Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02850770 2014-04-28
MEDICAL ASSISTANCE METHOD AND SYSTEM
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a system and method for remote
medical assistance,
and more particularly to a medical kiosk with video access to a health care
professional for
receiving real time remote medical advice and for receiving medicine dispensed
at the kiosk.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Medical care is a need for every individual and every family. Many families
have one or more
family doctors that they see for wellness visits and for the treatment of
various illnesses and
injuries. However, as the population of the country grows and ages, the need
for doctors and
health care providers in general increases, and is evidenced by a current
shortage of doctors. This
increased need for medical professionals and doctors in particular is not
expected to abate in the
near or intermediate future. In fact, the shortage is expected to worsen in
the near future as the
effects of new health care legislation are realized. Reports and studies
indicate that within the
next few years there will be a shortage of over 50,000 doctors and within the
next 15 years the
shortage is expected to exceed 100,000 doctors. Thus, there will be an
increased reliance on
alternative means of obtaining quality health care.
Medical facilities in general have been attempting to improve efficiency
through automation. In
particular, some aspects of patient care have been computerized such as
through the use of
electronic terminals interactively accessible to the patient. Some function as
patient check-in
stations at hospitals or doctors' offices. Other, more advanced electronic
stations can perform
basic diagnostic tests on patients and fall within the description of
interactive kiosks. In general
terms, an interactive kiosk is a computer terminal designed within a public
exhibit that features
specialized hardware and software for providing access to information and
applications for
communication, commerce, entertainment, and education. Kiosks dedicated for
use in the health
field can be labeled as interactive medical kiosks.
Hospitals and medical clinics recently began utilizing interactive medical
kiosks to allow
patients to perform routine activities. Kiosks permitting patients to check-in
for their scheduled
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CA 02850770 2014-04-28
appointment and update their personal demographics reduce the need to line up
and interact with
a registration clerk. In areas where patients must make a co-pay, kiosks are
also utilized to
collect payment. As the requirements for documentation, waivers and consent
increase, kiosks
with integrated signature capture devices are able to present the
documentation to the patient and
collect their signature. These kiosks may merely appear as a computer terminal
in a dedicated
area of a doctor's office.
Generically, early interactive kiosks sometimes resembled telephone booths,
but can also include
a bench or chair for the user to sit on. Interactive kiosks are typically
placed in high foot traffic
settings such as hotel lobbies or airports. Integration of technology permit
kiosks to perform a
wide range of functions, which have evolved into self-service kiosks. For
example, kiosks may
enable users to enter a public utility bill account number in order to perform
an online
transaction, or collect cash in exchange for merchandise. Customized
components such as coin
hoppers, bill acceptors, card readers and thermal printers enable kiosks to
meet the owner's
specialized needs.
Medical kiosks can be either manned or unmanned. Manned medical kiosks can do
more tests
than unmanned ones. The manned medical kiosk also provides a real health care
professional to
assist the patient. However, the disadvantage of the manned medical kiosk is
that a registered
nurse has to be on site. Unmanned kiosks, on the other hand require only
monthly maintenance.
Furthermore, basic medical tests (blood pressure, spirometry, heart rate and
ECG, blood glucose,
and height/weight/BMI) can be accomplished with either manned or unmanned
medical kiosks.
Even though the above cited medical kiosks address some of the needs of the
market, the health
care field has a need for increased automation for the care of the population
in general.
Specifically, there is a need for an unmanned medical kiosk that can provide
medical diagnoses,
treatment, prescriptions, and even medication through remote interaction with
a health care
professional in real time utilizing a live video feed link, while facilitating
the patient to perform
self-service biometric testing with full access to the patient's medical data.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present disclosure is generally directed to a system for providing real
time remote medical
diagnoses and treatment of an ailment that satisfies the need for providing
facilities for remote
interaction with a health care professional in real time. The system includes
a medical services
company for providing real time remote medical diagnoses and treatment. The
company has a
central office with a central computer and a memory storage unit. The central
computer hosts an
executable instruction set thereon for performing remote medical diagnoses and
treatment. A
network terminal is accessible by a health care professional for diagnosing
and providing
treatment of an ailment and a medical kiosk is remotely located from the
network terminal of the
health care professional. The medical kiosk further includes a kiosk terminal
having a display
device, input device and a processor. The kiosk also includes at least one
biometric device for
obtaining a biometric measurement of the health of a patient utilizing the
medical kiosk, a
storage vault for storing dispensable medications, and a medication dispenser.
An electronic
network is electronically communicative with the network terminal accessible
by the health care
professional and with the kiosk terminal.
In another aspect, the system also includes a portable personal electronic
device of the type
capable of two-way communications and hosting an executable application for
communicative
interaction with said central computer for diagnosing and treating an ailment
of the user of said
portable personal electronic device.
In still another aspect, the network terminal accessible by the health care
professional is located
remotely from the medical services company.
In yet another aspect, the medical kiosk further includes a printer
communicative with the kiosk
terminal for printing a prescription.
In a still further aspect, the medical kiosk further includes a payment
accepting device that is
capable of accepting at least one of the group of currency bills, credit
cards, and insurance cards,
for payment of fees relating to the diagnosis and treatment of an ailment.
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In another aspect, the at least one biometric device is selected from the
group consisting of a
weight scale, a blood pressure monitor, a body mass index tester, a vision
tester, and a
thermometer.
In another aspect, the medical kiosk further includes a multi-purpose camera
communicative
with the kiosk terminal for capturing and communicating visual images of the
patient to the
network terminal accessible by the health care professional.
In a still further aspect, a medical kiosk for providing remote real time
patient ailment diagnoses
and treatment includes a booth defining a chamber for receiving a patient
therein for permitting
the patient to communicate with a remotely located health care professional.
Also included is a
kiosk terminal having a display device, an input device and a processor, and
at least one
biometric device for obtaining a biometric measurement of the health of a
patient utilizing the
medical kiosk. A storage vault stores dispensable medications by a medication
dispenser.
In yet another aspect, the kiosk includes a printer communicative with the
kiosk terminal for
printing a prescription.
In another aspect, the booth provides noise attenuation to provide the patient
with privacy.
In still another aspect, the kiosk also includes a payment accepting device
capable of accepting at
least one of the group of currency bills, credit cards, and insurance cards,
for payment of fee
relating to the diagnosis and treatment of an ailment.
In yet another aspect, the at least one biometric device is selected from the
group consisting of a
weight scale, a blood pressure monitor, a body mass index tester, a vision
tester, and a
thermometer.
In another aspect, the kiosk also includes a multi-purpose camera
communicative with the kiosk
terminal for capturing and communicating visual images of the patient to the
network terminal
accessible by the health care professional.
In still another aspect, the kiosk terminal is electronically communicative
with an external
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electronic network.
In yet another aspect, a method for real time remote medical diagnoses and
treatment, said
method includes providing an executable instruction set hosted on a system of
the type wherein
the central office of a medical services company has a central computer and
memory storage
connected to an electronic network, a network terminal accessible by a health
care professional
for diagnosing and treating a patient's ailment, and a medical kiosk remotely
located from the
medical services company and communicative therewith via the electronic
network. Medical
history data and current ailment symptoms are received from a patient
utilizing the medical
kiosk, and intake biometric measurements are performed on the patient. The
patient is interlinked
with a health care professional remotely located from the medical kiosk. The
ailment of the
patient is diagnosed by the medical professional, and the health care
professional provides care
instructions to the remotely located medical kiosk for use by the patient.
In a still further aspect, the method also includes providing at least one
biometric measurement
device in the medical kiosk and further wherein the performance of intake
biometric
measurements includes the patient utilizing the biometric measurement device
to obtain a
biometric measurement of the patient's health.
In another aspect, the biometric measuring device is provided from a group
consisting of a
weight scale, a blood pressure monitor, a body mass index tester, a vision
tester, and a
thermometer.
In another aspect, the method includes providing a prescription for medication
to the patient.
In a still further aspect, a medicine vault having at least one prescription
medication stored
therein is provided.
In yet another aspect, the method includes the additional step of remotely
dispensing a
prescription medication from the medicine vault for treatment of the patient's
ailment.
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These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the invention will be
further understood and
appreciated by those skilled in the art by reference to the following written
specification, claims
and appended drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the
accompanying
drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 presents a rear perspective view of a medical kiosk and a partial view
of the kiosk
interior;
FIG. 2 presents a side perspective view of the medical kiosk and a partial
view of the kiosk
interior;
FIG. 3 presents a view of the front interface panel as typically seen by a
patient within the kiosk;
FIG. 4 presents a pictorial diagram of the interaction of a health care
professional and a patient
utilizing a medical kiosk according the present invention; and
FIG. 5 presents a schematic depiction of a network based system for providing
health care
utilizing a remote interactive medical kiosk; and
FIG. 6 presents a flow chart of a method for providing remote medical care
utilizing a network
based system of medical kiosks.
Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various views of
the drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not
intended to limit the
described embodiments or the application and uses of the described
embodiments. As used
herein, the word "exemplary" or "illustrative" means "serving as an example,
instance, or
illustration." Any implementation described herein as "exemplary" or
"illustrative" is not
necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other
implementations. All of the
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CA 02850770 2014-04-28
implementations described below are exemplary implementations provided to
enable persons
skilled in the art to make or use the embodiments of the disclosure and are
not intended to limit
the scope of the disclosure, which is defined by the claims. For purposes of
description herein,
the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "rear," "right," "front," "vertical,"
"horizontal," and
derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in FIG. 1.
Furthermore, there is no
intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the
preceding technical
field, background, brief summary or the following detailed description. It is
also to be
understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the attached
drawings, and
described in the following specification, are simply exemplary embodiments of
the inventive
concepts defined in the appended claims. Hence, specific dimensions and other
physical
characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be
considered as limiting,
unless the claims expressly state otherwise.
Initially referring to FIG. 5, a remote real time medical assistance system
500 is illustrated
wherein a central office 510, from which the remote medical assistance host
company is
operated, includes a central computer 512 and a memory bank 514 communicative
therewith for
storing medical and patient data thereon. The central computer 512 hosts an
executable
instruction set for administering the remote real time medical assistance and
further is
communicative with an electronic network 550 such as the Internet via an
electronic
communication link 516. The electronic network 550 can utilize known security
precautions
such as encryption, passwords, limited Wi-Fi range, and the like. The central
office 510 can also
have therein one or more medical professionals such as nurses, physician
assistants, and doctors
with access to the network terminals 518 for providing remote medical
consultation and
assistance. The network terminals 518 are typically electronically linked to
the central computer
512 for electronic communication throughout the system 500 and with entities
outside of the
central office 510.
One or more medical offices 560, 570, 580, participate in providing the
necessary medical
professionals for consultation through the central office 510. The remote real
time medical
assistance system 500 also includes at least one and typically a plurality of
remotely located and
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disbursed medical kiosks 520, 530, 540. The kiosks 520, 530, 540 each have a
network terminal
522, 532, 542, respectively, that is further electronically linked to the
Internet 550 via the
electronic communication links 524, 534, 544. Alternatively, remote medical
assistance can be
obtained utilizing a personal electronic device 592 such as a 'smart phone'
having a central
processor capable of executing dovvriloadable application software. The
personal electronic
device 592 is communicative with the central office 510 utilizing the
communication link 594 to
communicate with the communications network 596 which is, in turn,
communicative with the
Internet 550 via the communications link 598.
In one exemplary implementation of the invention, the medical kiosks 520, 530,
540 can be
configured such as a medical kiosk 200 as shown in FIGS. 1-4 which illustrate
its various
components. The medical kiosk 200 includes a booth 202 that defines a chamber
210 in which a
patient 300 can enter and begin obtaining remote medical assistance. A
closable door 204
provides an entry location to the chamber 210. The booth 202 and door 204 can
be constructed
such that the booth 202 provides noise attenuation to provide the patient
inside the booth 202
with maximum privacy. Such medical assistance does not include care for life-
threatening
medical conditions or trauma requiring the facilities and medical
professionals found in an
hospital emergency room, but rather is intended for such care as having an
ailment diagnosed
and obtaining treatment for the ailment. The kiosk 200 provides the patient
300 with easy access
to a health care professional 330 twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.
In one
embodiment, the kiosk 200 can be located in a public shopping center such as a
mall or strip
shopping center, an airport, or other easily accessible public area. However,
in another
embodiment, the kiosk may be positioned inside a medical facility, and serve
as a pre-
examination site prior to engaging with the medical professional in person.
Those skilled in the art, in light of the present teachings, will recognize
that the patient 300 may
prefer to maintain privacy relative to the medical consultation and the
medical condition
presented at the kiosk 200. The kiosk 200 chamber 210 provides privacy to the
patient 300 by
using noise barriers to reflect or absorb the energy of the sound waves, using
damping structures
such as sound baffles, or using active anti-noise sound generators to
effectively render the
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chamber 210 soundproof and thereby provides this privacy function. The
majority of the
consultation for the real time medical assistance in kiosk 200 occurs inside
the soundproof
chamber 210.
Within the medical kiosk 200, a display device 220 is available for providing
a video feed link
225 between the patient 300 and the health care professional 330 over the
network 550 (FIG. 5)
whereby a secure, real time, two-way communication between the patient 300 and
the health
care professional 330 is possible. The healthcare professional 330 can be a
nurse, a physician's
assistant or a doctor. In one embodiment, the digital display device 220 can
be a life-size screen
that displays the health care professional 330 in real time and face to face
to provide more
realism for the patient 300. The medical kiosk 200 can also be manned with an
attendant who
may also be a medical professional such as a nurse. The digital display device
220 also includes
audio capabilities that permits the health care professional 330 and the
patient 300 to speak to
one another, not shown. In FIG. 1, The digital display device 220 can be a
touch screen for
inputting the personal information data sample 350, accessing instructions,
taking written tests,
and the like. However, in other embodiments, one or more input devices 245
such as a keyboard,
a mouse, or voice recognition software may integrate with the digital display
device 220 FIG. 3.
The display device 220 and input device 245 are interoperably controlled by a
processor 240 for
communicating with network 550. The display device 220, the input device 245,
and the
processor 240 are collectively known as the kiosk terminal.
In some embodiments, the medical kiosk 200 includes a camera 230 for
permitting the medical
professional 330 to view the patient 300 and any visible symptoms of the
medical ailment 310
presented by the patient 300. The camera 230 allows the patient 300 to
communicate with the
health care professional 330 through the video feed link 225 by positioning,
speaking, and
displaying affected body parts in front of the camera 230. The camera 230,
located in close
proximity to the digital display device 220, permits the patient 300 to
display a close up view of
the affected body part, such as the retina, skin, or throat. In one preferred
embodiment, the
camera 230 captures real time video to permit the patient 300 to communicate
with a health care
professional 330 located at a remote medical office 560, 570, 580 (FIG. 5).
The camera 230 can
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also be utilized to confirm the identity of the patient 300, or provide
security to the kiosk 200.
The camera 230 may be a multi-purpose camera capable of recording video, still
shots, and
zooming.
To aid in assessing the medical condition of the patient 300, the medical
kiosk 200 includes one
or more biometric measurement devices 235 of FIG.1, such as weight scale,
blood pressure
monitor, body mass index tester, vision tester, thermometer, psychological
evaluation, and the
like. The configuration of the biometric measurement devices 235 permit the
patient 300 to
perform at least one self-service biometric test 237 of FIG. 4, to create a
medical data sample
355. However, in some embodiments wherein the medical kiosk 200 is attended by
a medical
professional, a nurse or medical technician could assist the patient 300 with
the self-service
biometric test 237 inside the medical kiosk 200.
In FIG. 4, the medical kiosk 200 further includes the processor 240 for
storing a personal
information data sample 350, storing the medical data sample 355, and
receiving a prior medical
data sample 360 of the patient 300 from an external storage device 255. In one
preferred
embodiment, the health care professional 330 is capable of accessing the
external storage device
255 to view the prior medical data sample 360. Those skilled in the art will
recognize that the
prior medical data sample 360 permits the health care professional 330 to have
a historical
perspective of the medical history of the patient 300 before diagnosing the
medical ailment 310.
The kiosk 200 of Fig. 4, further includes an input device 245 for inputting
the personal
information data sample 350 into the processor 240. In this manner, the
medical condition of the
patient 300 may be documented for future medical assessments and treatment.
Those skilled in
the art can appreciate that the input device 245 can evolve with technological
advances. Suitable
input devices 245 may include a keyboard, a mouse, and voice recognition
software. A printer
260 for printing medicine prescriptions 365 is communicative with the
processor 240 in response
to communications from the health care professional 330 over the secure
network 550 of FIG. 5.
In this manner, the secure network 550 permits transmitting the personal
information data
sample 350, the medical data sample 355, and the prior medical data sample 360
between the
patient 300 and the health care professional 330.
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Once the health care professional 330 is able to give the patient 300 a
diagnosis for the medical
ailment 310, the health care professional can recommend possible treatment
options, and
authorize a medicine prescription 365 which can be printed on the printer 260
and made
available to the patient 300. The medical kiosk 200 also can include a vault
270 for storing one
or more medicines 380. The medications 380 can include common over-the-counter
medications
and commonly prescribed prescription medications such as, but not limited to,
cough medicine,
pain killers, antibiotics, skin cream, and the like. Due to the valuable
nature and legal regulations
of the medicines 380, the medicine vault 270 of FIG. 1, may include various
security features,
including titanium steel fabrication, password encryption, and an alarm system
that activates
upon tampering with the vault 270. The kiosk 200 also includes a medicine
dispenser 280 for
dispensing the medicines 380 of FIG. 4, prescribed by the medical professional
330 in lieu of
printing the prescription 365 for the patient 300 to obtain at a pharmacy.
Since the remote medical assistance system 500 operates on a 'fee for service'
basis, the kiosk
200 also includes a financial transaction portion 290 of FIG.3, for receiving
payment in the form
of cash or credit cards for the medical services provided by the health care
professional 330, the
medicine prescription 365, and any medicines 380 dispensed from the vault 270.
However, in
one alternative embodiment, the financial transaction portion 290 may be
operable to accept and
transact payments from insurance cards, Medicare, and various medical
subsidies. The financial
transaction portion 290 may include, without limitation, a credit card reader,
a bill acceptor,
quick response code reader, or the like.
Turning now to FIG. 6, a process 600 for providing remote real time medical
assistance utilizing
a medical kiosk 200 as part of a remote real time medical network 500 as
described above is
shown illustrating its various steps. In block 602 the process starts wherein
a patient 300
approaches a medical kiosk 200 that may be located at a mall, a super market,
or a pharmacy. In
block 604 the patient 300 enters the medical kiosk 200 and closes the door 204
to provide
desired privacy during the medical consultation. Once inside the kiosk 200,
the patient initiates
contact with an intake professional in block 606. Contact with the intake
professional can be
remotely over the network 550 utilizing the electronic communication link or
alternatively in
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person if the intake professional is manning the medical kiosk 200. In block
608 contact is
established with the central office 510 utilizing the electronic communication
link and the
camera 230, the input device 245 and the digital display 220 in the medical
kiosk 200.
Once communication with the central office 510 is established, the patient 300
provides personal
identification such as name, gender, race, date of birth, allergies, etc. in
block 610 using the input
device 245. The patient 300 is then queried in block 612 whether the patient
300 is a prior
patient. If the patient 300 is not a prior patient, then in block 614 an
account for the patient 300 is
established and proceeds to block 616. If the patient 300 is a prior patient
and already has an
account, then the process proceeds directly to block 616 where payment for the
consultation is
secured. Payment is made through use of currency accepting device 290 which
may also
function to accept credit cards or insurance cards.
In block 618 the patient can provide an existing medical history to aid the
consulting medical
professional in diagnosing the ailment of patient 300 by answering questions
interactively with
displays projected on display device 220 or by inputting an electronic file of
the patient's medical
history via an input device capable of receiving electronic data files. In
block 620 the patient 300
relates to the intake professional or the initial health care professional
currently communicating
with the patient 300 the patient's symptoms and perceived ailment for which
the patient 300
desires treatment. In block 622 intake biometrics are performed either by
patient use of one or
more biometric measurement devices 235 such as weight scale, blood pressure
monitor, body
mass index tester, vision test, psychological evaluation, and the like.
Alternatively some or all of
the biometric measurements can be taken in person by a health care
professional, such as a nurse,
manning the medical kiosk 200.
After receiving the patient history, biometric test results, and the patient
related ailment
symptoms, the intake professional determines in block 624 whether a doctor or
other higher
qualified health care professional needs to be consulted. If higher
consultation is not required,
the patient 300 is provided with care instructions in block 626, the
consultation fee is collected in
block 660 and the process ends at block 662. However, if the intake
professional determines that
a doctor consultation is required, the patient 300 is communicatively
interlinked with a doctor
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CA 02850770 2014-04-28
over network 550.
The patient 300 is capable of communicating with the health care professional
330 by inputting
commands through the computer input device 245. The health care professional
330 appears on
the digital display device 220. The digital display device 220 can be a life-
size screen that
displays the health care professional 330 in real time and face to face. The
patient 300 then
communicates with the health care professional 330 with the video feed link
225 in real time by
positioning, speaking, and displaying affected body parts in front of the
camera 230. Through the
camera 230, which is located in close proximity to the digital display device
220, the patient 300
is capable of displaying a close up view of the affected body part, such as
the retina, skin, or
throat. The health care professional 300 utilizes the personal information
data sample 350, the
medical data sample 355, the prior medical data sample 360, and the
consultation with the
patient 300 to diagnose the medical ailment 310. If the doctor is not able to
diagnose the ailment
or if the ailment is one which cannot be properly treated remotely, the
patient 300 is referred to
another doctor or medical facility equipped to provide the necessary care. The
consultation fee is
then collected in block 660 and the process ends at block 662.
If, on the other hand, the doctor is able to diagnose the ailment in block 632
and determines that
the ailment can be effectively treated remotely, a determination is made in
block 636 whether
medication (over the counter or prescription) is required. If no medications
are required, the
patient 300 is provided with care instructions in block 638, the consultation
fee is collected in
block 660 and the process ends at block 662. If medications are required in
block 636, a
determination is made in block 640 whether the medications are available to be
dispensed from
the medication vault 270 of the medical kiosk 200. If the medications are not
available from the
medical kiosk 200, the patient 300 is provided with care instructions in block
642, a prescription
is printed for the patient 300 in block 644 so that the patient can fill the
prescription at a
pharmacy, the consultation fee is collected in block 660 and the process ends
at block 662. If the
medications are available from the medication vault 270, the patient 300 is
provided with care
instructions in block 646, and the medications are dispensed in block 648. The
consultation fee
and medication fee is collected in block 660 and the process ends at block
662.
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Since many modifications, variations, and changes in detail can be made to the
described
preferred embodiments of the invention, it is intended that all matters in the
foregoing
description and shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as
illustrative and not in a
limiting sense. Thus, the scope of the invention should be determined by the
appended claims
and their legal equivalence.
{14]
