Abstract:
An avatar-incentive healthcare therapy system has a physiological monitor for generating a physiological parameter indicative of physical health. An academic test for generating a test score is indicative of mental acuity. The avatar has outward characteristics and game play capabilities proportional to the physiological health and the mental acuity so as to incentivize improved physical health and academic performance.

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIM TO RELATED PROVISIONAL APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application claims priority benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/916,136 filed Dec. 13, 2013, titled Avatar Incentive Video Game, hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference herein. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Medical device manufacturers are continually increasing the processing capabilities of patient monitors, specifically of patient monitors that process signals based on attenuation of light by patient tissue. In general, such patient monitoring systems include one or more optical sensors that irradiate tissue of a patient and one or more photodetectors that detect the radiation after attenuation thereof by the tissue. The sensor communicates the detected signal to a patient monitor, where the monitor often removes noise and preprocesses the signal. Advanced signal processors then perform time domain and/or frequency domain processing to determine measurements of blood constituents and other physiological parameters of the patient. 
         [0003]    Manufacturers have advanced basic pulse oximeters that determine measurements for blood oxygen saturation (“SpO2”), pulse rate (“PR”) and pethysmographic information, to read-through-motion oximeters, to co-oximeters that determine measurements of many constituents of circulating blood. For example, Masimo Corporation of Irvine Calif. (“Masimo”) manufactures pulse oximetry systems including Masimo SET® low noise optical sensors and read through motion pulse oximetry monitors for measuring SpO2, PR, perfusion index (“PI”) and others. Masimo sensors include any of LNOP®, LNCS®, SofTouch™ and Blue™ adhesive or reusable sensors. Masimo oximetry monitors include any of Rad-8®, Rad-5®, Rad®-5v or SatShare® monitors. 
         [0004]    Many innovations improving the measurement of blood constituents are described in at least U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,770,028; 6,658,276; 6,157,850; 6,002,952; 5,769,785 and 5,758,644, which are assigned to Masimo and are incorporated by reference herein. Corresponding low noise optical sensors are disclosed in at least U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,985,764; 6,088,607; 5,782,757 and 5,638,818, assigned to Masimo and hereby incorporated in their entirety by reference herein. 
         [0005]    Masimo also manufactures more advanced co-oximeters including Masimo Rainbow® SET, which provides measurements in addition to SpO2, such as total hemoglobin (SpHb™), oxygen content (SpCO™), methemoglobin (SpMet®), carboxyhemoglobin (SpCO®) and PVI®. Advanced blood parameter sensors include Masimo Rainbow® adhesive, ReSposable™ and reusable sensors. Masimo&#39;s advanced blood parameter monitors include Masimo Radical-7™, Rad87™, and Rad57™ monitors as well as Pronto and Pronto-7 spot check monitors. 
         [0006]    Innovations relating to these more advanced blood parameter measurement systems are described in at least U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,647,083; 7,729,733; U.S. Pat. Pub. Nos. 2006/0211925; and 2006/0238358, assigned to Cercacor Laboratories of Irvine, Calif. (“Cercacor”) and hereby incorporated in their entirety by reference herein. 
         [0007]    Such advanced pulse oximeters, low noise sensors and advanced blood parameter systems have gained rapid acceptance in a wide variety of medical applications, including surgical wards, intensive care and neonatal units, general wards, home care, physical training, and virtually all types of monitoring scenarios. 
         [0008]    Advanced pulse oximetry is described in at least U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,770,028; 6,658,276; 6,157,850; 6,002,952; 5,769,785 and 5,758,644, which are assigned to Masimo Corporation (“Masimo”) of Irvine, Calif. and are incorporated in their entirety by reference herein. Corresponding low noise optical sensors are disclosed in at least U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,985,764; 6,813,511; 6,792,300; 6,256,523; 6,088,607; 5,782,757 and 5,638,818, which are also assigned to Masimo and are also incorporated in their entirety by reference herein. Advanced pulse oximetry systems including Masimo SET® low noise optical sensors and read through motion pulse oximetry monitors for measuring SpO 2 , pulse rate (PR) and perfusion index (PI) are available from Masimo. Optical sensors include any of Masimo LNOP®, LNCS®, SofTouch™ and Blue™ adhesive or reusable sensors. Pulse oximetry monitors include any of Masimo Rad-8®, Rad-5®, Rad®-5v or SatShare® monitors. 
         [0009]    Advanced blood parameter measurement systems are described in at least U.S. Pat. No. 7,647,083, filed Mar. 1, 2006, titled Multiple Wavelength Sensor Equalization; U.S. Pat. No. 7,729,733, filed Mar. 1, 2006, titled Configurable Physiological Measurement System; U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2006/0211925, filed Mar. 1, 2006, titled Physiological Parameter Confidence Measure and U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2006/0238358, filed Mar. 1, 2006, titled Noninvasive Multi-Parameter Patient Monitor, all assigned to Cercacor Laboratories, Inc., Irvine, Calif. (Cercacor) and all incorporated in their entirety by reference herein. An advanced parameter measurement system that includes acoustic monitoring is described in U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2010/0274099, filed Dec. 21, 2009, titled Acoustic Sensor Assembly, assigned to Masimo and incorporated in its entirety by reference herein. 
         [0010]    Advanced blood parameter measurement systems include Masimo Rainbow® SET, which provides measurements in addition to SpO 2 , such as total hemoglobin (SpHb™), oxygen content (SpOC™), methemoglobin (SpMet®), carboxyhemoglobin (SpCO®) and PVI®. Advanced blood parameter sensors include Masimo Rainbow® adhesive, ReSposable™ and reusable sensors. Advanced blood parameter monitors include Masimo Radical-7™, Rad87™ and Rad57™ monitors, all available from Masimo. Advanced parameter measurement systems may also include acoustic monitoring such as acoustic respiration rate (RRa™) using a Rainbow Acoustic Sensor™ and Rad87™ monitor, available from Masimo. Such advanced pulse oximeters, low noise sensors and advanced parameter systems have gained rapid acceptance in a wide variety of medical applications, including surgical wards, intensive care and neonatal units, general wards, home care, physical training, and virtually all types of monitoring scenarios. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0011]    An avatar-incentive healthcare therapy system has a physiological monitor for generating a physiological parameter indicative of physical health. An academic test for generating a test score is indicative of mental acuity. The avatar has outward characteristics and game play capabilities proportional to the physiological health and the mental acuity so as to incentivize improved physical health and academic performance. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIGS. 1A-B  are perspective views of a physiological monitor and corresponding monitor screens incorporating avatar-incentives for healthcare therapy; 
           [0013]      FIGS. 2A-C  are avatar illustrations incorporating healthcare therapy incentives; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  are perspective views of physiological monitors and interfaced devices for incentivizing healthcare therapy; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a block diagram of physiological monitor communications for incentivizing healthcare therapy; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a block diagram of a cloud-based physiological monitoring system for avatar-incentive healthcare therapy. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0017]      FIGS. 1A-B  illustrate a physiological monitor  100  and corresponding monitor screens  101 ,  102  incorporating avatar-incentives for encouraging physical and mental fitness. As shown in  FIG. 1A , the physiological monitor  100  has a handheld processing device  110 , a touch screen display  120 , a noninvasive optical sensor  130 , a sensor cable  140  electrically and mechanically interconnecting the processing device  110  and the sensor  130 , a monitor-integrated test strip reader  170  that accepts test strips  175 , one or more input keys  150  and an integrated camera  160  among other features. An optical sensor is described in detail with respect to U.S. Pat. No. 13/646,659 titled Noninvasive Blood Analysis System, filed Oct. 5, 2012, assigned to Cercacor and incorporated in its entirety by reference herein. A blood glucose monitor is described in detail with respect to U.S. patent Ser. No. 13/308,461 titled Handheld Processing Device Including Medical Applications for Minimally and Noninvasive Glucose Measurements, filed Nov. 30, 2011, assigned to Cercacor and incorporated in its entirety by reference herein. A blood glucose monitor and sensor are described in U.S. Ser. No. 13/473,477 titled Personal Health Device, filed May 16, 2012, assigned to Cercacor and incorporated in its entirety by reference herein. 
         [0018]    As shown in  FIG. 1B , in an embodiment, the touch screen display  120  has a physiological monitor display mode  101  and an incentive game play mode  102 . In a physiological monitor display mode  101 , the monitor displays measured physiological parameters. In an incentive game play mode  102 , the monitor constructs a video player avatar  180  having physical and mental strengths  190  based upon incentivizing criteria described below. In an embodiment, the avatar is inserted into physiological monitor-based video games according to its strengths  190  or exported externally to video games running on standalone video game systems or from the cloud, as described with respect to  FIGS. 3-5 , below. 
         [0019]    Also shown in  FIG. 1B , in an incentive game play mode  102 , the touch screen display  120  presents one or more video games advantageously incorporating a player avatar  180  that becomes stronger and/or smarter in proportion to the physical and/or mental capabilities of the player as an incentive for patient recovery. 
         [0020]    In an avatar communications mode, the player avatar and its corresponding physical and mental capabilities, are communicated to an external video game system, as described with respect to  FIGS. 3-5 , below. 
         [0021]    In an embodiment, an avatar summary screen  122  is presented in the game play mode  102  illustrating the player&#39;s selected avatar  180  and indicators  190  of the avatar&#39;s accumulated physical strength and mental prowess. With respect to physical strength, the physiological monitor  100  is in wireless or wired communications with, for example, exercise equipment so as to incentivize patients recovering from, say, accidents or surgery to track physical exercise and healing progress. With respect to mental prowess, the physiological monitor  100  is in communications with mental skill test results, where the mental skills are either presented by the physiological monitor  100  itself in a mental challenge mode or input to the monitor  100  from external indicators of mental achievements, such as student report cards and standardized test results, to name a few. 
         [0022]    In other embodiments, the physiological monitor  100  measures, records and tracks a person&#39;s physiological measurements such as resting heart rate, cholesterol, blood pressure among other physiological parameters. The person&#39;s avatar becomes physically stronger according to a health index based upon these parameters. Likewise, if a person passes certain quizzes or has a report card with straight A&#39;s, that person&#39;s avatar gets stronger and smarter for games simulating physical competition, such as racing, sports and combat. Advantageously, the physiological monitor  100  helps patients recovering from a stroke, provides a sports training tool for athletes and functions as a student teaching device, as a few examples. 
         [0023]      FIGS. 2A-C  illustrate avatars incorporating healthcare therapy incentives. As shown in  FIG. 2A , a physiological monitor  110  ( FIG. 1A ) allows a patient or other user to construct an avatar  201 . The avatar&#39;s clothing or other external characteristics may overtly display the avatar&#39;s physical or mental strength  190  ( FIG. 1B ) as earned by the patient via improved physiological wellness or mental fitness tests measured by the monitor  110  ( FIG. 1A ) or provided externally, as described below. In an embodiment, the avatar has clothing  210  that reflects earned physical/mental accomplishments/improvements. In an exemplar embodiment, the avatar&#39;s belt color indicates earned physical strength and the avatar&#39;s tunic or dress color indicates earned mental strength. For example, a black belt and a bright colored tunic indicates an avatar with high physical and mental strength as the result of high physical and mental test scores and other real-world physical and mental accomplishments. As shown in  FIG. 2B , earned avatar physical and mental strength are rewarded through video gaming, such as avatar combat, races and other player contests. As shown in  FIG. 2C , avatar rewards may also be displayed on emails, Internet posts and other electronic communications. 
         [0024]      FIG. 3  illustrate physiological monitors and interfaced devices for incentivizing healthcare therapy. The video game may be incorporated within one physiological monitor  301  for single player games or incorporated within linked physiological monitors  301 ,  302  for multiple-player games, as described with respect to  FIG. 4 , below. Alternatively, a monitor  301  may be interfaced with an external video game system  320  that resides locally or in the cloud, such as an online gaming center  540  ( FIG. 5 ). Physiological data for constructing an avatar&#39;s physical strength may be derived by a physiological monitor  301 , such as described with respect to  FIG. 1 , above, game play on an external video player  320 , data from wearable activity devices such as fitness bracelets  310 , data directly downloaded from a memory device such as a USB key  340  or from physiological data, game play, test scores, report cards  510 - 540  ( FIG. 5 ) accessed via the cloud  10 , as described with respect to  FIG. 5 , below. Similarly, mental prowess may be assessed by mental ability tests provided by physiological monitor  301 , such as described with respect to  FIG. 1 , above, or from mental prowess data gathered via the cloud or other external sources, such as school grades and standardized test scores, as described with respect to  FIG. 5 , above. Video game play on a monitor  301  may also be enhanced by interfaced game play devices, such as a joystick  440 . 
         [0025]      FIG. 4  illustrates physiological monitor communications for incentivizing healthcare therapy. A cloud-based monitor communications system  400  has a cloud server  10  in communications with various physiological monitors  100 . In this manner, monitor users  20  may freely network with each other whether located in various hospitals/clinics  410 , at home  420 , on the street  430  or any location remote from the cloud server  10 . Data is transmitted from monitors  100  to the cloud server  10  via wired (e.g. LAN) or wireless (e.g. Wi-Fi) local networks to wide area media, such as Internet cable, telecommunications (e.g. 3G) networks or cellular networks  440 . These wide area media, in turn, are in communications with the cloud server  10 , which calculates physiological parameters or simply provides patient-to-patient communications including conversations or interactive gaming through their avatars, as described above. 
         [0026]      FIG. 5  illustrates a cloud-based physiological monitoring system for avatar-incentive healthcare therapy. A healthcare monitor  560 , such as described with respect to  FIG. 1  ( 100 ), above, incorporating earned avatar incentives, also described above, may be in communications with a physiological data processing center  510 , testing centers  520 , schools  530  and online gaming centers  540 . Physiological data for determining avatar physical strength may be determined from the physiological data processing center  510  and received by the monitor  560 . Likewise, data for determining avatar mental acuity may be determined from standardized testing centers  520 , e.g. from standard tests such as PSAT, SAT, GMAT, GRE etc. Avatar mental acuity may also be determined from various schools via authorized access to a particular student&#39;s grades  530 . Further, earned avatar incentives can be exported to and used within games provided by online gaming centers  540 . Avatar-incentive healthcare therapy has been disclosed in detail in connection with various embodiments. These embodiments are disclosed by way of examples only and are not to limit the scope of the claims that follow. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate many variations and modifications.