Early detection of contagious diseases
First Claim
1. A pre-symptomatic surveillance and alert method, comprising:
- distributing a separate personal apparatus to each human of a plurality of humans in a region, wherein each said apparatus comprises a proximity transceiver and a data storage device, wherein said proximity transceiver comprises means for transmitting proximity data to a computer controller and to each other said separate personal apparatus during a data acquisition time period, wherein said proximity transceiver further comprises means for receiving a notification from said controller;
diagnosing a contagious disease in at least one infected human of said plurality of humans;
downloading to said computer controller said proximity data from each said apparatus to produce downloaded data, wherein said computer controller analyzes said downloaded data to determine if at least one human of said plurality of humans requires notification, wherein notification is required if the personal apparatus of said at least one human is located within a predefined distance from the personal apparatus of said at least one infected human, wherein said computer controller further comprises means for transmitting said notification to the personal apparatus of said at least one human;
analyzing with said computer controller said downloaded data to determine if said at least one human of said plurality of humans requires said notification; and
transmitting said notification to the personal apparatus of said at least one human if said notification is required.
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Accused Products
Abstract
This invention provides an electronic proximity apparatus and a surveillance method using such an apparatus for alerting individuals that are exposed to a contagious disease. When a person becomes symptomatic and is diagnosed as positive for a given contagious agent, individuals that have recently maintained a threshold proximity with respect to an infected individual are notified and advised to seek immediate medial care. Treatment of individuals in the very early phases of infection (pre-symptomatic) significantly reduces contagiousness of the infected population first exposed to the contagious disease, thus preventing spread of the disease throughout the general population.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A pre-symptomatic surveillance and alert method, comprising:
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distributing a separate personal apparatus to each human of a plurality of humans in a region, wherein each said apparatus comprises a proximity transceiver and a data storage device, wherein said proximity transceiver comprises means for transmitting proximity data to a computer controller and to each other said separate personal apparatus during a data acquisition time period, wherein said proximity transceiver further comprises means for receiving a notification from said controller; diagnosing a contagious disease in at least one infected human of said plurality of humans; downloading to said computer controller said proximity data from each said apparatus to produce downloaded data, wherein said computer controller analyzes said downloaded data to determine if at least one human of said plurality of humans requires notification, wherein notification is required if the personal apparatus of said at least one human is located within a predefined distance from the personal apparatus of said at least one infected human, wherein said computer controller further comprises means for transmitting said notification to the personal apparatus of said at least one human; analyzing with said computer controller said downloaded data to determine if said at least one human of said plurality of humans requires said notification; and transmitting said notification to the personal apparatus of said at least one human if said notification is required. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A pre-symptomatic surveillance and alert system, comprising:
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a computer controller; and a plurality of personal apparatuses, wherein each personal apparatus of said plurality of personal apparatuses comprises a proximity transceiver and a data storage device, wherein said proximity transceiver comprises means for transmitting proximity data to said computer controller and to other said personal apparatuses during a data acquisition time period, to produce downloaded data, wherein said proximity transceiver further comprises means for receiving a notification from said computer controller, wherein said computer controller analyzes said downloaded data to determine if at least one human of said plurality of humans requires notification, wherein notification is required if a diagnosis is made of a contagious disease in at least one infected human of said plurality of humans and the personal apparatus of said at least one human is located within a predefined distance from the personal apparatus of said at least one infected human, wherein said computer controller further comprises means for transmitting said notification to the personal apparatus of said at least one human. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification