GB2023877A - Record card - Google Patents

Abstract

A medical record card for carrying about a person has at least one face for displaying readable indicia 8, 8a, and also houses a micro film image 10 containing information. The information is retrieved either with the micro film left in position or with it removed from the card. The readable indicia can be printed on the card or be on a sheet adhered to the card or inserted in a transparent envelope. The indicia may be formed photographically. The micro- film can be sealed in the card or be removable. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Record card This invention relates to means for displaying information in the form of a personal medical history card.

It is often desirable that certain critical data of a person's medical history be readily available, such as in emergency situations, so that a patient can receive the best treatment possible. For instance if a person is injured, it is not always possibleforthat person to be able to supply the medical history and consequently treatment could be given which could be detrimental to the person's health. It is therefore proposed to make a person's medical history readily available in a printed form by reproducing the information on a card which is identifiable as a medical history card.Such a card should ideally include the name and address of the person, together with information such as general medical problems and specific problems such as heart condition, blood pressure, allergies, blood grouping and the like. Howeverforsuch a card to be fully effective, it is desirable that the card should also give information which will provide as complete a medical history as possible so that should the patient be hospitalized then the history is immediately available to the hospital. For example, if a patient is visiting a new doctor or is seeking treatment in a hospital, considerable time and on occasions expense, can be involved in obtaining the necessary medical history of the patient. Without such information adequate treatment can be delayed with a probable deleterious effect on the person's health.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a medical record card which is easily identifiable for its particular purpose, which may be carried on the body and which will provide not only essential medical information but also a more complete medical history in a readily accessible manner.

Accordingly, the invention comprises a record card having at least one face adapted to display readable indicia, the said card being so formed that it will also house and display a micro-film image, wherein the information contained on said image is readily retrievable but protected from damage.

A preferred form of the invention will now be described with the aid of the accompanying drawings, wherein; Figure lisa plan view of one form of the medical records card; Figure 2 is a section along the line A-A of Figure 1 and Figure 3 is a plan view of a modified form of the medical record card.

Figure 4 is a section along the line B-B of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a plan view of a still further modified form of a medical record card, and Figure 6 is a section along the line of C-C of Figure 5.

The medical record card can be in various shapes and forms and in its basic form consists of a substantially rectangular card composed for example of strong cardboard, plastics material or the like.

The face 7 of the card shown in Figure 1 has suitable basic information 8 imprinted thereon, this information being for instance the name, address and telephone number of the bearer while other indicia 8a may be printed separately, such indicia being for instance critical medical information such as heart condition, allergies, blood groups and the like. The information 8 and 8a can either be printed directly on the card or can be imprinted on a substrate 8which is suitably adhered to the card.

The face 7 also includes a housing 9 to receive microfilm fiches 10. Preferably the housing comprises a recess 11 (see Figure 2) which runs longitudinally to the main axis of the card, which the front face of the housing 9 is composed of a transparent material 1 la so as to expose the micro-fiches 10 to view and yet protect them from damage. As indicated in Figure 1, more than one micro-fiche 10 can be housed and provision is made to ensure that the micro-fiches when removed from the housing 9 can be readily indentified such as by including the bearer's name and signature. The housing 9 is such that the micro-fiches 10 will be securely held within the housing but be readily removable for viewing when desired.

The rear face 12 of the card can be so treated that additional information can be imprinted thereon or added thereto if necessary to complete the bearer's medical history or to include other relevant data.

A modified card is shown in Figures 3 and 4 wherein the card is in the form of a transparent envelope which is formed from a suitable plastics material and which has a front face 7a and a rear face 7b. An insert 14 which is slightly less dimensions than the envelope and which can be formed for instance from card is placed within the envelope after which the four edges of the envelope are sealed. The insert is normally opaque and has a surface which will accept indicia indicated at 8. The insert preferably also has a window 15 into which micro-fiches 10 can be placed so that the microfiches will be protected against damage and yet the information contained on them can be retrieved without removal from-the card.

Various methods of manufacturing a card according to the invention can be employed. The card can for instance be constructed as indicated in Figure 1 from opaque material while the front face 1 la of the housing 9 will normally be transparent in at least the area of the microfilm images. In such a case the indicia 8 and 8a can be imprinted either directly on the face 7 of the card or on the substrate 8which is adhered to the face 7 of the card. If desired the indicia 8 and 8a can be protected by means of a suitable clear or substantially transparent coating (not shown in the drawing).

Preferably the housing 9 is essentially a reces 11 formed within the body of the card with the front face 1 la of the recess suitably closed over by a transparent material so as to locate the micro-fiche within the recess and protect it from damage.

The method of construction of the card can depend on whether or not additional information is to be added to the card after its manufacture, as for example supplementary microfilm images or whether it is intended that the card cannot be altered but a new card must be produced when information on the card is to be changed.

In addition to the information given in the microfilm images and in the indicia directly imprinted on the card, the card can also have provision to accept a magnetic strip or strips 16 (see Figures 5 and 6) and the like which can include magnetically recorded information for retrieval in a known manner. One or more of the magnetic strips can be utilized as necessary and as required.

While the card will normally be of a type and size that can be conveniently carried by the bearer in for instance a pocket, wallet or the like, it can also be made in the form of a tag which can be supported around the bearer's neck, wrist or the like. In such a case the dimensions of the card would generally be smaller than that of the card first herein-described but additional microfilm images can be utilized to offset this feature.

To use a card according to the invention, the bearer will firstly complete a standard form, thus providing all the ncessary medical history and information which is to be imprinted on or included in the card. When the form is completed it can be forwarded to a central bureau where the information is reduced as appropriate, onto micro-film. In addition the indicia is processed so that it can be imprinted either directly onto the card or onto a substrate which is then adhered to the card. In another method of manufacturing the card, the information can be photographically imprinted on the surface of the card and in such a process the card will be photographically sensitized as is known in the art.

In still another form of manufacture the housing 9 or the portion 1 la can be made of a heat-sensitive film of a plastics material so that after the microfiche has been inserted into the recess 11, the card can be heat treated so as to shrink the transparent plastic material around the micro-fiche to ensure that the micro-fiche cannot be withdrawn from the card. In such a case it would be necessary for both faces of the card adjacent the area of the micro-fiche to be transparent so that the card can then be inserted into a suitable microfilm reader.

Claims (8)

1. A record card having at least one face adapted to display readable indicia, the said card being so formed that it will also house and display a microfilm image, wherein the information contained on said image is readily retrievable but protected from damage.

2. The record card as claimed in claim 1 including a housing having two faces between which the said microfilm image can be positioned, wherein at least one of said faces is transparent.

3. The record card as claimed in claim 1 wherein the said readable indicia is imprinted on a substrate adherableto a face of the said card.

4. The record card as claimed in claim 1, wherein the card is an envelope of transparent material and wherein an opaque insert on which the indicia is displayed is sealed within the envelope.

5. The record card claimed in claim 4wherein the insert includes a window adapted to receive a micro-fiche.

6. The record card as claimed in any one of the preceding claims including a magnetic strip integral with said card.

7. A record card substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

8. A record card substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.