Video game for assisting healing of the human body

• US 6,918,769 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2002
• Issued: 07/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chartoleaux KG LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Philip A. Rink
• Inventors: Rink, Philip A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H.
• Application Number:
  US10/259,077
• Publication Number:
  US 20040063083A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: 434/118, 434236-238, 434/247, 434/258, 434/262, 434/307.R, 434/365, 434/237, 434/308, 463/1, 463/7, 128/897, 128/898, 600/300, 600/316, 600/323, 600/523, 600/544, 600/545, 345/419, 705/2, 710/18
• US Class Current: 434/247
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/28 for medicine
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/065 Combinations of audio and video presentations, e.g. videotapes, videodiscs, television systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/00 ICT specially adapted for therapies or health-improving plans, e.g. for handling prescriptions, for steering therapy or for monitoring patient compliance

Abstract

The video game includes a monitor for visual representation of a selected portion of a player'"'"'s body affected by a medical condition. The information concerning the medical condition, including both its cause and effects on the body, is stored, as is a set of treatment actions for combating said medical condition, including medical treatment actions, immune system responses and spiritual actions. Also stored is the known effect of the treatment actions on the medical condition. A computer program permits the player to select and use the available treatment actions against the disease, all of which are visually produced by the program.

Claims

1. A video game system for treatment of medical conditions of a human player'"'"'s body, comprising:

a first memory section for storing or receiving information concerning a medical condition to be treated, including the effect of the medical condition on a portion of the player'"'"'s body affected by the medical condition;

a second memory section for storing or receiving a set of treatment actions for combating said medical condition, to bring healing action to the player'"'"'s body;

a third memory section for storing or receiving known result/information of the treatment actions on the medical condition; and

a stored video program and controller operating with said first, second and third memory sections, for providing a visual representation of the player'"'"'s body, including said portion of the player'"'"'s body affected by the medical condition;

wherein the stored video program and controller permits a player to select one or more treatment actions and provides a visual representation of the effects of the selected treatment actions on the medical condition, in accordance with the known result information, to provide reinforcement of the effect of said selected treatment actions on the medical condition of the player.

2. A video game of claim 1, including means for adding additional medical condition information to the previously stored medical condition information, and for modifying the previously stored medical condition information.

3. A video game of claim 1, wherein the visual representation of the player'"'"'s body includes a visual representation of the medical condition.

4. A video game of claim 3, wherein the medical condition is caused by a virus.

5. A video game of claim 3, wherein the medical condition is caused by bacteria.

6. A video game of claim 3, wherein the medical condition is cancer.

7. A video game of claim 3, wherein the medical condition is an injury.

8. A video game of claim 3, wherein the medical condition is a disease.

9. A video game of claim 1, wherein treatment action information specific to the player can be added to the stored treatment information.

10. A video game of claim 1, wherein a plurality of portions of the human body which are affected by said medical condition are represented.

11. A video game of claim 1, wherein said portion of the body includes a specific body organ.

12. A video game of claim 1, wherein said portion of the body includes a selected part of the blood circulation system.

13. A video game of claim 1, wherein said portion of the body includes a selected part of the oxygen circulation and recovery system.

14. A video game of claim 1, wherein the stored treatment actions include conventional medical treatment actions and selected medications known to be effective for said medical condition.

15. A video game of claim 1, wherein the treatment actions include immune system responses of the human body to said medical condition.

16. A video game of claim 1, wherein the treatment actions include spiritual activity.

17. A video game of claim 1, wherein the stored program permits the player to change selected physical characteristics of the visual representation to more closely match the player.

18. A video game of claim 1, wherein the medical condition information, the treatment actions therefor and the known results thereof are stored external to the video game apparatus and are available to the stored program upon request.

19. A video game of claim 1, wherein the stored program permits the player to select the portion of the player'"'"'s body to be represented.

20. A video game of claim 1, wherein the visual representation is provided by a video monitor.