What is claimed:
1. A portable extender adapted for use by a visiting nurse to access patient data stored in one or more implantable medical devices (IMDs), the extender comprising:
means for positively identifying the visiting nurse;
means for establishing a wireless data communication with the one or more IMDs in the patient; and
means for downloading patient data from the one or more IMDs;
said means for identifying, said means for establishing and said means for downloading being activatable by a digital contact means with a screen incorporated in the extender thereof.
2. The extender of claim 1 wherein said wireless data communication means includes a telemetry system.
3. The extender of claim 1 wherein said means for identifying includes one of and a combination of a video cam, voice recognition, digital signature, biologicalphysiological sensor to positively identify the visiting nurse and allow access to IMD data via the portable extender.
4. The extender of claim 3 wherein said video cam is implemented to capture anatomical images of the patient andor the nurse.
5. The extender of claim 4 wherein said anatomical images are transferred to a remote location.
6. The extender of claim 5 wherein said anatomical image transferred to said remote location is implemented to identify the nurse before allowing access to IMD data.
7. The portable extender of claim 1, further including a GPS system imbedded to enable the nurse to plot a most efficient sequence of visits to patients scheduled at a given time.
8. The portable extender of claim 1 wherein said means for positively identifying includes means for comparing data including fingerprint, facial, voice and iris data against a biometrics data stored in the portable extender.
9. The portable extender of claim 1 wherein data is transferred via a wireless communication link including one of a cellular and satellite system.
10. A portable extender adapted for use by a visiting nurse to manage home-based care of one or more patients with one or more IMDs wherein the extender includes computer-implemented software to organize, plan and manage the visiting nurse’s schedule and patient evaluation information, the portable extender and computer-implemented software in combination, comprising:
means for downloading a daily schedule data for the nurse;
means for downloading patient data from the IMDs;
means for entering non-IMD medical data; and
means for transferring the patient evaluation data to a remote location;
said mean for downloading a schedule, said means for downloading patient location,
said means for entering and said means for transferring being implemented in the portable extender and the software having logic means to store, compile and manage aid location data, said patient data, said non-IMD data and said patient evaluation data.
11. The combination of claim 10 wherein said means for downloading a daily schedule data includes one of IvDA, RF cellular and satellite link between the portable extender and a remote clinicphysician station.
12. The combination of claim 10 wherein said means for downloading patient location includes an imbedded GPS system including software to calculate the most efficient sequence of patient visits scheduled for the nurse.
13. The combination of claim 10 wherein said means for entering non-IMD medical data includes a data base where additional physiological data about the patient is entered and updated during the nurse’s visit.
14. The combination of claim 10 wherein the software includes Medicare form generation data base, patient medication and pharmacist contact data base and physician expert contactconsulting data base.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A display apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
a plurality of electrofluidic chromatophore (EFC) pixel cells, each pixel cell comprising:
a fluid holder for holding a polar fluid and a non-polar fluid having differing display properties, the fluid holder comprising:
(a) a fluid reservoir with a geometry having a small visible area projected in the direction of the viewer, and
(b) a channel with a geometry having a large visible area projected in the direction of the viewer, the channel being connected to the reservoir so as to enable movement of the polar fluid and non-polar fluid between the channel and the reservoir, at least part of a surface of the channel comprising a wetting property responsive to a supply voltage,
at least two pixel cell terminals being arranged to provide the supply voltage to the at least part of the surface of the channel comprising the wetting property; the supply voltage resulting in a movement of the polar fluid to change a cell display property or in the absence of movement of the polar fluid being a stable voltage;
a circuit board, the circuit board comprising:
a switching circuit for supplying an electrical charge to the pixel cells, the switching circuit being connected to one of the at least two pixel cell terminals, so as to generate the supply voltage,
a row and column electrode coupled to the switching circuit; and
a driver configured to charge the row and column electrodes and activate the switching circuits; and
a display controller arranged to control the driver as a result of pixel image information inputted in the display controller; the display controller comprising a state lookup table storing, for a respective pixel cell, the current pixel cell display property, the display controller further arranged to calculate the electrical charge as a function of the current pixel cell display property and the new pixel cell display property; and wherein controller controls the driver to supply the calculated electrical charge to the pixel cell.
2. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the driver is arranged to supply the electric charge by providing a switched voltage, the switched voltage resulting in a supply voltage different from the stable voltage.
3. The display apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the switched voltage is proportional to a calculated pixel capacitance corresponding to a new pixel cell display property and inversely proportional to a calculated pixel capacitance corresponding to the current pixel cell display property.
4. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cell display property is expressed as a transmission andor reflection of the pixel cell for a predefined wavelength.
5. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller controls the driver to provide a switched voltage in the form of at least a single voltage pulse during a row selection time.
6. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller controls the driver to provide a switched voltage in the form of a plurality of switched voltage pulses to drive the pixel cell to a new pixel cell display property; at least in a transition where the polar fluid moves into the channel.
7. The display apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of switched voltage pulses are provided in multiple row addressing periods.
8. The display apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of pulses vary in switched voltage amplitude.
9. The display apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the switched voltage increases, in said transition where the polar fluid moves into the channel; for a subsequently provided voltage pulse.
10. The display apparatus according to claim 6, wherein, for a last one in the plurality of pulses; the switched voltage corresponds to the stable voltage.
11. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the switching circuit comprises a switched charge pump configured to supply the electrical charge.
12. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
the pixel cell comprises at least one direct voltage terminal that is coupled to a further electrode to supply a direct voltage to the pixel cell, and
the driver is further configured to additionally charge the further electrode, to define a pixel cell intermediate condition.
13. The display apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the driver is configured to supply a direct voltage to the pixel cell that is dependent on the cell display property change.
14. The display apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the polar fluid is conductive, wherein the switched terminal is coupled to a contact electrode contacting the conductive polar fluid and the direct voltage terminal is coupled to a second channel electrode.
15. The display apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the polar fluid is conductive and wherein the switched terminal is coupled to a second channel electrode and the direct voltage terminal is coupled to a contact electrode contacting the conductive polar fluid.
16. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the surface channel wetting property is arranged to stabilize the polar fluid front in an absence of a supply voltage; and wherein a reservoir electrode is arranged to move the polar fluid out of the channel.
17. The display apparatus according to claim 16, wherein a single switching circuit is provided for supplying a switched voltage that moves the polar fluid into the channel and out of the channel and wherein the pixel cell comprises at least a direct voltage terminal that is coupled to the reservoir electrode to supply a direct voltage to the reservoir electrode.