Abstract:
A method and apparatus for collecting patient specific information is presented wherein the collected information further includes a digital image of the patient. The image is used to verify or authenticate the patient.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation in part of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/428,169 filed Mar. 13, 2015, which corresponds to a PCT application PCT/US10/002705 filed Oct. 7, 2010, which in turn claims priority to U.S. Provisional applications 61/296,746 filed Jan. 20, 2010 and U.S. Provisional application Ser. No. 61/278,672 filed Oct. 9, 2009; and is related to U.S. Pat. No. 8,934,636 that also claims priority to U.S. Provisional applications 61/296,746 filed Jan. 20, 2010 and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/278,672 filed Oct. 9, 2009; all incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of Invention 
         [0003]    This invention pertains to a medical device that collects medical data from a patient and sends it to a remote location, for data collection, archiving, analyses, etc. Importantly, a digital image is also taken of the patient and this information is incorporated into the transmission to the remote location. The digital image is used to positively identify or confirm the identity of a patient. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0005]    At any given time, patients all over the country and, indeed, all over the world undergo various procedures that involve collection of information at various levels. These procedures range from non-invasive or low invasive procedures consisting of obtaining some diagnostic information of the patient by scanning or other data acquisition means, to full blown procedures with one or more incisions through which various instruments, possible including video cameras and other imaging devices. The various data is collected, optionally, processed, and stored locally and/or remotely. Of course, in most instances, the acquired data must be associated in some manner to the patient. And so, usually during a preparation stage, the name, data of birth, social security number, health insurance ID, and/or other personal information is collected, usually manually. 
         [0006]    However, it is believed that even with all the precautions discussed above, mistakes in identifying patients or in associating properly patient information with the actual patient are still being made. Of course, such mistakes can be disastrous, especially for patients. For example, often the only way to check whether a particular human organ is cancerous is by taking a biopsy. Biopsies are frequently difficult to perform, can be quite painful and can result in infections and other complications. If the tissue samples obtained from biopsies or the analysis of such tissues are lost, the only way to make a diagnosis of the questionable tissue is to redo the whole dangerous procedure again! 
         [0007]    Thus there is a need for an easy yet reliable means of insuring that data acquired from a patient or even tissue samples are properly associated with the correct patient. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    During a patient encounter, patient information related to the patient&#39;s health is collected while a patient is undergoing a predetermined procedure. During the encounter, an image of the patient&#39;s face is taken. The patient information acquired during the procedure and the image of the patient are combined in a single digital message that is then transmitted to a remote location. The digital message is eventually reviewed by a primary care person, such as a physician, at which time the patient information, and more specifically the identity of the patient is verified by looking at his digital image. 
         [0009]    The digital camera may be incorporated into the data acquisition device, or in the device used to perform a procedure. For example, the procedure could be an MIR or CAT scan and the camera can be incorporated into these type of device. The data acquisition module and the camera could also be part of another procedure such as a surgical device. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  shows a somewhat diagrammatic view of a patient being tested with a large device such as an MIR incorporating the present invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  shows the elements of a digital message being transmitted by the device of  FIG. 1  to a remote location; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  shows a somewhat diagrammatic view of a patient getting an ophtamologic examination with a device incorporating the present invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  shows a somewhat diagrammatic view of a surgical device incorporating the present invention and being used to perform a procedure, such as obtaining a biopsy, from a patient; and 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  shows a block diagram of a medical device incorporating the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0015]    The present invention is implemented in a variety of different configurations, with a variety of primary instruments and environments, as described below. 
         [0016]    For example,  FIG. 1  illustrates diagrammatically a large-scale installation for acquiring MIR, CAT images or other similar types of installation. Typically, the installation  10  includes a large structure  12  having an opening  14  for receiving a patient P 1 . Typically, the patient P 1  is disposed on a conveyor mechanism  16  that can selectively translate the patient P 1  into or out of the cavity  14 , as indicated by arrow A. 
         [0017]    Typically, the installation  10  includes a wave generator  18  generating waves having predetermined characteristics. The waves impinge, pass through or otherwise interact with the body of patient P 1  and a sensor assembly  20  is used to sense some information (for example some image) associated with or descriptive of a body organ of interest. The information from the sensor assembly  20  is collected by a data acquisition module  22  which, optionally analyzes it or otherwise processes it. The resulting patient data is then sent off either directly, e.g., via a standard communication channel  24 , or indirectly (e.g., via a physical data storage device, such as a DVD, etc.) to a central server (not shown in  FIG. 1 ). It should be understood that the configuration of installation  10  is provided purely symbolically to provide a general understanding of the invention, and the various elements shown can have very different positions, shapes, sizes, configurations, and operation, depending on the waves being used and actual type of information being sought. 
         [0018]    Importantly, according to this invention, the installation further includes a standard digital camera  26 . During the process of obtaining the patient data, (e.g. when the patient is translated into cavity  14 , the camera  26  takes a shot of the face of the patient P 1  and generates a corresponding patient image (e.g., an image of the patient P 1 ′s face). This patient image is also collected by the data acquisition module  22 . The data acquisition module  22  then generates a digital message  30 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , this message  30  includes several components, such as a header  32  with various data used to identify the apparatus  10  and other relevant information, the patient image  33 , the patient data  34 , and, optionally other data  36 , such as the date of the respective event, the attending personnel, observations by the attending personnel, settings of the system  10 , etc. 
         [0019]      FIG. 3  shows a much smaller installation  40 , used, for example, to obtain a scan of a patient P 2 ′s eye, teeth, etc. The installation  40  includes an instrument  42  (for example, a hand held ultrasonic ophthalmic scanner), a digital camera  44  and a data acquisition module  46 . The instrument  42  is used in a conventional manner to scan a particular organ of the patient P 2 , as discussed above. The sensed signals are provided to the data acquisition module  46  which processes the signals as necessary to generate patient data. 
         [0020]    Before, during or at the end of the procedure being performed by the instrument  42 , digital camera  44  is activated (manually or automatically) to obtain of a patient image of the patient&#39;s face. The patient data is then combined with the patient image to generate a combined message as described above and depicted in  FIG. 2 . The message  30  is then transmitted directly or indirectly as discussed above. Camera  44  is shown as being distinct and separate from the instrument  42  or data acquisition module  46  however it could incorporated into either, or three modules could be incorporated into a single, common housing. 
         [0021]      FIG. 4  shows a system  50  for performing a surgical procedure on a patient P 3 . The system can be used in an OR, a hospital room, a private doctor&#39;s office, etc. The term “surgical procedure” is used herein to cover any procedure that is performed either externally, or internally, and may include minimally invasive processes, such as scanning an internal or external organ (e.g., a colonoscopy), or processes that involve data collection and a physical intervention on a patient&#39;s tissue, such as taking a biopsy, performing an ablation of some tissues, etc. The system includes a surgical instrument  52  for performing the above-described procedure, a camera  54 , a data acquisition module  54 A. 
         [0022]    The instrument  52  is used to perform the described procedure and information collected during the procedure (e.g. images from the scanning, etc.). Before, during, or after the procedure, a digital image of the face of patient P 3  is obtained by camera  54 . The data acquisition module  54 A collects the data and the digital image and generates message  40  which is then sent via communication channel  56  (or an indirect means as discussed above) to a data server  60 . 
         [0023]    It should be noted that in the various embodiments depicted in  FIGS. 1 ,  3  and  4 , the various elements of the respective systems are shown as discrete elements, it being understood that the invention may be implemented by incorporating two or three of the elements into a single unit. 
         [0024]    In one embodiment, the instruments  12 ,  42 ,  52  and the cameras  26 ,  44 ,  54  operate independently and the data from each can be fed to the respective data acquisition module. In another embodiment, instructions or prompts are generated to the user requesting the user to operate the respective camera and take a picture of the respective patient. For example, the installation  10  can include a screen  28  on which instructions and information is provided to a user. These instructions may include a request that the user use camera  26  to take patient P 1 ′s picture. The installation  10  can be configured with a lockout feature that does not permit further operation until either an image is received from the camera  26 , or some other signal is received from the camera indicating at least that some picture was taken. Alternatively, the respective instruments may be adapted to trigger the respective cameras automatically once a user orients or aims the cameras at the patient. The same or similar criteria may be used for all the other instruments. 
         [0025]    The advantages of the invention shall now be described in conjunction with the  FIG. 5 . In this Figure, a PC  62  is used by a medical practitioner, such as, for example one of the patients&#39; P 1 , P 2 , P 3  primary physician. (Here, the PC is to be interpreted to be generically as any device that can be used to access patient data bases though appropriate protocols, including desk tops, laptops, tablets, smart phones etc.) The primary physician activates the PC  62  and is presented with a GUI (Graphic User Interface)  64  that acts as a portal to provide access to a various information, including a patient database  66  and the data server  60  containing the messages  30 . Alternatively the server  60  downloads the messages directly to the patient data base  66 . Either way, the primary care physician receives by conventional means an indication that there was an encounter with a particular patient and that a message  30  is available with data collected as a result of this encounter and provided in the patient data field  34 . When the physician accesses the messages, he is given the opportunity to view the patient data on the PC  62 . Importantly, the physician is also presented with an image of the patient that has been inserted into message  30 . The physician then looks at the image and immediately recognizes if it is an image  33  of his patient. If the image is not of his patient, then he knows that the patient information  34  is erroneous and he must either discard it or take steps to associate it with the right patient. 
         [0026]    Moreover, even if the physician does not recognize the patient, because he has too many patients, or because he is not the primary care physician and has never met the patient in person, the image  33  could still be very valuable. Typically, demographic data is gathered for each patient and this demographic data can be incorporated into the patient data base  66 . Then, when the physician (or other health care provider) accesses the data base  66  and obtains the data for a particular patient, he is presented with a demographic listing, for example, indicating that the respective patient is a sixty year old black male. If he then looks at the image  33  and sees what seems like a  40  year old oriental female, he knows that somewhere along the line the data has been corrupted, voluntarily or not, and notify the appropriate authorities. 
         [0027]    The invention has been described as including a camera taking a single image of a patient and using this image as a means of identifying the patient. Of course, instead of a single image, the camera may take a video clip of several consecutive images of the images, with or without voice, and the clip could incorporated in the message as described above. 
         [0028]    Numerous modifications may be made to the invention without departing from its scope as defined the appended claims.