Medical data terminal for transmitting analogue and digital data

Claim 1

Transmission means adapted for the transmission of medical data over a telephone transmission link to a remote center for diagnosis, comprising: a signal generator; first modulating means for modulating the output of said signal generator to transmit binary alphanumeric information over the transmission link; second modulating means for modulating the output of said signal generator to transmit non-alphanumeric information as an analogue signal over the transmission link; means for alternating coupling said first and second modulation means to said signal generator; coupling means coupling the modulated signal generator outputs to said telephone transmission link; a plurality of setting means for separately preselecting a plurality of alphanumeric symbols; coding means coupled with said setting means for coding each preselected alphanumeric symbol into a binary code unique to said each symbol, said coding means comprising a plurality of elongated members having magnets distributed thereon and a plurality of reed switches, said elongated members being longitudinally movable by said setting means to move said magnets into and out of magnetic coupling with said reed switches; and scanning means for scanning the binary coded symbols in a predetermined sequence and providing an intermediate fluctuating output to indicate said selected symbols in a binary manner and in a predetermined sequence, the output of said scanning means being coupled to said first modulating means to provide said modulation of the signal generator output as a function of said intermediate fluctuating output.