Method of Improving Medical Apparatus in Order to Replace Ancillary Medical Assistance by Employing Audible Verbal Human Sounding Voices to Prompt Therapeutic Usage and Provide Guidance, Measurements, Encouragement and Response, As Needed, to the Patient, By Using Electronic Technology

• US 20080030317A1
• Filed: 08/03/2007
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Terry Bryant
• Original Assignee: Terry Bryant
• Inventors: Bryant, Terry
• Application Number:
  US11/833,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20080030317A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/505
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0276 Determining malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse, heart rate, blood pressure or blood flow; Combined pulse/heart-rate/blood pressure determination; Evaluating a cardiovascular condition not otherwise provided for, e.g. using combinations of techniques provided for in this group with electrocardiography or electroauscultation; Heart catheters for measuring blood pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/08 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for evaluating the respiratory organs A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/145 Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissuemeasuring of blood pressure or blood flow A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

This method comprises of a method of eliminating ancillary medical assistance by the utilization of audible, verbal simulated human sounding voices produced by electronic technology which allows the ability to supply audible, verbal instructional help, prompting, measurements and also respond to the actions the patient is taking, through a human sounding voice providing the therapeutic requirements of the medical apparatus itself. With the employment of this unique method of self instructing, electronically functioning medical apparatus, the present invention will provide assistance to both the patient and the doctor by supplying non-human assistance, and will allow the therapeutic procedures contained within the electronic hardware of the present invention to be attached to, or built within, or combined to accommodate usage of each medical apparatus, thus, eliminating the need for ancillary medical assistance.

Claims

1. An improved medical apparatus comprising:

a medical apparatus of a type that requires ancillary medical assistance to ensure, prompt, inspire, entice, command, respond, inform or encourage recommended or required therapeutic use by a patient using said medical apparatus or in correlation with any medical procedure working in synthesis with said medical apparatus;

an electronic assembly comprising a microcontroller unit controlled by a functional program and an audio storage unit, said audio storage unit having at least one stored audible verbal message for prompting, enticing, commanding, inspiring, responding, informing or the patient to use said medical apparatus or which provides therapeutic guidance to the patient regarding use of the medical apparatus;

wherein the functional program controls the operation of said electronic assembly and eliminates the need for ancillary medical assistance when therapeutically guiding the patient to use said medical apparatus;

means for powering said electronic assembly; and

a speaker in communication with said electronic assembly for receiving said at least one stored audible verbal message from said audio storage unit upon direction from said microcontroller unit and transmitting the at least one stored audible verbal message directly to the patient to encourage compliance with the therapeutic guidelines for said medical apparatus by the patient without the necessity of having a live ancillary medical assistant present with the patient for such purposes.

2. The improved medical apparatus of claim 1 further including means for verbally indicating to the patient a measurement or result achieved by the patient from the performance of the required or recommended therapeutic procedure with said medical apparatus;

wherein the measurement or result achieved is calculated through mathematical and logic calculations performed by the functional program.

3. The improved medical apparatus of claim 2 wherein said means for verbally indicating comprising:

means for receiving analog signals relating to the user'"'"'s performance with the medical apparatus;

a level setting unit providing a performance level or goal for said medical apparatus; and

means for converting the receiving analog signals from said medical apparatus into digital data;

wherein a message sent from audio storage unit to the speaker by direction of the microcontroller is based on the analog signal received from said medical apparatus and the performance level or goal provided by the level setting unit.

4. The improved medical apparatus of claim 3 wherein said means for receiving is a gauge provided on said medical apparatus and a gauge connector in communication with the gauge and a signal input unit of said microcontroller unit;

wherein said level setting unit in communication with said signal input unit.

5. The improved medical apparatus of claim 1 wherein said microcontroller unit directs the audio storage unit to send a first verbal message to the speaker in order to prompt use of said medical apparatus device by the user as needed in relationship to said medical apparatus.

6. The improved medical apparatus of claim 5 wherein in relationship to said medical apparatus being used for powering said electronic assembly, said electronic assembly having a timing device for determining when to automatically send said at least one stored verbal message from said audio storage unit to said speaker in order to prompt, remind, entice, inspire or encourage the patient to use said medical apparatus as needed in relationship to said medical function of said medical apparatus to perform the required procedure as therapeutically required or recommended for said medical apparatus.

7. The improved medical apparatus of claim 6 wherein said microcontroller unit is programmed to direct the audio storage unit of output signals at a set time to send a first verbal message to the speaker in order to prompt use of said medical apparatus device by the user from the audio response relayed from a Signal Output Unit of the electronic assembly at a rate appropriate for the regeneration of an audible response from the audio data.

8. The improved medical apparatus of claim 5 wherein said microcontroller unit continues to direct the audio storage unit to send the first verbal message or another verbal message to the speaker on a spaced apart continuous basis until said microcontroller unit learns that the user has begun to perform the required procedure with said medical apparatus.

9. The improved medical apparatus of claim 5 wherein after the required procedure has been performed by the user said microcontroller unit is programmed to wait for a predetermined therapeutic time period before directing said audio storage unit to send a next initial verbal prompting message to the user for prompting the user to perform another required procedure;

wherein the user is encouraged to perform multiple required procedures with said medical apparatus device being employed during a single day period as therapeutically required or recommended for said medical apparatus.

10. The improved medical apparatus of claim 1 further comprising means for verbally indicating comprising:

means for determining a measurement or result achieved by the user from performing the required procedure with said medical apparatus;

an audio response unit;

means for powering said audio response unit; and

a speaker in communication with said audio response unit; and

wherein a signal corresponding to the measurement or result achieved by the user is sent by said means for determining to the audio response unit which generates a verbal message which is sent to the speaker to verbally indicate to the user the measurement or result determined and also sends a verbal functional message appropriate for the measurement or result determined according to a performance level or goal for the medical apparatus.

11. The improved medical apparatus of claim 10 wherein said electronic assembly further comprising a timer, controlled by a functional program of said microcontroller unit, for dictating when audio messages are sent to the speaker by said audio response unit;

wherein the functional program controls a timing unit to allow the appropriate time for the therapeutic use of said medical apparatus according to said medical apparatus.

12. The improved medical apparatus of claim 11 wherein the verbal encouragement message sent is chosen from a plurality of verbal messages stored in said audio data message storage unit;

wherein, in relationship to the functional program stored within the microcontroller unit that defines the behavior of said medical apparatus in accordance to a defined function, at least one of the plurality of verbal encouragement messages is used where the measurement or result determined is lower than the target measurement and at least one of the plurality of verbal encouragement messages is used where the measurement or result determined is higher than the target measurement;

wherein the plurality of verbal messages allow an appropriate verbal message to be selected, according to the user'"'"'s measurement or result performance of the required procedure according to said medical apparatus.

13. An improved medical apparatus comprising:

a medical apparatus having of a type that requires ancillary medical assistance to ensure or encourage recommended use of said medical apparatus by a patient; and

means for automatically verbally prompting the patient to use said medical apparatus to perform a medical procedure achieved through the use of said medical apparatus without having to have a live ancillary medical assistant physically present with the patient;

wherein said means for verbally prompting disposed within or attached to a housing of said medical apparatus or disposed within its own housing separate from said medical apparatus.

14. The improved medical apparatus of claim 13 wherein said means for verbally prompting is either disposed within or attached to said housing of said medical apparatus;

and said improved medical apparatus further comprising means for verbally indicating and verbally responding accordingly to a patient based on a measurement or result achieved by the patient from the patient'"'"'s performance of the required procedure, said means for verbally indicating and verbally responding disposed or attached to a same housing as said means for verbally prompting.

15. The improved medical apparatus of claim 14 wherein said means for verbally indicating comprising:

means for determining a measurement or result achieved by the patient from performing the required procedure with said medical apparatus;

an audio response unit;

means for converting digital data into analog through regeneration;

a signal output unit in communication with said means for converting;

wherein audio data is successively relayed to the Signal Output unit at a rate appropriate for the regeneration of the audible response according to said medical apparatus;

means for powering said audio response unit; and

a speaker in communication with said signal output unit;

wherein an output signal corresponding to the measurement or result achieved by the patient is sent by said means for determining to the audio response unit which generates a verbal message relayed from stored audio data which is sent to the speaker to verbally indicate to the patient said measurement or result achieved and also sends a verbal functional message appropriate for the measurement or result determined according to the therapeutic function of said medical apparatus.

16. The improved medical apparatus of claim 15 wherein said audio response unit including an audio message storage unit which sends a verbal encouragement message to the speaker based on a comparison of the measurement or result achieved to a target measurement or result in relationship to said medical apparatus.

17. The improved medical apparatus of claim 15 wherein the verbal encouragement message sent is chosen from a plurality of verbal messages stored in the audio message storage unit;

wherein at least one of the plurality of verbal encouragement messages is used where the measurement or result determined is lower than the target measurement or result and at least one of the plurality of verbal encouragement messages is used where the measurement or result determined is higher than the target measurement or result;

wherein the plurality of verbal messages allow an appropriate verbal message to be selected according to the patient'"'"'s measurement or result performance of the required procedure according to said medical apparatus.

18. An automated verbal prompting and indication device for a medical apparatus, said medical apparatus of a type that requires ancillary medical assistance to ensure or encourage use of said medical apparatus, said automated prompting device comprising:

means for verbally prompting a patient to use said medical apparatus to perform a required or recommended procedure achieved through use of said medical apparatus, wherein said verbal prompting is achieved without the physical presence of an ancillary medical assistant with the patient; and

means for verbally indicating and verbally responding accordingly to a patient based on a measurement or result achieved by the patient from the user'"'"'s performance of the procedure according to said medical apparatus and without the physical presence of an ancillary medical assistant with the patient.

19. The automated verbal prompting and indication device of claim 18 wherein said means for verbally prompting comprises an electronic assembly in communication with a speaker and means for powering said electronic assembly, said electronic assembly comprising a microcontroller unit and an audio storage unit, said audio storage unit having at least one stored verbal message for prompting the patient to use said medical apparatus to perform the required procedure;

wherein said microcontroller unit directs the audio storage unit to send a first verbal message to the speaker in order to prompt use of said medical apparatus device by the patient.

20. The automated verbal prompting and indication device of claim 19 wherein after the required procedure has been performed by the patient said microcontroller unit is programmed to wait for a predetermined therapeutic time period before directing said audio storage unit to send a next verbal prompting message to the patient for prompting the patient to perform another required procedure;

wherein the patient is encouraged to perform multiple required procedures with said medical apparatus device during a single day period as therapeutically required or recommended.

21. The automated verbal prompting and indication device of claim 19 wherein said means for verbally indicating comprising:

means for determining a measurement or result achieved by the user from performing the required procedure with said medical apparatus;

an audio response unit;

means for powering said audio response unit; and

a speaker in communication with said audio response unit;

wherein a signal corresponding to the measurement or result achieved by the user is sent by said means for determining to the audio response unit which generates a verbal message which is sent to the speaker to verbally indicate to the user said measurement or result achieved and also sends a verbal functional message appropriate for the measurement or result determined in accordance with particular guidelines for said medical apparatus.

22. The automated verbal prompting and indication device of claim 21 wherein said audio response unit including an audio message storage unit which sends a verbal encouragement message to the speaker based on a comparison of the measurement or result achieved to a target measurement or result in accordance with said medical apparatus.

23. The automated verbal prompting and indication device of claim 22 wherein the verbal encouragement message sent is chosen from a plurality of verbal messages stored in the audio message storage unit;

wherein at least one of the plurality of verbal encouragement messages is used where the measurement or result determined is lower than the target measurement or result and at least one of the plurality of verbal encouragement messages is used where the measurement or result determined is higher than the target measurement or result;

wherein the plurality of verbal messages allow an appropriate verbal message to be selected according to the user'"'"'s measurement or result performance of the required procedure as needed according to said medical apparatus.

24. The automated verbal prompting and indication device of claim 18 further comprising means for storing information relating to the patient'"'"'s usage of said medical apparatus or to measurements or results achieved by the patient from use of said medical apparatus.

25. The automated verbal prompting and indication device of claim 24 for comprising means for transmitting the stored information to a retrieving location that is remote to whatever current location of said medical apparatus.