US-12616529-B2 - Telemedicine for orthopedic treatment

US12616529B2US 12616529 B2US12616529 B2US 12616529B2US-12616529-B2

Abstract

A computer-implemented system includes an assistant interface for providing remote medical assistance to aid a patient in performing various aspects of a rehabilitation regimen for a body part comprising a joint, a bone, or a muscle group. The assistant interface is configured to communicate, via a network connection, a telemedicine signal with the patient interface. The telemedicine signal is configured to control the patient interface and/or a treatment apparatus configured to be manipulated by the patient to perform the rehabilitation regimen. The patient interface and the treatment apparatus are at a patient location geographically separate from a location of the assistant interface. The telemedicine signal includes one or more of an audio signal, an audiovisual signal, an interface control signal for controlling a function of the patient interface, and/or an apparatus control signal for changing an operating parameter of the treatment apparatus.

Inventors

Daniel Posnack
Peter Arn
Wendy Para
S. Adam Hacking
Micheal Mueller
Steven Mason
Jonathan Greene
Joseph GUANERI

Assignees

ROM TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20230627

Claims (20)

1 . A computer-implemented system, comprising: a patient interface comprising an output device, the output device configured to communicate information to a patient regarding a treatment plan for the patient, the treatment plan comprising a rehabilitation regimen for a body part; an assistant interface remote from the patient interface and configured to: initiate a telemedicine session between the patient interface and the assistant interface, present, during the telemedicine session, information pertaining to the patient's treatment plan, and transmit, via a network connection, a telemedicine signal to the patient interface; wherein the telemedicine signal comprises one of an audio signal, an audiovisual signal, a visual signal, a haptic signal, an environmental change signal, an interface control signal for controlling a function of the patient interface, or an apparatus control signal for changing an operating parameter of a treatment apparatus.
2 . The computer-implemented system of claim 1 , further comprising a treatment apparatus configured to be manipulated by the patient for performing the rehabilitation regimen upon the body part.
3 . The computer-implemented system of claim 2 , wherein the patient interface is configured to transmit an apparatus monitor signal to the assistant interface, and the apparatus monitor signal includes status information related to the treatment apparatus.
4 . The computer-implemented system of claim 2 , wherein, to effect a change to an operating parameter of the treatment apparatus, the telemedicine signal is configured to comprise the apparatus control signal from the assistant interface.
5 . The computer-implemented system of claim 2 , wherein a predetermined condition of a treatment apparatus causes the telemedicine session to be initiated.
6 . The computer-implemented system of claim 1 , wherein the one of the audio signal, the audiovisual signal, the visual signal, the haptic signal, or the environmental change signal includes a feed from the assistant interface, and the feed is configured to be presented by the output device of the patient interface.
7 . The computer-implemented system of claim 1 , wherein the telemedicine signal is generated from a prerecorded source, and the telemedicine signal is configured to be presented by the output device of the patient interface.
8 . The computer-implemented system of claim 1 , wherein the patient interface is configured to provide two-way audio communications, two-way audiovisual communications, two-way visual communications, two-way haptic communications, two-way environmental communications with a person using the assistant interface, or two-way communications using on each side of the communications one of the foregoing means, where the means on one side and the means on the other side are different.
9 . The computer-implemented system of claim 1 , wherein the patient interface includes a manual control such that the patient uses the patient interface to initiate the telemedicine session.
10 . The computer-implemented system of claim 1 , wherein the patient interface is configured to solicit answers to one or more questions from the patient; and wherein predetermined answers to the one or more questions are configured to enable the telemedicine session to be initiated.
11 . The computer-implemented system of claim 1 , further comprising a clinician interface, wherein such interface includes a protocol management display presenting controls for modifying a treatment protocol within the treatment plan; and wherein the assistant interface is presented on a physical device shared with the clinician interface.
12 . The computer-implemented system of claim 1 , further comprising a server computer configured to store data related to one of the treatment plan or the patient; and wherein the assistant interface is configured to be in communication with a server for receiving the data related to the one of the treatment plan or the patient.
13 . The computer-implemented system of claim 1 , wherein the body part comprises at least one of a joint, a bone, a ligament, a tendon, or a muscle group.
14 . A system for remote treatment, comprising: a patient interface comprising an output device for communicating information to a patient regarding a treatment plan for the patient, the treatment plan comprising a rehabilitation regimen for a body part; an assistant interface configured to: initiate a telemedicine session between the patient interface and the assistant interface, present, during the telemedicine session, information pertaining to the patient's treatment plan, and communicate a telemedicine signal with the patient interface via a network connection, the telemedicine signal configured to control one of the patient interface or a treatment apparatus; and wherein the patient interface and the treatment apparatus are each configured to operate from a patient location geographically separated from the assistant interface.
15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the treatment apparatus is configured to be manipulated by the patient for performing a rehabilitation regimen upon a body part.
16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the assistant interface includes a control for changing a setting of one of the patient interface or the treatment apparatus; and wherein the assistant interface is configured to change the setting of the one of the patient interface or the treatment apparatus when the setting cannot be changed by the patient using the patient interface.
17 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the patient interface is configured to transmit a control signal to the treatment apparatus in response to receiving the telemedicine signal from the assistant interface.
18 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the body part comprises at least one of a joint, a bone, a ligament, a tendon, or a muscle group.
19 . An assistant user interface generated by a computer and comprising: an apparatus control comprising an apparatus status display and an apparatus session control, the apparatus session control configured to adjust an operating parameter of a treatment apparatus; a patient communications control for controlling an audio or an audiovisual communications session with a patient interface, the patient interface configured for use by the patient such that the patient is able to perform a rehabilitation regimen upon a body part, and the patient interface configured to engage in a telemedicine session with an assistant interface associated with the assistant user interface.
20 . The assistant user interface of claim 19 , wherein the treatment apparatus is configured to be manipulated by a patient for performing a rehabilitation regimen upon a body part.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/385,473, filed Jul. 26, 2021, titled “Telemedicine for Orthopedic Treatment,” which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/021,895, filed Sep. 15, 2020, titled “Telemedicine for Orthopedic Treatment”, which claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/910,232 filed Oct. 3, 2019, titled “Telemedicine for Orthopedic Treatment”, the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes. BACKGROUND Remote medical assistance, or telemedicine, may aid a patient in performing various aspects of a rehabilitation regimen for a body part. The patient may use a patient interface in communication with an assistant interface for receiving the remote medical assistance via audio and/or audiovisual communications. SUMMARY A computer-implemented system is provided. The computer-implemented system comprises a patient interface comprising an output device and an input device. The output device is configured to communicate information to a patient regarding the patient's performance of a treatment plan for the patient. The treatment plan comprises a rehabilitation regimen for a body part comprising at least one of a joint, a bone, or a muscle group. The computer-implemented system also comprises a treatment apparatus configured to be manipulated by the patient for performing the rehabilitation regimen upon the body part. The computer-implemented system also comprises an assistant interface remote from the patient interface and configured to communicate, via a network connection, a telemedicine signal with the patient interface. The telemedicine signal comprises one of an audio signal, an audiovisual signal, an interface control signal for controlling a function of the patient interface, or an apparatus control signal for changing an operating parameter of the treatment apparatus. A system for remote treatment is also provided. The system for remote treatment comprises a patient interface having an output device and an input device for communicating information to and from a patient. The system for remote treatment also comprises a treatment apparatus configured to be manipulated by the patient for performing a rehabilitation regimen upon the body part, with the body part comprising at least one of a joint, a bone, or a muscle group. The system for remote treatment also comprises an assistant interface configured to communicate a telemedicine signal with the patient interface via a network connection, the telemedicine signal configured to control one of the patient interface or the treatment apparatus. The patient interface and the treatment apparatus are each configured to operate from a patient location geographically separated from the assistant interface. An assistant user interface generated by a computer is also provided. The assistant user interface comprises an apparatus control having an apparatus status display and an apparatus session control configured to adjust an operating parameter of a treatment apparatus. The treatment apparatus is configured to be manipulated by a patient for performing a rehabilitation regimen upon a body part. The assistant user interface also comprises a patient communications control for controlling an audio or an audiovisual communications session with a patient interface, where the patient interface is configured for use by the patient while performing the rehabilitation regimen upon the body part. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The disclosure is best understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is emphasized that, according to common practice, the various features of the drawings are not to-scale. On the contrary, the dimensions of the various features are arbitrarily expanded or reduced for clarity. FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an embodiment of a computer implemented system for managing a treatment plan; FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a treatment apparatus; FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a pedal of the treatment apparatus of FIG. 2; FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a person using the treatment apparatus of FIG. 2; FIG. 5 shows an example embodiment of an overview display of an assistant interface; FIG. 6 shows an example embodiment of a positioning confirmation screen of a patient interface; FIG. 7 shows an example embodiment of a positioning help screen of a patient interface; FIG. 8 shows an example embodiment of a session period action screen of a patient interface; and FIG. 9 illustrates example operations of a method for initiating a telemedicine session using a patient interface and an assistant interface according to certain embodiments of this disclosure. NOTATION AND NOMENCLATURE Various terms are used to refer to particular system components. Different companies may refer to a co