Modular telehealth cart with thermal imaging and touch screen user interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11742094-B2
Application number	US-202117233692-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 19, 2021
Priority date	Jul 25, 2017
Publication date	Aug 29, 2023
Grant date	Aug 29, 2023

Abstract

A telemedicine system including a cart that allows for two-way audio/video conferencing between patients or local care providers and remote care providers or family members. The cart employs a modular design that allows its capabilities to be expanded to meet the needs of particular telemedicine applications. In addition, the cart provides thermal imaging and a user interface that allows local care provers to access various capabilities of the device while the device is not in session with a remote party.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A telemedicine system comprising:
a cart that supports a controller coupled to a camera system, a touchscreen display, a microphone, a speaker, and a network, the controller is configured to display a user interface on the touchscreen display in response to a user input received via the touchscreen display, the user interface including at least a first selectable option that causes video captured by the camera system to be displayed on the touchscreen display when the system is not in session and a second option to transmit a request for consultation via the network, wherein when the second option is selected, the controller causes the user interface to display a prompt for a communication address and subsequently transmits the consultation request including a uniform resource locator to a communication address provided by the user in response to the prompt,
wherein the controller is configured to establish a communication session with a remote device coupled to the controller via the network, the remote device including a camera, a display, a microphone, and a speaker and, during the communication session, the controller causes the touchscreen display to display video captured by the camera of the remote device.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the camera system includes a thermal camera.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the camera system includes a first optical camera with a first field of view.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the camera system includes a second optical camera with a second field of view.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the cart further comprises an articulating boom that supports a third optical camera coupled to the controller, the third optical camera having a third field of view.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the third optical camera is a pan-tilt-zoom camera.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the controller changes at least one of the pan, tilt, and zoom of the third optical camera in response to a user input provided via the touchscreen display.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the controller changes at least one of the pan, tilt, and zoom of the third optical camera in response to a user input received from the remote station.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the camera system and the touchscreen display can be panned and tilted relative to the cart.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the camera system and the touchscreen display are mechanically coupled such that they face in substantially the same direction and move together.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the cart includes actuators configured to pan and tilt the camera system and the touchscreen display in response to commands received from the remote station.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the actuators are configured to be manually repositioned by a person in the vicinity of the cart.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user interface displays a plurality of selectable consultation types that can be selected to request a consultation.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein selecting a first consultation type cause a consultation request to be transmitted to a first care provider and selecting a second consultation type causes a consultation request to be transmitted to a second care provider.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user interface includes a selectable option that causes the controller to display a medical form that can be completed via the touchscreen interface.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the communication address is a telephone number.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the consultation request is transmitted via a Short Message Service protocol.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the recipient of the consultation request can select the uniform resource locator to activate an application that establishes the communication session with the controller.

19. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user interface includes a selectable option for a language translation service.

20. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cart includes a removable peripheral bay that includes a plurality of communication ports coupled to the controller.

Assignees

• Teladoc Health Inc

Inventors

• Celmins John
• Douville Gary
• Sanchez Daniel
• Pinter Marco
• Jordan Charles S
• Wang Yulun

Classifications

• G16H80/00 Primary

  ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring · CPC title

• G06F1/1613

  for portable computers (cooling arrangements therefor G06F1/203; constructional details or arrangements for pocket calculators, electronic agendas or books G06F15/0216; constructional details of portable telephone sets: with several bodies H04M1/0202) · CPC title

• G06F1/1632

  External expansion units, e.g. docking stations · CPC title

• G16H40/63

  for local operation · CPC title

• G16H40/67

  for remote operation · CPC title