Wireless transmission of temperature data for a geographic area

• US 8,160,836 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2007
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Exergen Corporation
• Original Assignee: Exergen Corporation
• Inventors: Pompei, Francesco, Lee, Janette H., Jarboe, Jason N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Charioui, Mohamed
• Assistant Examiner(s): Suarez, Felix E
• Application Number:
  US11/787,651
• Publication Number:
  US 20080262782A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,827 Days
• Field of Search: 702/19, 702/32, 702/130, 702/182, 702/183, 702/186, 600/300, 600/549, 600/315, 705/64, 455/67.11
• US Class Current: 702/131
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0008 Temperature signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0022 for sensing the radiation of moving bodies
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0025 Living bodies ear thermometers G01J5/0011; detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/02 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/025 Interfacing a pyrometer to an external device or network; User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/027 making use of sensor-related data, e.g. for identification of sensor parts or optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/02 Means for indicating or recording specially adapted for thermometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/024 for remote indication
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/026 arrangements for monitoring a plurality of temperatures, e.g. by multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/20 Clinical contact thermometers for use with humans or animals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/18 for evaluating statistical data , e.g. average values, frequency distributions, probability functions, regression analysis forecasting specially adapted for a specific administrative, business or logistic context G06Q10/04

Abstract

A user obtains an individual'"'"'s body temperature data and transmits the data to a medical monitor (e.g., a medical device) for display. Additional data includes a timestamp and location of the body temperature data. Once the data is transmitted, a user may view the medical monitor for a temperature reading. For example, a doctor may take a patient'"'"'s temperature and the temperature reading is displayed on a medical monitor. The body temperature data of each patient is detected using a preferred temperature detector, such as a temporal artery thermometer using an arterial heat balance approach. After collecting an individual'"'"'s body temperature data, the body temperature data can be transferred to a processor. By sending body temperature data for many individuals for a geographic region, the processor can identify a pattern (e.g., a pandemic) in the body temperature data.

Claims

1. A method of identifying a pattern in body temperature data, comprising:

using a common temperature detector to detect body temperature data for a plurality of individuals;

transmitting from the common temperature detector the body temperature data over a wireless communications path to a processor; and

determining a pattern in the body temperature data from the plurality of individuals using the processor to indicate a disease outbreak in a geographic area based on a change in percentage of fevers for a time period and using statistical analysis of the temperature data to avoid false positives in indication of the disease outbreak.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein using the common temperature detector to detect body temperature data of a plurality of individuals further comprises scanning across the temporal artery for each individual to obtain body temperature data.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing the body temperature data in a database in the processor.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting the body temperature data uses a cell phone module.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the cell phone module includes a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the cell phone module includes a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS).

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the cell phone module transmits in the form of a Short Message Service (SMS), text message, or email message.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying the pattern to a user of the processor.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the pattern identifies an epidemic.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the pattern identifies a pandemic.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the pattern identifies an outbreak in an identified geographic location.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting the body temperature data from multiple locations.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the pattern identifies an outbreak in multiple geographic locations.

14. A system for identifying a pattern in temperature data, comprising:

a common temperature detector to detect body temperature data for a plurality of individuals;

a transmitter associated with the common temperature detector that transmits body temperature data from the common temperature detector over a wireless communications path to a processing unit; and

the processing unit that determines a pattern in the body temperature data from the plurality of individuals to indicate a disease outbreak in a geographic area based on a change in percentage of fevers for a time period and uses statistical analysis of the temperature data to avoid false positives in indication of the disease outbreak.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the common temperature detector scans across the temporal artery to obtain body temperature data.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the processor stores the body temperature data in a database.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the transmitter is a cell phone module.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the cell phone module includes Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card to transmit body temperature data.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the cell phone module includes a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) to transmit body temperature data.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein the cell phone module transmits in the form a Short Message Service (SMS), text message, or email message to transmit body temperature data.

21. The system of claim 14 wherein the processing unit displays the pattern to a user of the processing unit.

22. The system of claim 14 wherein the pattern identifies an epidemic.

23. The system of claim 14 wherein the pattern identifies a pandemic.

24. The system of claim 14 wherein the pattern identifies an outbreak in an identified geographic location.

25. The system of claim 14 wherein the pattern is based on the body temperature data from multiple transmitters.

26. The system of claim 14 wherein the pattern identifies an outbreak in multiple geographic locations.

27. A system for identifying a pattern in body temperature data, comprising:

means for detecting body temperature data for a plurality of individuals, the means for detecting body temperature data being common for the plurality of individuals;

means for transmitting the body temperature data from the means for detecting body temperature data over a wireless communications path to a processor means; and

the processor means for determining a pattern in the body temperature data from the plurality of individuals to indicate a disease outbreak in a geographic area based on a change in percentage of fevers for a time period, the processor means using statistical analysis of the temperature data to avoid false positives in indication of the disease outbreak.

28. A system for transmitting temperature data, comprising:

a common temperature detector that detects body temperature data of a plurality of individuals;

a cellular transmitter associated with the common temperature detector that transmits body temperature data of the plurality of individuals from the common temperature detector over a wireless communications path to a processing unit; and

a processor that determines a pattern in body temperature data of the plurality of individuals to indicate a disease outbreak in a geographic area based on a change in percentage of fevers for a time period and uses statistical analysis of the temperature data to avoid false positives in indication of the disease outbreak.