WO2005070288A1

WO2005070288A1 - Combination of a toilet seat with one or more medical diagnostic instruments

Info

Publication number: WO2005070288A1
Application number: PCT/HU2005/000005
Authority: WO
Inventors: Zoltán BÍRÓ
Original assignee: VÁCITY, József
Priority date: 2004-01-27
Filing date: 2005-01-27
Publication date: 2005-08-04
Also published as: HU0400275D0; HUP0400275A2

Abstract

The combination of at least one medical diagnostic instrument (1) comprising a component that must come into contact with the surface of human skin (2) with a toilet seat of any type (3). The invention is characterised by the features that the one or more medical diagnostic instruments (1) consist of several components, of which at least one component that comes into contact with the surface of human skin (2) is built into a toilet seat of any type (3); and the other components of which are built into at least one housing (9), which housing (9) either is separate from the seat (3) or incorporates the seat (3); the one or more medical diagnostic instruments (1) include at least one clinical thermometer (4) and/or heart-rate- or pulse-measuring instrument (6) and/or blood pressure monitor (7), where the components of the housing (9) and those built into the seat (3) are connected by at least one wire-inclusive or wireless data-transmitting means (8).

Description

COMBINATION OF A TOILET SEAT WITH ONΕ OR MORE MEDICAL DIAGNOSTIC INSTRUMENTS

The subject of this invention is a toilet seat of any type, which incorporates one or more medical diagnostic instruments. The invention may be used with any type of toilet that incorporates a seat.

The solutions that most closely resemble my invention are medical diagnostic instruments combined with other devices, certain component units of which must touch the surface of the user's skin at the time the solution is used. An example of such an instrument is the combination clinical thermometer and writing implement, which allows not only for writing but also for measuring a person's body temperature, if the component designed to do so touches the user's skin for the requisite amount of time. A further example is offered by the combination watch and blood pressure monitor, typified by the Casio BP 100, which includes a small sensor. When the user rests a finger on the sensor for 30 seconds, the watch measures his/her blood pressure and displays the information on the watch's face. A similar combination instrument is found in the CASIO BP-1J-1JR wristwatch, which, in order to improve the accuracy of the instrument, includes a conventional upper arm blood pressure monitor, as well. The upper arm blood pressure monitor may be used to determine the precise difference between the blood pressure value measured at the level of the heart and that measured using the wristwatch at the tip of the finger. The blood pressure value measured with the upper arm monitor is transmitted to the wristwatch through an infraport, after which the watch measures only the difference from the baseline value, thus offering improved accuracy over the Casio BP 100 type wristwatch. Other patents describe blood pressure monitors combined with computer mouse devices and mobile (cellular) telephones.

The solutions closest to prior art as per the present invention are heated toilet seats incoφorating one or more built-in temperature sensors. An example of this is represented by Japanese priority patent number JP19890064152U, entitled TOILET SEAT STRUCTURE HAVING HEATER AND THERMO- SENSOR WIRES, which describes a toilet seat equipped with a thermometer for measuring toilet seat temperature, thus enabling control of the seat's heating. The disadvantage of this solution is that it does not incorporate instruments suitable for the purposes of medical examination or diagnosis and thus may not be used to meet the objective met by my invention.

For the present invention, I have set the objective of combining instruments used for medical examination and diagnosis, each containing component that must touch the surface of the user's skin when the instrument is used, with a piece of equipment with which they have never before been combined, such that the instrmnent measures all the user's measurable parameters. For such a novel device, the individual's skin must come into contact with the device regularly — as often as several times a day — for as long as several minutes, such that measurement occurs in a discrete environment, out of sight of others.

The present invention is based on the realisation that the components of a medical diagnostic instrument or instruments that must come into contact with the surface of a user's skin might be built into that part of a toilet seat of any type which comes into contact with the surface of the skin of the individual who sits on it. Either all components of a given medical diagnostic instrument are installed in a single housing with the toilet seat of any type, or there are one or more components that are installed in one or more housings that are separate with respect to the components installed in the seat. A connection is created between separate components by one or more data-transmitting wire-inclusive and/or wireless components. In this way, the objective of the invention is met, since the surface of a user's skin touches the seat of a toilet regularly, as often as several times a day. The interval of time involved for most people is as much as several minutes.

Thus, the subject of the present invention is the combination of at least one medical diagnostic instrument with toilet seat of any type, wherein the one or more medical diagnostic instruments consist of several components, of winch at least one component that comes into contact with the surface of human skin is built into a toilet seat of any type; and the other components of which are built into at least one housing, such that the components in the housing and those in the seat are connected by at least one data-transmitting means.

In one preferred embodiment of this combination toilet seat and medical diagnostic instrument, the data-transmitting means transmits data over wires.

In another preferred embodiment of this combination toilet seat and medical diagnostic instrument, the data-transmitting means is a wireless solution. In a third preferred embodiment of this combination toilet seat and medical diagnostic mstrument, at least one component of the diagnostic instrument is built into a single housing together with the toilet seat of any type.

In a fourth preferred embodiment of this combination toilet seat and medical diagnostic instrument, at least one component of the diagnostic instrument is built into a housing separate from the toilet seat of any type.

In a fifth preferred embodiment of this combination toilet seat and medical diagnostic instrument, at least one of the device's diagnostic instruments is a clinical thermometer, at least one of the temperature-measuring means of which is separated from the seat by a heat-insulating means, such that the heat- insulating means is either part of the clinical thermometer, or is independent of it. The preferred embodiment incorporating heat insulation allows the instrument, in accordance with the objectives set for this invention, to measure the body temperature of the person sitting on the seat, rather than that of the seat itself.

In another preferred embodiment of this combination toilet seat and medical diagnostic instrument, of the device's diagnostic mstruments, at least one is a heart-rate- or pulse-measuring instrument, and/or at least one is a blood pressure momtor. In another preferred embodiment of this combination toilet seat and medical diagnostic instrument, the housing contains any of the component units listed below: at least one data-displaying means; and/or at least one memory unit; and/or at least one clock usable for measuring time; and/or at least one microprocessor; and/or at least one data relay means capable of relaying information to a computer that does not form part of the combination device; and/or at least one switching means; and/or at least one electric-current-storing means; and/or at least one component that displays the remaining capacity of the electric-current-storing means; and/or at least one current-drawing means that may be connected to an electrical supply circuit; and/or at least one controlling means usable for controlling one or more of the combination device's other components; and/or at least one, preferably PLN-code-operated component that decides as to the access rights of the user and prevents individuals other than the one or more users with access rights to the device from using the device for the purposes of taking measurements; and at least one audio and/or light-emitting signalling means for signalling any divergence of data calculated by the device's microprocessor that falls outside the allowable range from standard.

In yet another preferred embodiment of this combination toilet seat and medical diagnostic instrument, the toilet seat is an aid device or portable seat and/or a training chair for children.

In another preferred embodiment of this combination toilet seat and medical diagnostic instrument, the toilet seat of any type additionally includes at least one seat-heating unit. The combination of at least one medical diagnostic unit and toilet seat of any type is discussed below in greater detail by means of drawings.

Figure 1 shows a sketch of one of the preferred embodiments of the combination of at least one medical diagnostic unit and toilet seat of any type according to the present invention.

Figure 1 depicts each of the following units: the three components that must come into contact with the surface of human skin 2 on the three medical diagnostic instruments 1 shown for this embodiment are built into a toilet seat of any type 3 such that the surface of the user's skin comes into contact with them. Of the medical diagnostic ώsrruments 1. one is a clinical thermometer 4, separated from the toilet seat of any type 3 by a heat-insulating means 5; the second is a heart-rate- or pulse-measuring instrument 6; and the third is a blood pressure monitor 7.

The combination device shown in Figure 1 includes components installed into a separate housing 9 with respect to the toilet seat of any type 3. A wire-inclusive data-transmitting means 8 establishes a connection between the components located in the separate housing 9 and those built into the toilet seat of any type 3. In the device's separate housing 9, the following components have been installed: a data-displaying means 12, a clock 13 usable for measuring time, and a PIN-code-operated component that decides as to user access rights 11. The separate housing 9 also includes a switching means 10, with which the combination device may be switched on and off; a controlling means 18, with which the component of the combination device may be controlled; an audio and/or light-emitting signalling means 17; a microprocessor 14; a memory 15, and a data relay means 16 that relays information to a computer that does not form a part of the combination device. Electrical supply to the combination device according to the construction shown in Figure 1 is provided by an electrical plug, winch serves as an electrical-current-drawing means 19 that may be connected to an electrical circuit for the purposes of drawing current.

In short, the combination medical diagnostic instrument and toilet seat of any type depicted in Figure 1 operates in the following manner: the combination device may be switched on and off using the switching means 10, upon the action of which electrical current is supplied to the device through the electrical- current-drawing means 19. Once the device has been switched on, the user-PIN- code-operated component that decides as to user access rights 11 identifies itself. In the event a correct PLN code is entered, then the skin-contact-operated component 2 of the clinical thermometer 4, heart-rate- or pulse-measuring instrument 6, and blood pressure monitor 7 measure the body temperature, pulse, and blood pressure of the operator of the device. The resulting information is relayed by the wire-inclusive data-transmittmg means 8 to the memory 15 located in a housing 9 separate from the toilet seat of any type 3 and to the data-displaying means 12. Measured data may then be read from the data- displaying means 12. The time of measurement is displayed by the clock 13, which information is also stored in the memory 15. If desired, the information stored in the memory 15 may be relayed to a computer through the data relay means 16 for the purposes of detailed analysis. The microprocessor 14 compares the measured and computed data with limits stored in its memory 15 using a program that is also stored in its memory 15. In the event of very high or very low blood pressure or pulse or body temperature, the audio and/or light- emitting signalling means 17 is commanded to give an alert. The various components of the combination device are controlled using the controlling means 18. For example, the controlling means 18 may be used to view the information stored in the memory 15 on the data-displaying means 12.

Thus, the advantages afforded by the combination device are that use requires nothing more than that the individual sitting on the toilet seat of any type switch on the device and enter his or her PIN code. Once the requisite measurement time has elapsed, he or she may obtain readings for blood pressure, body temperature, and pulse from the data-displaying means, indicating whether he or she is suffering from an illness associated with these parameters. This is beneficial because, unfortunately, people often measure these parameters only when it is too late. The device makes it possible for the user to gain knowledge of such an illness in its initial stages, in a manner that requires no more than a device's being switched on and a PIN code entered during an activity upon which most people expend several minutes of time every day. This allows the user to prevent illnesses and disorders associated with very high or very low pulse, body temperature, or blood pressure.

KEY TO FIGURES

medical diagnostic instrument skin-contact-operated component seat clinical thermometer heat-insulating means heart-rate- or pulse-measuring instrument blood pressure monitor data-transmitting means housing switching means component that decides on user access rights data-ώsplaying means clock microprocessor memory data relay means audio and/or light-emitting signalling means controlling means electrical-current-drawing means

Claims

1.) The combination of at least one medical diagnostic instrument (1) with a toilet seat of any type (3), having a component that comes into contact with the surface of human skin (2), characterised by the one or more medical diagnostic instruments (1) consist of several components, of which at least one component that comes into contact with the surfaces of human skin (2) is built into a toilet seat of any type (3); and the other components of which are built into at least one housing (9), where the components in the housing (9) and those in the seat (3) are connected by at least one data-transmitting means (8).

2.) The combination instrument according to claim 1, characterised by the data-transmitting means (8) transmits data by wire.

3.) The combination instrument according to claim 1, characterised by the data-transmitting means (8) is a wireless solution.

4.) The combination instrument according to any of claims 1 through 3, characterised by at least one component of the medical diagnostic instrument (1) is built into a single housing (9) together with the toilet seat of any type (3).

5.) The combination mstrument according to any of claims 1 through 3, characterised by at least one component of the medical diagnostic instrument (1) is built into a housing (9) separate from the toilet seat of any type (3).

6.) The combination instrument according to any of claims 1 through 5, characterised by at least one of the device's one or more medical diagnostic instruments (1) is a clinical thermometer (4), at least one of the temperature- measuring means of which is separated from the seat (3) by a heat-insulating means (5), such that the heat-insulating means (5) is either part of the clinical thermometer (4), or is independent of it.

7.) The combination instrument according to any of claims 1 through 6, characterised by at least one of the medical diagnostic instruments (1) is a heart-rate- or pulse-measuring instrument (6), and/or at least one is a blood pressure monitor (7).

8.) The combination instrument according to any of claims 1 through 7, characterised by the housing (9) contains at least one data-displaying means (12); and/or at least one memory (15); and/or at least one clock (13) usable for measuring time; and/or at least one microprocessor (14); and/or at least one data relay means (16) unit capable of transmitting information to a computer that does not form part of the combination device; and/or at least one switching means (10); and/or at least one electric-current-storing means; and/or at least one component that displays the remaining capacity of the electric-current- storing means; and/or at least one electrical-current-drawing means 19 that may be connected to an electrical supply circuit; and/or at least one controlling means (18) usable for controlling one or more of the combination device's other components; and/or at least one, preferably PLN-code-operated component that decides as to the access rights (11) of the user and prevents individuals other than the one or more users with access rights to the device from using the device for the purposes of taking measurements; and at least one audio and/or light- emitting signalling means (17) for signalling any divergence of data calculated by the device's microprocessor (14) that falls outside the allowable range from standard.

9.) The combination instrument according to any of claims 1 through 8, characterised by the toilet seat of any type (3) is an aid device or portable seat and/or a training chair for children.

10.) The combination instrument according to any of claims 1 through 9, characterised by the toilet seat of any type (3) incorporates at least one heating unit.