Patient identification system

• US 7,683,759 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2004
• Issued: 03/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ablecare Medical, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Martis Ip Holdings, LLC
• Inventors: Jones, George P., Fischer, Olivier, Smith, Lawrence G., Hispkind, Jason C., Oehler, Frederick M., Martis, Dinesh J., Biggins, Edward S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman; Brian A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Nam V
• Application Number:
  US10/959,660
• Publication Number:
  US 20060074280A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,994 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.82, 340/5.8, 340 551- 554, 340/286.07, 340/5.83, 340/5.74, 340/532, 235/382, 235/382.5, 235/115, 235/375, 600/323, 600/333, 128/672, 128/661.08, 705/3, 382/124, 382/118, 382/115
• US Class Current: 340/5.83
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/005 Constructional features of the display
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1172 using fingerprinting
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6816 Ear lobe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6826 Finger
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6838 Clamps or clips
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

A patient identification device is disclosed. The device includes a first sensor, a second sensor, and a processor. The first sensor may be configured to be positioned on the patient'"'"'s finger. The device may include a camera. The device may include an identifier. The identifier displays a randomly generated alphanumeric code for further identification of the patient.

Claims

1. A method of identifying a person in a healthcare related transaction, including the steps of:

(a) measuring fingerprint data from a person;

(b) measuring non-fingerprint biometric data from the person at a first location in a finger region of the person at the same time the fingerprint data is being measured;

(c) measuring the same non-fingerprint biometric data being measured at the first location at a second location at the same time the fingerprint data and the biometric data at the first location are being measured;

(d) displaying a randomly generated identifier at the second location at the same time the fingerprint data and the non-fingerprint biometric data are being measured;

(e) capturing the fingerprint data and the non-fingerprint biometric data measured at the first and second locations;

(f) capturing a visual representation while the fingerprint and non-fingerprint biometric measurements are being made that includes the person'"'"'s facial characteristics, the randomly generated identifier, and both of the biometric measurement locations; and

(g) associating the visual representation with information based upon data captured from the fingerprint and non-fingerprint biometric measurements at the same time the visual representation was created to create a dataset unique to the person only at the time the visual representation was captured.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the second location is different than the first location.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the biometric parameter being measured includes a pulse measurement.

4. A method as recited in claim 3 wherein the visual representation is further associated with the date and time at which the biometric data and visual representation were captured.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 where the fingerprint data is measured on the same finger of the person from which the first biometric measurement is taken.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the randomly generated identifier is photographed.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 further including the step of associating the visual representation with the randomly generated identifier to create the dataset unique to the person only at the time the visual representation was captured.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 further including the step of capturing identification information from the person.

9. A method of identifying a person in a healthcare related transaction, including the steps of:

(a) measuring a biometric parameter at a first location in a finger region of a person;

(b) measuring the same biometric parameter at a second location at the same time biometric data is being measured at the first location;

(c) capturing the biometric data measured at the first and second locations;

(d) displaying a randomly generated identifier at the second location at the same time the biometric data at the first and second locations is being measured;

(e) capturing a visual representation while measurements are being made at the first and second locations that includes the person'"'"'s facial characteristics, the randomly generated identifier, and both of the biometric measurement locations; and

(f) associating the visual representation with information based upon data captured from the first and second locations at the same time the visual representation was created to create a dataset unique to the person only at the time the visual representation was captured.

10. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein the date and time the visual representation was taken are further associated with the visual representation and the information based upon data captured from the first and second locations.

11. A method as recited in claim 9 further including the step of measuring fingerprint parameter at the finger region of the first location during the period the biometric data is being measured at the first and second locations, and further including the step of associating the fingerprint data with the visual representation.

12. A method of substantiating a biometric measurement by associating it with a photographic image, including the steps of:

(a) measuring a predetermined biometric parameter of a person with a sensing device at both a first and a second location;

(b) displaying a randomly generated identifier at the second location at the same time the predetermined biometric data at the first and second locations is being measured;

(c) capturing a visual representation at the same time as the biometric data is being measured, including the randomly generated identifier, data about the facial characteristics of the person and the sensing device; and

(d) associating the captured visual representation with the randomly generated identifier and the biometric data to insure the visual representation has been taken from the same person from whom the biometric data was captured.

13. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein the visual representation is associated with the biometric parameter at the date and time the biometric data is captured to create a unique dataset.

14. A method as recited in claim 13 wherein the biometric parameter is a fingerprint.

15. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein the biometric parameter is retinal scan.

16. A method of substantiating a biometric measurement by associating it with a photographic image, including the steps of:

(a) measuring a biometric parameter of a person with a sensing device at both a first and a second location during a first time period;

(b) displaying a randomly generated identifier at the second location at the same time the biometric data at the first and second locations is being measured;

(c) capturing a visual representation of the person at the same time as the biometric parameter is being measured during the first time period, including the randomly generated identifier and data about the facial characteristics of the person;

(d) associating the captured visual representation with the randomly generated identifier and the biometric parameter captured during the first time period to create a dataset unique to the person only at the time the visual representation was captured; and

(e) measuring the biometric parameter at a time subsequent to the first time period and using the unique dataset to confirm that the biometric parameter measured at the subsequent time is from the same person from whom the biometric parameter measured during the first time period.

17. A method as recited in claim 16 wherein the biometric parameter is fingerprint data.

18. A method as recited in claim 16 wherein the biometric parameter is retinal data.

19. A method of identifying a person in a healthcare related transaction, including the steps of:

(a) measuring non-fingerprint biometric data from a person at a first location proximal to a finger of the person during a first period of time;

(b) measuring the same non-fingerprint biometric parameter at a second location of the person at the same time the non-fingerprint biometric parameter is being measured at the first location, the second location being spaced from the first location;

(c) displaying a randomly generated identifier at the second location at the same time the biometric data at the first and second locations is being measured;

(d) recording fingerprint information from the finger at the same time the non-fingerprint biometric measurement is being taken at the first and second locations;

(e) capturing a visual representation while measurements are being made at the first and second locations that includes the facial characteristics of the person, the randomly generated identifier, and both of the biometric measurement locations;

(f) associating the visual representation with the randomly generated identifier and the information based upon data captured from the first and second locations to create a dataset unique to the person only at the time the visual representation was captured; and

(g) measuring the fingerprint information subsequent to the first period of time and utilizing the unique dataset to confirm that the fingerprint information taken at the subsequent time is from the same person from whom the fingerprint information was recorded during the first period of time.

20. A method as recited in claim 19 wherein data related to the date and time the visual representation was taken during the first time period is associated with the visual representation and used to create a unique dataset, and the unique dataset is used to insure that the fingerprint information taken at the subsequent time is from the same person from whom the fingerprint information was taken during the first period of time.

21. A method of associating a person'"'"'s fingerprint and facial identification data, including the steps of:

(a) capturing fingerprint data from a person;

(b) creating a randomly generated identifier;

(c) simultaneously with the capture of the fingerprint, capturing data representative of the person'"'"'s visual facial characteristics and the randomly generated identifier; and

(d) intermingling the data representative of the person'"'"'s facial characteristics with,

(i) the fingerprint data captured at the time data representative of the person'"'"'s facial characteristics was captured, and

(ii) the randomly generated identifier;

to form a data set unique to the person.