Breast self-examination alarm and data logging apparatus

• US 6,575,903 B1
• Filed: 01/04/2002
• Issued: 06/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Shelia Collins
• Original Assignee: Shelia Collins
• Inventors: Collins, Shelia
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg, Max F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ASTORINO, MICHAEL C
• Application Number:
  US10/039,523
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• Field of Search: 600/300-301, 600/551, 600/549, 600/587, 600/557, 128/903, 128/904, 128/920, 128/898, 128/897, 705/2-4, 702/19, 702/33, 702/127, 708/105, 708/109, 708/112, 708/131, 450/1, 340/573.1, 700/11, 700/16, 700/90
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00115 with audible or visual output with imaging means A61B90/37, A61B34/20
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/92 Computer assisted medical diagnostics

Abstract

An alarm and data logging apparatus for reminding, encouraging, and electronically recording results of regularly scheduled preferably monthly breast self-examinations (BSEs). The apparatus includes a computer with a calendar/clock circuit or equivalent software functions, along with a human-interface. The computer is configured for determining via the calendar/clock when a pre-defined alarm time and date has been reached. An alarm is issued in a repeating yet reasonable fashion until the woman to which the alarms are issued conducts a BSE and records the results of the BSE into the apparatus. The apparatus supports the archiving of results in a database of the computer or a database of a remote computer located at a remote location.

Claims

1. An apparatus for issuing alarms and recording the results of regularly scheduled breast self-examinations performed by a woman during a pre-determined temporal interval of each of a succession of months, the apparatus comprising:

a) a computer including means for determining a present time and date;

b) a human interface operatively coupled to the computer and structured for exchanging information with the woman, and as required, with other individuals;

c) a database available for accessing by the computer to enable the computer to determine when a pre-selected temporal interval for each month has been reached so as to support the issuing of at least one alarm of a plurality of alarms to the woman indicating a start of a temporal interval and a need for a conducting of a breast self-examination;

d) the database further available for recording and storing information, including information entered by the woman indicating results of the breast self-examination; and

e) a processor of the computer for processing the results input associated with a present self-examination, causing an action suggestion to be issued to the woman that is based on the results input into the apparatus via the human interface.

2. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the computer is employed for calculating and storing each pre-determined temporal interval for each of a plurality of months using information that is:

a) provided by the woman during a setup and initializing of the apparatus;

b) provided later, for adjusting a plurality of stored pre-determined temporal intervals.

3. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the human interface includes at least one of:

a) an audio module for providing audio information to the woman including one of audio tones and voice alarms indicating the start of the temporal interval;

b) a vibration unit that may be energized by the computer for providing a substantially silent alarm to the woman indicating the start of the temporal interval;

c) means to readily enable the woman to update previously input information including at least one of;

i) a starting date of a past or present menstrual cycle;

ii) a duration of a past or present menstrual cycle;

iii) an average number of days before the start of a next menstrual cycle;

d) wherein updated information is employable for calculating, updating, and storing alarms for issuing to the woman when a breast self-examination is to be conducted.

4. The apparatus in accordance with claim 3, wherein updated information includes one of:

a) actual information based on one or more past menstrual cycles;

b) estimated information entered when actual information is not available;

c) a combination of actual and estimated information.

5. The apparatus in accordance with claim 4, wherein the human interface is structured such that the woman can update estimated information with actual information including at least one of:

a) an actual starting date of a next menstrual cycle;

b) an actual length of a menstrual cycle;

c) an actual interval between menstrual cycles;

thereby causing a re-calculating and updating of future alarm events based on actual information.

6. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein a plurality of pre-selected times associated with an issuing of alarms for a temporal interval are provided by the woman via the human interface.

7. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the issuing of a present alarm may be followed by the woman inputting a request for another alarm to be issued a selectable number of hours after the present alarm.

8. The apparatus in accordance with claim 7, wherein for each of a plurality of issued alarm, the woman may respond by inputting a request for another alarm to be later issued.

9. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the database is contained within a memory structure of the computer, with the apparatus structured as a fully self-contained unit.

10. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the apparatus further includes a wireless link to a centralized remote database, with the database containing at least the information and results associated with the woman.

11. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the information includes at least one of:

a) alarm dates and times;

b) compliance information regarding an entering of results of previously conducted self-examinations;

c) archived results of previous self-examinations.

12. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the information is accessible for recalling and reviewing.