Modular telehealth cart with thermal imaging and touch screen user interface
Inventors
Celmins, John • Douville, Gary • Sanchez, Daniel • Pinter, Marco • Jordan, Charles S. • Wang, Yulun
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-11742094-B2
Publication Date
2023-08-29
Expiration Date
Abstract
A telemedicine system including a cart that allows for two-way audio/video conferencing between patients or local care providers and remote care providers or family members. The cart employs a modular design that allows its capabilities to be expanded to meet the needs of particular telemedicine applications. In addition, the cart provides thermal imaging and a user interface that allows local care provers to access various capabilities of the device while the device is not in session with a remote party.
Core Innovation
A telemedicine system is provided as a cart-based device that supports a controller coupled to a camera system, a touchscreen display, a microphone, a speaker, and a network. The controller displays a user interface on the touchscreen display in response to a user input received via the touchscreen display, including at least a first selectable option that causes video captured by the camera system to be displayed on the touchscreen display when the system is not in session and a second option that transmits a request for consultation via the network.
When the second option is selected, the controller displays a prompt for a communication address and subsequently transmits the consultation request including a uniform resource locator to the communication address provided by the user in response to the prompt. The controller is also configured to establish a communication session with a remote device coupled to the controller via the network, and during the communication session the controller causes the touchscreen display to display video captured by the camera of the remote device.
The cart-based telemedicine system further incorporates a camera system that includes optical wide and optical narrow zoom cameras and a thermal camera. The camera system supports overhead PTZ boom camera use for sterile-field/neonatal applications, and it supports remote and local pan/tilt/zoom control, including manual adjustment. A touchscreen menu is used to request remote consultations by consultation type, translation, or friends/family, and to display thermal/overhead/other imaging video locally.
Claims Coverage
The independent claim coverage centers on a telemedicine cart system that presents touchscreen-controlled options for local video display when not in session and for transmitting a consultation request, and establishes a network communication session that displays remote camera video on the cart touchscreen. Dependent claims refine the consultation-request routing, user interface options, communication details, and camera hardware/control features.
Touchscreen user interface for local video and consultation request
A cart-based telemedicine system wherein the controller displays a user interface on the touchscreen display in response to a user input, including at least a first selectable option that causes video captured by the camera system to be displayed on the touchscreen display when the system is not in session and a second option to transmit a request for consultation via the network.
Communication address prompt and consultation request using a uniform resource locator
When the second option is selected, the controller causes the user interface to display a prompt for a communication address and subsequently transmits the consultation request including a uniform resource locator to a communication address provided by the user in response to the prompt.
Network communication session with remote device video displayed on touchscreen
The controller is configured to establish a communication session with a remote device coupled to the controller via the network, wherein the remote device includes a camera, a display, a microphone, and a speaker and, during the communication session, the controller causes the touchscreen display to display video captured by the camera of the remote device.
Thermal camera included in the camera system
The system includes a thermal camera in the camera system.
Selectable consultation types in the user interface
The system displays a plurality of selectable consultation types in the user interface so a user can choose one to request a consultation.
Consultation request routed to care providers based on consultation type
Choosing a first consultation type sends a consultation request to a first care provider, and choosing a second consultation type sends a consultation request to a second care provider.
Short Message Service transmission of consultation request
The system transmits the consultation request using a Short Message Service (SMS) protocol.
Remote-command-controlled pan/tilt actuators for camera system and touchscreen display
The system includes cart actuators that pan and tilt the camera system and touchscreen display based on commands received from a remote station.
Overall claim coverage emphasizes a touchscreen-driven telemedicine cart that supports local display of camera video when not in session and transmission of a consultation request, and that supports network sessions in which video from a remote device camera is displayed on the cart touchscreen. Dependent claims further add thermal camera capability, selectable consultation type routing, consultation-request transmission via SMS, and remote-command-controlled pan/tilt actuators for coordinated camera and touchscreen positioning.
Stated Advantages
Not explicitly described in patent.
Documented Applications
Not explicitly described in patent.
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