Abstract: A system and apparatus for monitoring self-care behavior and health status, for prompting patient self-care events such as taking medications, and for reporting self-care behavior and health status to the patient's caregivers and concerned others. The system (Self-Care Optimization System, or SOS) uses a remote data collection/messaging device (SOS device) that communicates with the SOS. The SOS monitors and promotes positive self-care behavior and collects health status data, such as blood sugar levels, blood pressure, weights, blood oxygenation levels, etc. for transmission to the SOS. The SOS prompts patients to perform self-care tasks by telephone, email, page, fax, or by sending alert messages to the SOS device.

Abstract: A mass memory storage system, capable of recording and/or playing back optical discs in any optical disc format. The system contains a plurality of optical discs arranged in a vertical array in the shape of a doughnut with no hole in the middle, each disc being stored in a separate radially oriented track. The system employs a central disc transport mechanism comprised of a plurality of read-head modules each of which is capable of picking up and reading data from or writing data to any optical disc in the system. The read-head modules are mounted on a central bi-directionally rotating platform driven by a stepper motor through a gear assembly. Each track contains one sunken area to store an optical disc and one sunken area from which the optical disc may be picked up by a read-head module. The stepper motor and the read-head modules are under control of a microprocessor.