Modular telehealth cart with thermal imaging and touch screen user interface

Abstract

A telemedicine system including a cart that allows for two-way audio/video conferencing between patients or local care providers and remote care providers or family members. The cart employs a modular design that allows its capabilities to be expanded to meet the needs of particular telemedicine applications. In addition, the cart provides thermal imaging and a user interface that allows local care provers to access various capabilities of the device while the device is not in session with a remote party.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A telemedicine system comprising:
 a cart that supports a controller coupled to a camera system, a touchscreen display, a microphone, a speaker, and a network, the controller is configured to display a user interface on the touchscreen display in response to a user input received via the touchscreen display, the user interface including at least a first selectable option that causes video captured by the camera system to be displayed on the touchscreen display when the system is not in session and a second option to transmit a request for consultation via the network,   wherein the controller is configured to establish a communication session with a remote device coupled to the controller via the network, the remote device including a camera, a display, a microphone, and a speaker and, during the communication session, the controller causes the touchscreen display to display video captured by the camera of the remote device.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the camera system includes a thermal camera. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the camera system includes a first optical camera with a first field of view. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the camera system includes a second optical camera with a second field of view. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the cart further comprises an articulating boom that supports a third optical camera coupled to the controller, the third optical camera having a third field of view. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the third optical camera is a pan-tilt-zoom camera. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the controller changes at least one of the pan, tilt, and zoom of the third optical camera in response to a user input provided via the touchscreen display. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the controller changes at least one of the pan, tilt, and zoom of the third optical camera in response to a user input received from the remote station. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the camera system and the touchscreen display can be panned and tilted relative to the cart. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the camera system and the touchscreen display are mechanically coupled such that they face in substantially the same direction and move together. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the cart includes actuators configured to pan and tilt the camera system and the touchscreen display in response to commands received from the remote station. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the actuators are configured to be manually repositioned by a person in the vicinity of the cart. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface displays a plurality of selectable consultation types that can be selected to request a consultation. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein selecting a first consultation type cause a consultation request to be transmitted to a first care provider and selecting a second consultation type causes a consultation request to be transmitted to a second care provider. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface includes a selectable option that causes the controller to display a medical form that can be completed via the touchscreen interface. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller causes the user interface to display a prompt for a telephone number and subsequently transmits the consultation request to a telephone number provided by the user via the touchscreen interface in response to the prompt. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the consultation request is transmitted via a Short Message Service protocol and includes a uniform resource locator. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the recipient of the consultation request can select the uniform resource locator to activate an application that establishes the communication session with the controller. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface includes a selectable option for a language translation service. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the cart includes a removable peripheral bay that includes a plurality of communication ports coupled to the controller.