Providing a medical support device via an unmanned aerial vehicle

• US 8,948,935 B1
• Filed: 01/02/2013
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wing Aviation LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Peeters, Eric, Teller, Eric, Patrick, William Graham, Brin, Sergey
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wong, Yuen
• Application Number:
  US13/732,958
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 709/201
• US Class Current: 701/3
• 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 5/7465 Arrangements for interactive communication between patient and care services, e.g. by using a telephone network telemetry of measured physiological signal A61B5/0002
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/31 Carrying cases or bags, e.g. doctors' bags
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/22 Taking-up articles from earth's surface
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/64 for parcel delivery or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/104 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/29 Constructional aspects of rotors or rotor supports; Arrangements thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/102 specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Embodiments described herein may relate to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) navigating to a medical situation in order to provide medical support. An illustrative method involves a UAV (a) housing a medical-support device, (b) determining a target location associated with at least one individual in need of medical assistance, (c) navigating the UAV from a remote location to the target location, (d) the computing system making a determination that the UAV is located at the target location, and (e) in response to the determination that the UAV is located at the target location, delivering by a delivery mechanism the medical-support device for providing medical assistance for the at least one individual in need of medical assistance.

Claims

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:

a housing that is configured to hold a medical-support device;

a delivery mechanism, wherein the delivery mechanism comprises a winch system that is configured to deliver the medical-support device to a target location associated with an individual in need of medical assistance; and

a control system, wherein said control system is configured to;

receive a request for assistance at an individual medical situation, wherein the request comprises location data corresponding to the target location;

determine the target location based on the location data;

navigate the UAV from a remote location to the target location, wherein the UAV navigates to the target location in a forward-flight mode;

make a determination that the UAV is located at or near to the target location;

in response to the determination that the UAV is located at or near to the target location, transition the UAV into a hover flight mode; and

cause the winch system to deliver the medical-support device to the target location by lowering the medical-support device towards a ground, such that the medical-support device is provided for medical assistance to the individual in need of medical assistance.

2. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the medical-support device is configured to provide instructions for medical treatment.

3. The UAV of claim 2, wherein the instructions for medical treatment are pre-loaded.

4. The UAV of claim 2, wherein the instructions for medical treatment are in the form of audio or visual instructions.

5. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the medical-support device comprises a head-mountable device (HMD).

6. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the medical-support device is at least one of a medicine, a diagnostic device, a treatment device, a remote support device, a pulse oximeter, a blood pressure sensor, an EKG sensor, an epinephrine injection, or a first aid kit.

7. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the medical-support device is a defibrillator.

8. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the medical-support device is at least one of a mobile phone, a tablet computer, or a laptop computer.

9. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the winch system comprises a compartment from which the medical-support device is manually removable.

10. The UAV of claim 9, wherein the compartment comprises a sliding system to slide the medical-support device out of the compartment.

11. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the location data is comprised of Global Position System (GPS) coordinates.

12. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the request for assistance at the individual medical situation is received from a mobile device.

13. A method comprising:

housing, by a housing system of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a medical-support device;

receiving, by a computing system of the UAV, a request for assistance at an individual medical situation, wherein the request comprises location data corresponding to a target location;

determining, by the computing system of the UAV, the target location, wherein the target location is associated with an individual in need of medical assistance;

navigating, by the computing system of the UAV, the UAV from a remote location to the target location, wherein the UAV navigates to the target location in a forward-flight mode;

making, by the computing system of the UAV, a determination that the UAV is located at or near to the target location;

in response to the determination that the UAV is located at or near to the target location, transitioning the UAV into a hover flight mode; and

delivering, by a delivery mechanism, the medical-support device to the target location by lowering the medical-support device towards to a ground, such that the medical-support device is provided for medical assistance to the individual in need of medical assistance, wherein the delivery mechanism comprises a winch system.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the medical-support device comprises a head-mountable device (HMD).

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the winch system comprises a compartment wherein the medical-support device may be manually removed from the housing.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the compartment comprises a sliding system to slide the medical-support device out of the housing.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the medical-support device is configured to provide instructions for medical treatment.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the instructions for medical treatment are pre-loaded.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the instructions for medical treatment are in the form of audio or visual instructions.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions that are executable to cause a computing device to perform functions comprising:

receiving a request for assistance at an individual medical situation, wherein the request comprises location data corresponding to a target location;

determining the target location, wherein the target location is associated with an individual in need of medical assistance;

using a navigation system to navigate an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from a remote location to the target location, wherein the UAV navigates to the target location in a forward-flight mode;

making a determination that the UAV is located at or near to the target location;

in response to the determination that the UAV is located at or near to the target location, transitioning the UAV into a hover flight mode; and

using a delivery mechanism to deliver the medical-support device to the target location by lowering the medical-support device towards a ground, such that the medical support device is provided for medical assistance to the individual in need of medical assistance, wherein the delivery mechanism comprises a winch system.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the medical-support device is a defibrillator.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the medical-support device comprises a head-mountable device (HMD).

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the medical-support device is configured to provide instructions for medical treatment.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the instructions for medical treatment are pre-loaded.

25. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the instructions for medical treatment are in the form of audio or visual instructions.