AU693535B2

AU693535B2 - Method of storing and preparing data occuring at different periodic intervals

Info

Publication number: AU693535B2
Application number: AU20388/95A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Georg Dr Hartmann; Gunnar Dr Weikert
Original assignee: Bayer AG
Current assignee: Bayer AG
Priority date: 1994-06-03
Filing date: 1995-05-30
Publication date: 1998-07-02
Anticipated expiration: 2015-05-30
Also published as: JPH07334634A; CA2150648A1; ZA954552B; DE4419576A1; DK0686938T3; ES2173933T3; EP0686938B1; EP0686938A2; EP0686938A3; DE59510101D1; SI0686938T1; PT686938E; ATE214500T1; AU2038895A

Abstract

The method involves using a data storage disk (1) holding in one frame (2) an optical data store (3) and two correcting chips (4,4'). Short term alphanumeric data is keyed in for storage on one chip using a write device for an electronic memory card. Picture material is entered using a write-read device onto the optical data store. Data from the chip can be read automatically and superimposed on the optically stored data for simultaneous reading by the user. <IMAGE>

Description

s Our Ref: 550980 P/00/011 Regulation 3:2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT a Applicant(s): Bayer Aktiengesellschaft D-51368 LEVERKUSEN

GERMANY

Address for Service: Invention Title: DAVIES COLLISON CAVE Patent Trade Mark Attorneys Level 10, 10 Barrack Street SYDNEY NSW 2000 Method of storing and preparing data occuring at different periodic intervals The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- 5020 -L I I L LL- IL I ~b Cls~ METHOD OF STORING AND PREPARING DATA OCCURING AT DIFFERENT PERIODIC INTERVALS The present invention relates to a method of storing and preparing on the one hand alphanumeric data occurring at short periodic intervals and on the other hand image material occurring at long periodic intervals, using a personal card as the storage medium.

In the long-term observation of sequences, there often occur on the one hand data which are picked up at short periodic intervals, for example several times a day, and on the other hand image material generated at greater time intervals for assessing long-term changes, a relationship existing, or having to be deduced, between the alphanumeric data determined at short periodic intervals S.and the long-term changes.

eeoc Such long-term observations may concern, for example, patients with chronic disorders. In such cases there may occur on the one hand data which the 15 patient himself determines without involvement of the doctor at short time intervals in the form of alphanumeric data and which are to be available for the medical examinations carried out at greater time intervals, since they provide important indications for the further theoapy of long-term changes possibly discovered by the doctor. The long-term observation by the doctor on the basis of examinations at relatively great time intervals, for example including photographic comparative examinations, can be supplemented by the preparation of the short-term observations determined by the patient himself and can contribute to increased effectiveness of the therapy.

The long-term observation of a diabetic by a doctor comprises, for example, inter alia, half-yearly comparative examinations of the ocular fundus, in each case photographic records of the ocular fundus being produced and compared On the other hand, the patient determines, inter alia, his blood-sugar level several times a day. The evaluation of short-term variations in the blood-sugar level can II C~ -~9~11P provide the doctor with important indications in conjunction with changes of the ocular fundus.

For effective long-term therapy, it is consequently desirable to have available in each case both the observations carried out by the patient at short periodic intervals and the comparative examinations carried out at longer periodic intervals. In the interests of the mobility of the patients, it would be desirable furthermore for the patient to be able to carry on him the data required for a highly informative case history.

10 Therefore, it has already been proposed on several occasions to use as the storage medium for health-relevant data optical memory cards in credit card format which can be written to and read from by means of laser beams ("WORM" Write Once Read Many Memory). On account of technical S.development in recent years, such optical memory cards have achieved storage capacities of several megabites, in par',cular 4 to 6 megabites. The 5 corresponding reading/writing devices for such optical memory cards are not suitable, however, to be carried on a patient.

Therefore, it is proposed according to the invention to use data memories in credit card format which have a first memory for optical data storage and a second memory in the form of an electronic chip. For writing to the electronic chip, devices having the dimensions of a pocket calculator are available, which can be readily carried on a patient. The writing device for the chip can be combined, furthermore, with a device for determining the blood sugar, so that the daily blood-sugar measurement of the patient is written directly into the chip of the memory card. As part of the, for example, half-yearly examinations by the doctor, the latter will call up the stored blood-sugar values, initially process them if necessary, so that they can be read in the form of a diagram with a time axis, anid transfer them together with the ocular fundus image into the optical memory area. The chip memory is then available once again for the recording of bloodsugar values.

Le A 30 430--2 -2- The subject of the present invention is consequently a method of storing and preparing alphanumeric data occurring at short periodic intervals and image material occurring at long periodic intervals which is characterized in that the alphanumeric data are stored at short periodic intervals by an alphanumeric writing device on a first memory in the form of an electronic memory chip of a data carrier card, the image material are stored by means of an optical reading/writing device in a memory in the form of an optical memory area of the same data carrier card, the storage of image material being accompanied at a related time in each case by the chip being read, processed if necessary and the possibly processed data being transferred to the optical memory area.

**The subject of the present invention is also the unit comprising a data memory ".card, containing at least a first optical data memory and a second electronic chip memory, a writing device for writing to the chip and a reading device for reading from the chip and also a reading/writing device for the optical data memory.

15 The method according to the invention and the unit according to the invention are suitable everywhere where it is required to gather alphanumeric data, preferably in a mobile manner, which are evaluated in conjunction with 0ee• photographic comparative records prepared at greater time intervals. Such data structures occur not only in the case of chronic disorders, but also in conjunction S 20 with workplaces where there are hazardous conditions, if for example MAC values are measured and stored within short periodic intervals and more extensive healthcare or monitoring examinations are carried out at greater time intervals, including for example X-ray records.

Furthermore, the method according to the invention and the unit according to the invention may be advantageous in conjunction with the trial use of drugs, both in animal testing and in human testing. It may also be expedient, however, in the observation of building structures or vehicles, generally in conjunction with the monitoring of material fatigue, to assign to the object under observation in each case a "personal" card, where on the one hand alphanumeric data, for example vibration behaviour, loading values and the like, are registered at short intervals Le A 30 430-17C.

-3- I IKM'E(5~o9&).

-4and, for example, X-ray records of welds are produced in the form of image information material at greater intervals.

The chip of the data memory card mey in this case contain additional information for identifyring the object under observation or the patient. On the other hand, it is also possible to provide the data memory card with a plurality of chips, one of the chips being intended for the storage of such identification data. A further possibility is for the data memory card to be provided with an additional magnetic strip for recording die data for identifying the object under observation or the patient.

90.0 The method according to the invention and the unit according to the invention are of 00 0: advantage in parti~ular whenever alphanumeric data are to be generated and stored at short 0 periodic intervals in an unlocalized manner and independently of an energy supply and are 0.0:0,then to be made available at longer periodic intervals, if necessary after evaluation, for 0 0*0: 15 example by means of electronic data processing systems, in conjunction with the generation of comparative image material for further later evaluations. In this case, on the one hand the limited storage capacity of the chip, which is about 5 KB, is used in combination with the high storage capacity of an optical memory card. According to the invention, this requires flhe compatibility of the data memory card on the one hand with a mobile, low-volume and lightweight, battery-operated writing device for the chip storage and on the other hand with a substantially stationary chip-reading, data-processing and reading/writing device for optical data memories.

The data memory card to be used according to the invention is represented in the attached Figure 1. The data memory card 1 contains in a frame 2 an optical data memory field 3 and the chip 4, it being possible for a second chip 4' to be provided, if necessary.

"Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", and variations such as "comprises" and "comprising", wvili be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but Ei not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps".

Claims

1. Method of storing and preparing alphanumeric data occurring at short periodic intervals and image material occurring at long periodic intervals, characterised in that the alphanumeric data are stored at short periodic intervals by an alphanumeric writing device on a first memory in the form of an electronic memory chip of a data carrier card, the image material are stored by means of an optical reading/writing device on a second memory in the form of an optical memory of the same data carrier card, the storage of image material being accompanied at a related time in each case by the chip being read and the read data being 10 transferred, if necessary after processing, to the optical memory area.

2. Unit for use in the method of Claim 1, the unit comprising a data carrier card, wherein the card comprises at least a first memory in the form of an electronic memory chip 6 and a second memory in the form of an optical memory, a writing device for writing to the 15 chip and device for reading from the chip, writing to the optical data memory and conversion of the read chip data into optically writable data for storage in the optical memory.

Method of storing and preparing alphanumeric data substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings.

4. Unit comprising a data carrier substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings. Dated this 18th day of May 1998 BAYER AKTIENGESELLSCIHAFT By Their/ or /Its Patent Attorneys DAVIES COLLISON CAVE ~Pad~ I ICC METHOD OF STORING AND PREPARING DATA OCCURING AT DIFFERENT PERIODIC INTERVALS Abstract A description is given of a method of storing and preparing alphanumeric data generated at short periodic intervals in a mobile manner and image material generated at long periodic intervals, which method is based on a data memory card which has both a chip and an optical data memory. 0S s *S S S S S S. S. 55 S S Le A aO43-FC