Mobile automated health sensing system, method and device

Abstract

The claimed invention relates to mobile computing monitoring of health statistics using chemically synthesized conjugate markers providing highly specific details of personal health states. Using portable computing and communications devices, commonly known as ‘smartphones’, personal health and wellness information is gathered from chemical markers and reported to the user. Chemical markers include chemicals which undergo a measurable color change when combined with body fluids such as saliva. Health information derived from chemical markers may be optically collected, locally reported and widely broadcast over a ‘cloud based’ internet data distribution system.

Claims

1. A personal health monitoring system comprising: A personal communication device incorporating one or more central processing units, one or more cameras, internet connection means and near field wireless communication means, health sample interpretation software, health sample collection means and health sample detector.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said health sample detector additionally comprises one or more health sample detection chemicals.

3. The system of claim 2 additionally comprising cloud based data storage and computing resources.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said one or more health sample detection sensors additionally comprises chemical specificity wherein pH dye is used to detect the pH of a saliva sample and saliva sample color changes depending on the glucose of the saliva from white to pink.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein said one or more health sample detection chemical sensors undergo a coupling reaction between glucose oxidase and peroxidase in the presence of glucose in a saliva sample.

6. The system of claim 3 wherein said one or more health sample detection chemical sensors additionally comprises chemical sensors which oxidize salivary glucose into gluconolactone and hydrogen peroxide (H.sub.2O.sub.2).

7. The system of claim 3 wherein said one or more health sample detection chemical sensors additionally comprises chemical sensors which in the presence of peroxidase, 10-acetyl-3,7-dihydroxyphenoxazine reacts with H.sub.2O.sub.2 in a 1:1 stoichiometry to produce a red color change in the presence of glucose in a saliva sample.

8. The system of claim 3 wherein said one or more health sample detection chemical sensors additionally comprises a compound having the following structural formula: ##STR00002##

9. The system of claim 2 additionally comprising pharmaceutical administration alert messaging controlled by data collected from said one or more health sample detection chemicals.

10. The system of claim 2 additionally comprising pharmaceutical administration means controlled by data collected from said one or more health sample detection chemicals.

11. A health sample collection device comprising sample collection housing, one or more health sample detection chemicals and positive sample reporting means.

12. The health sample collection device of claim 11 wherein said one or more health sample detection chemicals undergo a coupling reaction between glucose oxidase and peroxidase in the presence of glucose in saliva.

13. The health sample collection device of claim 11 wherein said one or more health sample detection chemicals additionally comprises a compound having the following structural formula: ##STR00003##

14. The health sample collection device of claim 12 wherein said positive sample reporting means includes near field communication capabilities.

15. The health sample collection device of claim 12 wherein said sample collection housing is in regular contact with the health monitoring subject.

16. A method for personal health data collection comprising the steps of: Exposing one or more chemical sensor biosensors to a biological sample, Capturing data derived from chemical biosensor reporting based on biological sample exposure, Interpreting data captured from chemical biosensors, and Reporting health and wellness information derived from data captured from chemical biosensors.

17. The method of claim 16 additionally comprising: Uploading data to cloud based data interpretation, storage and reporting resources after said data capture step.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The accompanying drawings are included to better illustrate exemplary embodiments of the claimed invention.

[0012] FIG. 1 shows an illustrative embodiment of a health sample collection device with sample collection housing and one or more chemical sensors and positive sample reporting means embedded within a matrix.

[0013] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of illustrative health information data capture method according to the claimed invention.

[0014] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram further illustrating health information data capture method according to the claimed invention.

[0015] FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of the wellness system component elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] FIG. 1 shows health sample collection device (101) with sample collection housing (103) and one or more chemical sensors including (not shown) and positive sample reporting means (not shown) embedded within a disposable matrix (105). In the illustrative example, smailphone enabled wellness information capture is aided through optical data standardization bar (107) and unique sample collection device identifier (109).

[0017] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of illustrative health information data capture method according to the claimed invention. Sample capture step (201) exposes sample (not shown) to health sample collection device (not shown) and begins exposure time calculation on smailphone (not shown). Depending upon the particular health sample under analysis, exposure time may be a critical step in determining accurate health measurements.

[0018] After sample capture step (201) results in the appropriate exposure time as determined by the smailphone (not shown), results photo capture step (203) takes place with one or more photos taken of the health sample collection device (not shown) incorporating the chemical based sensors with reporting indicators (not shown).

[0019] Color determination step (205) normalizes sample results (not shown) against optical data standardization bar (not shown) on the health sample collection device (not shown). During color determination step (205) color based results are normalized to yield standardized results regardless of mobile device camera or brand utilized. Results may be further optimized through background removal step (207) where background noise is removed.

[0020] Results association step (209) reads the QR code (not shown) on health sample collection device (not shown) and links data from sample capture to an individual health and wellness profile. User privacy is maintained as a direct and intended consequence of the illustrative example. Should a health sample collection device be misplaced or stolen, user identity cannot be determined solely by physical examination of a particular device.

[0021] Results interpretation step (211) matches chemical sensor display data (not shown) with a corresponding user and reports the results back on the smartphone device. Results interpretation may be derived from cloud based computing (not shown) or in the alternate on a particular smartphone device. As a result of the disclosed system and method, a novel and robust platform for personal health determination maintains privacy while allowing for specific results data sharing locally and over cloud based computing and telephony networks as desired.

[0022] FIG. 3 is an enhanced flow diagram of illustrative health information data capture method according to the claimed invention expanded to include device registration and data reporting feature sets. Device configuration step (301) downloads software to user smartphone (not shown) and if needed assigns user with a unique user id and password. Once logged in the user may be presented with previous results, comments and interpretation. Data capture step (303) begins with the user manually selecting the camera icon (not shown) within the application. Optional comment step (305) incorporates user comments into the specific data set getting captured.

[0023] Uploading step (307) uploads the captured picture (not shown) to the user smartphone (not shown) for results interpretation. Location identification step (309) takes place with smartphone software auto-detection of test result region through device location determination.

[0024] Authentication step (315) optically reads device QR code (not shown) using a software module to determine the expiration data and authenticity of device.

[0025] Error correction step (321) calibrates photo color with error correction to correct for lighting and camera variances by comparing the test result with the sample color bar on the QR code label.

[0026] Results reporting step (325) provides a digital value for the test results which may be graphically depicted on the user smartphone (not shown).

[0027] Results uploading step (329) transmits data, results and any optional comments to a cloud based server database (not shown).

[0028] User data access step (339) may take place on smartphone (not shown) to display data via the user application (not shown) taken from either cloud based or locally stored results.

[0029] FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of an illustrative example of the wellness system component elements. Health sample collection device (401) captures user samples (not shown) and chemical based sensors which are hybridized together.

[0030] In the presence of a positive sample, results are measurable by a computing device such as a smartphone (411). Results data capture may take place by optical measurement of smartphone (411) and in alternate foreseeable variants may also take place through near field communication wireless transmission. Smartphone (411) not only captures and transmits results but also displays results as well. While results may be locally interpreted, it is a direct and intended consequence of the illustrative example that results are uploaded to one or more cloud computing elements (431) for data interpretation and sharing.

[0031] Results provided by smartphone (411) may include specific wellness data such as glucose levels but also may include data history as well as correlation between data results and pharmaceutical requirements of the user. Alerts based upon missed pharmaceutical dosing may be alerted to the user by utilization of timing functions. Present and future dosing optimization may be provided based upon results interpretation. Near field communication readings may alert the user to the presence or absence of sufficient pharmaceutical dosing by reading RFID labels or tags (not shown) corresponding to proscribed pharmaceuticals in the immediate presence of the user.

[0032] Communications in the illustrative system may take place by each element including cloud (431) based, smartphone (411) based and health sample collection device (401) based. Cloud (431) based embodiments may not only send health results to smartphone (411) but also to health care medical providers (not shown) and friends and family (not shown). Smartphone (411) reporting may alert not only the user (not shown) but also provide automated audible and visual alerts in the case of an incapacitated user. In another alternate and foreseeable variant, health sample collection device (401) may provide immediate results feedback to the user (not shown) by way of physical means such as haptic feedback.

[0033] Illustrative examples are provided by way of illumination and not by way of limitation. Readily foreseeable variants include alternate embodiments including variants of physical location, number of units and alternate sensing, computing and communications means.