DESC:FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a medical kiosk for providing medical/health services at the point of care (POC). More particularly, the invention relates to a medical kiosk to provide a variety of services related to the health of an individual which additionally obtains, processes, and implements the health-related information of the users by generation of a coded database for future reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Medical or health services are traditionally provided at healthcare centers where medical service providers or doctors are available. The individuals have to visit centers to avail of the services make an appointment for a consultation or perform any particular medical test. There are instances where the time and date of such appointments are inconvenient or even unfeasible for individuals especially those who live in rural areas where the medical service facilities are scarce or negligible. Many individuals want to seek medical care but are unable to take, it due to the inconvenience of having to travel large distances to a medical facility.
There is a new technology that offers for installation of health kiosks for providing medical services to individuals. Such kiosks may or may not be connected to the network for interacting with the remote computing facilities. However such medical kiosks have some disadvantages like – difficulty in installing, provision of limited facilities, difficulty in establishing a unique identifier for the kiosk, managing, storing, and transmitting health data of the patients, individual health data authentication, maintenance of secured privacy of each user individual, ease of operating, limited outreach among the target public especially of rural areas. The existing health kiosk systems are generally located near pharmacies, drug stores, or hospital premises. These kiosks offer very basic medical services which are typically provided by paramedical personnel.
Therefore, because of the current state of medical services facilities vis-à-vis the demand of the public, there is a need for providing medical services in a more convenient, desirable, timely, and cost-effective manner. The inventors of the present invention have come up with a solution to solve the afore-mentioned problems by presenting herein a medical kiosk facility for providing a variety of health services, medicines, test kits, etc. along with the barcode generating and implementing a system for every individual user for creating a record of a secured database for the requisite references.
The medical kiosk facility of the present invention acts as a portable diagnostic, telemedicine, and point-of-care system to create a small lab at any location to enable individuals to test for a wide range of diseases within a few minutes. Additionally, the patients can also directly consult with the doctors using a telemedicine facility to start treatment instantly.
To describe the disclosure in detail the medical kiosk facility providing a variety of health services with a barcode-generating and implementing system for every individual user of the present invention will be referred to as a medical kiosk facility.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a medical kiosk facility that delivers a non-limiting wide range of medical services to the individual.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a medical kiosk facility with a system for generating and implementing a bar code system to identify the user/individual and create a secured record in the database for requisite references.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a medical kiosk facility that delivers coded and encrypted medical instruments, testing kits, or devices for each user to keep the record for future reference.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a medical kiosk facility delivering telemedicine & consultation services to individuals that are easy and convenient to operate from any location.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a medical kiosk facility that protects the privacy of a user when obtaining medical services.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a medical kiosk facility that empowers users to take an active role in their well-being through easy access to their health data, enabling them to make informed decisions about lifestyle and behavior changes.
Furthermore, objectives, advantages, and features of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided herein below, in which various features and functionalities of the disclosed invention are illustrated by way of the following examples.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention discloses a medical kiosk facility providing variety of health services with barcode generating and implementing system comprises a medical kiosk unit (100) to dispense a wide range of medical services and products coupled with a server over a communication network such as local area network (for example - Ethernet) or wide area network (for example - Internet) to run a web server, a data generating and storing unit (110) integrated within the medical kiosk unit (100) for creating & storing the user data for future references, a barcode generator unit (120) integrated with the data generating and storing unit (110) and the medical kiosk unit (100) to create unique code for each user individual accessing the kiosk facility and a unique code scanning device (130) configured to scan the unique quick response codes (QR code) or barcodes generated by the barcode generating unit, wherein, the quick response (QR) or barcode created by the barcode generator unit (120) may be directly printed on the products or attached to the products before dispensing them out through kiosk.
The data generating and storing unit (110) is integrated with the medical kiosk unit to create the profile of the user who is availing the kiosk services and stores the data securely of every transaction made by such user for future reference. The barcode generator unit (120) creates a unique code for each user individual accessing the kiosk facility which may be directly printed on the products or applied on the products (for example - as stickers ) before dispensing through the kiosk. The scanning device is configured to scan the barcode or QR codes on the products for retrieving the information of the previous transactions by the user at the medical kiosk facility.
In an embodiment, the user may also optionally link his personal device to the medical kiosk for accessing the personal medical database stored in the data generation and storage unit (110) on his personal device.
In an embodiment, the medical kiosk facility of the present invention may optionally display the relevant health information to an individual in a quick response code or barcode format, anyone viewing the barcode will not be able to decipher the barcode without a reader which is individual-specific and may be linked to their device.
The medical kiosk with barcode generating and implementing a system according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is herein described in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying examples.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings are incorporated to form a part of the specification, the illustrations and embodiments of the present invention together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. The drawings are only to illustrate the preferred embodiments of the invention and must not be considered as a limitation.
Figure 1 illustrates the front view of the medical kiosk facility according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 illustrates the perspective right-side view of the medical kiosk facility according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 illustrates the perspective left side view of the medical kiosk facility according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4 illustrates the medical kiosk facility of the present invention connected to different units in an embodiment.
Figure 5 illustrates the flow-chart process of using the medical kiosk facility according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The following detailed description sets forth to provide a more thorough understanding of the present invention. The description of the drawings provided hereafter is to be considered as an illustration and not as a limitation.
A medical kiosk facility of the present invention comprises a medical kiosk unit (100) for dispensing a wide range of medical services and products coupled with a server over a communication network such as a local area network or wide area network, a data generating and storing unit (110) integrated with the medical kiosk unit (100) for creating & storing the user data for future references, a barcode generator unit (120) integrated with data generator and storing unit (110) and medical kiosk unit (100) to create unique code for each user individual accessing the kiosk facility, a scanning device (130) configured to scan the quick response codes (QR code) or barcodes generated by barcode generating unit; and a test result analyzing unit configured to process and generate diagnostic outcomes for the test conducted by the user on the product or services accessed by the medical kiosk unit.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, the wide range of services and products provided by the medical kiosk system includes but is not limited to diagnostic test kits, health monitoring devices, medical products, first aid kits, medical instruments, and a combination thereof.
In an embodiment, Figure 1 illustrates the front view of the medical kiosk facility of the present invention with a television or computer-like visual display (10) at the forefront side of the kiosk body, an input interface apparatus which may be a keyboard and mouse or a touch screen facility or a microphone or alike, a see-through screen on front side of the kiosk body (20), a body with the multiple compartments on either side for storing medical devices, products and test kits for dispensing. The said medical kiosk facility is connected to the local server and the remote server over a communication network of a local area network (for example – Ethernet) or wide area network (for example – Internet).
Figure 2 illustrates the right perspective view of the medical kiosk facility of the present invention representing various compartments (30) for the storage of the medical devices, products, and test kits for dispensing through the kiosk. These compartments can be opened outside to re-fill the supplies and dispense the medical devices, products, and test kits.
Figure 3 illustrates the left perspective view of the medical kiosk of the present invention representing various compartments (30) for the storage of the medical devices, products, and test kits. These compartments can be opened to re-fill the supplies. Additionally, there is a locking mechanism (40) integrated with an authorization system for accessing the compartments of the kiosk. The locking mechanism (40) is designed to restrict unauthorized access, ensuring that only authorized personnel can open the compartments. This feature adds a layer of security to the medical supplies stored within the compartments. The locking mechanism (40) is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the medical supplies and preventing tampering or theft.
The lock mechanism (40) is linked to the authorization system. This implies that access to the compartments is not only controlled physically but also involves some form of authentication or authorization process. The authorization system includes but is not limited to keycards, biometric authentication, PIN codes, or any other secure means of confirming the identity and permission of the person attempting to access the compartments.
Figure 4 illustrates, the data generating and storing unit (110) integrated with the medical kiosk facility which generates the user data records whenever the user avails the services through the kiosk by entering their details. The system stores the user’s data for future reference. The barcode generator unit (120) of the kiosk creates a unique barcode or QR (quick response) code encryption for every medical device, test kit, product, or medicine dispensed through the kiosk which is unique to each individual. The scanning device (130) attached to the kiosk is configured to scan the QR codes or barcodes generated by the barcode generating unit to identify the individual who had accessed the service previously to retrieve the information in that regard for display on the screen.
In an embodiment, the barcodes or QR codes may be directly printed on the medical products or may be attached to them in the form of stickers before dispensing them through the medical kiosk facility. Such products or test kits can be directly scanned using a scanning device (130), whenever the user revisits the kiosk facility to receive the report of analysis or consult with the medical practitioner. The scanning of the code retrieves all the database of the user created previously in the medical kiosk.
In an embodiment, the barcode may attached to the receipts or the user identity cards of the individuals to identify the individual and their previous transactions on the medical kiosk facility. The users have to simply get their previous receipts or cards scanned every time they access the kiosk to retrieve their data. The bar code encryption helps to generate secured and correct reports of analysis of every individual without any mix-up of database among the population using the kiosk facility.
In an embodiment, the server of the medical facility kiosk is configured to run a web server using hypertext transport protocol (HTTP). The data of the web server may contain without any limitation content - embodied in HTML, JavaScript, CSS, or any other web languages, images or videos or audio embedded in web pages and any user-side executable programs for its operations.
In an embodiment, the data generating and storing unit (110) is also associated and configured with a display screen of the kiosk facility for displaying the database of the user on screen. The medical kiosk unit may be optionally connected to the printing facility to enable the user to take a printout of their reports.
In an embodiment, the medical kiosk (100) is connected to a remote server (150) through a communication network over the Internet. When users interact with the kiosk, data may be transmitted to the server for storage, ensuring that important information is not only available locally but can also be accessed remotely. This data could include user profiles, medical records, transaction history, and other relevant information. The connection to a remote server allows for remote management of the medical kiosk. This includes the ability to update software, perform diagnostics, and monitor the kiosk's status without physical intervention. It facilitates efficient maintenance and ensures that the kiosk is running the latest software and security patches.
In accordance with another embodiment, the users can connect their personal devices, such as smartphones or tablets, to the medical kiosk. This connection could be used for authentication, allowing the kiosk to recognize and personalize the user experience based on their profile and preferences. The user device acts as a remote control or input device for interacting with the kiosk. Users can make selections, input data, and control the kiosk's functions using their personal devices. The user device includes but is not limited to computers, laptops, smartphones, or anything else.
Referring now to figure 5 illustrates the process of generation of a barcode system by a medical kiosk facility (100) in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the process involves –
1. An individual approaching the medical kiosk (100) to avail certain services (for example – a medical diagnosis test kit), said individual then enters the personal details at the facility using the touch screen/keyboard of the kiosk system and requests for the service by checking the box of requisite services.
2. The data generating and storing unit (110) creates the profiles of the individual and prompts the barcode generator unit to create a unique barcode for the individual.
3. The barcode generating unit (120) then creates a quick response (QR) code or barcode which may be directly printed on the product or attached to the product in the form of a sticker before dispensing out from the kiosk.
4. The medical kiosk facility (100) creates a secured record of the services availed by such individuals in the server of the kiosk, the said record is also backed up on the remote server for future reference whenever the user returns to the kiosk facility for generating or collecting their reports or consultation with the medical practitioners.
5. The secured record can be retrieved simply by scanning the barcode printed or attached to the product or the identity cards received from the kiosk previously.

The medical kiosk facility of the present invention provides a wide range of services including but not limited to medicines, health-related products, medical instruments for determining physiological characteristics, medical test kits for diagnosis of biological characteristics, and diagnosis and consultation through video by the medical practitioner sitting remotely.
In an embodiment, the medical kiosk facility of the present invention may display the relevant health information to an individual in QR code or barcode format, anyone viewing the barcode will not be able to decipher the barcode without a reader. The individual may optionally link his personal device to the kiosk and then scan the barcode data into their device. This process usually begins when the user enters his personal details during the first use of the medical kiosk facility. Once the user's device is linked to the kiosk, the individual may be able to access his reports on their device anywhere and anyplace.
In an embodiment, the QR code or barcode is generated in a graphical form or maybe in data form printed or attached to the products. It may also be additionally displayed on the screen of the kiosk to enable viewing of the database of the individual in their linked personal devices. It is understood that the barcode data is processed based on instructions inside of the barcode data, based on instructions in the software application processing the barcode data, and based on the application for which the barcode data was generated and/or a combination of all or some of these.
In an embodiment, the kiosk dispenses medical devices with data capture capabilities, where a device for example a blood glucose meter can display a digital barcode (QR code) that has information related to the test results of the user. Such digital barcode displays may have an embedded URL that allows the scanning device of the kiosk to send the data to a predetermined web server or even on linked user devices. Moreover, multiple medical devices for determining the physiological characteristics of an individual may have their results embedded in the dynamic QR (quick response) code display.
In an embodiment, the medical kiosk facility provides a comprehensive range of medical services including but not limited to –
1. Blood tests – blood glucose, hemoglobin, lipid assay, cardiac marker assay, full blood work, liver function test, hormonal assay, thyroid, etc.
2. Disease tests – hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), malaria, dengue, chikungunya, tuberculosis, respiratory diseases, metabolic diseases, skin diseases, etc.
3. Urine tests – creatinine, leukocytes, protein, pH, urine calcium, etc.,
4. Other – ENT, skin test, vision test, ECG 12 lead, alcohol detection, etc.
5. Basic – height, weight, BMI, blood pressure, temperature, etc.
The medical kiosk facility (100) of the present invention dispenses a variety of medical test kits printed with unique barcodes containing the encrypted information of the patient and the type of the test. The users may collect the test and return the test kit for detection of the results. The scanning device (130) of the medical kiosk will scan the said kit and collect the same for detection of the result. The individual then can view his test results on the display screen of the kiosk along with the previous health-related transaction records. The barcode integration is secure and protects the privacy of the user while obtaining the services from the kiosk.
Example 1:
The medical kiosk facility of the present invention may be installed at such a location (for example a rural place) to dispense medical test kits at large for mass screening of particular disease or condition. The barcode-integrated test kits containing the test and the user details are dispensed to people and then collected for determination of the results which is then informed to the concerned individuals and also securely stored for future use.
Example 2:
Let's suppose a user wants to conduct a pregnancy test using the pregnancy test kit provided by the medical kiosk system of the present invention.
Firstly, the user went to the Medical Kiosk unit for the first time. Therefore, she enters her name, contact no., pregnancy symptoms, and any other health-related information along with the service she wants to access into the user interface unit of the medical device. In the present scenario, the service is a pregnancy test kit. The system processes the user details to generate a unique code and implements this code to the pregnancy test kit disposed of by the medical kiosk unit. Then, she goes home and performs the test at her home. After that, she again visits the medical kiosk unit and places the test kit into the scanning unit of the system. The system scans the QR codes priorly attached to the test kit and retrieves prior information from the data storage unit. Then, the system presents the test result on the visual display unit of the medical kiosk or prints the result.
In the future, the user can also scan the QR codes from her personal device and view the result on her phone.
The medical kiosk facility of the present invention has non-limiting shapes, sizes, colors, and orientations. The medical kiosk can be installed in any location where traditional medical services and products cannot be reached for example rural areas, or private places like colleges, schools, offices, etc. The kiosk is user-friendly and the user can modify the language of the display as per their choice.
The afore-said invention is described concerning preferred and alternate embodiments. Any modifications and alterations will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the detailed discussion of the invention provided herein. This invention is intended to include all such possible modifications and alterations insofar as they do not depart from the scope of the present invention. ,CLAIMS:1. A medical system for providing a variety of health services with a barcode generating and implementing system, the system comprises;
a. a medical kiosk unit (100) configured to dispense a wide range of medical services and products, wherein, the medical kiosk unit (100) is coupled to a server over a communication network;
b. a user interface screen integrated within the medical kiosk unit, wherein, the user interface screen is configured to receive information provided by the user including personal details and desired medical services;
c. a data-generating unit configured to collect and process information provided by the user, wherein, the data generation unit creates an individual profile for the user accessing the medical kiosk unit (100);
d. a unique code-generating unit configured to generate a unique code such as QR codes or barcodes, for each service or product provided by the medical kiosk unit, wherein, the generated unique code stores the information of the user accessing the medical kiosk unit;
e. a data storage unit configured to store users' profiles, service records, product records, and unique codes to ensure that the health-related information and historical usage data are readily accessible for future reference within the medical kiosk facility;
f. a unique code-scanning unit configured to scan the generated unique code, associated with the product or service accessed by the user; and
g. a test result analyzing unit configured to process and generate diagnostic outcomes for the test conducted by the user on the product or services accessed by the medical kiosk unit.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the medical kiosk unit (100) dispenses a wide range of medical services and products is coupled with a server over a communication network such as local area network or wide area network to run a web server.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein, the unique code-generating unit generates QR codes or barcodes based on the user’s profile and selected medical service or products.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, the data generating and storing unit (110) integrated with the medical kiosk unit creates the profile of the user availing of the kiosk services and stores the data securely of every transaction made by user for the future reference.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the barcode generator unit (120) creates a unique code for each user individual accessing the kiosk facility which may be directly printed on the products or applied as stickers on the products before dispensing through the kiosk.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the scanning device is configured to scan the barcode or QR codes on the products for retrieving the information of the previous transactions made by the user at the medical kiosk facility.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user is able to link his personal device to the medical kiosk for accessing personal medical database stored in the data generation and storage unit (110) on his personal device.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the medical kiosk facility display the relevant health information to an individual in quick response code or barcode format, anyone viewing the barcode will not be able to decipher the barcode without a reader which is be individual specific and may be linked to their personal device.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein, the range of medical service and products includes but not limited to diagnostic test kits for various health parameters including blood tests, urine tests, disease-specific tests, pregnancy tests, or alike, health monitoring devices such as blood pressure monitors, temperature measurement devices, and pulse oximeters and medical products including over-the-counter medications, personal protective equipment, and first aid supplies.

10. A method for retrieving the health-related information using QR codes or Barcodes, the method comprises the following steps:
a. generating a unique code associated with health-related information of an individual for each medical diagnosis product/test kit requested by the individual within the medical kiosk facility;
b. printing or attaching the generated unique code on the medical diagnosis test kit before dispensing them through the kiosk system;
c. allowing the individual to take the medical diagnosis test kit with the printed or attached unique codes;
d. performing diagnosis test by the user on the uniquely coded diagnostic test kit;
e. placing the test result on the scanner unit of the medical kiosk system, wherein, the scanner unit scans the unique code associated with the medical diagnosis test kit; and
f. retrieving the individual's health-related information, service records, and product details from a data storage unit (110) associated with the medical kiosk facility using the scanned code; and
g. presenting the retrieved health-related information on a display screen of the medical kiosk facility or printing the information for the individual's reference.
11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein, the method further comprises the step of linking the user's personal device to the medical kiosk facility to access their stored health-related information using the scanned QR code or barcode.
12. The method as claimed in claim 10 wherein, the QR code or barcode includes an embedded URL that links to a web server for accessing the individual's health-related information remotely.
13. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein, the QR code or barcode on the products or services is dynamic and displays changing information such as test results based on instructions within the code or associated software.