Systems and methods for individual identification and authorization utilizing conformable electronics

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9905063-B1
Application number	US-201715416474-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jan 26, 2017
Priority date	Aug 10, 2016
Publication date	Feb 27, 2018
Grant date	Feb 27, 2018

Abstract

An identification device includes, but is not limited to, a deformable substrate configured to conform to a skin surface of a body portion of a healthcare provider; a sensor assembly coupled to the deformable substrate, the sensor assembly including one or more identity sensors configured to generate one or more identity sense signals associated with at least one physical characteristic of the healthcare provider; circuitry configured to compare the one or more identity sense signals generated by the sensor assembly to reference data indicative of one or more physical characteristics associated with an identity; and a reporter configured to generate one or more communication signals associated with a comparison of the one or more identity sense signals generated by the sensor assembly to reference data indicative of one or more physical characteristics associated with an identity of at least one individual.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device, comprising:
a deformable substrate configured to contact and conform to a skin surface of a body portion of a healthcare provider;
a sensor assembly coupled to the deformable substrate, the sensor assembly including one or more identity sensors configured to generate one or more identity sense signals associated with at least one physical characteristic of the healthcare provider, the one or more identity sensors further configured to generate one or more second identity sense signals associated with at least one physical characteristic of an individual subject other than the healthcare provider while the deformable substrate is in contact with the skin surface of the body portion of the healthcare provider;
circuitry operably coupled to the sensor assembly and configured to receive the one or more identity sense signals associated with the at least one physical characteristic of the healthcare provider, the circuitry including an identity comparison module configured to compare the one or more identity sense signals generated by the sensor assembly to reference data indicative of one or more physical characteristics associated with an identity of at least one individual to determine whether the one or more identity sense signals correspond to the identity of the at least one individual, the identity comparison module further configured to compare the one or more second identity sense signals to reference data indicative of one or more physical characteristics associated with an identity of at least one second individual to determine whether the one or more second identity sense signals correspond to the identity of the at least one second individual; and
a reporter operably coupled to the circuitry and configured to generate one or more communication signals responsive to instruction by the circuitry prior to or in conjunction with authorization of the healthcare provider to perform a health service action with respect to the individual subject, the one or more communication signals associated with at least one of a comparison of the one or more identity sense signals generated by the sensor assembly to the reference data indicative of the one or more physical characteristics associated with the identity of the at least one individual or a comparison of the one or more second identity sense signals generated by the sensor assembly to the reference data indicative of the one or more physical characteristics associated with the identity of the at least one second individual.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more communication signals correspond to authorization of the healthcare provider to perform the health service action with respect to the individual subject responsive to a correspondence between the one or more identity sense signals and the reference data indicative of one or more physical characteristics associated with the identity of the at least one individual at least at a threshold correspondence.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more communication signals correspond to authorization of the healthcare provider to perform the health service action with respect to the individual subject responsive to a correspondence between the one or more second identity sense signals and the reference data indicative of one or more physical characteristics associated with the identity of the at least one second individual being at least at a threshold correspondence.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more communication signals correspond to authorization of the healthcare provider to perform the health service action with respect to the individual subject responsive to both of (i) a correspondence between the one or more identity sense signals and the reference data indicative of one or more physical characteristics associated with the identity of the at least one individual being at least at a threshold correspondence and (ii) a correspondence between the one or more second identity sense signals and the reference data indicative of one or more physical characteristics associated with the identity of the at least one second individual being at least at a threshold correspondence.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry includes an authorization comparison module configured to compare at least one of the one or more identity sense signals or the identity of the at least one individual with one or more authorization parameters.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the one or more communication signals correspond to authorization of the healthcare provider to perform the health service action with respect to the individual subject responsive to a correspondence between at least one of the one or more identity sense signals or the identity of the at least one individual with one or more authorization parameters being at least at a threshold correspondence.

7. The device of claim 5 , wherein the one or more authorization parameters include a list of identities of one or more individuals authorized to operate an external device.

8. The device of claim 5 , wherein the one or more authorization parameters include a list of identities of one or more individuals authorized to perform a scheduled procedure.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry includes a logging module configured to store at least one activity state of the healthcare provider.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the reporter is configured to transmit the one or more communication signals to an information system.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the information system includes at least one of an electronic health records system, a billing system, a scheduling system, an inventory management system, a claim processing system, or an administrative system.

12. The device of claim 10 , wherein the reporter is configured to transmit the one or more communication signals to the information system to identify the healthcare provider to the information system.

13. The device of claim 10 , wherein the reporter is configured to transmit the one or more communication signals to the information system to sign an information system entry for the healthcare provider.

14. A method, comprising:
generating one or more identity sense signals corresponding to a healthcare provider via an identification device having a deformable substrate configured to contact and conform to a skin surface of a body portion of the healthcare provider and having one or more identity sensors coupled to the deformable substrate, the one or more identity sense signals associated with at least one physical characteristic of the healthcare provider;
generating, via the identification device, one or more second identity sense signals associated with at least one physical characteristic of an individual subject other than the healthcare provider while the deformable substrate is in contact with the skin surface of the body portion of the healthcare provider;
comparing via circuitry the one or more identity sense signals to reference data indicative of one or more physical characteristics associated with an identity of at least one individual to determine whether the one or more identity sense signals correspond to the identity of the at least one individual;
comparing via circuitry the one or more second identity sense signals to reference data indicative of one or more physical characteristics associated with an identity of at least one second individual to determine whether the one or more second identity sense signals correspond to the identity of the at least one second individual; and
prior to or in conjunction with authorization of the h

Assignees

• Elwha Llc

Inventors

• Hyde Roderick A
• Kare Jordin T
• Mcknight Gary L
• Petroski Robert C
• Sweeney Elizabeth A

Classifications

• G06F2218/00

  Aspects of pattern recognition specially adapted for signal processing · CPC title

• G07C9/00563 Primary

  using personal physical data of the operator, e.g. finger prints, retinal images, voicepatterns · CPC title

• G07C9/257 Primary

  electronically (G07C9/26 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B5/6833

  Adhesive patches · CPC title

• G06F16/90344

  by using string matching techniques · CPC title