Medical screening apparatus and method

• US 6,594,607 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2001
• Issued: 07/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pursuant Health, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Kevin T. Lavery
• Inventors: Lavery, Kevin T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Bryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): VO, HIEN XUAN
• Application Number:
  US09/783,449
• Publication Number:
  US 20010025226A1
• Time in Patent Office: 881 Days
• Field of Search: 702/108, 600/437, 600/400, 128/904, 128/858, 128/859, 128/845, 128/200.28, 128/201.12, 345/733, 351/210, 351/206, 351/246
• US Class Current: 702/108
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/60 for the operation of medical equipment or devices
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

A medical screening apparatus and method includes a housing containing a user interface, an automatic medical test apparatus and a transmitting means for communicating the output of the medical test apparatus to a remote site for analysis. In one aspect, the user interface is a video display terminal capable of receiving user data and for displaying the medical test output. Preferably, the test output is automatically transmitted via a global telecommunication network, such as the Internet, to the remote site.

Claims

1. A medical screening apparatus for executing a medical test on a patient comprising:

an integrated housing having components for fully automated testing initiated in response to patient activation;

a user interface mounted in the integrated housing for inputting user related data;

a medical test apparatus mounted in the integrated housing for automatically executing a medical test on a user and generating a test output;

means communicating with the medical test apparatus, for transmitting the test output and patient demographics to a remote analysis site.

2. The medical screening apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

automated control means, mounted in the integrated housing, for controlling the user interface, the activation of the medical test apparatus and the operation of the transmitting means.

3. The medical screening apparatus of claim 2 wherein:

the control means includes a central processing unit executing a control program stored in a memory coupled to the central processing unit.

4. The medical screening apparatus of claim 1 wherein the transmitting means comprises:

means for communicating the test output via a global telecommunication network.

5. The medical screening apparatus of claim 1 wherein the user interface comprises:

a video display terminal mounted in the integrated housing.

6. The medical screen apparatus of claim 5 wherein:

the video display terminal is at least one of a user interface and a video output display of the test output.

7. The medical screening apparatus of claim 5 wherein:

the video display terminal is a user interface and a video output display for displaying the test output to the user.

8. The medical screening apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the medical test apparatus is a retinal screening apparatus.

9. The medical screening apparatus of claim 8 wherein:

the retinal screening apparatus includes a digital retinal camera.

10. The medical screening apparatus of claim 8 further comprising:

means for establishing a predetermined position of the user'"'"'s eye with respect to the medical test apparatus in the integrated housing.

11. The medical screening apparatus of claim 10 wherein the position establishing means comprises:

a chin support mounted at a fixed distance from the integrated housing.

12. The medical screening apparatus of claim 10 wherein the position establishing means comprises:

a seat mounted on the housing at a fixed distance from the integrated housing.

13. A method for executing a medical test on a user patient, the method comprising the steps of:

initiating a fully automated medical test in response to patient activation of a testing apparatus included in an integrated housing;

providing a user interface in the integrated housing for receiving user data;

providing a medical test apparatus in the integrated housing for executing a medical test on a patient and generating a test output; and

transmitting the test output to a remote site for analysis.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the transmitting step further comprises:

transmitting the test output and the user data to the remote site via a global telecommunication network.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of providing the user interface comprises the steps of:

providing a user interface for inputting user data in a video output terminal for displaying the test output.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the medical test apparatus executes a retinal screening test.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of providing a medical test apparatus includes providing a digital retinal camera in the integrated housing.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising a step of:

establishing a predetermined position of the user'"'"'s eye with respect to the medical test apparatus in the integrated housing.