Virtual medical instrument for performing medical diagnostic testing on patients

A virtual medical instrument system for providing a plurality of patient medical diagnostic test protocols, said virtual medical instrument system comprising:

• a. data storage means for storing two or more of the following diagnostic test protocols:
• EEG, EKG, EMG/NCV, PFT, CMG, EP, ENG, visual acuity, visual field, limb dynometric and audiogram, and means for inputting information into said storage means;
• b. a universal interface having a number of electrical contacts;
• c. a plurality of sets of electrical conduits associated with a like plurality of different patient diagnostic test protocols;
• d. selecting means connected to said data storage means and said universal interface for enabling a user of the system to select any one of said plurality of stored patient diagnostic test protocols for conducting on a patient, and thereby to select the corresponding set of electrical conduits to be connected to particular electrical contacts of said universal interface;
• e. operating means for causing the selected diagnostic test protocol to be performed on said patient after the corresponding set of electrical conduits are connected to the universal interface contacts and to said patient on which the selected diagnostic test is to be performed;
• f. electrical signal generating means connected to said universal interface for providing electrical signals to said patent undergoing said selected diagnostic test if such electric signals are required according to the selected medical diagnostic test protocol;
• g. means connected to said universal interface contacts through the set of electrical conduits for receiving electrical signals from said patient undergoing said selected diagnostic test protocol;
• and
• h. output means connected to said signal receiving means for providing an output corresponding to said received electrical signals, said output means including one or more of a strip chart printer, a conventional printer, a modem, a computer diskette, an audio recorder and a video recorder.

A virtual medical instrument system for a medical facility having a plurality of patient medical diagnostic test protocols, said virtual medical instrument comprising:

• a. a universal interface having a number of electrical contacts, said universal interface being configured for having connected to at least some of said contacts any selected set of a plurality of different sets of electrical conduits associated with a like plurality of different patient diagnostic test protocols;
• b. selecting means connected to said universal interface for enabling a user of the system to select any one of said plurality of different patient diagnostic test protocols for conducting on a patient, and thereby to select the corresponding set of electrical conduits to be connected to particular electrical contacts of said universal interface;
• c. operating means for causing the selected diagnostic test protocol to be performed on said patient after the corresponding set of electrical conduits are connected to the universal interface contacts and to said patient on which the selected diagnostic test protocol is to be performed;
• d. signal receiving means connected to said universal interface through the set of electrical conduits for receiving electric signals from said patient undergoing said selected diagnostic test protocol;
• e. output means for providing a detectable output corresponding to said received electrical signals;
• and
• f. comparing means associated with said electrical signal receiving means for comparing initially-received electrical signals from said patient undergoing said selected diagnostic test protocol against expected electrical signals for said selected diagnostic test protocol and for alerting said user of the system when said initially-received electrical signals are substantially different from said expected electrical signals.

A virtual medical instrument system for a medical facility having a plurality of patient medical diagnostic test protocols, said virtual medical instrument comprising:

• a. a universal interface having a number of electrical contacts, said universal interface being configured for having connected to at least some of said contacts any selected set of a plurality of different sets of electrical conduits associated with a like plurality of different patient diagnostic test protocols;
• b. selecting means connected to said universal interface for enabling a user of the system to select any one of said plurality of different patient diagnostic test protocols for conducting on a patient, and thereby to select the corresponding set of electrical conduits to be connected to particular electrical contacts of said universal interface;
• c. operating means for causing the selected diagnostic test protocol to be performed on said patient after the corresponding set of electrical conduits are connected to the universal interface contacts and to said patient on which the selected diagnostic test protocol is to be performed;
• d. signal receiving means connected to said universal interface through the set of electrical conduits for receiving electric signals from said patient undergoing said selected diagnostic test protocol;
• e. output means for providing a detectable output corresponding to said received electrical signals;
• and
• f. electrical signal generating means connected to said universal interface for providing electrical signals to said patent undergoing said selected diagnostic test protocol in accordance with patient stimuli requirements of said selected protocol.

A virtual medical instrument system for a medical facility having a plurality of patient medical diagnostic test protocols, said virtual medical instrument comprising:

• a. a universal interface having a number of electrical contacts, said universal interface being configured for having connected to at least some of said contacts any selected set of a plurality of different sets of electrical conduits associated with a like plurality of different patient diagnostic test protocols;
• b. selecting means connected to said universal interface for enabling a user of the system to select any one of said plurality of different patient diagnostic test protocols for conducting on a patient, and thereby to select the corresponding set of electrical conduits to be connected to particular electrical contacts of said universal interface;
• c. operating means for causing the selected diagnostic test protocol to be performed on said patient after the corresponding set of electrical conduits are connected to the universal interface contacts and to said patient on which the selected diagnostic test protocol is to be performed;
• d. signal receiving means connected to said universal interface through the set of electrical conduits for receiving electric signals from said patient undergoing said selected diagnostic test protocol;
• e. output means for providing a detectable output corresponding to said received electrical signals;
• and
• f. information storage means associated with said selecting means for storing said plurality of diagnostic test protocols.

A virtual medical instrument system for a medical facility having a plurality of patient medical diagnostic test protocols, said virtual medical instrument comprising:

• a. a universal interface having a number of electrical contacts, said universal interface being configured for having connected to at least some of said contacts any selected set of a plurality of different sets of electrical conduits associated with a like plurality of different patient diagnostic test protocols;
• b. selecting means connected to said universal interface for enabling a user of the system to select any one of said plurality of different patient diagnostic test protocols for conducting on a patient, and thereby to select the corresponding set of electrical conduits to be connected to particular electrical contacts of said universal interface;
• c. operating means for causing the selected diagnostic test protocol to be performed on said patient after the corresponding set of electrical conduits are connected to the universal interface contacts and to said patient on which the selected diagnostic test protocol is to be performed;
• d. signal receiving means connected to said universal interface through the set of electrical conduits for receiving electric signals from said patient undergoing said selected diagnostic test protocol;
• e. output means for providing a detectable output corresponding to said received electrical signals;
• and
• f. a visual display connected to said receiving means for providing visual information to a user of the system regarding the medical test protocols that can be selected and information concerning the selected medical test protocol.