting said sensory modulation subunits comprises at least one computer and a communications system that operatively connects said hand control unit sensory modulation subunits and said examination module sensory modulation subunits to the computer.

17. The device of claim 14 wherein said hand control unit further comprises a means for selecting said at least one sensory modulation subunit of said examination module that will be operatively connecting with said at least one sensory modulation subunit of said hand control unit.

18. The device of claim 17 wherein said selecting means comprises a trackball disposed on a bottom of said hand control unit and a button disposed on an upper portion of said hand control unit.

19. A method of tactilely examining a body comprising:

(a) wrapping a portion of said body in an examination module having a plurality of sensory modulation subunits;

(b) operatively connecting at least one of said sensory modulation subunits of said examination module to at least one sensory modulation subunit on a remotely disposed hand control unit; and

(c) manually applying a force to said at least one sensory modulation subunit on said hand control unit to produce a corresponding force at said connected sensory modulation unit of said examination module and detecting a feedback force from said examination module.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of remotely selecting at least one of said plurality of sensory modulation subunits of said examination module that will be operatively connected to the at least one sensory modulation subunit of said hand control unit.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of operatively connecting the examination module to the hand control unit comprises the steps of transmitting signals between the examination module and the hand control unit over a global telecommunications system.

22. A method of tactilely examining a body comprising:

(a) wrapping a portion of the body in an examination module having a plurality of sensory modulation subunits that can generate an output signal in response to an applied force and simultaneously exert a force in response to a received input signal;

(b) connecting the examination module to a first communications system that can send and receive the input and output signals;

(c) connecting a hand control unit having at least one sensory modulation subunit that can generate an output signal in response to an applied force and simultaneously exert a force in response to a received input signal to a second communications system that can communicate with the first communications system;

(d) operatively connecting the first communications system with the second communications system such that the hand control unit output signals are received by the examination module and the examination module output signals are received by the hand control unit; and

(e) applying a series of forces to the hand control unit sensory modulation subunits with a hand such that forces exerted by the hand control unit sensory modulation subunits resulting from the received output signals from the examination unit are detected.

23. A device for remotely conducting a direct manual examination of at least a portion of a body, the device comprising:

(a) a hand control unit having a first sensory modulation subunit;

(b) a patient examination module having a plurality of second sensory modulation subunits that are disposed in a flexible pad; and

(c) a means for selectively operatively connecting the first sensory modulation subunit to one or more of the plurality of second sensory modulation subunits, such that an output signal from the first sensory modulation subunit is received by one or more of the second sensory modulation subunits and an output signal from one or more of the second sensory modulation subunits is received by the first sensory modulation subunit.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein the means for selectively operatively connecting the first sensory modulation subunit to one or more of the plurality of second sensory modulation subunits comprises a first computer that interfaces with the hand control unit, a second computer that interfaces with the patient examination module, and a data communications system operatively connecting the first computer with the second computer.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein the data communications system operates over standard telephone lines.

26. The device of claim 24, wherein the data communications system operates over a global telecommunication system.

27. The device of claim 24, wherein the data communications system operates over a fiber optic network.

28. A device for remotely conducting a direct manual examination of a patient comprising:

(a) a hand control unit having at least one first sensory modulation subunit that;

(i) detects a force applied to the first sensory modulation subunit and generates a first signal in response to the detected force, and

(ii) exerts a force in response to a received second signal; and

(b) a patient examination module, the patient examination module having a plurality of second sensory modulation subunits that are selectively connectable to the first sensory modulation subunit, such that;

(i) the second sensory modulation subunits receives the first signal and exerts a force in response to the received first signal, and

(ii) detects a force resisting the exerted force and generates the second signal based on the detected resisting force, the second signal being received by the first sensory modulation subunit.

29. The device of claim 28, wherein the plurality of second sensory modulation subunits in the patient examination module are disposed in a flexible pad.

30. The device of claim 29, wherein the patient examination module is adapted to be wrapped around at least a portion of the patient.