System and Method for Remote Tele-Health Services

• US 20160085935A1
• Filed: 12/03/2015
• Published: 03/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VideoKall, Inc.
• Original Assignee: VideoKall, Inc.
• Inventors: Waterson, Vincent, Sturgess, David
• Granted Patent: US 10,366,205 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/22 Social work or social welfare, e.g. community support activities or counselling services
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/40 for data related to laboratory analysis, e.g. patient specimen analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring

Abstract

A tele-health services cabin includes a plurality of vital signs monitoring devices, a cabin management unit, and videoconferencing hardware via which a remote practitioner in a remote medical call center videoconferences with a patient in the cabin to diagnose symptoms of the patient. The cabin management unit includes a processor that controls the cabin, a data input at which patient data is provided from the vital signs monitoring devices, and a transmitter connectable to a communication link for bi-directional communication between the cabin management unit and the medical call center, where the transmitter transmits the patient data to the medical call center. The tele-health services cabin may include a patient chair including a motorized seat back and at least one sensor encapsulated in the seat back. The tele-health services cabin may include a hands-free medical device station. The tele-health services cabin may include an automatic cleaning system.

Claims

1. A tele-health services cabin comprising:

a medical device station comprising;

an enclosure having a wall, wherein an opening is formed in the enclosure wall; and

a medical device disposed behind the enclosure wall, wherein a test strip receptacle of the medical device is aligned with the opening;

a cabin management unit comprising;

a processor that controls equipment in the cabin;

a data input at which patient data is provided from the medical device;

a data output to control the medical device;

a transmitter connectable to a communication link for bi-directional communication between the cabin management unit and a remote medical call center, wherein the transmitter transmits the patient data to the medical call center; and

videoconferencing hardware via which a remote practitioner in the medical call center videoconferences with a patient in the cabin to diagnose symptoms of the patient.

2. The tele-health services cabin of claim 1, wherein the opening is sized to allow a test strip to be inserted into the test strip receptacle of the medical device.

3. The tele-health services cabin of claim 1, wherein the medical station further comprises:

a bracket having a first movable arm, wherein the medical device is mounted on the first movable arm in a horizontal plane in the enclosure.

4. The tele-health services cabin of claim 3, wherein the first movable arm is operable to retract the medical device away from the enclosure wall and to rotate the medical device.

5. The tele-health services cabin of claim 3, wherein the bracket further comprises a second movable arm operable to press an eject button of the medical device.

6. The tele-health services cabin of claim 1, wherein the medical device is a blood glucose monitor or a cholesterol monitor.

7. A tele-health services cabin comprising:

an automatic cleaning system comprising a cleaning chamber and at least one spray nozzle disposed in an interior of the cleaning chamber;

a cabin management unit comprising;

a processor that controls equipment in the cabin;

a data input at which patient data is provided from a medical device;

a data output to control the medical device;

a transmitter connectable to a communication link for bi-directional communication between the cabin management unit and a remote medical call center, wherein the transmitter transmits the patient data to the medical call center; and

videoconferencing hardware via which a remote practitioner in the medical call center videoconferences with a patient in the cabin to diagnose symptoms of the patient.

8. The tele-health services cabin of claim 7, wherein the automatic cleaning system further comprises:

a winch disposed above the cleaning chamber, the winch comprising a motor, a cable spool or pulley, and a cable, wherein;

one end of the cable is connected to the medical device and the other end of the cable is communicatively coupled to the cabin management unit, and

the medical device is suspended in the cleaning chamber via the cable.

9. The tele-health services cabin of claim 7, wherein the automatic cleaning system further comprises:

a first bowl-shaped flap hingedly disposed at a bottom of the cleaning chamber;

a first actuator operable to open and close the first flap;

a base plate disposed below the bottom of the cleaning chamber, the base plate comprising a second flap hinged disposed thereon;

a second actuator operable to open and close the second flap; and

a locking mechanism to lock the first flap and the second flap closed.

10. The tele-health services cabin of claim 9, wherein the automatic cleaning system further comprises:

a wash cycle reservoir connected to the at least one spray nozzle;

a wash cycle pump that pumps cleaning solution from the wash cycle reservoir to the at least one spray nozzle; and

a drain pipe coupled to the first flap and the wash cycle reservoir to drain cleaning solution from the cleaning chamber back into the wash cycle reservoir.

11. The tele-health services cabin of claim 10, wherein the automatic cleaning system further comprises:

a primary reservoir connected to the wash cycle reservoir;

a clean solution pump that pumps cleaning solution from the primary reservoir to the wash cycle reservoir; and

a clean solution pump that pumps cleaning solution from the primary reservoir to the wash cycle reservoir;

a first pipe coupled to the wash cycle pump and the at least one spray nozzle, wherein the wash cycle pump receives cleaning solution from the wash cycle reservoir and feeds the cleaning solution through the first pipe to the at least one spray nozzle; and

a second pipe coupled to the cleaning chamber and the wash cycle reservoir to return run-off cleaning solution from the cleaning chamber back to the wash cycle reservoir.

12. The tele-health services cabin of claim 11, wherein:

the wash cycle reservoir holds an amount of cleaning solution sufficient for one cleaning cycle;

the wash cycle reservoir comprises an outlet to dispose of used cleaning solution to a waste solution reservoir;

the automatic cleaning system further comprises;

a filter disposed at an inlet to the wash cycle pump to collect debris, wherein the collected debris on the filter is cleared when the used cleaning solution is disposed to the waste solution reservoir.

13. The tele-health services cabin of claim 10, wherein the cleaning solution comprises water, microbial disinfectants, and detergents.

14. The tele-health services cabin of claim 7, wherein the automatic cleaning system further comprises an air drying system, the air drying system comprises:

an intake fan that draws ambient air into the air drying system;

a heater configured to heat the ambient air and to deliver the heated air to the interior of the cleaning chamber.

15. The tele-health services cabin of claim 7, wherein the processor comprises algorithms to:

deliver the medical device to within arms-reach of a user;

measure an amount of cleaning solution required to clean the medical device;

determine whether the medical device has been used and requires cleaning;

determine when to retract the medical device to a predetermined location at the top of the cleaning chamber;

determine whether the medical device is retracted into the interior of the cleaning chamber;

determine whether a primary reservoir has sufficient amount of cleaning solution for a wash cycle;

determine whether a waste reservoir has sufficient capacity to hold waste from a wash cycle;

determine when to close and lock a first flap of the cleaning chamber;

determine when to close and lock a second flap of a base plate disposed below the cleaning chamber;

determine when to pump cleaning solution from the primary reservoir to a wash cycle reservoir;

determine when to pump cleaning solution from the wash cycle reservoir to the at least one spray nozzle to decontaminate the medical device;

run the wash cycle for a predetermined amount of time;

run the drying cycle for a predetermined amount of time; and

determine when to dispose of used solution to a waste solution reservoir.