Telemedicine components, devices, applications and uses thereof
AssigneeTiatech USA, Inc.
InventorsRamesh Madhavan, Jitin Ranjit
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to equipment including hardware, software, and methods of use thereof for enabling medical interactions between individuals in separate locations. More specifically, the present invention relates to telemedicine components, devices, applications, and uses thereof. Embodiments of the present invention enable video, audio, textual, and graphical information to be securely exchanged between doctors and patients, as well as data files. A doctor located remotely from a patient may receive information from and control one or more medical devices located proximate to the patient using software operating on a computing device.
Claims13
A system for collecting and relaying medical information, the system comprising:
- a base station at a first location, the base station comprising a processor operatively connected to a base station communication module configured to communicate over a local area network using a first communication interface and over a wide area network using a second communication interface, wherein the processor is configured to securely relay commands received over the wide area network to the local area network and relay data received over the local area network to the wide area network;
- a medical device proximate the first location comprising a microcontroller operatively connected to a power supply, a device communication module communicatively coupled to the base station via the local area network, and a sensor configured to collect medical information, wherein said microcontroller is configured to transmit the medical information to the base station communication module via the local area network using the device communication module and receive instructions from the base station via the local area network using the device communication module;
- and
- a controller at a second location that is distinct from the first location, the controller comprising a controller communication module communicatively coupled to the base station via the wide area network, wherein the controller is configured to remotely control the medical device by transmitting commands to the base station and is configured to receive the medical information from the base station.
A method for collecting and relaying medical information, the method comprising the steps of:
- registering a patient with a central server and uploading the patient's medical history to the central server;
- scheduling an appointment between the patient and a physician based on information obtained during the patient's registration and based on the patient's medical history;
- performing an evaluation, wherein the patient is located in a first location and the physician is located in a second location that is different than the first location, wherein the evaluation comprises gathering medical information regarding the patient using one or more medical devices which are controlled by and relay the medical information to the physician;
- updating the patient's medical history on the central server with the medical information obtained during the evaluation;
- scheduling a procedure at a medical facility based on the results of the evaluation;
- providing the results of the procedure to the physician and updating the patient's medical history on the central server;
- providing the patient with a prescription to be filled by a pharmacist at the medical facility;
- collecting all charges incurred by the patient in the evaluation and procedure for the prescription onto a single fee sheet;
- collecting a single payment from the patient for the amount on the fee sheet;
- and
- distributing the single payment proportionally to the physician and the medical facility.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.