WO2005106756A1

WO2005106756A1 - Communication and information device

Info

Publication number: WO2005106756A1
Application number: PCT/FR2005/050239
Authority: WO
Inventors: Pierre Skala; Jean-Philippe Llobera
Original assignee: Intelligencia
Priority date: 2004-04-16
Filing date: 2005-04-14
Publication date: 2005-11-10
Also published as: EP1756743A1; FR2869183A1; FR2869183B1

Abstract

A communication and information device to be used in hospitals or in places of maintenance either in caring establishments or at home. The communication and information device enables communication and information exchanges to occur between a patient and the environment outside hospital, i.e. family, friends or the attending physician, and inside hospital, i.e. the team of carers. The inventive device comprises a central unit (2), a display screen (3), function selection means, sound restitution means, sound and image capturing means, and means for connection to a data transmission network. All of said elements make up a unit which is contained in the same envelope (1).

Description

COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION DEVICE

The present invention relates to a communication and information device intended to be used in a hospital environment or in places of maintenance either in a nursing home or at home, in order to allow exchanges between a patient and the environment external to the hospital. , in particular his family, his friends, his attending physician or private institutions or companies for medical purposes, as well as with the internal environment at the hospital, in particular his healthcare team, and to also allow said patient to be informed and be entertained.

The present invention may also find an interest in communication between persons, in particular elderly persons, maintained or hospitalized at home, and relatives and / or nursing staff.

The solutions currently available to hospitalized people, or elderly people kept at home, to stay in contact with their loved ones during their hospitalization are mainly limited to their visits and the use of the telephone.

However, due to lack of availability or due to a significant geographic distance, relatives are not always able to move as frequently as they would like. Very often we see that the visits are only occasional, and essentially take place only at the end of the day, or even during the weekend, which, in many patients, can lead to a great feeling of isolation, detrimental to their recovery. As for the use of the telephone, only landlines are authorized within hospitals, and although they allow frequent verbal exchanges, the duration of conversations is often limited by cost; moreover, this mode of communication hardly replaces the physical presence and warmth of loved ones.

In addition, at the moment we also observe deficiencies in the relationships between patients and medical teams. In fact, in most hospital departments, patients are only in contact with nurses or doctors occasionally, during rounds that the latter carry out with a more or less regular frequency, which can vary from day to day according to their workload. This can be a source of concern for some anxious patients, who may need more frequent reassuring words.

Outside these rounds, when they deem it necessary, the patients can nevertheless request the healthcare team, by means of an intercom connected to a central unit, or by activating an alarm signaling to a nurse a possible complication. These last two systems are not only very impersonal, but also require nurses to move systematically to all the patients who manifest themselves in this way, in order to be aware of the real situation. This therefore has the consequence of generating an additional workload which could have been avoided if the nurses had been able to communicate directly and remotely with the patients concerned.

One could consider providing each person with a computer with an Internet connection, as for example that is proposed in document US 2003/052787, with the disadvantage that many of the hospitalized people, as well as the vast majority elderly people are not familiar with the use of a computer, which can also be a deterrent.

The aim of the present invention is therefore to overcome these various drawbacks by proposing a device the use of which is within the reach of everyone, the design of which is suitable for use in a hospital environment, and which makes it possible to tighten, simplify and perfect the relationships between patients and their family and medical entourage.

Λ to this end, the invention relates to a communication and information device intended to be used in a hospital environment or in places of maintenance either in a nursing home or at home in order to allow exchanges between a patient and an environment external to the hospital, in particular his family, his friends or his treating doctor, as well as with the internal environment in the hospital, in particular his medical team, characterized in that it comprises a central unit, a screen, means of selection of functions, means for restoring sounds, means for capturing sounds and images, and means for connecting to a data transmission network, all of these elements constituting a unit contained in the same envelope.

Such a device placed in a patient's room therefore allows the latter, advantageously, to send and receive data of the sound and image type, via a data transmission network, connecting him to his relatives and to Medical team. It is therefore possible for him to see and hear his interlocutors and to be seen and heard by them remotely and in real time, which simplifies, enriches and considerably improves the exchange.

On the other hand, due to its design in the form of an envelope bringing together all the means necessary for its operation, such a device is particularly easy to clean, and is particularly suitable for use in a hospital environment, where the very strict hygienic conditions require frequent cleaning.

Another advantageous characteristic of the present device is further defined by the fact that the selection means giving access to different functions, via an intuitive menu displayed on the screen, are in the form of tactile zones which are easy to handle by all people, including those with little or no familiarity with the practice of computers.

Thus, the device according to the invention makes it possible to set up a particularly user-friendly system able to provide real comfort to patients and to simplify the work of practitioners and hospital staff.

Preferably, the device according to the invention comprises means for wireless connection to the data transmission network, allowing increased mobility of the device.

In the case of use at home, the device according to the invention can be in the form of an electronic card able to be associated with a television set in order to transform the latter into a means of receiving images transmitted via a data transmission network.

The advantages and characteristics of the device according to the invention will emerge more clearly from the description which follows and which relates to the appended drawing, which represents a non-limiting embodiment thereof. In the attached drawing:

FIG. 1 corresponds to a schematic perspective view of the means constituting the device according to the invention,

- Figure 2 corresponds to a diagram explaining the operating mode of this device.

The present invention relates to a communication and information device, intended to be used in a hospital environment by a patient, mainly to communicate from his room with his family, and his friends or with the hospital staff responsible for his file, or , for information, entertainment, to view movies, or other entertainment.

Referring to Figure 1, corresponding to a preferred embodiment, this device is in the form of an envelope 1 containing a central unit 2, and equipped with a color display screen 3, two speakers 4 allowing the sounds to be reproduced stereophonically, a directional microphone 5, and a video sensor 6, which is preferably high resolution and is connected to video compression means in real time.

In a particularly advantageous manner, the display screen 3 is of the touch type, and the means for selecting functions are in the form of keys 7 which are displayed on this touch screen 3.

According to a particular embodiment of the device according to the invention, the display screen can be constituted by a monitor, a television set or the like, generally already arranged in the place where the patient stays and to which the device. To do this, the device can then be in the form of a box and comprises means of connection to said monitor or television, in particular through an audio and video connection. The device then comprises sound and image sensors, such as microphones and / or a camera, the display and the reproduction of the sounds being effected by means of said television set. It should be noted that the interface between the television and the user can be effected by the action of a remote control to said television, through menus. The box also includes means of connection to a communication network in order to connect the device to the residence computer network and to the internet.

Preferably, the display can be double, through a monitor or a television as mentioned above, as well as through a portable and mobile touch screen which can follow the patient in his movements, the two means display can be connected to each other through a wireless type connection.

Envelope 1 can also be equipped with wireless connection means of the “WiFi” type which allows internal exchanges with hospital staff, and also a connection to a data transmission network to which third parties can also connect via their computers, such a network is for example defined by the Internet.

According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the device is accessible through a latest generation cell phone called "3G", the latter serving as an interface or terminal for displaying images and reproducing sounds . With reference to FIG. 2, it can be seen that the patient 20 has the possibility of receiving and sending from his hospital bed, thanks to the wireless link 30 through the Internet network 31, both images and sound, in order to communicate directly with the people of their choice, in particular their family 21, or internally via direct wireless connection of the "WiFi" type with a nurse 22, or a doctor 23. During their exchanges, he wishes, it is therefore possible for him to view his interlocutors on the display screen 3 of the envelope 1, and to be himself seen by the latter through the screens 24, 25, 26 of their computers respectively.

Of course, in order to preserve the confidentiality of the information exchanged or recovered on a server 27 via the Internet network 31, the present invention also provides for equipping the device with means in accordance with the latest electronic and computer security technologies.

Thus, for example, the family of a hospitalized relative only accesses the latter's device, through the website of the hospital establishment, only with a personal code.

The patient can accept the call and initiate the communication, or not. He can also view a film or reports available on the server 27 of the hospital establishment, or access medical information concerning him and available on this same server 27.

In this regard, the invention also allows any authorized person, member of the medical team to access this medical information located on the server 27, in real time, when the communication with the patient takes place. This feature is particularly useful for the doctor treating the patient who, having a computer connected internally by a wireless link of the “HiFi” type, or externally via a network of the Internet type 31, thus has the possibility of communicating in real time with his patient. This allows him to inform and reassure his patient without leaving his office.

Furthermore, a considerable advantage of the device according to the invention is defined by its mode of use, which is particularly user-friendly and accessible to people with no experience in the field of IT.

Thus, patients only need to select, via the touch screen 3, the desired function, displayed in an intuitive menu, and thus be gradually guided.

Furthermore, according to another characteristic of the present invention, it comprises supply means of the rechargeable type allowing it to operate autonomously.

The embodiment shown in Figure 1 has an ergonomic shape facilitating its handling. It is fixed through a bracket 8 on a base 9 mounted on four casters 10. The latter preferably have a high rolling power so as to promote the movement of the device within the same room or place to another in the hospital.

It will be noted that in this case, the base 9 may have a volume sufficient to contain the central unit which is no longer contained in the envelope 1.

Optionally, and as shown, provision is made to provide the device according to the invention with loudspeakers 40 fixed on the bracket 8, in replacement or in addition to the speakers 4 of the casing 1.

Such a compact structure thus has the advantage of great simplicity of handling; in addition since it has only flat surfaces, which the invention intends to produce using materials capable of withstanding the most aggressive detergents, such a device lends itself particularly well to repeated cleaning imposed in a hospital environment.

It should be noted that the nursing staff preferably has equipment allowing a multi-window mode, which authorizes the simultaneous display of information data relating to the person in communication, as well as the latter's medical file.

Advantageously, the nursing staff have portable units of the pocket computer type, allowing them to remain constantly in contact with the patients. In addition to the various functionalities previously mentioned, the device according to the invention can also be supplemented by specific developments, suitable in particular for authorizing alarm reports, connections with portable systems, or a retransmission of signals emitted by communication systems. monitoring.

As is clear from the above, the present device provides a solution entirely suited to the problem mentioned.

It improves patient comfort by offering them a unique and high-quality audiovisual remote visit service. It also considerably simplifies the work of practitioners and hospital staff. Note that it is also provided, in another embodiment not shown, that the envelope 1 can be placed directly on a support such as a table or the like.

Claims

1) Communication and information device intended to be used in a hospital environment or in places of maintenance either in a nursing home or at home in order to allow exchanges between a patient and the environment external to the hospital, in particular his family , his friends or his treating doctor, as well as with the internal environment at the hospital, in particular his medical team, characterized in that it comprises a central unit (2), a display screen (3), means for selecting functions, means for restoring sounds, means for capturing sounds and images, and means for connecting to a data transmission network, all of these elements constituting a unit contained in the same envelope (1).

2) Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the casing (1) is mounted, through a bracket (8), on a base (9) equipped with rollers (10) allowing to move it.

3) Device according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the envelope (1) is made of a material provided capable of withstanding the detergents used in hospitals for disinfection.

4) Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the display screen (3) is defined by a touch screen.

5) Device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the display screen (3) is defined by a monitor, TV or the like to which the device is connected.

6) Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is equipped with a video sensor (6) of high resolution type, allowing the creation of high quality images, and in that it comprises loudspeakers (4, 40) capable of allowing stereophonic sound reproduction.

7) Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises loudspeakers (4, 40) capable of allowing a stereophonic reproduction of the sound.

8) Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises means for wireless connection to the data transmission network.

9) Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the transmission network is defined by the Internet network (31).

10) Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises rechargeable type supply means, allowing it to operate independently.