Abstract:
The system of the invention provides a credit card size CD containing eye readable and machine readable personal and medical data. The eye readable information on the CD provides a medical care provider with an overview of a cardholder&#39;s medical condition and emergency and insurance contact information. The machine readable information encoded on the CD provides significantly more additional information about the individual than the eye readable information. The CD is encoded with programs to receive, organize, store, protect, transmit and display the machine readable data. The CD is approximately the size of a standard credit card and can be read in any standard personal computer CD reader such as a CD-ROM.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to a system for receiving, organizing, storing, protecting, transmitting and displaying customized personal and medical data and methods for making and using such a system.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0004]    Systems and devices exist that store an individual&#39;s personal and medical information. Most systems primarily serve the purpose of identification cards, and typically consist of paper or plastic identification cards. Additional existing methods of storing and displaying medical information are by means of microfilm, magnetic strips or small microprocessor chips attached to the card surfaces. These formats are extremely limited in the amount and type of data they can store and provide limited accessibility to healthcare providers.  
           [0005]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,632,428 discloses an eye and machine readable medical data, identification and health insurance card having two “leaves”, each of which has two faces upon which data may appear. The leaves, which are card-like members, are interconnected by a self-hinge, and may be folded with respect to each other or made to lie flat. The data includes eye-readable material on the card, as well as on a microfilm strip associated with the card, and also machine readable indicia such as the bearer&#39;s medical history, including, if so desired, an electro-cardiogram.  
           [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,195,783 discloses identification devices, which embodiments include a shoelace near the center of the card to which is affixed a flexible strip, made from textile, plastic, or other suitable material, that is adapted to be wrapped about the shoelace and retained in that position. Desired information, such as name, address, telephone number, blood type, medical facts of special concern, or the like, may appear on the surface of the strip which is to be concealed by the strip having been overlaid by itself as it is wrapped about the shoelace. The strip, so marked and so positioned, may be surrounded by a protective cover material, such as a short, tubular segment of clear plastic, to protect the strip while keeping the distinguishing indicia visible. Such protective cover and/or the surface of the strip which is exposed when the strip is so wrapped may include distinguishing indicia to notify interested persons, such as police, medical workers, and the like, of the existence of the enclosed information. Thereby, the identification of a lost child, or information relevant to treating a person in medical emergency may be identified as being available and made easily accessible when needed, while being concealed until then.  
           [0007]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,236,332 discloses a medical record card wherein a supporting card contains a microfilm portion having indicia visible to the human eye coded for particular chronic conditions which affect emergency treatment and having indicia visible by use of a microfilm reader which detail the medical history and identification data of the patient. The supporting card contains the code for the indicia which alert medical personnel to chronic conditions and, in addition, contains some important identification data about the patent and about the type and use of the medical record card.  
           [0008]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,334 discloses an emergency medical card which includes a first location for displaying a reduced-sized medical data transparency with a detachable lens element for separation from the card to view the medical data contained on the transparency. In a first embodiment, a hinge member secures the periphery of a first card with the periphery of a reduced-size lens card, with the hinge permitting the lens card to be bent back adjacent to the first card so that its profile remains that of a typical credit card. In a second embodiment, the lens is secured by a perforation within the profile of the same card.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    The present invention provides eye readable and machine readable personal and medical data on a CD-R/RW. The eye readable information on the CD-R/RW provides a medical care provider with an overview of a cardholder&#39;s medical condition and emergency and insurance contact information. The machine readable information encoded on the CD-R/RW provides significantly more additional information about the individual than the eye readable information. The CD-R/RW is encoded with programs to receive, organize, store, protect, transmit and display the machine readable data. The CD-R/RW is approximately the size of a standard credit card and can be read in any standard personal computer CD-R/RW reader such as a CD-ROM. The CD-R/RW can be customized by a user with the use of a standard size CD containing profile generating software. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    Objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings that disclose an embodiment of the present invention. It should be understood, however, that the drawings are designed for the purpose of illustration only and not as a definition of the limits of the invention.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the credit card sized CD-R/RW card of this invention;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of the system according to the invention for generating the card of the invention;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of the system according to the invention illustrating the functionality and operation process;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the standard size CD of this invention. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0015]    The portable personal and medical information system shown in FIGS.  1 - 4  includes a wallet size or credit card size compact disc (CD-R/RW) card generally indicated by the numeral  4  in FIG. 1 that is suitable for receiving and storing inputted data. The technology utilized in manufacturing a credit card size CD-R/RW is well known in the art and is commonly referred to as business card CD technology. The most available type of business card CD from which card  4  is constructed is sometimes referred to as “CD-R” which can have data permanently written or burned on the CD by a laser contained in known CD writer device. Alternatively, the CD is referred to as “CD-RW” or “CD-R/RW” with “RW” being an abbreviation for rewritable, and this type of CD can be written, erased and re-written with electronic data by a CD writer device. As shown in FIG. 1, CD-R/RW card  4  has a circular opening generally indicated by the numeral  3  in the center thereof for receipt of a drive spindle of a conventional CD-ROM drive of a conventional home or personal computer. Preferably, CD-R/RW card  4  has arcuate opposite outer edges  3   a - 3   a  which enable CD-R/RW card  4  to be centered in the smaller inner cylindrical depression in a conventional CD-ROM drive well known to those skilled in the art which is concentric with the larger cylindrical depression for receipt of a standard CD, and CD-R/RW card  4  has parallel linear edges  3   b - 3   b  which enable CD-R/RW card  4  to be easily inserted into a conventional credit card holder in a wallet, purse, or the like.  
         [0016]    To allow a cardholder to enter their personal data and medical information, the personal/medical profile identification system of the invention also includes a standard size CD  70  as shown in FIG. 4. This standard size CD  70  includes a known initial set-up software package that can be installed and set up by the cardholder. The user of the system of the invention would need a general-purpose computer having a scanner or CD reading capability such as a CD-ROM reader and preferably an internet connection.  
         [0017]    The CD-R/RW card  4  of the invention has eye readable information  6 ,  7 ,  8 ,  9 ,  10  and  11  preferably imprinted on a surface paper label  5  as shown in FIG. 1 relating to the use of CD-R/RW card  4  which is customized and generated as illustrated in FIG. 2 for the individual cardholder. Surface or topside label  5  preferably has an adhesive stick-on backing which adheres to the surface or topside of CD-R/RW card  4 . However, if desired, the eye readable information can be directly printed on the surface of CD-R/RW card  4 . The customized eye readable data  6 ,  7 ,  8 ,  9 , and  10  provides essential medical information to emergency medical personnel at times when the cardholder may not be capable of conversation.  
         [0018]    As shown in FIG. 1, the eye readable information on CD-R/RW card  4  preferably includes at location  6  instructions for the use of CD-R/RW card  4  to emergency personnel to place the CD-R/RW card  4  in a CD player thereby enabling the emergency personnel to conclude that CD-R/RW card  4  is a CD, the cardholder&#39;s name at location  7 , emergency contact information at location  8 , insurance information such as the cardholder&#39;s insurance company and policy and group number at locations  9  and  10 , and medical symbols or icons at location  11  customized to the cardholder&#39;s medical condition, such as symbols relating to diabetes, heart condition, allergies and other similar commonly known symbols or icons. If desired, other selected relevant information of the user such as social security number, blood type, allergies, organ donor instructions, and the like may be included on CD-R/RW card  4  as eye readable information.  
         [0019]    As shown in FIG. 2, the data encoded on CD-R/RW card  4  can be customized by the cardholder-user  12  by inserting  13  a standard size CD  70  having encoded selected software programs, into the CD drive of a conventional CD reader such as a CD-ROM of a conventional home or personal computer  14  and inputting the desired personal and medical information utilizing the computer keyboard and other computer input devices. The standard size CD  70  is supplied to the cardholder-user by the provider of the system of the invention, and the selected programs encoded on standard size CD  70  include a conventional type of software program well known in the art that self starts the standard size CD  70  when placed in the CD-ROM of computer  14  and initiates a medical profile generator software program  15  resident in computer  14 . After startup of CD card  70 , the conventional personal or home computer  14  receives the conventional profile generating software program  15  that enables the system of the invention to generate a menu  16  displayed on a conventional monitor connected to computer  14 .  
         [0020]    As further shown in FIG. 2, menu  16  of profile generating software program  15  via links  17  prompts the user-cardholder to enter specific data shown in the module boxes  16   a  aligned vertically in FIG. 2 regarding the cardholder&#39;s personal and medical data, such as the cardholder&#39;s name, address and telephone number, Medication, Doctors, Insurance, Insurance claims and related information, Contacts in the event of an emergency, Family History and medical history, Records, Living Will, Reports, and any other desired information which are displayed on a conventional monitor of computer  14 . Additionally, information module boxes  16   a  access via links  17  electronic data recording form  18  and scanner  21  to prompt the user-cardholder to enter and record data, text and images, such as living wills, x-rays and medical records, for subsequent encoding onto CD-R/RW card  4  by the user-cardholder as additional data. The user-cardholder is prompted by call  22  to information module  23  to select and enter a password to protect the data from unauthorized access for subsequent inputting to CD-R/RW card  4 . The user-cardholder is also prompted by call  19  to information modules  19   a  and  19   b  to enter eye-readable information concerning allergies and medical alert symbols for subsequent encoding to CD-R/RW card  4 .  
         [0021]    The data entered above is received, organized and stored in data storage files  24  via links  20 . The data is then compressed and encrypted by conventional software programs well known in the art and readily available to skilled programmers. CD-R/RW card  4  also has encoded thereon a conventional, commercially available viewer software program well known in the art that retrieves, displays (zooms, rotates) and prints the data inputted by the user, and optionally a surface or topside label  5  for placement on CD-R/RW card  4 . Preferably the label  5  is supplied to the user by the provider of the system of the invention in blank form to be filled out by the cardholder by pen or typewriter. A sheet of peel-off conventional medical instruction symbols or icons  11  having an adhesive on the rear side thereof may also be supplied to the cardholder by the provider of the system of the invention, and the cardholder may place the appropriate symbol or icon  11  corresponding to the condition of the cardholder on the label  5  at the location indicated in FIG. 1. CD-R/RW card  4  also has conventional, commercially available internet communication software well known in the art encoded thereon to transmit data encrypted thereon via the internet to any desired internet address, website or URL (uniform resource locator).  
         [0022]    Two alternatives are shown in FIG. 2 to provide for encoding information in file storage  24  via link  25  to make CD-R/RW card  4 . A request for CD-R/RW cards  4  is initiated with a call from storage file  24  via link  25  to Make CD module  26 , which initiates calls via links  27  to Equipment Available module  28  which determines if computer  14  has equipment required to record a CD (commonly referred to as burning), such equipment being commonly referred to as a CD burner  37 . If the computer  14  is equipped with a CD burner  37 , a CD-R/RW card  4  supplied by the provider of the system to the user is placed  31   a  in the user&#39;s computer CD burner  37 , data from storage file  24  travels through link  25 , Make CD module  26 , link  27 , Equipment Available module  28 , link  29 , Yes module  28   a , link  30 , Stage Files module  31 , to CD burner  37  where the data from storage file  24  is encoded or burned  37   a  onto the underside of CD-R/RW card  4  having the programming and data described above encoded thereon to produce CD-R/RW card  4 . The Stage Files module  31  receives all files forwarded thereto through link  30 , consolidates and re-organizes the files, and encrypts the files prior to forwarding the files via link  31   a  to CD burner  37 . If the computer  14  is not equipped with a CD burner, data from storage file  24  travels through link  25 , Make CD module  26 , link  27 , Equipment Available module  28 , link  29 , No module  28   b , link  32 , Zip files Floppy  33 , Internet link  34 , Process Center module  35 , link  36 , Transfer module  36   a , and link  36   b  to CD burner  37  where the data from storage file  24  is encoded or burned  37   a  onto a CD-R/RW having the programming and data described above encoded thereon to produce CD-R/RW card  4 . Transfer module  36   a  unzips the zipped files received via link  36 , extracts data, and checks or validates the unzipped files to ascertain if all files are complete prior to forwarding the files via link  31  to CD burner  37 . Alternatively, the user&#39;s identification data can be inputted by a third party such as the supplier of the system and the encoded personalized CD-R/RW card  4  can be forwarded to the user by traditional delivery means such as mailing.  
         [0023]    It is preferred that the data ultimately be forwarded to a central processing facility or Process Center  35  to enable duplicate replacement CD-R/RW cards  4  to be generated and to enable the cardholder&#39;s health care providers to contact central processing facility or Process Center  35  to obtain medical information regarding the cardholder and, if necessary, obtain the appropriate password for the health care provider to access CD-R/RW card  4 .  
         [0024]    Connection or link  34  to process center  35 , or an internet website and/or host computer database can be by any suitable connection, such as, for example, a hardware network, a telephone network, an on-line computer network using modems. Other suitable methods for transmitting and submitting the user-cardholder data for making a customized CD-R/RW card  4 , could be by manual data entry into the database through internet connection or by hard printed copy faxed or otherwise transmitted to process center  35 . Alternatively, the data inputted by the user of the CD-R/RW card  4  can be transmitted to zip file floppy disc  33  for shipping to the process center  35  for manufacturing customized CD-R/RW card  4 .  
         [0025]    After receipt of the data, the process center  35  generates the CD-R/RW card  4  relating to the particular individual. The process center  35  can alternatively emboss the eye readable information directly on the CD-R/RW card  4  or the eye readable information can be printed on a suitable sized label and affixed to surface or topside of the CD-R/RW card  4  by an appropriate adhesive.  
         [0026]    CD-R/RW card  4  is then forwarded  37   a  to the cardholder by the provider of the system of the invention. The cardholder can easily carry at all times the credit card size CD-R/RW card  4  in a purse, wallet or the like, and the CD-R/RW card  4  can be accessed by any conventional personal computer having a CD-ROM reader by insertion of CD-R/RW card  4  into the CD-ROM.  
         [0027]    Referring to FIG. 3, in the event of a medical emergency suffered by the cardholder, or on other occasions when the cardholder presents the CD-R/RW card  4  to a health care provider, the health care provider can obtain personal and medical profile information on an incoherent cardholder by visually reading the eye-readable data and indicia located on the face of CD-R/RW card  4 , or, by using the health care provider&#39;s own computer  14  equipped with a CD-ROM reader, the health care provider can access the user&#39;s medical information burned on the underside of CD-R/RW card  4  to assist in health care treatment by inserting CD-R/RW card  4  as indicated at  38  into their CD-ROM reader. Conventional commercially available software in computer  14  self-starts and displays on monitor or display  40  through connection  39  the cardholder&#39;s electronically recorded information from CD-R/RW card  4 . Along with the cardholder&#39;s name and blood-type, automatic calls  19  are made to display allergies  19   a  and to display medical symbols or icons  19   b , and call  40   a  is made to menu  16  which displays the cardholder&#39;s health care data through connections  17  into module boxes  16   a  shown vertically aligned in FIG. 3 and include such items as ID (identification), Medication, Doctors, Insurance, Contacts, Family History, Records, Living Will, Reports and other suitable categories. All the medical data is displayed on Display Form  42  that was retrieved through connection  43  from the Retrieve File  47  from CD-R/RW card  4  can be accessed by the health care provider and viewed on Display Form  42 . Reports can be printed by printer  48  from the secondary report menu  45  which calls stored Retrieve Files  47  through connection  46 , and forwards the report data to printer  48  through connection  47   a.    
         [0028]    Accessing the card holder patient billing record and/or insurance claim form occurs by selecting a command on the identification display form  42 . Specific information is passed through a series of calls  43  to Retrieve Files  47  back to Display Form  42 , and through connections  17  and  50   a  to Electronic Billing Info  50  and through connection  50   a  to the health care provider&#39;s Healthcare Facility Billing System  50   b.    
         [0029]    Electronic verification of the cardholder&#39;s insurance coverage and processing health claims over the Internet occurs by selecting a command on the identification Display Form  42  which initiates calls through connections  49  to Internet Verification Billing module  51  provided at the website or URL of the cardholder&#39;s insurance company, connection  51   a  to Access Authentication module  52 , connection  52   a  to Approval module  53 , through connection  53   a  to No module  53   b  if access is not approved, through connection  53   c  to Cardholder Validation module  54  if access is approved, through connection  54   a  to Found module  54   b , if no information is found through connection  54   c  to No module  53   b , if information is found through connection  55  to Insurance claims Processing module  56  and to Verify and Retrieve Benefits module  57 , and through connection  58  to Display  40  to display insurance benefits information available to the cardholder found in the internet verification database and to submit insurance claim form.  
         [0030]    Thus, by use of the internet or by direct connect  49  to a host computer database  51 , the user&#39;s insurance coverage and benefits can be verified  52  quickly by contacting a pre-arranged website or maintained by the user&#39;s health care insurer. The information encoded on the CD-R/RW card  4  in machine readable format can assist the healthcare provider in not only treatment, but also claims submission, billing matters  50 - 50   b , insurance verification  51 , insurance claims processing  56  and other administrative matters.  
         [0031]    The system can include an internet access site for providing the user with the ability to access many options and links to other internet sites that are associated with the system. Once connected to the internet access site, the user or third party medical caretaker can access the user&#39;s insurance information, submit claims forms, initiate billing records and admit information.  
         [0032]    The password and security features prevent unauthorized access to the records can be entered at any level of data inputted to CD-R/RW card  4  as desired by the cardholder. The cardholder may enter the password immediately after the user or healthcare provider accesses the identification or ID module, or the ID and Contacts module, thereby preventing access to other personal medical data which the cardholder wishes to keep confidential. Furthermore, the insurance company of the cardholder may be provided with the cardholder&#39;s password to enable the healthcare provider or emergency personnel to access machine readable information on CD-R/RW card  4  which the cardholder wishes to keep confidential when the cardholder is incoherent, or the cardholder may supply the healthcare provider with the password if the cardholder is coherent.  
         [0033]    Periodically, as needed, the user can update or change the data included on CD-R/RW card  4  at the user&#39;s own personal computer, and CD-R/RW card  4  can be rewritten if the cardholder&#39;s personal computer has the capability. Alternatively, the user can contact Process Center  35  or supplier by internet or other means to provide the updated information to write a replacement CD-R/RW card  4 . The type of information and data included on CD-R/RW card  4  is not necessarily limited can include automobile insurance, driver&#39;s license information, personal or business documents, the user&#39;s dependents and family&#39;s medical data history, insurance benefits and contact information, insurance claim form data, personal and medical family history, photographs, medications, allergies, race, gender, birth date, Social Security number, height, weight, blood type, address, emergency contact information, physicians, physician&#39;s contact information, insurance companies, employer, medications, etc. The amount and detail of the information that can be contained on CD-R/RW card  4  is limited only by the user&#39;s determination and the capacity of the CD-R/RW card  4 .  
         [0034]    As explained above, CD-R/RW card  4  contains security features such as a password system by which an individual user creates his own security password that limits access to confidential data. Any other suitable known method of preventing unauthorized access to the stored user information may also be incorporated into the system.  
         [0035]    Although the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described in detail above, it should be understood that the invention is in no sense limited thereby, and its scope is to be determined by that of the following claims: