TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to Cutaneous Information Devices (CID) skin worn devices for purpose of identification, data collection, electronic systems integration, physiologic and other skin applied sensing and delivery of dynamic, unique, authenticated and secure content allowing both interface with information technology infrastructure and direct to human information communication in a structure which provides independent and redundant human and machine-readable indications of tampering, particularly useful for providing a secure and reliable method of identification and tracking of an individual.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/699,427 Visually, Optically and electronically Readable Frangible Device for Affixation to the Skin filed Sep. 8, 2017 and continuation-in-part of International Application No. PCT/US2015/051289, entitled, Security and Accounting Infrastructure, and Associated Cutaneous Information Device and Method, filed on Sep. 22, 2015, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/053,725, entitled, Temporary Cutaneous Information Device and Associated Method and Multi-Patient Treatment Infrastructure, filed on Sep. 22, 2014. This application also claims priority of International Application PCT/US2017/048085, entitled, Improved Visually, Optically and Electronically Readable Frangible Device for Affixation to the Skin, filed on Aug. 22, 2017, as well as applications International Application PCT/US2017/040053 System and Method for Transitions of Care, filed Jun. 29, 2017, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/860,646, Transportation and Resort Infrastructure, and Associated Cutaneous Information Device and Method, filed Sep. 21, 2015, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/862,033, Temporary Cutaneous Information Device and Associated Method and Multi-Patient Treatment Infrastructure and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/862,081 Temporary Cutaneous Information Device, Associated Method and Resort Infrastructure both filed on Sep. 22, 2015, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/242,973 Method and Apparatus for Manufacturing Cutaneous Information Devices, filed Oct. 16, 2015, U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/357,240 Transitions of Care Information Device, filed on Jun. 30, 2016, U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/359,104 Skin Applied Point of Service Preparation Device Process and Design Technical Field, filed on Jul. 6, 2016, U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/365,988 Method for the Biocompatible Skin Safe Application of Multiple Color Images to the Skin filed Jul. 23, 2016, U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/375,892 Method For Biocompatible Skin Safe Application of One or More Color Images To the Skin Using Sublimation Printing, filed Aug. 16, 2016, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/377,786 entitled Improved Visually, Optically and Electronically Readable Device for Durable Affixation to the Skin filed on Aug. 22, 2016, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/295,144 Method and Apparatus for Manufacturing Cutaneous Information Devices, filed Oct. 17, 2016, U. S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/426,765 Method For Biocompatible Skin Safe Application of One or More Color Images To The Skin Using Thermal Printing, filed on Nov. 28, 2016, U. S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/500,419 Construct Design and Application of Cutaneous Information Device for Enhanced Physical Authentication Including a Streamlined Digital Authentication Process, filed May 2, 2017, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/531,863 Nontransferable Identification Device, filed Jul. 12, 2017. additionally, priority is claimed to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/580,952 Customizable Cutaneous Information Devices and Manufacturing Methods for the Same filed Nov. 2, 2017, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/618,782 Cost Effective Cutaneous Information Devices With Enhanced Frangibility filed Jan. 18, 2018, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/690,341, Enhanced Cutaneous Information Device With Proximity Detection filed Jun. 26, 2018, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/690,413 Cutaneous Information Device System with Wireless Detection of Patron Location filed on Jun. 27, 2018, U. S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/793,293 Improvements To Cutaneous Information Device Structure filed on Jan. 16, 2019, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/825,514 Cutaneous Smart Tag With Redundant Electronic/Visual Security Mechanism filed on Mar. 28, 2019, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/875,684 entitled Systems For Point of Service Customization and Printing of Non Transferable Cutaneous Identification Devices Using Thermal Transfer Printing filed on Jul. 18, 2019, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/880,262 entitled Systems for Secure Identification Using Cutaneous Smart Tags with Redundant Electronic/Visual Security Mechanisms filed on Jul. 30, 2019, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/882,094 entitled Systems and Methods for Transitions of Care filed on Aug. 2, 2019, U.S. Non-provisional patent application Ser. No. 16/721,389 entitled Systems and Methods for Transitions of Care filed on Dec. 19, 2019, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/026,368 entitled Cutaneous Smart Tag with Biometric Sensor Extending Arm filed on May 18, 2020, U.S. Non-provisional patent application Ser. No. 16/896,184 entitled Systems for Secure Contactless Identification and Tracking with Redundant Electronic/Visual Security Mechanisms filed on Jun. 8, 2020, the disclosures of all of the above are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

Identification has long been a feature of numerous consumer and commercial systems ranging from such things as driver identification, admission to secure facilities such as airports and hospitals, and so forth.

Nevertheless, notwithstanding very significant advances in many sectors of the healthcare and other industries, the inability to quickly identify patients, for example, accurately and durably, continues to result in numerous incidents. Consequences may include medication error, transfusion errors, medication errors, mistaken phlebotomies, surgery errors, financial and other issues, testing errors, wrong person procedures, and the discharge of infants to the wrong families Numerous incidents are reported every year with patient misidentification cited in individual root cause analyses, such as that conducted by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) National Center for Patient Safety. Nevertheless, despite availability of numerous products and strategies designed to reduce the risk of patient misidentification and the consequences of such incidents, the problem persists.

Moreover, continuing pressure to limit hospital staff working hours increases the risk of such errors, due to the increased number of staff nurses, technicians, residents and other doctors caring for each patient. Thus, hand-over and other communication risks are increased as current medical care strategies evolve. Further during acute medical crises such as a pandemic, the system is further strained with a large of influx of patients, some of whom cannot talk or who lose the ability to communicate accurately or coherently while they are at the hospital.

Current methodology for the identification of patients at medical facilities generally involves the use of a wrist bracelet. Problems with current band methods of identification include interference with intravenous insertion, in the need to remove during certain procedures situations, the fact that such bands are uncomfortable, and the possibility of their presenting a hazard. Such bands also carry limited information, sometimes making necessary additional devices. Given the longstanding high-profile recognition that patient misidentification is a serious problem, numerous but ineffective solutions have been proposed, including barcoding, color coding of patient wristbands, use of multiple identification strategies, and venous pattern recognition systems.

However, despite the availability of such a wide range of tagging and identification systems, and despite their drawbacks and limitations, simple alphanumeric patient identification wristbands remain the only significant method employed for identification of patients. Other tagging and identification systems face significant obstacles to implementation in the context of a multi-patient medical facility. Barcoding schemes require significant and expensive hardware at the point of care. Moreover, in critical situations, delays caused by the absence of immediate availability of barcode reading equipment can result in unacceptable delay.

Thus, despite all their problems, as noted above, and even the potential of providing a choking hazard to newborns, nevertheless, patient wristbands including only a minimal amount of information remain, by an overwhelming majority, the dominant patient identification system currently in use.

Identification devices are useful in other areas where identification is a value for various reasons, such as security, payments, and so forth. More particularly, resorts, country clubs, municipal recreational facilities, cruise ships, convention centers, theme parks, museums and so forth often have many recreational options which are made available to large numbers of people. Such options may include theatrical presentations, rides, restaurants, fast food facilities, classes, parties, meetings, exhibition halls, pools, tennis courts, horseback riding, and so forth. Operators of such facilities often have a number of reasons for controlling and/or monitoring use of and or access to their facilities, and the various attractions located therein by patrons.

At the present time, in a typical facility, one or more individuals are present at the entrance to the venue hosting the attraction, event or other offering. These individuals check persons wishing to enter the attraction venue, requesting and/or collecting and/or ripping tickets in half.

Tickets to facilities, such as amusement parks, are often purchased on the Internet. However, due to the fact that multiple tickets can be printed, consumers are generally provided only with an identification number or alphanumeric. When the individual arrives at the attraction, he or she presents the reservation number at a kiosk where special-printed tickets are provided. Typically, these tickets are collected and ripped in half at the venue. These specially printed tickets have a format which is largely unknown to the individual attending and offering and which may be difficult to copy.

Such systems suffer from multiple drawbacks. For example, the cost of personnel at the entrance to the venue is high. Moreover, for quality of service reasons, multiple personnel are often employed at the entrance to the venue. In addition, the possibility exists that reservations may be made and resold by “scalpers”. Individuals may even swap tickets once they enter the facility, posing a security risk.

The largest drawback of any system which involves the exchange of any sort of physical ticket is the potential to spread germs. Under the conditions of a health crisis, such as a pandemic or even during a bad flu season, exchanging tickets would no longer be feasible as facilities want to avoid the spread of germs at public events.

It is also desirable to track usage at a facility and for many years numerous solutions have been proposed and implemented. For example, using a rubber stamp and printed layer to identify individuals who have paid a fee is something which has been done for at least 50 years. However, given the desire to avoid germs, it is no longer reasonable to use a rubber stamp. At the same time, it would be desirable not just to track usage at a facility while they are there, but also track physical proximity to other guests at the facility for potential future contact tracing.

The need for accurate individual identification across all settings including home, business, recreation and medical settings becomes all the more acute with the onset of an epidemic. Given an epidemic where people may be asymptomatic, contact tracing is highly desirable and with presently difficult to manage due to the lack of accuracy in identification of individuals.

Despite their drawbacks and limitations, wristband, tickets and rubberstamps applied to the skin of the user remain the only significant methodologies used for identification and tracking of individuals in medical facilities and in commercial facilities. Given the future acute need to limit physical contact to help stop the spread of disease, there is a need for a secure, contactless identification system that can be used across multiple settings.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

A system for secure contactless identification and tracking with redundant electronic/visual security mechanisms is provided.

In accordance with the invention, a cutaneous identification device (CID) is provided which addresses the above needs in the context of providing multiple indications of tampering, human readable information, machine-readable information and an interface to digital infrastructure while minimizing the need for physical contact.

The system's CID is non-transferable, frangible, which also comprises a near field communication device (Bluetooth, RFID, etc. . . . ) where the CID is first authenticated with a smart device post identification verification and security check and affixed to the individual and once there is entry, there is constant monitoring of the CIDs in the venue.

The system would comprise a skin wearable, waterproof, non-transferable frangible individual identification device comprising an adhesive and an ink arranged to provide a physiologically perceptible, humanly understandable, and machine readable information relating to said individual wherein once applied to skin said identification device is not removable in one piece; said identification device is effectively tactically imperceptible and comprises an adhesive layer and an ink layer containing individual specific information which can be visually seen or read including an embedded two-dimensional code, wherein said code can be scanned for patient identification, interaction, information exchange, and instructions and a non-contact communication device; in combination with a plurality of reader devices; a computer interface device receiving information from said individual identification device and from said reader devices respecting the individual identified by said individual identification device; a computer system coupled to said computer interface device, said computer system including a memory with an algorithm for processing information collected by said computer system; and comprising a separate set of reader devices and a separate service rendering system, each output information from their respective reader devices to a common database, the contents of said common database being coupled to a computing device which communicates information to and from a central server.

In a commercial setting, the system may be used to 1) verify the identity of the patron and security clearance; 2) once the tickets are purchased the CID is preprinted and mailed to the patron with a specific CID which confirms identity using a photograph on the CID; and 3) entry into the event, security clearance, overall location or seat number and any other pertinent information to the event, thereby offering no hassle access to venue or event with all pertinent information accessed from the CID, including a photo of the seat, the seat number, section, etc. In preferred embodiments, the software would also have facial recognition to confirm that user's face matches CID face. In some embodiments, a QR code is included for easier scanning or an extra layer of security.

In a medical setting, the system may be used to 1) verify the identity of the patient with a CID 2) track in patient care 3) track outpatient care and provide contact tracing. In preferred embodiments, the software would also have facial recognition to confirm that user's face matches CID face. In some embodiments, a QR code is included for easier scanning or an extra layer of security.

A noncontact communication device such as RFID or Bluetooth technology can be added. The RFID can consist of both UHF and NFC technology on the same chip, although UHF cannot currently be used on the skin without creating a barrier between the body and the antenna. In a preferred embodiment, the device will have functioning UHF and NFC technology. RFID technology can also include sensing technology.

Sensors may also be incorporated into the device to measure various physical states including but not limited to motion, glucose, temperature, heartrate, EKG or any other physiologic signals. This is particularly advantageous for not only telehealth but also remote monitoring. For example, some COVID-19 patients have silent hypoxia where they are alert and feel relatively well yet have remarkably low blood oxygen saturation levels which can lead to death. By the time, they make it to the hospital, the lack of symptoms can make triage extremely difficult. Thus, it would be advantageous for a hospital to be able scan patient CIDs to properly triage. In preferred embodiments, the CID would be a Bluetooth, battery powered, identification and monitoring device to measure vital signs such as pulse oximetry and heart rate to alert authorities to health distress in the field.

The system is different from any existing personal identification system as it is truly married to the person and cannot be separated from the person once authenticated. Since the CID is bonded to the skin and no longer functional when removed, the security level is comparable to a biometric scan. In preferred embodiments where there is no RFID reader, the QR code may be scanned to remotely confirm identity.

