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US005415167A
United States Patent [19] [11] Patent Number: 5,415,167
Wilk [45] Date of Patent: May 16, 1995
[54] MEDICAL SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED METHOD FOR AUTOMATIC DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT
[76] Inventor: Peter J. Wilk, 185 W. End Ave., New York, N.Y. 10023
[21] Appl. No.: 941,569
[22] Filed: Sep. 8,1992
Related U.S. Application Data
[63] Continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 819,120, Jan. 10,1992.
[51] Int. CI.« A61B 5/00; A61B 8/08
[52] U.S. Q 128/653.1; 128/659;
128/660.03; 128/660.07; 128/630; 128/903;
128/904; 340/573
[58] Field of Search 128/653.1, 653.2, 659,
128/660.07, 903, 904, 660.03, 630; 606/191, 192, 194; 340/573; 364/413.22; 382/6
[56] References Cited
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
4,567,898 2/1986 Plugge et al 128/660.07
4,945,478 7/1990 Merickel et al 128/413.22
4,981,139 1/1991 Pfohl 128/671
5,003,984 4/1991 Muraki et al 128/904
5,022,402 6/1991 Schieberl et al 128/671
5,203,336 4/1993 Iida et al 128/660.07
5,257,627 11/1993 Rapoport 128/904
5,289,824 3/1994 Mills et al 128/904
FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS 8601118 2/1986 European Pat. Off. 128/904
Primary Examiner—Krista M. Pfaffle
Attorney, Agent, or Firm—R. Neil Sudol; Henry D.
Coleman
[57] ABSTRACT
A medical method comprises the steps of scanning a predetermined internal organ of a patient to collect individualized dimensional data about the organ, digitizing the data, and automatically storing encoded structural dimensions of the organ at different times. Dimensions of the organ are automatically compared with previously stored dimensions to determine changes in the dimensions. A cognizable signal is automatically generated, at a remote facility or at the person of the patient, upon a determination that dimensions of the organ have changed so as to indicate a dangerous condition of the patient, such as a ruptured splenic hematoma or a ruptured aneurysm.
28 Claims, 6 Drawing Sheets
