Health-related signaling via wearable items

• US 8,130,095 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2008
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biolinq Incorporated
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Allen, Paul G., Boyden, Edward S., Bangera, Mahalaxmi Gita, Hillis, W. Daniel, Hyde, Roderick A., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Jung, Edward K. Y., Leuthardt, Eric C., Rivet, Dennis J., Smith, Michael A., Sweeney, Elizabeth A., Wood, Lowell L. Jr., Wood, Victoria Y. H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunnings, Travis
• Application Number:
  US12/231,049
• Publication Number:
  US 20100052897A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,287 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.12, 340/517, 340/573.1, 340/539.11, 600/549
• US Class Current: 340/539.12
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0013 Medical image data A61B1/00011, A61B6/56, A61B8/56 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/411 Detecting or monitoring allergy or intolerance reactions to an allergenic agent or substance
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for configuring and using displays, speakers, or other output devices positioned by an article of clothing or other such structure wearable by a healthcare recipient, for example, in a clinic or residential care facility.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

first means for receiving a wireless signal;

second means for presenting at least some health-related information in a vicinity of a healthcare recipient responsive to the wireless signal;

wearable means for positioning the first means and the second means in relation to the healthcare recipient; and

means for including at least some medical history data in the health-related information.

2. A system comprising:

a positioning structure configured to be worn by a healthcare recipient;

a receiver supported by the positioning structure and configured to receive a wireless signal;

a user interaction device supported by the positioning structure and configured to present at least some health-related information in a vicinity of the healthcare recipient responsive to the wireless signal; and

circuitry for including at least some medical history data in the health-related information.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

a stationary module operable for transmitting the wireless signal to the receiver.

4. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

circuitry for causing a notification to be routed at least to the user interaction device.

5. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

circuitry for invoking one or more output devices selected in response to a configuration parameter and to the wireless signal.

6. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

circuitry for including at least some real-time data in the health-related information.

7. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

circuitry for signaling at least a clot-reducing agent in response to an apparent circulatory degradation.

8. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

circuitry for transmitting data indicating one or more concentrations of a nutrient or medication.

9. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

circuitry for detecting thermal data.

10. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

an accelerometer supported by the positioning structure.

11. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

a proximity sensor supported by the positioning structure.

12. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

one or more sensors adjacent a body part of the healthcare recipient.

13. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

a sensor supported by the positioning structure; and

circuitry for recognizing a pattern in data from the sensor.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

circuitry for detecting one or more indications of normalcy in the data from the sensor.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

circuitry for indicating one or more conditional notifications responsive to the data from the sensor.

16. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

circuitry for performing a comparison using an updated normalcy threshold.

17. The system of claim 2, in which the positioning structure comprises:

clothing.

18. The system of claim 2, in which the positioning structure comprises:

one or more of a cuff, a sleeve, or a wristband.

19. The system of claim 2, in which the positioning structure comprises:

one or more of eyewear, an earpiece, or a headpiece.

20. The system of claim 2, in which the positioning structure comprises:

the positioning structure configured to surround a portion of the healthcare recipient.

21. The system of claim 2, in which the receiver comprises:

an optical sensor configured to receive optical energy as the wireless signal.

22. The system of claim 2, in which the user interaction device comprises:

a keypad.

23. The system of claim 2, in which the user interaction device comprises:

a touchscreen.

24. The system of claim 2, in which the user interaction device comprises:

circuitry for presenting content provided by a healthcare facility in the healthcare facility.

25. The system of claim 2, in which the user interaction device comprises:

circuitry for presenting one or more of a verification or a resource status indication.

26. The system of claim 2, in which the user interaction device comprises:

circuitry for presenting other information to one or more other recipients.

27. The system of claim 2, in which the user interaction device comprises:

circuitry for transmitting likelihood-indicative data.

28. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

circuitry for obtaining information indicating a current thermal condition in a peripheral body part of the healthcare recipient.

29. The system of claim 28 in which the circuitry for obtaining information indicating a current thermal condition in a peripheral body part of the healthcare recipient comprises:

circuitry for determining that the information apparently manifests the current thermal condition in the peripheral body part of the healthcare recipient.

30. The system of claim 28 in which the circuitry for obtaining information indicating a current thermal condition in a peripheral body part of the healthcare recipient comprises:

circuitry for extracting a portion of detected information as the information indicating the current thermal condition in the peripheral body part of the healthcare recipient.

31. The system of claim 28 in which the circuitry for obtaining information indicating a current thermal condition in a peripheral body part of the healthcare recipient comprises:

circuitry for obtaining an optical image of the peripheral body part of the healthcare recipient of the information indicating the current thermal condition in the peripheral body part of the healthcare recipient.

32. The system of claim 28, further comprising:

circuitry for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification at least partly in response to one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current thermal condition in the peripheral body part of the healthcare recipient and information indicating a prior thermal condition in the peripheral body part of the healthcare recipient.

33. The system of claim 32 in which the circuitry for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification at least partly in response to one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current thermal condition in the peripheral body part of the healthcare recipient and information indicating a prior thermal condition in the peripheral body part of the healthcare recipient comprises:

circuitry for deciding whether to transmit the notification responsive to whether any of the one or more comparisons indicate an abnormal temperature change in the peripheral body part of the healthcare recipient.

34. The system of claim 32 in which the circuitry for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification at least partly in response to one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current thermal condition in the peripheral body part of the healthcare recipient and information indicating a prior thermal condition in the peripheral body part of the healthcare recipient comprises:

circuitry for ranking a higher-priority destination and a lower-priority destination for the notification.

35. The system of claim 32 in which the circuitry for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification at least partly in response to one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current thermal condition in the peripheral body part of the healthcare recipient and information indicating a prior thermal condition in the peripheral body part of the healthcare recipient comprises:

circuitry for signaling the decision whether to transmit the notification partly in response to auditory information from the healthcare recipient.

36. The system of claim 32 in which the circuitry for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification at least partly in response to one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current thermal condition in the peripheral body part of the healthcare recipient and information indicating a prior thermal condition in the peripheral body part of the healthcare recipient comprises:

circuitry for including auditory data with the notification.

37. The system of claim 32 in which the circuitry for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification at least partly in response to one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current thermal condition in the peripheral body part of the healthcare recipient and information indicating a prior thermal condition in the peripheral body part of the healthcare recipient comprises:

circuitry for selecting one or more destinations for the notification.

38. The system of claim 32 in which the circuitry for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification at least partly in response to one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current thermal condition in the peripheral body part of the healthcare recipient and information indicating a prior thermal condition in the peripheral body part of the healthcare recipient comprises:

circuitry for including thermal-decrease-size-indicative information with the notification.

39. The system of claim 32 in which the circuitry for signaling a decision whether to transmit a notification at least partly in response to one or more comparisons between the information indicating the current thermal condition in the peripheral body part of the healthcare recipient and information indicating a prior thermal condition in the peripheral body part of the healthcare recipient comprises:

circuitry for including spatial-size-indicative information with the notification.