The present invention is directed to a system and a method for carrying medical and/or personal information and, in particular, to a system and a method which utilizes a locket having a memory chip with the medical information stored therein, and a shoe adapted to carry the locket.
In the prior art, various means have been proposed for individuals to carry medical information on their person. One technique is the wearing of a medical alert bracelet. This technique is not universally accepted since many individuals do not like the stigma associated with wearing an indicator that an individual has a particular medical condition.
Other ways to carry medical information include lockets containing a written, typed or printed tabulation of a person""s medical condition. These lockets could be used with necklaces, wrist bands, or other modes of attachment. One drawback with these systems is the limited amount of information that can be carried on a written or printed form.
Medical information can also be stored on cards which are held in an individual""s wallet or purse. The cards may hold the information in printed form or electronic memory form. The problem with this technique is that many medical personnel are prohibited from searching an individual""s wallet or purse for reasons of privacy. Thus, carrying medical information in these locations may not permit an emergency medical person to obtain the information if the person is incapacitated.
In view of the disadvantages associated with the prior art techniques noted above, a need exists to provide an improved system and method for carrying medical information for an individual. The present invention solves this need through the use of a low-cost locket which carries medical information in an electronic memory chip. The locket is designed to interface easily with readers that can access the electronic information. The invention also provides a system whereby the locket can be discretely stored on a person""s shoe so that it is readily obtainable by emergency medical personnel.
A first object of the present invention is to provide an improved system and method for individuals to carry medical information.
Another object of the invention is to provide a shoe with a pocket associated therewith, the pocket sized to receive a locket carrying the medical information electronically.
Another object of the invention is a locket which is designed to interface with readers which can access the locket""s electronically stored medical information.
Another object of the invention is the mode of configuring the device storing the electronic medical information to facilitate reading the information by an electronic reading device.
In satisfaction of the foregoing objects and advantages, the present invention includes a method of providing information about a user including the steps of providing a locket enclosing a memory chip, the memory chip storing information about the user. The locket is opened to expose a machine-readable portion of the memory chip. The machine-readable portion of the chip is fed into a reader to access the information stored in the memory chip. The locket can be stored in a pocket of a shoe and the locket and/or shoe can indicate the presence of the locket in the pocket by placing indicia on the pocket/locket representative of medical information. The locket can be secured to a portion of the shoe using a flexible line such as a chain or the like. The memory chip can be removed from the locket for reading, particularly by using a removable support linked to the locket, removal of the support permitting reading of the memory chip by the reader.
The invention also includes a system for carrying information of a user comprising a locket having a lid, opening of the lid exposing an inside portion of the locket. The memory chip is attached to the inside portion and has storage capacity to store information about the user. The memory chip has a machine-readable portion so that the information can be accessed by a reader. The system can also include means for attaching the locket to the user.
The system also comprises a shoe with a pocket, the pocket sized to store the locket. A means for attaching the locket to a portion of the shoe can also be provided such as a flexible member or the like, e.g., a chain, wire, cord, etc. In one embodiment, the locket comprises two halves, a surface of one half containing the memory chip and being aligned in generally the same plane with a surface of the other half when the locket is opened for memory chip reading. The memory chip can be mounted on a support that is extendable from the locket for memory chip reading. The support can be foldable for storing in the locket when the locket is closed. The locket and/or the shoe pocket can have a logo on an exterior surface thereof to indicate a medical condition.