Broadcasting a signal indicative of a disease, disorder, or symptom determined in response to contactlessly acquired information

• US 8,942,817 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2009
• Issued: 01/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gearbox LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hyde, Roderick A., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Leuthardt, Eric C., Rivet, Dennis J., Sweeney, Elizabeth A., Wood, Lowell L. Jr., Wood, Victoria Y. H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Heller, Tammie K
• Application Number:
  US12/462,132
• Publication Number:
  US 20110028799A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,009 Days
• Field of Search: 607/60, 607/62
• US Class Current: 607/60
• 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 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4052 efferent nerves, i.e. nerves that relay impulses from the central nervous system
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/60 relating to pathologies

Abstract

In an embodiment, a system includes a sensor device operable to detect a property of a mammal without a direct physical contact with the mammal. The system also includes a patient assessment device operable to evaluate the detected property of the mammal for an indicator of a disease. The system further includes a patient information device including a computer-readable medium, and configured to maintain and to provide access to information corresponding to the indication of the disease. The system further includes a transmitter device operable to broadcast a signal indicative of the disease.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a sensor device operable to detect a property of a mammal without a direct physical contact with the mammal;

a patient assessment device operable to evaluate the detected property of the mammal for an indicator of a disease, disorder, or symptom potentially treatable by a neuromodulation treatment regimen;

a patient information device including a computer-readable medium and configured to maintain and to provide access to information corresponding to the indicator of the disease, disorder, or symptom potentially treatable by the neuromodulation treatment regimen;

a transmitter device operable to broadcast a signal indicative of the disease, disorder, or symptom potentially treatable by the neuromodulation treatment regimen; and

a neuromodulation device programmed to administer the neuromodulation treatment regimen to the mammal in response to the signal from the transmitter device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor device operable to detect a property of a mammal without a direct contact with the mammal includes:

a sensor device operable to detect a property of a mammal absent a direct conductive, electrical, or physical contact with the mammal.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor device operable to detect a property of a mammal without a direct contact with the mammal includes:

a sensor device operable to at least one of electronically, sonically, acoustically, thermally, radiatively, or chemically detect a property of a mammal without a direct contact with the mammal.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the patient assessment device includes:

a patient assessment device physically distinct and spatially apart from the sensor device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the disease, disorder, or symptom includes at least one of a neurological disease, nervous system disorder, heart rhythm, or heart disease.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the patient assessment device operable to evaluate the detected property of the mammal for the indicator of the disease, disorder, or symptom potentially treatable by the neuromodulation treatment regimen includes:

a patient assessment device operable to receive a signal indicative of the detected property of the mammal, and to evaluate the detected property of the mammal for the indicator of the disease, disorder, or symptom potentially treatable by the neuromodulation treatment regimen.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the patient assessment device operable to evaluate the detected property of the mammal for the indicator of a disease, disorder, or symptom potentially treatable by the neuromodulation treatment regimen includes:

a patient assessment device operable to evaluate the detected property of the mammal for a physiological characteristic of the mammal, and to identify the disease, disorder, or symptom potentially treatable by the neuromodulation treatment regimen in response to the evaluated physiological characteristic of the mammal.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the patient assessment device is operable to determine the neuromodulation treatment regimen in response to the indicator of the disease, disorder, or symptom potentially treatable by the neuromodulation treatment regimen.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the patient assessment device is programmed to determine the neuromodulation treatment regimen in response to the indicator of the disease, disorder, or symptom potentially treatable by the neuromodulation treatment regimen according to a selected outcome.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the patient assessment device is programmed to determine a therapeutic neuromodulation treatment regimen in response to the indicator of the disease, disorder, or symptom potentially treatable by the neuromodulation treatment regimen.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the patient assessment device is further operable to transmit a second signal responsive to the indicator of a disease.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the patient assessment device operable to evaluate the detected property of the mammal for the indicator of the disease, disorder, or symptom potentially treatable by the neuromodulation treatment regimen includes:

an electronically implemented patient assessment device operable to evaluate the detected property of the mammal for an indicator of the disease, disorder, or symptom potentially treatable by the neuromodulation treatment regimen.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the patient assessment device operable to evaluate the detected property of the mammal for the indicator of the disease, disorder, or symptom potentially treatable by the neuromodulation treatment regimen includes:

a patient assessment device operable to evaluate using an artificial intelligence technique the detected property of the mammal for an indicator of the disease, disorder, or symptom potentially treatable by the neuromodulation treatment regimen.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the patient assessment device operable to evaluate the detected property of the mammal for the indicator of the disease, disorder, or symptom potentially treatable by the neuromodulation treatment regimen includes:

a patient assessment device operable to evaluate the detected property of the mammal for an indicator of a disease using a digitally maintained table indicating a possible correlation between the detected property and the indicator of the disease, disorder, or symptom potentially treatable by the neuromodulation treatment regimen.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a mammal information device that shares at least a portion of a common chassis with the patient assessment device.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a user interface operable to electronically output a human-perceivable indication of the disease in response to the broadcast signal indicative of the disease, disorder, or symptom potentially treatable by the neuromodulation treatment regimen.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the patient information device and the user interface share at least a portion of a common chassis.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the user interface operable to electronically output a human-perceivable indication of the disease in response to the broadcast signal indicative of the disease, disorder, or symptom potentially treatable by the neuromodulation treatment regimen includes:

a user interface operable to electronically output a visual or audible indication of the disease in response to the broadcast signal indicative of the disease.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the user interface is operable to electronically output a proffered neuromodulation treatment regimen responsive to the disease.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the user interface operable to electronically output a human-perceivable indication of the disease, disorder, or symptom potentially treatable by the neuromodulation treatment regimen in response to the broadcast signal indicative of the disease includes:

a user interface operable to electronically display a tactile indication of the disease, disorder, or symptom potentially treatable by the neuromodulation treatment regimen in response to the broadcast signal indicative of the disease.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the user interface operable to electronically output a human-perceivable indication of the disease in response to the broadcast signal indicative of the disease, disorder, or symptom potentially treatable by the neuromodulation treatment regimen includes:

a user interface operable to electronically display a visual, audible, or tactile indication of the disease in response to the broadcast signal indicative of the disease, disorder, or symptom potentially treatable by the neuromodulation treatment regimen.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the user interface is operable to receive a human-originated input responsive to the indication of the disease, disorder, or symptom potentially treatable by the neuromodulation treatment regimen.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein the user interface is further operable to (a) electronically output

(i) a proffered neuromodulation treatment regimen responsive to the disease, disorder, or symptom potentially treatable by the neuromodulation treatment regimen;

and

(b) receive a human-originated input responsive to the proffered neuromodulation treatment regimen.

24. The system of claim 16, wherein the user interface operable to electronically output a human-perceivable indication of the disease in response to the broadcast signal indicative of the disease, disorder, or symptom potentially treatable by the neuromodulation treatment regimen includes:

a user interface operable to electronically output a human-perceivable indication of the disease to a person other than the mammal in response to the broadcast signal indicative of the disease, disorder, or symptom potentially treatable by the neuromodulation treatment regimen.

25. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a treatment controller operable to control an administration of the neuromodulation treatment regimen to a nervous system component of the mammal.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the patient information device and the treatment controller device share at least a portion of a common chassis.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the treatment controller operable to control an administration of a neuromodulation treatment regimen to a nervous system component of the mammal includes:

a treatment controller operable to control an administration of a neuromodulation treatment regimen to a nervous system component of the mammal in response to a human-originated input responsive to a proffered neuromodulation treatment regimen.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the treatment controller is operable to communicate with the neuromodulation device.

29. The system of claim 1, wherein the neuromodulation device is operable to administer the neuromodulation treatment regimen to a nervous system component of the mammal.

30. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an illumination source operable to illuminate at least a portion of the mammal with an energy to which the sensor device is responsive.

31. A system comprising:

a sensor device operable to detect a property of a mammal without a direct contact with the mammal;

a patient assessment device operable to evaluate the detected property of the mammal for an indicator of a disease, disorder, or symptom potentially treatable by a neuromodulation treatment regimen;

a user interface device operable to electronically output a human-perceivable information responsive to the disease;

a patient information device having a computer-readable medium, and configured to maintain information corresponding to the indicator of the disease, disorder, or symptom potentially treatable by the neuromodulation treatment regimen and to provide access to the maintained information; and

a transmitter device programmed to broadcast a signal indicative of the disease, disorder, or symptom potentially treatable by the neuromodulation treatment regimen to a neuromodulation device.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the user interface device is operable to electronically receive an indication of a human-initiated authorization to initiate a neuromodulation treatment regimen to a nervous system component of the mammal.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the patient information device is configured to maintain information corresponding to the indication of a human-initiated authorization and to provide access to the maintained information.

34. The system of claim 31, further comprising:

a neuromodulation device operable to deliver the neuromodulation treatment regimen to a nervous system component of the mammal.

35. A method comprising:

acquiring electronic data indicative of a property of a mammal without making physical contact with the mammal;

evaluating the detected property of the mammal for an indicator of a disease, disorder, or symptom potentially treatable by a neuromodulation treatment regimen based on the acquired electronic data indicative of the property of the mammal;

identifying the disease in response to the indicator of the disease, disorder, or symptom potentially treatable by the neuromodulation treatment regimen;

maintaining and providing access to electronically stored information corresponding to the indicator of the disease, disorder, or symptom potentially treatable by the neuromodulation treatment regimen;

broadcasting a signal indicative of the disease; and

administering the neuromodulation treatment regimen in response to the signal indicative of the disease.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

electronically outputting a human-perceivable indication of the disease in response to the broadcast signal indicative of the disease, disorder, or symptom potentially treatable by the neuromodulation treatment regimen.

37. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

administering a neuromodulation treatment regimen to a nervous system component of the mammal in response to a human-originated input.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the administering a neuromodulation treatment regimen to a nervous system component of the mammal in response to a human-originated input includes:

administering a neuromodulation treatment regimen to a nervous system component of the mammal in response to a human-originated input responsive to a proffered neuromodulation treatment regimen.

39. A system comprising:

means for acquiring electronic data indicative of a property of a mammal without making physical contact with the mammal;

means for evaluating the detected property of the mammal for an indicator of a disease, disorder, or symptom potentially treatable by a neuromodulation treatment regimen based on the acquired electronic data indicative of a property of a mammal;

means for maintaining and providing access to electronically stored information corresponding to the indicator of the disease, disorder, or symptom potentially treatable by the neuromodulation treatment regimen;

means for electronically outputting a human-perceivable indication of the disease, disorder, or symptom potentially treatable by the neuromodulation treatment regimen; and

means for administering the neuromodulation treatment regimen to a nervous system component of the mammal in response to a human-originated input and the electronically stored information corresponding to the indicator of the disease, disorder, or symptom.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the means for administering a neuromodulation treatment regimen to a nervous system component of the mammal in response to a human-originated input includes:

means for administering a neuromodulation treatment regimen to a nervous system component of the mammal in response to a human-originated input that is responsive to a proffered neuromodulation treatment regimen.