Patents Examined by C. Luke Gilligan
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Patent number: 7395218Abstract: A method for insuring an entity's exposure to liability created when a member resigns from the entity includes receiving information pertaining to an entity and a member, receiving information pertaining to the initiation fee, and processing the received information to track premium, coverage and claims relating to the initiation fee of the member. A system for implementing an insurance program for an entity's initiation fees includes at least one user device and a server connected to the user device. The server is configured to receive, via the at least one user device, information pertaining to an initiation fee insurance program. The server is also configured to process the received information and transmit information to the user device regarding whether the initiation fee insurance application has been accepted or rejected.Type: GrantFiled: March 2, 2001Date of Patent: July 1, 2008Inventors: Fonda A. Hereford, Stephen J. Hall
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Patent number: 7395214Abstract: A treatment Device is provided which enables a Doctor/Pharmacist to provide patient specific instructions in a textual format to a patient. The instructions are converted by a speech synthesizer provided in the Device into an audibly perceptible format. When configured as a hand-held unit, the Device may store a plurality of medications. Upon activation or automatically, instructions saved in the device are communicated to a patient/user via various audible, visual and/or tactile indicators. The instructions are provided to the device via a Platform which enables Doctors and Pharmacists input instructions into the Platform, which, via a Platform interface, are saved into a storage device provided in the Device. In an additional embodiment, a removable medication dispensing cartridge is provided which facilitates the controlled and automatic dispensing of a medication to a patient based upon a treatment schedule. Patient compliance information with a treatment schedule may be provided by the Device.Type: GrantFiled: May 8, 2002Date of Patent: July 1, 2008Inventor: Craig P Shillingburg
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Patent number: 7392234Abstract: A method and system for managing a file lifecycle is disclosed. The method incorporates a virtual file cabinet having virtual drawers. Files are moved from drawer to drawer throughout their lifecycle in accordance with policies associated with each drawer. The files are moved automatically and as such, a file's lifecycle is managed from file creation to file deletion in an automated fashion. By using an archiving device such as magneto optical storage media, the files are automatically moved to their final archived location in an archiving drawer once certain policies of their present drawer are met. The system is an electronic system employing the inventive method.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2000Date of Patent: June 24, 2008Assignee: KOM, Inc.Inventors: Kamel Shaath, Yaqun Fu, Vinay Parthasarathy, Alexel Jelvis, Abel L. Liyansky
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Patent number: 7389245Abstract: The present invention provides a method of providing a monetary incentive to a health care provider, typically a physician, responsible for treatment decisions of a patient with a condition during an episode of care. Once the patient identity and condition are obtained, a baseline value related to treatment of the condition can be associated. Thereafter, all the claims processed during the episode of care of the patient for the condition can be summed to obtain a total treatment cost. And, if the total treatment is less than the baseline value, then a monetary incentive can be provided to the provider based upon that episode of care.Type: GrantFiled: August 25, 2000Date of Patent: June 17, 2008Inventors: Clint Ashford, Jay Sultan
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Patent number: 7386463Abstract: Methods for insurance of online presence (202) and/or data (200) are described. An insurer (302) contracts with an insured entity (304) in an agreement (308) under which a premium (310) is paid for insurance coverage. The premium is calculated (306) using a pure premium method (400) or a loss ratio premium method (402), in a manner that depends on factors such as expected virus scan results (404), expected data recovery time (406), expected geographic spread (408), use of multiple recovery methods (410), and other information regarding the insured entity's business and the technical protection services (206) to be used. In some embodiments, the technical protection services are provided under the agreement by a third party technical services provider (300). Systems, signals, and configured media are also described.Type: GrantFiled: August 9, 2001Date of Patent: June 10, 2008Assignee: Miralink CorporationInventor: Ron McCabe
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Patent number: 7386462Abstract: A preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a method and apparatus for integration of radiology information into an Application Server Provider DICOM Image Archive and/or Web Based Viewer. A preferred embodiment includes a medical information source that includes medical information in a medical information format, a medical image source that includes medical images in a medical image format, a data center for storing medical images and medical information in at least one format, and an interface for transmitting images and medical information between the medical information source and the medical image source and the data center. In a preferred embodiment, the interface simultaneously transmits both medical images and medical information in different formats.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2001Date of Patent: June 10, 2008Assignee: GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLCInventors: Milton Silva-Craig, Greg Angst, Thanos Karras
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Patent number: 7383196Abstract: An active guidelines capability or component is linked to a computerized patient record system to integrate the use of clinical guidelines in the workflow of clinicians treating patients. Many healthcare institutions maintain sets of clinical guidelines describing recommended treatment or analysis options for patients displaying sets of symptoms or for whom certain diagnoses have been made. The active guidelines feature adds an active guidelines tag to such clinical guidelines so that when the clinician accesses the clinical guidelines and wishes to follow the recommendation, the clinician merely has to click on a hypertext created from the tag which then transmits action orders, also contained in the tag, to be transmitted to the computerized patient record system for implementation.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2000Date of Patent: June 3, 2008Assignee: Epic Systems CorporationInventors: Paul C. Tang, Charles Y. Young
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Patent number: 7376574Abstract: A computer-based system and method to enable a benefit plan sponsor to design benefit plans for a given participant population by enabling the plan designer to select the plan design options that maximize the perceived benefit to the participant population subject to a cost constraint. The system prioritizes plan design options of such plans according to the costs of these options and the perceived benefits of these options for the participant population. Estimates of perceived benefit are based upon survey data from a sample of the given population or from historical survey data from population samples exhibiting analogous demographic characteristics to the given participant population regarding potential plan design options or analogous benefit plan design options.Type: GrantFiled: January 12, 2001Date of Patent: May 20, 2008Assignee: Express Scripts, Inc.Inventors: Barrett Toan, Robert Nease
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Patent number: 7376575Abstract: An information input unit inputs information necessary for designing an insurance. A risk recognition degree calculating unit calculates a risk recognition degree from qualitative information such as an anxiety degree and the like showing the recognition of the individual customer for a risk by searching a database or the like. A compensation amount calculating unit calculates necessary compensation amounts for the risks by attribute information of the individual customers. An output display unit outputs and displays a map image in which the risk recognition degrees are set to lengths of branches extending from the center and the necessary compensation amounts are shown by sizes of circles at the edges of the branches. An article designing unit designs an optimum insurance article which satisfies the necessary compensation amounts for the risks displayed by the output display unit and provides the same.Type: GrantFiled: September 7, 2001Date of Patent: May 20, 2008Assignee: Fujitsu LimitedInventors: Hideki Ohmoto, Chizuko Emura, Eiko Kuwagata, Hideki Kakimoto
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Patent number: 7370000Abstract: The invention provides a system and method for providing additional insurance to a fully-qualified insured party to increase a total benefit amount of insurance. More particularly, the invention provides a computer system and method for providing additional life insurance to increase a total benefit of life insurance to a fully-qualified insured party based upon an underwriting and medical evaluation performed to assess the eligibility of the insured party for an existing or underlying primary life insurance plan. Additional life insurance according to the invention may be obtained through the internet by remote computers and internet access devices well known in the art.Type: GrantFiled: February 9, 2001Date of Patent: May 6, 2008Assignee: Value-Security, L.L.C.Inventor: Lawrence M. Sherman
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Patent number: 7366676Abstract: In a method and a computer system for screening of medical cases known proven positive and/or known proven normal cases are inserted in the flow of cases during the screening. On a user's option the known cases can be infiltrated in the case stream in accordance with a fixed pattern or on a random basis. When the radiologist makes a misdiagnosis of a known case this is recognized by the system and a corresponding output message is provided to the radiologist. Further the system has a database for tracing all user actions, including the diagnostic findings for the purposes of generating a user action report, quality control and assurance, and support in litigation.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 2001Date of Patent: April 29, 2008Assignee: MeVis Breastcare GmbH & Co. KGInventor: Carl J. G. Evertsz
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Patent number: 7363239Abstract: An arrangement for producing at least a part of a dental product including an interface configured to receive and transmit ordering and manufacturing data from a plurality of users of different dental treatment systems. Ordering, manufacturing, and quality operating principles distinguish products from the different dental treatment systems to permit the arrangement to cooperate with the different dental treatment systems. At least one coordinating adapter unit receives and transmits ordering and manufacturing data from the different dental treatment systems. The at least one coordinating adapter unit identifies from which dental treatment system the ordering and manufacturing data comes and converts ordering and manufacturing data from at least one of the different dental treatment system to conform to another of the dental treatment systems. A communications network permits communication among elements of the system. Production units manufacture the dental product utilizing adapted manufacturing data.Type: GrantFiled: November 8, 2000Date of Patent: April 22, 2008Assignee: Nobel Biocare ABInventors: Matts Andersson, Anders Tornquist
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Patent number: 7363241Abstract: A ticketing method that permits a plane ticket or the like to be easily obtained via an in-house system. A ticket booking service request is sent to a net server from a PC through a LAN. Then, an airline company selection screen is sent from the net server to the PC in response. When an airline company is selected from among the airlines displayed on the PC, a connection is established to a ticket reservation system of the selected airline company through the Internet. Data for the ticket booking is sent to the net server from the PC. The ticket booking data is sent to a ticket booking and issuing terminal from the net server, and then to the reservation system through a dedicated line. The booked ticket is issued from a ticket issuing printer on the basis of the ticket issuing data supplied from the reservation system.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 1999Date of Patent: April 22, 2008Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.Inventor: Wuping Dong
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Patent number: 7363240Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and system for enhanced medical triage in managed care plans that streamlines the conventional medical triage process and referral logic, sends only those insurance claims to an integrated case management system that require medical intervention, matches claims to the right resource at the right time, reduces the time needed to review lost time cases, lessens the number of unnecessary referrals or re-referrals, and further tailors the assignment process of medical insurance claims to medical personnel based on specific market and/or employer dedication.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2002Date of Patent: April 22, 2008Assignee: Travelers Property Casualty Corp.Inventors: Vincent Armentano, Carol Demumbrum, Russell Steingiser, Stanley Grivers, Jr., Lisa Lawton, Julie Morgan
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Patent number: 7359863Abstract: An improved method and system for configuring components of a reinsurance contract to process reinsurance business transactions. Reinsurance users may use the improved method and system for configuring a multi-dimensional reinsurance contract to process reinsurance business transactions with increased customization, re-use of existing functionality and decreased development time. An object-oriented, multi-dimensional reinsurance contract framework may represent a reinsurance contract. An object-oriented condition component framework may represent a condition dimension of a reinsurance contract. The condition component framework may permit the addition and/or modification of condition components of the reinsurance contract. These components may comprise, for example, configuring or changing the premium limits, consolidation conditions, and other conditions for a reinsurance contract. The condition components may be implemented as reusable objects.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2000Date of Patent: April 15, 2008Assignee: Computer Sciences CorporationInventors: Bjornar Evenshaug, Harald Sverdrup-Thygeson
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Patent number: 7349856Abstract: In a method for selectively enabling or blocking the use of medical equipment made available by a vendor or a system option in the medical equipment, for a customer, wherein the equipment is arranged in a facility of the customer, a compilation is created and stored at a vendor's computer from which it proceeds whether the customer is permitted to use the medical equipment overall or which system option of the medical equipment the customer is permitted to use. Given a desired utilization of the medical equipment or a system option of the medical equipment by the customer, a check is made at the vendor's computer as to see whether the customer is authorized for the use and whether costs arising from previous use are to be paid. The use is automatically enabled when the authorization still exists and no costs are outstanding, or the use is automatically inhibited when there is no authorization or costs are still outstanding.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 2002Date of Patent: March 25, 2008Assignee: Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventors: Rudolf Ackermann, Hans Huebsch, Rainer Kuth
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Patent number: 7349858Abstract: A method of tracking and dispensing the dispense of medical items for use by patients associated with a health care institution, includes storing in a data store in connection with a computer, data representative of patients and medical items prescribed for the patients. Authorized users such as nurses, are enabled to dispense prescribed items for patients through medical item dispensers. A record is included in the data store that the medical items have been dispensed. In an exemplary system (650) medical items that have been dispensed are tracked to the point of giving the item to the patients using portable terminals (662) that are carried to the bedside of the patients. The activity of giving the appropriate medical item to each respective patient is recorded in the portable terminal as medical items are given to a plurality of patients.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 1999Date of Patent: March 25, 2008Assignee: AutoMed Technologies, Inc.Inventors: R. Michael McGrady, R. Barrie Slaymaker, Jr.
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Patent number: 7346525Abstract: A method of providing insurance (including professional malpractice liability insurance) to consumers against unfavorable outcomes resulting from services, and a method of rating risks associated with services. In the first preferred embodiment, a policy limit is chosen by a patient (or other consumer), a premium based on the policy limit is paid by the patient, and if malpractice is committed by a health care provider (or other professional), the patient is compensated up to the amount of the policy limit. The patient signs an agreement that the liability of the health care provider for malpractice will not exceed the policy limit. Only then are medical services provided. Risk factors are evaluated for the patient, the doctor, hospital or other health care provider, and the procedures that are to be performed, and are used to determine the amount of the premium, taking into account the policy limit chosen by the patient.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 2003Date of Patent: March 18, 2008Inventor: Philip John Milanovich
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Patent number: 7343310Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and method for providing a web-based graphical user interface to a legacy insurance data process system to increase the functionality and ease of use in issuing insurance quotes and policies, providing insurance information and other insurance related services. The system and method integrate use of Internet technology in business work flows, provide dynamic data entry for insurance coverage packages and pricing programs, offer easy access to value-added products and services, and enable local printing of professional insurance applications, proposals and forms to facilitate immediate delivery of professional-quality proposals to customers.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2001Date of Patent: March 11, 2008Assignee: Travelers Property Casualty Corp.Inventor: Mark J. Stender
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Patent number: 7340401Abstract: A method of order placement and product delivery between a healthcare facility and a third party payor, such as an insurance provider, in which a transaction facilitator submits the order for a prescribed medical device and generates a claim from the transaction facilitator to the insurance company. The healthcare facility initially contacts the insurance provider to obtain authorization for a prescribed medical device and medical procedure. Upon granting authorization, the insurance provider contacts the transaction facilitator to select the medical device. The transaction facilitator orders the medical device and arranges for delivery from manufacturer to the healthcare facility. Upon implantation, the transaction facilitator bills the insurance provider. At no time does the healthcare facility receive a bill from the manufacturer, thereby eliminating the bill for the medical device from the healthcare facility to the insurance provider.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2001Date of Patent: March 4, 2008Inventors: Martin D. Koenig, Jeffrey J. Mathy