Wireless transmission of temperature data for a geographic area

• US 8,577,642 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2012
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• 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): Armand, Marc
• Assistant Examiner(s): SUAREZ, FELIX E
• Application Number:
  US13/445,190
• Publication Number:
  US 20120197585A1
• Time in Patent Office: 572 Days
• Field of Search: 702/19, 702/130, 702/182, 702/183, 702/186, 600/300, 455/67.11, 705/64
• 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 disease outbreak, comprising:

receiving at a processor, over wireless communications paths, body temperature data from a plurality of individuals from plural locations, each location transmitting data for multiple individuals from a common temperature detector; and

in the processor, using statistical analysis of only the body temperature data from the plurality of individuals at the plural locations to determine a pattern in percentage of fevers per time period to indicate a disease outbreak in a geographic area, the statistical analysis reducing false positives of an outbreak.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising 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 receiving the body temperature data comprises receiving cell phone signal transmission.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the body temperature data is received in the form of a Short Message Service (SMS), text message, or email message.

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

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

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

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

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

11. A processor for identifying a disease outbreak, the processor:

receiving body temperature data for a plurality of individuals at plural locations, including temperature data for multiple individuals from a common temperature detector at each location; and

using statistical analysis of only the body temperature data from the plurality of individuals at the plural locations to determine a pattern in percentage of fevers per time period in the received body temperature data to indicate a disease outbreak in a geographic area, the statistical analysis reducing false positives of an outbreak.

12. The processor of claim 11 wherein the processor stores the body temperature data in a database.

13. The processor of claim 11 wherein receiving the body temperature data uses cell phone signal transmission.

14. The processor of claim 13 wherein the body temperature data is received in the form a Short Message Service (SMS), text message, or email message to transmit body temperature data.

15. The processor of claim 11 wherein the processor displays the pattern to a user of the processor.

16. The processor of claim 11 wherein the pattern identifies an epidemic.

17. The processor of claim 11 wherein the pattern identifies a pandemic.

18. The processor of claim 11 wherein the pattern identifies an outbreak in an identified geographic location.

19. A method of identifying a disease outbreak, comprising:

receiving at a processor, over wireless communications paths, body temperature data from plural locations, each location transmitting data from a temperature detector for multiple individuals; and

in the processor, using statistical analysis of the body temperature data from the plurality of individuals at the plural locations to determine a pattern in percentage of fevers per time period to indicate a disease outbreak in a geographic area, the statistical analysis reducing false positives of an outbreak.

20. A processor for identifying a disease outbreak, the processor:

receiving body temperature data for a plurality of individuals at plural locations; and

using statistical analysis of the body temperature data from the plurality of individuals at the plural locations to determine a pattern in percentage of fevers per time period in the received body temperature data to indicate a disease outbreak in a geographic area, the statistical analysis reducing false positives of an outbreak.