Emergency management system

Abstract

A system and method for providing the management services of a remote expert situated at an expert station, with a plurality of such stations communicating via a ring configuration. Each expert station comprises (1) a communication device for receiving and transmitting signals; (2) at least one input device for inputting each of (a) information indicating the availability of the respective expert to provide services, and (b) information which provides such expert management; and (3) a processor coupled to each of the respective communication and input devices. The system and method may be used to provide remote medical management.

1 .- 89 . (canceled) 
     
     
         90 . A method for allocating a medical professional (MP) from among a plurality of MPs to provide remote medical assistance to at least one of (1) a victim, and (2) an enabler to the victim, (VE), wherein each MP and each VE are associated with a respective communication station, each having a unique address, and wherein the plurality of MPs are configured to communicate with other MPs in a circular network with each MP assigned to a position in the network and linked to the two MPs assigned to the two adjacent positions in the network, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) maintaining a list at each VE communication station of at least one MP in the circular network, and his respective address, who is possibly available to provide medical assistance;   (b) selecting said one MP, an initially selected MP, from said list at a VE in need of medical assistance;   (c) attempting to initiate, from the VE communication station of the VE in need of assistance, a communication connection which connects said VE in need of assistance to the initially selected MP by   transmitting a first, request signal to the communication station of said initially selected MP from the communication station of the VE in need of medical assistance;   (de) if said request signal is received by an initially selected MP who is currently available to provide medical assistance, transmitting a second, acceptance signal from the communication of said selected MP to the communication station of said VE in need of assistance, indicating that the respective MP will provide such assistance;   (e) if said request signal is received by an initially selected MP who is not currently available to provide medical assistance, transmitting said request signal from the communication station of said initially selected MP to the communication station of the MP in the next, adjacent position in the circular network, the next selected MP, indicating that the initially selected MP is not available to provide medical assistance, and thereby requesting the next selected MP in the network to provide assistance to the VE in need of assistance;   (f) repeating step (e) until said request signal is received by the communication station of a MP who is currently available to provide medical assistance; and   (g) if the communication station of said VE in need of assistance receives a second, acceptance signal from a particular MP, said VE continues to communicate with said particular MP such that the respective MP can provide assistance.   
     
     
         91 . The method defined in  claim 90 , wherein the plurality of MP communication stations are configured in at least two circular networks with each MP communication station assigned to a position in one of the networks and linked to the MP communication station assigned to the next, adjacent position in the respective network, and wherein if said request signal is received by the communication station of an initially selected MP in a first network who is not currently available to provide medical assistance, and none of the MPs in the first network are available to provide such assistance, transmitting said request signal from said initially selected MP communication station to the communication station of a second initially selected MP in a second circular network, indicating that the initially selected MP and the MPs in said initially selected MP's network are not available to provide medical assistance, and thereby selecting the second initially selected MP in the second network to provide assistance to the VE in need of assistance; and repeating steps (e) and (f) until said request signal is received by the communication station of a MP who is currently available to provide medical assistance. 
     
     
         92 . The method defined in  claim 90 , wherein said step of maintaining a list includes the step of transmitting a third signal from the communication station of a MP to said VE communication station indicating the availability status of the respective MP to provide medical assistance, thereby updating said list. 
     
     
         93 . The method defined in  claim 92 , wherein said third signal indicates an availability status selected from the group consisting of: (1) able to handle a call; and (2) unable to handle a call. 
     
     
         94 .- 133 . (canceled) 
     
     
         134 . A system for allocating a medical professional (MP) situated at a MP station, from among a network comprising a plurality of MP stations located at respective MP positions, to provide remote medical assistance to at least one person having a person device located at a position remote from said MP positions, said system comprising:
 (A) a plurality of MP stations, each Nth MP station including:
 (1) an Nth MP communication device for receiving and transmitting signals; 
 (2) at least one Nth MP input device for inputting each of:
 (a) information indicating availability of the respective Nth MP to provide medical assistance to a person with a person device, and 
 (b) information which provides such medical assistance; 
 
 (3) an Nth MP processor, coupled to each of said respective Nth MP communication device and said at least one respective Nth MP input device, for:
 receiving an incoming help signal from a person device, said help signal indicating a request for medical management information and indicating a unique communications address of the person device requesting such help; 
 receiving an incoming routing signal providing the information in a help signal received by another MP processor at another MP station; 
 producing an outgoing routing signal indicating said unique person device communications address; 
 receiving an availability signal from said MP input device; and 
 providing medical management information inputted by said MP input device; 
 
   wherein:   (i) where the total number of MP stations in the system is indicated by the integer “X”, each Nth MP communication device is adapted to send an Nth outgoing routing signal to an (N+1)th MP communication device, where “N” is an integer ranging from the number 1 to a number X−1;   (ii) an Xth MP communication device is adapted to send an Xth outgoing routing signal to a first MP communication device;   (iii) each (N+1)th MP communication device is adapted to receive an Nth incoming routing signal from the Nth MP communication device;   (iv) the first MP communication device is adapted to receive an Xth incoming routing signal from the Xth MP communication device;   (v) each Nth MP processor is operative to set one of at least two states of availability of a respective Nth MP, said states of availability including:
 (I) a first state of availability, set in response to receipt of a first availability signal from said Nth MP input device, indicating availability of the respective Nth MP to provide said medical assistance; and 
 (II) a second state of availability, set in response to receipt of a second availability signal from said Nth MP input device, indicating non-availability of the respective MP to provide said assistance; 
   (vi) in said second state of availability, each Nth MP processor is operative to produce an Nth outgoing routing signal for transmission, in response to a received incoming routing signal;   (vii) in said second state of availability, each Nth MP processor is operative to produce an Nth outgoing routing signal for transmission, in response to a received help signal indicating a request for assistance received from a person device;   (viii) in said first state of availability, each Nth MP processor is operative to provide communication between a person device and a respective Nth MP, in response to a received incoming routing signal;   (ix) in said first state of availability, each Nth MP processor is operative to provide communication between a person device and a respective Nth MP, in response to a received help signal from said person device;   (x) each incoming routing signal and each outgoing routing signal indicates said unique communications address of a person device from which a respective help signal indicating a request for assistance has emanated;   whereby   (i) the MP stations are linked successively in a ring configuration;   (ii) an incoming request for help is relayed as a routing signal by any MP processor in the second state indicating a non-available MP; and   (iii) a request for help is responded to by the first MP station to receive said request, having a respective MP processor in the first state, indicating an available MP.   
     
     
         135 . The system defined in  claim 134 , further comprising:
 (B) at least one person device, comprising, in combination:
 (1) a person communication device for receiving and transmitting signals to at least one of said MP communication devices; 
 (2) at least one person input device for inputting:
 (a) a request for assistance of a person associated with said person device, and 
 (b) information representing at least one physiologic parameter of said person; 
 
 (3) a person processor, coupled to each of said person communication device and said at least one person input device, for
 generating said help signal in response to said inputted request for assistance; 
 causing said person communication device to transmit each of said help signal and said inputted physiologic information to said at least one MP unit; and 
 processing said medical management information inputted by said MP input device; 
 
   whereby   (i) said person device provides a help signal to said selected MP; and   (ii) said selected MP provides said medical management information to said person device.   
     
     
         136 . The system defined in  claim 135 , further comprising an information presentation device, coupled to said person processor, for presenting said medical management information to said person. 
     
     
         137 . The system defined in  claim 135 , further comprising a medical treatment device, coupled to said person processor, for providing medical treatment to said person. 
     
     
         138 . The system defined in  claim 137 , wherein said medical treatment device is selected from the group consisting of:
 (i) a blood pressure treatment device;   (ii) a blood sugar treating device;   (iii) a nervous system treating device;   (iv) a medication infusion device;   (v) a cardioverter-defibrillator; and   (vi) a pacemaker.   
     
     
         139 . The system defined in  claim 134 , wherein said at least one person input device includes a sensor, situated in proximity to said person; said sensor having a sensor output for providing said information representing at least one physiologic parameter of said person. 
     
     
         140 . The system defined in  claim 139 , wherein said sensor output is provided by a device selected from the group consisting of:
 (i) a blood pressure sensing device;   (ii) a blood sugar sensing device;   (iii) a cardioverter defibrillator; and   (iv) a pacemaker.   
     
     
         141 . The system defined in  claim 134 , wherein,
 (i) each Nth MP processor is further operative to produce an overflow signal upon the receipt of said incoming routing signal representing a communications address identical to the communications address represented by an outgoing routing signal produced by said Nth processor, wherein each of said incoming and said outgoing signal represent the same incoming help signal; and   (ii) said Nth processor is further operative to cause said Nth MP communications device to transmit said overflow signal;   whereby   (i) said overflow signal is produced when each of said X MP processors is set in said second state of availability; and   (ii) said overflow signal represents an inability of said system to respond to said request for assistance.   
     
     
         142 . The system defined in  claim 134 , wherein, at least one of said MP processors is further operative to set at least one additional state of availability of the respective MP, said states of availability including:
 (I) a first state of availability, set in response to receipt of a first availability signal from said respective MP input device, indicating availability of the respective MP to provide full medical assistance;   (II) a second state of availability, set in response to receipt of a second availability signal from said respective MP input device, indicating non-availability of the respective MP to provide said assistance; and   (III) a third state of availability, set in response to receipt of a third availability signal from said respective MP input device, indicating limited availability of the respective MP to provide said assistance.   
     
     
         143 . The system defined in  claim 141 , wherein,
 (i) at least one of said MP processors is further operative to set at least one additional state of availability of the respective MP, said states of availability including:
 (I) a first state of availability, set in response to receipt of a first availability signal from said respective MP input device, indicating availability of the respective MP to provide full medical assistance; 
 (II) a second state of availability, set in response to receipt of a second availability signal from said respective MP input device, indicating non-availability of the respective MP to provide said assistance; and 
 (III) a third state of availability, set in response to receipt of a third availability signal from said respective MP input device, indicating limited availability of the respective MP to provide said assistance; and 
   (ii) said at least one MP processor, in said third state of availability is, upon receipt of said overflow signal, operative to provide communication between a person device and a respective MP;   whereby said respective MP, in response to said overflow signal, provides remote medical assistance to at least two different persons.   
     
     
         144 . The system defined in  claim 141 , wherein,
 (i) at least one of said MP processors is further operative to store scheduling information indicating time intervals when the respective MP is not available to provide remote medical assistance;   (ii) said MP processor is further operative to set said second state of availability during such time intervals when said MP is not scheduled to provide remote medical assistance.   
     
     
         145 . The system defined in  claim 134 , wherein,
 (i) each Pth MP communication device is adapted to send a Pth outgoing routing signal to an (P−1)th MP communication device, where “P” is an integer ranging from the number 2 to a number X;   (ii) a first MP communication device is adapted to send a first outgoing routing signal to an Xth MP communication device;   (iii) each (P−1)th MP communication device is adapted to receive a Pth incoming routing signal from the Pth MP communication device; and   (iv) an Xth MP communication device is adapted to receive a first incoming routing signal from the first MP communication device;   whereby said MP stations are operative to communicate bi-directionally in said ring configuration;   thereby to link all MP stations in the event of a communications failure between any two adjacent member stations of said ring configuration.   
     
     
         146 . The system defined in  claim 134 , wherein:
 (i) upon receipt of a routing signal, each Qth MP processor is further operative to send a Qth confirmation signal to a (Q−1)th MP processor, where “Q” is an integer ranging from the number 2 to a number X;   (ii) upon receipt of a routing signal, a first MP communication device is adapted to send a first confirmation signal to an Xth MP processor;   (iii) each (Q−1)th MP processor is adapted to receive said Qth confirmation signal, following the transmission of a respective outgoing routing signal; and in the event of non-receipt of said confirmation signal, is operative to send said outgoing routing signal to a (Q+1)th processor;   (iv) said Xth processor is adapted to receive said first confirmation signal, and in the event of non-receipt of said first confirmation signal, is operative to send said outgoing routing signal to the second processor; and   (v) said (X−1)th processor is operative to receive said Xth confirmation signal, and in the event of non-receipt of said Xth confirmation signal, is operative to send said outgoing routing signal to the first processor;   whereby each processor, upon non-receipt of said respective confirmation signal, is operative to re-send a respective outgoing routing signal to an MP station one position beyond the initially targeted MP station;   thereby to circumvent a communications interruption.   
     
     
         147 . The method defined in  claim 90 , further comprising the step of:
 (h) transmitting medical information pertaining to said victim from the respective VE communication station to the communication station of the currently available MP, for analysis by said MP.   
     
     
         148 . The method defined in  claim 147 , further comprising the step of:
 (i) transmitting medical assistance information from the communication station of the currently available MP to the VE communication station requesting medical assistance.   
     
     
         149 . The method defined in  claim 147 , further comprising the step of:
 (i) transmitting signals to control the operation of a medical therapy device from the communication station of the currently available MP to the communication station of the VE requesting medical assistance.