Computer code for portable sensing

• US 7,248,972 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2004
• Issued: 07/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Smiths Detection (Smiths Group International Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Smiths Detection (Smiths Group International Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sunshine, Steven A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoff; Marc S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Suarez; Felix
• Application Number:
  US10/987,159
• Publication Number:
  US 20050090993A1
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• Field of Search: 702/21, 702/22, 702/116, 702/179, 702/182, 702/188, 702/31, 702/32, 600/635, 600/347, 128/920, 700/28
• US Class Current: 702/21
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0022 using a number of analysing channels
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2657 Blood, urine analyzer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

The present invention relates to a computer program product or code in memory for detecting and transmitting sensory data from a portable field device 10 to a processor 12 via a computer network 10 for analytic purposes. The product includes a code directed to capturing analyte data pertaining to an unknown analyte using a field device 10. The product further includes a code directed to encoding the captured analyte data and transmitting the encoded analyte data via a computer network 18 to a processor 12 for analysis. The product also includes a code directed to performing an analysis of the captured analyte data at a remote location by the processor 12 using data of known analytes retrieved from an electronic library 14. This code and others can be used with the present invention to perform the functionality described herein as well as others.

Claims

1. A system comprising memory including a computer code product for detecting and transferring data pertaining to an analyte from a first device to a second device, said memory comprising:

a code directed to capturing chemical analyte data pertaining to said analyte using said first device at a first location, wherein the analyte is used for monitoring a medical condition or a disease progression of a patient; and

a code directed to automatically transmitting said chemical analyte data via a computer network to said second device at a second location, wherein said chemical analyte data is analyzed at the second location to track the medical condition or the disease progression of the patient.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the chemical analyte data comprises olfactory analyte data.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first device comprises a gas sensing device to capture a breath sample of the patient.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the medical condition or disease progression monitored is one among the group consisting of halitosis, ketosis, yeast infection, gastrointestinal infection, diabetes, alcohol, phenylketonuria, pneumonia, and lung infections.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first device comprises a sensing device that senses a sample of gaseous or volatile substances from the vaginal region of the patient.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the disease progression or medical condition monitored is one among the group consisting of cervical, ovarian, or uterine cancer, HIV, sexually transmitted diseases, cytomegalovirus, yeast infections, pregnancy, and chlamydia.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the second device comprises an online interface that provides information and instruction to the patient.

8. The system according to claim 2, wherein olfactory analyte data comprises an olfactory signature of the analyte which is compared to a stored library of olfactory signatures at the second device.

9. A method of automatically detecting and transferring chemical analyte data for monitoring a medical condition or a disease progression of a patient, comprising:

capturing chemical analyte data pertaining to an analyte at a first device at a first location, wherein the analyte is used for monitoring the medical condition or disease progression of the patient; and

automatically transmitting the chemical analyte data over a network to a second device at a second location, wherein the chemical analyte data is analyzed at the second location to track the medical condition or the disease progression of the patient.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the chemical analyte data comprises olfactory analyte data.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the step of capturing the olfactory analyte data comprises using a gas sensing device to capture a breath sample of the patient.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the medical condition or disease progression monitored is one among a group consisting of halitosis, ketosis, yeast infection, gastrointestinal infection, diabetes, alcohol, phenylketonuria, pneumonia, and lung infections.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the step of capturing the olfactory analyte data comprises using a sensing device that senses a sample of gaseous or volatile substances from the vaginal region of the patient.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the medical condition or disease progression monitored is among a group consisting of cervical, ovarian, or uterine cancer, HIV, sexually transmitted diseases, cytomegalovirus, yeast infections, pregnancy, and Chlamydia.

15. The method according to claim 10, further comprising analyzing the olfactory data at the second location by comparing an olfactory signature of the analyte to a stored library of olfactory signatures.

16. A system for automatically detecting and transferring chemical analyte data for monitoring a medical condition or a disease progression of a patient, comprising:

means for capturing chemical analyte data pertaining to an analyte at a first device at a first location, wherein the analyte is used for monitoring the medical condition or disease progression of the patient; and

means for automatically transmitting the chemical analyte data over a network to a second device at a second location, wherein the chemical analyte data is analyzed at the second location to track the medical condition or the disease progression.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the chemical analyte data comprises olfactory analyte data.