Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Measuring anatomical characteristic or force applied to or...
Reexamination Certificate
2002-10-18
2004-04-27
Hindenburg, Max F. (Department: 3736)
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
Measuring anatomical characteristic or force applied to or...
Reexamination Certificate
active
06726638
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to devices that process and/or obtain tactile information, and more particularly to devices that transmit, record, playback, and reproduce tactile information obtained from a remote location or time to an individual.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
During the 1980s, in an effort to overcome physician shortages in rural communities, the idea of using communications and computer systems for exchanging medical information between specialist physicians and patients separated by great distances prompted the development of “telemedicine.” With the advent of the internet and inexpensive audio and video communications systems, the scope of telemedicine continues to evolve. Many physicians currently use e-mail to correspond with patients while many patients use the internet to seek out general medical information. Telemedicine systems, in their current form however, are limited by their inability to allow for the adequate performance of a physical examination.
The fundamental process of the physical exam requires a doctor to gather specific information about the patient's condition from a variety of sources (history, direct physical examination, laboratory tests, and imaging studies) then analyze that data and affect treatment. The most critical source of information comes from the actual physical examination of the patient. An expertly performed physical examination alone can be used to establish a correct diagnosis with over 90% accuracy. While some medical information can be transmitted via phone, FAX, or the internet, that derived from the actual physical contact between the doctor and patient during the manual examination process cannot, and represents the key limiting step in the entire telemedicine examination process. The inability to acquire physical data remotely, and transfer this information reliably to a physician in a non-contiguous location, limits the reliability of telemedicine for most serious medical problems.
Thus, there exists a need for a computer hardware and software system which allows for the direct manual examination of a patient in a non-contiguous location, wherein a physician may perform a manual examination of a patient's body without any actual direct physical contact between the patient and the physician. Moreover, there exists a need for a system that allows tactile and “physical contact” data to be gathered and transmitted via conventional global communications systems. Such a system would provide a means for any physician in the world to examine any patient in any location including rural or remote areas, “in the field” during an emergency or battle, or any hostile environment. There also exists a need for the transformation of applied and/or received tactile forces into digital data, which can then be transmitted over the internet, or any other type of communications platform able to transmit and receive such signals, and ultimately transmitted to a device on the other end which translates the digital signal into the appropriate output (applied) tactile force. Further, there exists a need for the recording of this digital tactile examination data, wherein the digital tactile examination data can be played back for recreation or modeling of the underlying physical characteristics of the person or object that was originally examined (interrogated) by the system.
Further still, there exists a need for an imaging exam assembly that can obtain tactile examination data simultaneously with 2-D or 3-D internal body imaging data. The inclusion of internal body imaging would allow the physician user to obtain enhanced regional anatomic information associated with the location and internal characteristics of the underlying tissues and organs being manipulated during the exam. Currently, obtaining diagnostic 2-D or 3-D body imaging requires a patient to have an additional testing component or step in the diagnostic process. Non-invasive imaging systems currently available include ultrasound, Computed Tomography (CT) scans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Nuclear scans, and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans. CT scans, PET scans, and MRIs require patients to be physically placed in a large enclosure in order to generate the study data. Ultrasound systems however are very portable and safe systems that use sound waves to generate acoustical information that can be translated into 2-D or 3-D body images. Currently ultrasound systems require either a technologist or a physician, knowledgeable in the use of ultrasound equipment, to manually place an ultrasound probe on the patient's body over the area of interest. The probe is physically connected to the ultrasound machine which provides the power and image processing systems.
The ultrasound unit emits pulses of ultrasound energy at specific frequencies that are transmitted to the body tissues. Echoes are returned from the tissues and collected by the transducer. Echoes returning from stationary tissue are detected and presented in gray scale as an image. Depth and brightness can be determined from the arrival time and signal strength characteristics of the returning echoes. Frequency changes from the returning echoes denote underlying motion of the structures below. This information is then processed by the imaging system software in order to generate an internal image of the structure being evaluated. The visual and spectral data can then be used by the physician to make diagnostic and treatment decisions. Many aspects of the ultrasound examination also require the technologist or physician user to press on the body surface with the transducer scan head in order to detect additional characteristics of the underlying structures being evaluated.
Thus there exists a need for a system operable to detect and transmit real time tactile information, as well as 2-D and 3-D ultrasound information between two individuals in non-contiguous locations. Moreover, a device that can simultaneously transmit, receive, and exchange real time tactile information data between two individuals in a non-contiguous location, as well as imaging data, to provide the user with simultaneous real time 2-D or 3-D internal or external body imaging is needed. Further, there exists a need for an enhanced medical diagnostic instrument operable to permit an end user to feel or manipulate the tissue or body structure in question as well as have the ability to view the internal impact of the applied tactile forces.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, a simulator assembly for simulating the tactile response of an item is provided. The simulator assembly includes a playback module formed generally in the shape of at least a portion of the simulated item, the playback module body including an outer skin. The simulator assembly further includes a plurality of cavities disposed in the playback module body and beneath the outer skin. The simulator assembly also includes a plurality of sensory modulation subunits, wherein each sensory modulation subunit is disposed at least partially within one of the plurality of cavities. Also, each sensory modulation subunit is adapted to exert a force against the outer skin in response to an input signal.
The simulator assembly may include a pressure transducer adapted to generate an output signal in response to an applied force. The simulator assembly may include a computer system functionally connected to the sensory modulation subunits, wherein the computer system transmits the input signals to dynamically control the forces exerted by the sensory modulation subunits. The computer system may receive the output signals generated by the sensory modulation subunits, wherein the received output signals are used to determine the sensory modulation subunits input signals. The computer system may include a memory module containing data defining the firmness of the simulated item, wherein the data is used to determine the sensory modulation subunit input signals.
In accordance with the present invention, a tactile playba
Cel-Kom LLC
Hindenburg Max F.
Johnson Kindness PLLC
O'Connor Christensen
Szmal Brian Scott
LandOfFree
Direct manual examination of remote patient with virtual... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Direct manual examination of remote patient with virtual..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Direct manual examination of remote patient with virtual... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3185674