Smart medical bracelet with triage function and application method thereof

Abstract

To provide a smart medical bracelet with a triage function designed to detect real-time vital signs of a user to assist medical cares, and an application method of the bracelet.SOLUTION: The smart medical bracelet with the triage function comprises: a main body including a housing with an internal accommodation space, a touch display panel arranged at a top opening of the housing, an optical transceiver arranged at a first bottom opening of the housing, a body temperature detector arranged at a second bottom opening of the housing, a pair of local charging terminals arranged on one side of the housing, and a full-color light-emitting diode; and a strap connected to the main body. The strap includes a flexible light-guide strap arranged on an outer surface of the strap, and the flexible light-guide strap is optically coupled to the full-color light-emitting diode to guide emitted light.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Reference to related applications: This application claims the priority of Patent Application No. 112146641 filed in Taiwan on November 30, 2023, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to a medical bracelet, and in particular, to a smart medical bracelet with a triage function and an application method thereof, which is configured to automatically detect a user's vital signs and have a strap that emits lights of various colors to display the user's triage status. Therefore, the smart medical bracelet with a triage function of the present invention is provided with a function that can directly view the user's triage status. In addition, the position of the smart medical bracelet with a triage function can also be specified in real time by a wireless positioning system. The smart medical bracelet with a triage function can be applied to various medical environments in a hospital and can assist in automating related processes.

Background Art

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a "triage device based on the Internet of Things" that performs triage based on the Internet of Things. Patent Document 2 discloses a "wearable monitor" that records heart data from mammals and extracts specific features of interest.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Currently, there are a number of smart wearable devices in the market, but they still have room for improvement to realize their uses in the hospital medical environment.

[0006] In modern hospitals with emergency teams, emergency medical staff face various emergency patients every day. As a result, it is difficult to immediately track the changes in the patient's condition in real time, and they are working under huge pressure. The situations of emergency patients are diverse and changing, so the urgency levels are also diverse and can change at any time. Emergency medical staff must triage patients in the shortest possible time and provide the correct treatment according to the urgency of the emergency patient's situation. In such constantly changing situations where life-saving assistance is being carried out, all the above actions and processes are a battle against time.

[0007] Therefore, it is necessary to be directed towards how to improve the current smart wearable devices in order to assist in the improvement of intelligent automation of triage procedures and real-time reporting of patient status in the emergency unit, thereby addressing these emergency issues in the emergency medical system. That is, to more effectively integrate emergency patient flow and triage information, to support multi-party information integration and transmission among hospital units, medical staff, and patients, and to facilitate procedures such as admission, diagnosis, treatment, and discharge. By improving the above-mentioned problems, it enables medical staff to effectively control the process, provide optimal immediate treatment to many patients, and complete various hospital operations quickly and accurately even with limited medical staff. In addition, such improvements help reduce the workload for relevant units and medical staff and alleviate the anxiety of emergency patients caused by the uncertainty of the hospital process.

[0008] In view of the foregoing drawbacks and deficiencies of the present technology, the present invention provides a smart medical bracelet with a triage function. In this specification, "smart" is synonymous with "intelligent (with information processing function)", meaning that the device is equipped with an information processing function (which may include a communication function).

Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] The smart medical bracelet with a triage function of the present invention includes a main body and a strap connected to the main body.

[0010] The main body includes an internal accommodation space, and a housing having a surface provided with an upper opening, a first bottom opening, a second bottom opening, a first side opening, and a second side opening, a touch display panel disposed at the upper opening of the housing with the display surface exposed on the surface of the housing, an optical transceiver disposed at the first bottom opening of the housing with the light transmitting and receiving surface exposed on the surface of the housing, a body temperature detector disposed at the second bottom opening of the housing with the body temperature detecting surface exposed on the surface of the housing, a pair of local charging terminals located at the second side opening of the housing and exposed on the surface of the housing, and a full-color light-emitting diode. The strap includes a flexible light guide disposed on the outer surface of the strap and optically coupled to the full-color light-emitting diode for guiding the light emitted from the full-color light-emitting diode.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, the main body further includes a circuit board disposed at the bottom of the internal accommodation space of the housing. The circuit board includes a battery connector and a circuit board connector on the upper surface, and the optical transceiver and the body temperature detector on the lower surface.

[0012] In another embodiment of the present invention, the circuit board further includes a system chip. The system chip is electrically connected to the touch display panel, the body temperature detector, and the full-color light-emitting diode.

[0013] The present invention further provides a method of applying a smart medical bracelet with a triage function for use with the smart medical bracelet with a triage function.

[0014] This method includes: when the smart medical bracelet with a triage function is attached to the user's wrist, the smart medical bracelet with a triage function detects the user's instantaneous vital signs via a body temperature detector or an optical transceiver, transmits the user's instantaneous vital signs to an external system via a wireless communication interface, the smart medical bracelet with a triage function communicates with the external system via another wireless communication interface and pairs with a health insurance card, and when the smart medical bracelet with a triage function is paired with the health insurance card, it is configured to permit access to the medical records of the user corresponding to the health insurance card, and the smart medical bracelet with a triage function is configured to emit various colors of light corresponding to respective medical evaluation results.

Advantages of the Invention

[0015] The smart medical bracelet with a triage function of the present invention can assist a doctor in quickly evaluating a patient by having the authority to access medical records in a medical system and provide the user's immediate vital signs. In addition, based on the result of the evaluation, the smart medical bracelet with a triage function automatically adjusts the color of the light displayed by a plurality of full-color LEDs and flexible light guides. As a result, medical staff can intuitively recognize the patient's condition by observing the color of the light, reducing time and labor and preventing misjudgment.

[0016] The smart medical bracelet with a triage function of the present invention can inform patients about follow-up treatment and estimated waiting time. In addition, the smart medical bracelet with a triage function can assist patients with payment procedures, medication search, and hospital discharge, thereby strengthening the automation of emergency units and facilitating effective information transmission among hospitals, medical staff, management staff, and emergency patients, achieving the objectives of the present invention.

[0017] This ensures seamless coordination and execution of each process of hospitalization, diagnosis, medication, and discharge. In addition, since hospitals, doctors, and emergency patients can quickly and accurately perform various hospital procedures, the burden on administrative and medical staff can be reduced, and the anxiety of emergency patients caused by the uncertainty of hospital processes can be alleviated.

[0018] To clarify and deepen the understanding of the objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention, the following embodiments will be described in detail with accompanying corresponding drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0020] Hereinafter, in the detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the technical content, features, and effects of the present invention will be clearly described with reference to the drawings. Note that the directional terms such as up, down, left, right, front, back, bottom, and top mentioned in the following embodiments are only relative directions based on the drawings and do not indicate absolute directional positions. They are for explaining relative positional relationships and do not limit the present invention.

[0021] FIG. 1 shows the structural appearance of the smart medical bracelet 1 with a triage function according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the smart medical bracelet 1 with a triage function includes a main body 2 composed of a housing 29 having an internal accommodation space. On the surface of the main body 2, an upper opening, a first bottom opening, a second bottom opening, a first side opening, and a second side opening are provided. Further, the main body 2 includes a touch display panel 23 located at the upper opening of the housing 29, a plurality of full-color light-emitting diodes (hereinafter referred to as full-color LEDs) 22, and a plurality of buttons 21 for operating the smart medical bracelet 1 with a triage function.

[0022] Furthermore, the smart medical bracelet 1 with a triage function incorporates a strap 4 connected to the main body 2. The strap 4 has a hook-and-loop fastener 42 and a flexible optical guide 41 on its outer surface. The flexible optical guide 41 is in contact with and optically coupled to a plurality of full-color LEDs 22. The hook-and-loop fastener 42 fixes the strap 4 to the user's wrist, while the flexible optical guide 41 extends and expands the emitted light from the plurality of full-color LEDs 22 to the outer surface of the strap 4. Thereby, the light from the plurality of full-color LEDs 22 can be displayed vividly and softly, enabling a person nearby to easily identify the status of the user's vital signs from the smart medical bracelet 1 with a triage function through the color of the light displayed by the flexible optical guide 41. The touch display panel 23 can be composed of a thin-film transistor (TFT) liquid crystal touch display panel, a quantum dot (QD) touch display panel, or an active organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) touch display panel, and is capable of information display, data input, or option selection. The flexible optical guide 41 can be made of a soft, translucent silicone or transparent rubber that can conduct light.

[0023] Figure 2 shows the front structure of the main body 2 of the smart medical bracelet 1 with a triage function according to this embodiment. The plurality of full-color LEDs 22 are in contact with and optically coupled to the flexible optical guide 41, and the emitted light is guided into the flexible optical guide 41. The plurality of buttons 21 are arranged at the first side opening of the housing 29, while the local charging terminal pair 28 is arranged at the second side opening of the housing 29.

[0024] Figure 3 shows a side cross-sectional structure of the main body 2 of the smart medical bracelet 1 with a triage function according to this embodiment. Although the housing 29 is not shown in this figure, a circuit board (hereinafter referred to as PCBA) 24 is disposed on the inner surface of the bottom of the housing 29. The upper surface of the circuit board 24 has a battery connector 241 and a circuit board connector 242. An optical transceiver 36 and a body temperature detector 37 are disposed on the lower surface of the circuit board 24. The optical transceiver 36 is disposed in the first bottom opening of the housing 29, and the surface of the optical transceiver is exposed on the surface of the housing 29. Similarly, the body temperature detector 37 is disposed in the second bottom opening of the housing 29, and the body temperature detection surface is exposed on the surface of the housing 29. The circuit board 24 may be either a flexible circuit board or a normal circuit board, and the body temperature detector 37 may be an infrared body temperature detector or other types of body temperature detectors.

[0025] A storage space for accommodating the battery 50 is provided between the circuit board 24 and the touch display panel 23. The panel flat flexible cable 231 connects the touch display panel 23 to the circuit board connector 242 to enable power supply, data display, and control signal transmission. Further, the circuit board 24 receives a touch signal from the touch display panel 23.

[0026] Figure 4 shows a functional block diagram of the smart medical bracelet with a triage function according to this embodiment. The system chip 30 is disposed on the circuit board 24, electrically connected to various functional components, and performs control and data transmission between those functional elements. These functional components include a plurality of buttons 21, a plurality of full-color LEDs 22, a touch display panel 23, a wireless communication module 31, an ultra-wideband (UWB) module 32, a near-field communication (NFC) module 33, a data security chip 25, a buzzer 27, a pulse sensor 361, an oxygen concentration meter 362, a blood pressure sensor 363, a blood glucose monitor 364, and a body temperature detector 37. The touch display panel 23 is connected to the circuit board connector 242 and the circuit board 24 via a panel flat flexible cable 231 and is linked to the system chip 30. The system chip 30 may be a microcontroller (MCU). In one embodiment, the wireless communication module 31 may include a Wi-Fi module or a Bluetooth module, or both.

[0027] The system chip 30 interfaces with the optical transceiver 36 and controls its operation. The optical transceiver 36, including a light-emitting diode and a photosensor (not shown), emits light configured to irradiate the skin of the user's wrist. The photosensor detects a change in the light intensity when the light passes through and is reflected back by the skin. The pulse sensor 361, the oxygen concentration meter 362, the blood pressure sensor 363, and the blood glucose monitor 364 utilize the change in the light intensity sensed by the optical transceiver 36 to estimate vital signs such as heart rate, blood oxygen, blood pressure, and blood glucose level. In various embodiments, each of these sensors may be implemented as a hardware circuit or a software program executed by the system chip 30.

[0028] The body temperature detector 37 is designed to measure the temperature of the skin of the user's wrist and determine the user's body temperature. As the body temperature detector, an infrared body temperature detector or other types of body temperature sensors can be used.

[0029] The main body 2 of the smart medical bracelet 1 with a triage function according to the present invention is designed to be externally connected to a DC power source via a local charging terminal pair 28. These terminals are connected to a battery charger 34 disposed within the internal accommodation space of the housing 29. The battery charger 34 is then connected to a battery connector 241, and the battery connector is connected to a battery 50 for charging. Similarly, the battery 50 is connected to a low dropout (LDO) linear regulator 35 via the battery connector 241. This regulator supplies power to the circuit board 24 and supports all circuit units within the main body 2, including the system chip 30, the touch display panel 23, the full-color light-emitting diodes 22, and other circuit components.

[0030] The buzzer 27 is programmed to issue an audible warning to the user of the smart medical bracelet 1 with a triage function. It emits a sound to remind the user of a new message received on the touch display panel 23 or when the user needs to respond to a message.

[0031] The wireless communication module 31 is designed for data transmission. Data transmission includes sending back to an external system in real-time the user's vital signs such as heartbeat, blood oxygen, blood pressure, blood sugar, and body temperature measured by the pulse sensor 361, oxygen concentration meter 362, blood pressure sensor 363, blood glucose monitor 364, and body temperature detector 37. Further, the wireless communication module 31 can receive messages for the user to refer to from an external source. The data output from the wireless communication module 31 is encrypted, and the received data is decrypted via the data security chip 25. Further, the wireless communication module 31 is connected to the microphone 26 and the speaker 261 to enable voice communication with an external wireless communication module that matches it. In one embodiment, an ultra-wideband (UWB) module 32 is used to locate the position of the smart medical bracelet 1 with a triage function. For example, in six base stations covering an area of 1,800 square meters, the positioning accuracy can reach 10 to 30 cm. In another embodiment, near-field communication (NFC) module 33 enables contactless proximity identification typically within a range of 2 to 5 centimeters.

[0032] Figure 5 shows the configuration of the side charging of the smart medical bracelet with a triage function according to this embodiment. Since the local charging terminal pair 28 is arranged along the side direction of the housing 29, a plurality of smart medical bracelets 1 with a triage function can be arranged on the charging terminal pair 52 of the charging stand 51 for charging along its side direction. With this configuration, during charging, the gap between two adjacent smart medical bracelets 1 with a triage function can be minimized. As a result, as shown in Figure 5, by charging a plurality of smart medical bracelets with a triage function according to this embodiment along the side direction, the size of the charging stand 51 is reduced, saving space and cost.

[0033] In one embodiment, when the smart medical bracelet 1 with triage function of the present invention is used in an emergency room environment, the user in this case is a patient. When the patient arrives at the ambulance, medical staff can fix the smart medical bracelet 1 with triage function to the patient's wrist. At this point, the smart medical bracelet 1 with triage function is designed to immediately detect the patient's vital signs such as heart rate, blood oxygen, blood pressure, blood glucose, and body temperature, and transmit these vital signs to the in-ambulance system that displays and records them. After the patient arrives at the hospital emergency room, the smart medical bracelet 1 with triage function establishes communication with the emergency room system via a near-field communication module (NFC). During this interaction, the emergency treatment room system uses the bracelet's identification code and health insurance card number to pair the patient's health insurance card with the smart medical bracelet 1 with triage function.

[0034] At the same time, the smart medical bracelet 1 with triage function provides the doctor with the patient's immediate vital sign data. As a result, the bracelet helps the doctor access both the patient's medical records and the immediate vital sign data, and facilitates quickly evaluating the patient's immediate triage status. This evaluation helps in subsequent medical treatment and prioritization based on it.

[0035] After that, based on the patient's immediate triage status, the emergency treatment room system automatically adjusts the color of the light emitted by the plurality of full-color LEDs 22 and the flexible optical guide 41 of the smart medical bracelet 1 with triage function. For example, red light indicates the most critical state, followed by orange, blue, and green light, and green indicates the mildest state. By intuitively visually observing the color of the light emitted by the smart medical bracelet 1 with triage function, medical staff can easily identify the patient's triage status, thereby saving a significant amount of labor and time in determining the patient's triage status during subsequent medical treatments. Furthermore, it prevents the situation where medical staff miss an important opportunity to treat a patient due to their inability to immediately recognize changes in the patient's vital signs.

[0036] In one embodiment, the smart medical bracelet 1 with triage function is equipped with an ultra-wideband (UWB) module 32. The hospital uses a positioning system with multiple UWB base stations to enable identification of the patient's current location. For example, this positioning system calculates the current location of the smart medical bracelet 1 with triage function by measuring the signal propagation delay time of the same UWB signal received from the bracelet at each UWB base station. By providing this function, it is possible to prevent situations where medical staff are unable to locate the patient.

[0037] Furthermore, in one embodiment, not only is the time and location when a doctor performs a diagnosis, treatment, or examination using an instrument displayed on the touch display panel 23 of the smart medical bracelet 1 with triage function, but it is also relayed to the patient through a buzzer sound from the buzzer 27 or an audio message from the wireless communication module 31 of the bracelet. When the patient needs assistance or wishes to make a request, the smart medical bracelet 1 with triage function can notify medical staff via the wireless communication module 31.

[0038] Furthermore, the smart medical bracelet 1 with a triage function is configured to facilitate the patient to perform various processes. As support for the payment process, the patient can communicate with an external payment device via a Near Field Communication (NFC) interface. Also, as support for drug collection, it can communicate with an external intelligent drug reception cabinet with information processing functions via the NFC module. Furthermore, in order to disconnect the pairing between the patient's health insurance card and the smart medical bracelet 1 with a triage function, it can communicate with an external return device via the NFC module, thereby supporting the hospital discharge process.

[0039] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been explained, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Those skilled in the art can make changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention shall be determined by the appended claims.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0040] 1: Smart medical bracelet with triage function, 2: Main body, 4: Strap, 22: Full-color LED, 23: Touch display panel, 28: Local charging terminal pair, 29: Housing, 36: Optical transceiver, 37: Body temperature detector, 41: Flexible optical guide

Claims

1. a housing having an interior storage space and a surface defining a top opening, a first bottom opening, a second bottom opening, a first side opening, and a second side opening; a touch display panel disposed in the upper opening of the housing, the display surface of the touch display panel being exposed on a surface of the housing; an optical transceiver disposed in a first bottom opening of the housing, the optical transceiver having a surface exposed on a surface of the housing; a body temperature detector disposed in a second bottom opening of the housing, the body temperature detector having a body temperature detection surface exposed to a surface of the housing; a local charging terminal pair disposed in a second side opening of the housing and exposed on a surface of the housing; A main body having a full-color light-emitting diode; and a strap connected to the body and having on an outer surface thereof a flexible light guide optically coupled to the full-color light emitting diode for guiding the emitted light; A smart medical bracelet with triage function.

2. The smart medical bracelet with triage function according to claim 1, The body further comprises: a circuit board disposed at a bottom of an internal storage space of the housing; a top surface of the circuit board comprising a battery connector and a circuit board connector; A smart medical bracelet with triage function, wherein the underside of the circuit board has the optical transceiver and the body temperature detector.

3. The smart medical bracelet with triage function according to claim 2, The circuit board includes a system chip electrically connected to the touch display panel, the body temperature detector, and the full-color light-emitting diode.

4. The smart medical bracelet with triage function according to claim 3, The circuit board is integrated with a wireless communication module, an ultra-wideband (UWB) module, or a near-field communication (NFC) module, and the system chip is electrically connected to these modules.

5. The smart medical bracelet with triage function according to claim 3, the optical transceiver includes a light emitting diode and an optical sensor, the light from the light emitting diode irradiates skin on the user's wrist, and the optical sensor detects changes in the intensity of light reflected from the skin; The circuit board has at least one vital signs detector electrically connected to the system chip and the optical transceiver and configured to calculate a vital signs value based on changes in detected light intensity.

6. The smart medical bracelet with triage function according to claim 3, the optical transceiver includes a light emitting diode and an optical sensor, the light from the light emitting diode irradiates skin on the user's wrist, and the optical sensor detects changes in the intensity of light reflected from the skin; The smart medical bracelet with triage function, wherein the system chip is electrically connected to the optical transceiver, executes at least one vital signs detection program, and calculates vital signs values ​​based on changes in detected light intensity.

7. The smart medical bracelet with triage function according to claim 3, The circuit board incorporates a buzzer and a button, the buzzer and the button are electrically connected to the system chip, and the button is disposed in the first side opening of the housing and exposed on the surface of the housing.

8. The smart medical bracelet with triage function according to claim 5, The smart medical bracelet with triage function, wherein the vital signs detector includes at least one of a pulse sensor, an oximeter, a blood pressure sensor, and a blood glucose monitor.

9. The smart medical bracelet with triage function according to claim 6, Includes a vital signs detector, The smart medical bracelet with triage function, wherein the vital signs detector includes at least one of a pulse sensor, an oximeter, a blood pressure sensor, and a blood glucose monitor.

10. A method for applying the smart medical bracelet with triage function according to claim 1, comprising: A method for applying the smart medical bracelet with triage function, characterized in that when the smart medical bracelet with triage function is worn on a user's wrist, it detects the user's real-time vital signs, including body temperature, via a body temperature detector or an optical transceiver, and transmits the detected data to an external system via a wireless communication interface.

11. A method for applying the smart medical bracelet with triage function according to claim 10, comprising: The application method of the smart medical bracelet with triage function is characterized in that the smart medical bracelet with triage function communicates with the external system via another wireless communication interface to pair with a health insurance card, and allows searching of the user's medical records corresponding to the health insurance card when paired.

12. A method for applying the smart medical bracelet with triage function according to claim 1, comprising: The smart medical bracelet with triage function is paired with a health insurance card via a wireless communication interface, and upon pairing, emits lights of various colors corresponding to predicted medical evaluation results.

13. The smart medical bracelet with triage function according to claim 4, A smart medical bracelet with triage function, in which a positioning system including a plurality of ultra-wideband (UWB) base stations calculates a current location of the smart medical bracelet with triage function by detecting a signal propagation delay time of the same UWB signal received from the smart medical bracelet with triage function at each UWB base station.

14. The smart medical bracelet with triage function according to claim 1, A smart medical bracelet with triage function, characterized in that it receives a message via a wireless communication interface and displays the message on a display panel of the smart medical bracelet with triage function.

15. The smart medical bracelet with triage function according to claim 1, A smart medical bracelet with a triage function that communicates with an external payment machine via a wireless communication interface for payment.

16. The smart medical bracelet with triage function according to claim 1, The smart medical bracelet with triage function is characterized in that it communicates with an external medicine receiving cabinet with information processing function via a wireless communication interface to receive medicine.

17. The smart medical bracelet with triage function according to claim 1, The smart medical bracelet with triage function is characterized in that, when paired with a health insurance card, it communicates with an external return device via a wireless communication interface and disconnects the pairing between the health insurance card and the smart medical bracelet with triage function.

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