Mole monitoring system

• US 6,692,032 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2001
• Issued: 02/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Melanie Ann Christy
• Original Assignee: Melanie Ann Christy
• Inventors: Christy, Melanie Ann
• Primary Examiner(s): Wellington, A. L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Henderson, Mark T.
• Application Number:
  US09/995,521
• Publication Number:
  US 20030098580A1
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• Field of Search: 283/62, 283/115, 283/117, 283/900, 128/897, 128/63, 128/736, 600/300, 434/88, 434/262, 434/263, 434/267, 434/295, 602/42, 334/83
• US Class Current: 283/115
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/441 Skin evaluation, e.g. for skin disorder diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 283/90 Medical record

Abstract

The present invention is a nontechnical, nonmechanical, easy to use, healthcare product that allows any individual to monitor changes in moles, freckles, or other skin growths in the comfort of their own home. It doubles as a record-keeping system that allows a person to compare new measures to their previously recorded measures—notice a change has occurred—and make a potentially life-saving appointment with a dermatologist. By using the flexible transparent sheets and a numeric value system, the product identifies changes in size, shape, color, “geography” of the mole and if any bleeding has occurred; all of which are important features in the development of skin cancer or melanoma. This product does not diagnose or treat a disease, but most importantly it provides people with a means of discovering a potential problem that normally would be undetected by the naked eye. This product has the potential to decrease medical care costs, reduce human suffering, and save lives.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring pigmented skin lesions, the method comprising the steps of:

entering a date in a first region of multiple regions within a date section of a flexible sheet;

laying the flexible sheet over a region of skin so that a pigmented skin lesion within the region of skin is visible through a first transparent region of a plurality of transparent regions within a tracing section of the flexible sheet;

tracing a first outline of the pigmented skin lesion in the first transparent region within the tracing section of the flexible sheet,

using an alphanumeric key associating multiple appearance characteristics of pigmented skin lesions to multiple codes, entering at least one code of the multiple codes associated with one or more appearance characteristics of the pigmented skin lesion on a first region of a plurality of regions within an appearance section of the flexible sheet;

after a time has lapsed in which the outline and/or the appearance characteristics of the pigmented skin lesion may have changed, entering a date in a second region of the multiple regions within the date section of the flexible sheet;

laying the flexible sheet over the pigmented skin lesion so that the pigmented skin lesion is visible through a second transparent region of the plurality of transparent regions within the tracing section of the flexible sheet;

tracing a second outline of the pigmented skin lesion in the second transparent region;

using the alphanumeric key, entering at least one code of the multiple codes associated with one or more appearance characteristics of the pigmented skin lesion on a second region of the regions within the appearance section of the flexible sheet; and

comparing the second outline of the pigmented skin lesion in the second transparent region of the tracing section with the first outline of the pigmented skin lesion in the first transparent region of the tracing section, and comparing the at least one code entered in the second region of the appearance section with the at least one code entered in the first region of the appearance section.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein at least one code is entered indicating color of the pigmented skin lesion.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein at least one code is entered indicating geography of the pigmented skin lesion.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein at least one code is entered indicating whether the pigmented skin lesion has bled.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of using a second flexible sheet to trace and enter appearance characteristics of a second pigmented skin lesion.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of recording physical location of the pigmented skin lesion on a fourth section of the flexible sheet.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein a permanent marker is used to enter the date, trace the outline, and enter the at least one code.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first and second transparent regions of the tracing section are adjacent each other so that the first and second outlines of the pigmented skin lesion are adjacent each other during the comparing step.

9. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of delivering the flexible sheet to medical personnel, wherein the first and second outlines of the pigmented skin lesion and the at least one code entered in the first and second regions of the appearance section provide a history of the pigmented skin lesion to the medical personnel.