Personal Medical Record Carrier

Abstract

Apparatus is provided for carrying medical records on the person and comprises, in combination, at least one microfilm chip bearing medical indicia and a receptacle for the chip adapted for attachment to the human body to enclose and protect the chip until needed.

Description

This invention relates to apparatus for carrying medical records on the subject's person.

More particularly, the invention concerns apparatus for carrying personal medical records which have been photographically reduced to the form of microfilm.

In a further and particular respect, the invention pertains to apparatus especially adapted to make a patient's medical record immediately available to an attending physician.

In medical emergencies, it is usually highly desirable to make information available to the attending physician concerning the patient's medical history. This is particularly true in the case of patients suffering from heart disease or defects, diabetes, allergies to particular medicines, etc., as well as patients who have had particular prior surgical operations or who suffer from other physical defects such as high blood pressure, anemia, etc.

In the past, valuable time has been lost in treating patients under emergency conditions pending receipt of important medical history information from the patient's former physician or medical facilities at which he had formerly received treatment. A particularly important problem arises in the case of patients who have suffered heart attacks, as in such cases it is highly desirable for the attending physician to have available to him the patient's previous electrocardiogram records.

Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to provide a simple, relatively inexpensive method for a person suffering from such diseases to carry with him the necessary medical information to enable an attending physician to immediately determine the appropriate treatment in an emergency.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide apparatus especially adapted to permit a person suffering from various ailments to carry microfilmed copies of pertinent medical history documents on his person.

Another object of the invention is to provide such apparatus in the form of a locket, ring, bracelet or tag which can be readily attached to the human body and which will be conspicuous to the attending physician such that the information will be called to his attention even though the patient is unconscious.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the type described which is especially adapted to permit the medical information to be periodically updated.

These and other, further and more specific objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description thereof taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 depicts a locket-style container for medical microfilm chips;

FIG. 2 is an exploded cross-sectional view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another style of a locket having a decorative face;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a finger ring having an integral medical microfilm storage recess;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a bracelet-type medical microfilm storage container;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a tag construction embodying the invention;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along section line 7--7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of another tag-type construction having an adhesively secured removable protective cover for the microfilm chips; and

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention in which the tag has a drawer-style receptacle for the microfilm chips.

Briefly, in accordance with the invention, apparatus is provided comprising, in combination, at least one microfilm chip bearing medical indicia and a receptacle for said chip adapted for attachment to the human body. The receptacle comprises a base member having a recess therein sized to receive a microfilm chip and a removable cover for sealingly closing the recess to protect the microfilm chip therein.

In one presently preferred embodiment of the invention (as shown in FIGS. 1-3), the receptacle 10 takes the form of a locket adapted to be suspended on a chain 11 around the wearer's neck and includes a base member 12 having a recess 13 therein sized to accommodate a plurality of microfilm chips 14 in back-to-back stacked relation. The removable cover 15 is threadedly engaged with the base member 12 to sealingly close the microfilm recess 13. Preferably, the cover 15 is provided with a gasket 16, thus rendering the entire assembly water-tight and air-tight to protect the microfilm chips 14. The cover 15 can be provided with ears 17 to facilitate opening the locket or, as shown in FIG. 3, a slot 18 sized to receive the edge of a coin to facilitate opening. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the locket is optionally provided with a decorative face 19 carried on the reverse side of the base member 12.

In another presently preferred embodiment of the invention (as shown in FIG. 4), the microfilm receptacle is integrally formed in a finger ring 41 and includes a base portion 42 having a recess 43 therein sized to accommodate a plurality of microfilm chips (not shown) in back-to-back stacked relation. The removable cover 44 is threadedly engaged with the base member 42 to sealingly close the recess 43. The cover 44 can be conveniently provided with a coin slot 45 to facilitate opening the microfilm receptacle.

In another presently preferred embodiment of the invention (as shown in FIG. 5), the receptacle is in the form of a link of a wrist or ankle bracelet 50 and includes a base member 51 having a recess 52 therein sized to accommodate a plurality of microfilm chips (not shown). The removable cover 53 is slidingly engaged in grooves 54 formed in the base member 51.

As shown in FIGS. 6-7, another presently preferred embodiment of the invention takes the form of a laminate card-like structure including upper and lower transparent imperforate sheets 61 and 62 and an intermediate spacer member 63 between the upper sheet 61 and the lower sheet 62. The intermediate spacer member 63 is provided with an aperture 64 sized to receive at least one microfilm chip 65. The respective sheets are secured together to form the laminate structure by suitable adhesive or any other suitable technique. In this form, the microfilm chip 65 can be "read" through the transparent sheets 61 and 62 without removing it from the receptacle.

In another presently preferred embodiment of the invention (as illustrated in FIG. 8), the upper imperforate sheet 81 is releasably adhesively secured around its periphery to the intermediate spacer member 82 such that it can be lifted away to provide access to the microfilm chips 83 for reading or periodic updating.

It is immediately apparent from the illustration of the card-like structure as depicted in FIGS. 6 and 8 that the intermediate spacer member 63 is substantially rigid to provide a body for the structure. The thickness of the member 63 is determined by the material of construction and the total thickness of the one or several microfilm chips contained therein. The transparent sheets 61 and 62 are relatively thin and generally resilient, which is expressly illustrated by the sheet 81 in FIG. 8. The formed structure, with the microfilm chip therein, is analogous to a conventional credit card and may be carried in a similar manner among other identifying cards or provided with an opening to accommodate a neck chain, wrist strap or similar lanyard means. It is understood that the cross-sectional view of FIG. 7 has exaggerated thickness for purposes of illustration.

Finally, in another presently preferred embodiment of the invention (as shown in FIG. 9), the intermediate spacer member includes a sliding drawer portion 91 having an aperture 92 formed therein to accommodate the microfilm chips 93 which are retained in the aperture 92 and protected by the upper and lower sheet members 94 and 95. A hole 96 is formed in one end of the drawer portion 91. When the drawer is "closed," the hole 96 registers with a corresponding hole 97 in the two upper and lower sheet members 94 and 95. The drawer portion is thus retained within the card structure and the microfilm chips are retained in the aperture and protected by the upper and lower sheet members 94 and 95 by passing a neck chain (not shown) or a small, easily removable, nut 98 and bolt 99 combination therethrough.

As used herein, the term "microfilm" is intended to include any of the conventional methods by which relatively large documents are photographically reduced in size to provide a convenient method for storing and handling otherwise bulky documentary materials, including conventional microfilms, microdot techniques and microcard techniques wherein the material is reproduced on an opaque background.

Having fully described our invention and the presently preferred embodiments thereof in such full, clear and concise terms as to enable those skilled in the art to understand and practice it.

Claims

We claim:

1. An apparatus for carrying medical records on the person, comprising, in combination:

a. a microfilm chip bearing medical indicia; and

b. a wallet-sized card-like receptacle for protectively removably containing and visually displaying said microflim chip therein, said receptacle comprising

1. a substantially rigid intermediate spacer member having a through aperture therein sized to removably receive said microfilm chip,

2. a relatively thin, imperforate photographically transparent sheet affixed to one side of said intermediate spacer member, and

3. a relatively thin, flexible imperforate photographically transparent sheet releasably adhesively securable to the remaining side of said intermediate spacer member,

said microfilm chip being no greater in size than said aperture whereby said chip is removably received and contained within said aperture and retained therein by said sheets.