System and method for in-situ mental health monitoring and therapy administration

• US 7,540,841 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2006
• Issued: 06/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Zingelewicz, Virginia Ann, Johnson, Christopher Donald, Azzaro, Steven Hector
• Primary Examiner(s): Campbell; Thor S
• Application Number:
  US11/611,355
• Publication Number:
  US 20080146888A1
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• Field of Search: 600/300
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/00 Measuring for diagnostic purposes radiation diagnosis A61B6/00; diagnosis by ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves A61B8/00; Identification of persons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/16 Devices for psychotechnics using teaching or educational appliances G09B1/00 - G09B7/00; Testing reaction times ; Devices for evaluating the psychological state
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/70 relating to mental therapies, e.g. psychological therapy or autogenous training

Abstract

Method and systems for diagnosing and treating individuals having a mental health disease that provide health related information about one or more of the individuals wherein at least portion of the information comprises collected data on one or more of the individual'"'"'s activities; analyzes the health related information according to assess the individual'"'"'s mental health; and creates a treatment plan based at least in part on the individual'"'"'s assessed state of mental health.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring and treating individuals having a mental health disease comprising,

one or more monitoring devices to collect individual daily activity data;

a storage device for at least temporarily storing health-related information about one or more of said individuals wherein at least portion of said information comprises data on one or more of said individual'"'"'s daily activities, and wherein said collected activity data comprises activity level data;

a processor for analyzing said health related information to assess said individual'"'"'s mental health; and

a device for generating a treatment plan based at least in part on said individual'"'"'s assessed mental health; and

wherein one or more of the monitoring devices unobtrusively and automatically collects the activity data without active input by the individual.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a monitoring system for sensing one or more activities of said individual.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said monitoring system comprises one or more actigraphy devices worn by the individual.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the monitoring system comprises one or more of said sensors that continuously collects data over a twenty four hour period.

5. The system of claim 3, further comprising a means for transmitting data corresponding to said sensed activities to a remote location.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a means for transmitting at least part of said treatment plan to said individual.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said means comprises a computer network.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more of said activities is sleeping.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said health related information comprises mental health information.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said health related information comprises one or more physiological measurements.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a passive device for administering one or more medications to said individual, and a means for activating said passive device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said means for activating comprises a radio frequency or infrared signal.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said activities may be selected from a group of activities consisting of:

sleeping, activating or deactivating an in-home device, entering or leaving a living area of the individual, exercising, making sounds, physical movement by the individual, opening or closing a door or window, using a computer or other electronic digital devices, website usage, making financial relating transactions and selecting or using media.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein said assessment of mental health comprises an analysis of an absolute measure and a relative measure of mental acuity.

16. The system off claim 1, wherein said assessment of mental health comprises an analysis of depression.

14. A system for monitoring and treating individuals having a mental health disease comprising,

a means for at least temporarily storing health-related information about one or more of said individuals wherein at least portion of said information comprises data on one or more of said individual'"'"'s activities;

a processor for analyzing said health related information to assess said individual'"'"'s mental health;

and a device for generating a treatment plan based at least in part on said individual'"'"'s assessed mental health; and

wherein said health related information further comprises personal credit related data.