Abstract: An apparatus for optically determining and electronically recording the dose of an agent delivered with a syringe. The syringe has a barrel for holding the agent and a plunger movably positioned in the barrel for expelling the agent. The barrel has an injection end through which the agent is expelled. The plunger has a variable color marking whose color varies along the direction of the longitudinal axis of the plunger. The color of the variable color marking at a predetermined distance from the injection end of the barrel varies in dependence upon the position of the plunger in the barrel. The apparatus includes an optical measuring instrument for measuring the color of the variable color marking at the predetermined distance from the injection end. A microprocessor determines the dose from the measured color. A recorder, such as a digital memory unit, electronically records the determined dose.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining and recording a dose of an agent delivered with a syringe. The syringe has a barrel for holding the agent and a plunger movably positioned in the barrel for expelling the agent. The plunger includes a magnetically responsive element, such as an iron core. The apparatus has a receptacle for receiving the syringe for dose measurement. An inductive element is positioned coaxially to the receptacle to produce a magnetic field. When the syringe is placed in the receptacle, the intensity of the magnetic field varies in dependence upon the position of the plunger in the barrel. The magnetic field induces a voltage in a conducting loop. A voltage meter is connected to the conducting loop to measure the induced voltage. A microprocessor is connected to the voltage meter to calculate the dose from the measurement of the induced voltage. A recorder, such as a digital memory unit, records the dose.

Abstract: A multi-player video game for health education encourages inter-player communication about a health condition by correlating the players' progress. Each player manages the health of a game construct such as a game character or body region. Correlating the player's game progress is achieved through: common scoring; conditioning a player's passage to higher levels on the health management success of all players; and common game resources, including game resources representing devices or supplies used in the care of the health condition. Applications include children' health education related to diseases such as diabetes and asthma, as well as health habits such as dental hygiene, and tobacco, alcohol and drug use.

Abstract: An apparatus for electrically determining and recording the dose of an agent delivered with a syringe of the type having a barrel for holding the agent and a plunger for expelling the agent. The syringe includes a capacitive element having first and second conducting surfaces arranged such that the capacitance of the capacitive element varies in dependence upon the dose of agent contained in the barrel. An input terminal and an output terminal located on the outside of the syringe are electrically connected to the first and second conducting surfaces, respectively. The apparatus produces a voltage difference across the terminals, thereby charging the capacitive element. A capacitance meter measures the capacitance and a microprocessor calculates the dose from the measured capacitance. The calculated dose is recorded by a digital memory unit.

Abstract: The invention presents a syringe for injecting a dose of an agent and for electrically indicating the size of the dose. The syringe has a barrel for holding the dose and a plunger for expelling the dose from the barrel. The barrel has a conducting rim that contacts a surface of the plunger lined with electrical contact points. The position of the plunger inside the barrel determines which one of the contact points contacts the conducting rim. Each contact point is electrically connected to a different output terminal located on the syringe cap. The conducting rim is electrically connected to a voltage input terminal located on the syringe cap. A voltage applied to the input terminal causes an electric current to flow through a circuit comprising the conducting rim, the one contact point contacting the conducting rim, and the one output terminal connected to that one contact point.

Abstract: Method for treating a medical condition in a human patient comprising choosing a psychological strategy for treating the medical condition, encoding electronic instructions for an interactive video game in such a way that the interactive video game implements the psychological strategy, loading the electronic instructions into a microprocessor-based unit (10, 30) equipped with a display (14, 34) for displaying the interactive video game and with an patient input device (16, 36a, 36b, 36c, 36d, 36e) for receiving responses to the interactive video game from the human patient, and instructing the human patient how and when to use the microprocessor-based unit (10) to play the interactive video game. The interactive video game contains instructions for a scoring procedure for quantitatively analyzing the medical condition of the human patient, and/or counseling instructions or self-care instructions.

Abstract: A method and device for electrically measuring and recording injection syringe doses. The device has a voltage generator for applying a voltage to an input terminal of a syringe. The device also has a measuring instrument for measuring an electrical response from the syringe. The electrical response results from the voltage and indicates the size of the dose in the syringe. An electronic memory records the measurement of the electrical response so that there is an electronic record of the dose injected. A data port is connected to the electronic memory so that the dose records may be transmitted to a host computer.

Abstract: An apparatus for electrically determining and recording the dose of an agent delivered with a syringe consisting of a barrel for holding the agent and a plunger for expelling the agent. The syringe has a conducting path with an input terminal and an output terminal, and at least one electrically resistive element, whose resistance changes depending on the position of the plunger inside the barrel. The apparatus produces a voltage difference across the terminals and causes an electric current to flow through the conducting path. An electric response measuring device, preferably an ammeter, measures the electric current delivered from the syringe's output terminal and calculates the dose therefrom. The result is recorded by a digital memory unit.

Abstract: A modular self-care health monitoring system which employs a small handheld microprocessor-based unit (12) such as a compact video game system of the type that includes a display screen (28), switches for controlling device operation (30,32,34,36,38) and a program cartridge (41,42,43) that is inserted into the handheld unit to adapt it for operation with a microprocessor-based healthcare data management unit (10) and a glucose monitor (16) (or, another type of health monitor 30,32). A modem (46), included in the microprocessor-based data management unit (10), allows data such as blood glucose level to be transmitted to a clearinghouse (54), which transmits reports to a remotely located healthcare professional (60) via facsimile transmission (55). The system is intended for use by persons of all ages, but primarily is directed to children afflicted with diabetes or other chronic ailments.