Telemedicine consultation and diagnostic systems and methods therefore
Inventors
Sommer, Darren J. • White, Peter McDuffie
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-10357156-B2
Publication Date
2019-07-23
Expiration Date
Abstract
A telemedicine cart includes a body with casters mounted underneath, a monitor mounted to the body, and a power supply connection coupled to the monitor. The body includes a cabinet with a hinged door for access to the interior of the cabinet when opened. A screen on the monitor has a portrait orientation and is disposed above the cabinet, in a vertical plane perpendicular to the bottom of the cabinet. The screen is longer than it is wide. The screen is longer than a height of the cabinet beneath the screen. A video of a vertically upright person displayed on the screen, will appear to be at or near an average standing height of adults to a user in front of the screen, and will appear to be life-sized or near life-sized to the user.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to a wheeled telemedicine cart having a body with a cabinet and a hinged door, with a plurality of casters disposed below the body and coupled to a bottom of the body. A first monitor is mounted to the body, with a first screen disposed above the cabinet and in a portrait orientation in a vertical plane perpendicular to the bottom of the body.
The first screen is adapted to display a video of a person in a vertical orientation who appears at or near an average standing height of adults to a user facing the first screen. The live video appears life-sized or near life-sized to the patient who is facing the first screen, and a communication system transmits live video and sound between the remote medical care provider and the patient.
The telemedicine cart further captures patient video and audio through a first camera and a first microphone embedded in the first monitor. The captured patient video and audio are transmitted to the medical care provider in the remote location through the communication system coupled with the first monitor, the first speaker, the first camera, and the first microphone, and a medical diagnostic device stored inside the cabinet is removable through a door on the cabinet and transmits a measurement to the communication system for transmission to the medical care provider in the remote location.
Claims Coverage
The partial content includes two independent claims: a telemedicine cart claim and a method of diagnosis claim. Across these independent claims, four main inventive features are specified.
Wheeled telemedicine cart with cabinet and hinged door
A telemedicine cart having a body including a cabinet and a hinged door that encloses the cabinet when closed and opens the interior of the cabinet to the exterior when opened, and a plurality of casters disposed below the body and coupled to a bottom of the body.
Portrait-oriented first screen above the cabinet for life-sized or near life-sized remote video
A first monitor mounted to the body where a first screen is disposed above the cabinet, disposed in a portrait orientation in a vertical plane perpendicular to the bottom of the body, with vertical length larger than width, and vertical length larger than a vertical length of the cabinet beneath the first screen, the first screen being adapted to display a video of a person in a vertical orientation appearing at or near an average standing height of adults to a user positioned in front of the first screen.
Embedded patient video and audio capture with communication to the remote provider
Capturing video and audio of the patient through a first camera and a first microphone embedded in the first monitor, and transmitting the patient video and audio to the medical care provider in a remote location through a communication system coupled with the first monitor, the first speaker, the first camera, and the first microphone.
Removable medical diagnostic device in the cabinet transmitting measurements to the remote provider
Taking a measurement of a health related feature on the patient with a medical diagnostic device stored inside a cabinet on the telemedicine cart, removable through a door on the cabinet, where the medical diagnostic device is connected to the communication system and adapted to transmit the measurement to the communication system for transmission to the medical care provider in the remote location.
The independent claim set centers on a wheeled telemedicine cart with a hinged cabinet door and a portrait-oriented first screen disposed above the cabinet to present remote care provider imagery as life-sized or near life-sized at average adult standing height. It further requires embedded patient video/audio capture and transmission via an on-cart communication system, and a removable medical diagnostic device stored in the cabinet that transmits health-related measurements to a remote medical care provider.
Stated Advantages
Increased effective image area based on portrait orientation to improve presence via an at-or-near average standing height life-sized or near life-sized physician image.
Documented Applications
Diagnosis of a patient using a wheeled telemedicine cart that displays life-sized or near life-sized live video of a medical care provider from a remote location, captures patient video and audio, and transmits patient health-related measurements obtained with a medical diagnostic device to the remote provider.
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