Patent Application
20200163313
The present invention relates generally to the field of veterinary medicine. The present invention relates specifically to a system and method for delivering outpatient veterinary medicine/care to small animals. Typical small animal veterinary clinics have an outdoor parking lot, a waiting room with a reception area and an exam room off the waiting room. The owner and pet leave a vehicle that is located in the outdoor parking lot, walk outside to the vet clinic entrance and into the waiting room. The waiting room is a common area that typically holds multiple owners and their pets awaiting their turn to see the veterinarian. Further, typical small animal veterinary clinics are equipped for non-outpatient procedures, such as surgery and dentistry.
One embodiment of the invention relates to a process for delivering outpatient veterinary care to a small animal. The process includes receiving a vehicle holding a small animal into a garage bay through a first garage door, and the first garage door is located at a first end of the garage bay. The process includes accessing the small animal at the vehicle within the garage bay for medical treatment. The process includes directing the small animal from the vehicle, into the garage bay and through a door into an exam room, and the door has a first side facing the garage bay and a second side facing the exam room. The process includes providing outpatient veterinary care to the small animal within the exam room. The process includes directing the small animal from the exam room through the door, into the garage bay and into the vehicle following the provision of outpatient veterinary care. The process includes opening a second garage door located at a second end of the garage bay and positioned opposite from the first garage door such that the vehicle holding the small animal is allowed to exit the garage bay through the second garage door.
Another embodiment of the invention relates to a process for delivering medical treatment to a pet animal. The process includes receiving a vehicle having a passenger compartment into a garage bay through a first garage door, and the first garage door located at a first end of the garage bay. The vehicle holds a pet animal within the passenger compartment. The process includes accessing the pet animal at the passenger compartment of the vehicle within the garage bay for medical treatment. The process includes opening a second garage door located at a second end of the garage bay, allowing the vehicle holding the pet animal to exit the garage bay following medical treatment of the pet animal.
Another embodiment of the invention relates to a system for delivering outpatient veterinary care to small animals. The system includes a garage having a covered and enclosed parking area, an entry garage door at a first end of the parking area and an exit garage door at a second end of the parking area. The system includes an entry driveway leading to the entry garage door and an exit driveway leading away from the exit garage door. The system includes a veterinary exam room connected the enclosed parking area. A common roof covers the enclosed parking area, the entry garage door, the exit garage door and the veterinary exam room.
Alternative exemplary embodiments relate to other features and combinations of features as may be generally recited in the claims.
This application will become more fully understood from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements in which:
Referring generally to the figures, various embodiments of a process and system for conveniently and efficiently delivering outpatient, small animal/pet veterinary care is shown. In general, the process and system relate to a drive-through or drive-in outpatient veterinary clinic that includes one or more garage bays adjacent to a veterinary exam room. When the clinic's client pulls up to the clinic, the entry garage door opens allowing the client to pull the vehicle into the garage bay. Veterinary clinic staff meets the client within the garage bay, and the small animal/pet is accessed at the vehicle within the garage bay, either by the client/pet owner or by veterinary clinic staff, and the pet and/or client is directed to move from the garage bay to the exam room. In various embodiments, the garage bay and exam room are located in the same building (e.g., under a common roof, sharing a common foundation, sharing common walls, etc.), and in specific embodiments, a door of the exam room opens directly to the garage bay. In some embodiments, veterinary clinic staff may be able to provide certain services to the small animal in the garage bay while the small animal/pet remains in the vehicle.
In various embodiments, the clinic is only equipped to provide outpatient veterinary services (such as wellness checkups, vaccinations, blood and fecal testing, diagnosing and treating minor health conditions such as ear infections, dispensing heart worm and flea and tick medications, etc.) rather than also being equipped to provide full veterinary services, such as surgery and dentistry, as is the standard for typical small animal veterinary clinics. Despite conventional veterinary practice, Applicant has identified a need to provide regular, basic outpatient small animal veterinary care in a manner that is more efficient and requires less time and planning on the part of the client/pet owner, and Applicant believes that this need has not before been recognized in the small animal veterinary industry. Further, by focusing on outpatient and wellness veterinary care, the system and process discussed herein saves on the overhead involved with staffing and equipping a full service veterinary clinic.
In addition, the garage bay and exam room set up discussed herein provides improved services to clients/pet owners. Using the system and method discussed herein, clients and pet owners are able to avoid inclement weather because they are not required to park outside and to walk outside to the vet clinic entrance. Further, by providing access to the exam room directly from the garage bay, pet owners do not need to wait within or traverse a waiting room with their pet which can pose variety of difficulties related to pet size, temperament, behavior, level of training, etc.
Further, in some embodiments, a window is provided in the exam room which allows the client to maintain visual contact with their vehicle located in the garage while the pet receives veterinary care within the exam room. This arrangement can provide substantial convenience to busy parents by allowing children to remain in the vehicle during receipt of the veterinary service while remaining under supervision of the parent. This arrangement may also be safer for clients who may have difficulty managing their pets, for example due to the client's physical limitations or disabilities or a mismatch of client skills and a dog's size, strength, etc. The details and structure of the process and system for providing veterinary care along with additional benefits, advantages and functionality are discussed herein.
Referring to
As shown in
In various embodiments, garage bays 28 are sized to receive one or more vehicles within the garage bay. In various embodiments, garage bays 28 may have a length (e.g., the distances between garage doors 24 and 26) of between 24 and 70 feet. In various embodiments, garage bays 28 may have a length of between 50 and 70 feet such that each garage bay is sized to receive two vehicles end to end. In another embodiment, garage bays 28 may have a length between 24 and 40 feet such that each garage bay is sized to receive a single vehicle.
Clinic building 12 includes one or more interior rooms, which may include exam rooms, waiting/reception area, restrooms, storage rooms, etc. In the particular embodiment shown, clinic building 12 includes a waiting/reception area 34, an exam room 36 and a restroom 38. In the particular embodiment shown, building 12 includes a main entrance door 40 that provides access to building 12 from outside, a first interior entrance door 42 that provides access to waiting reception area 34 from first garage 20, and a second interior entrance door 44 that provides access to waiting/reception area 34 from second garage 22. Building 12 includes a door 46 located between waiting/reception area 34 and exam room 36. Further, building 12 includes a door 48 located in wall 50 that provides access directly from garage 20 into exam room 36.
In this arrangement, door 48 has a first face that faces garage bay 28 of garage 20 and a second face that faces into exam room 36, when door 48 is in the closed position. Thus, a client and a pet may leave a vehicle, shown as vehicle 52, within garage 20 and move directly into exam 36 without needing to walk outside or to walk through waiting/reception area 34. In contrast, in the particular embodiment shown, access to exam room 36 from garage 22 is provided through waiting/reception area 34. In other embodiments, door 44 may be positioned to provide direct access to exam room 36 from garage 22, and in such embodiments, exam room 36 may include two doors such that direct access is provided to exam room 36 from both garages 20 and 22. Building 12 is constructed so that rooms 34, 36 and 38 are located between garages 20 and 22 providing efficient access to and from both garage 20 and garage 22.
Building 12 includes a common roof 54 (see
In various embodiments, building 12 may include a window 58 and/or a window 60 within the interior walls defining exam room 36. As will be understood, windows 58 and 60 each have one face located in garages 20 and 22, respectively, and the opposite face within exam room 36. Windows 58 and 60 allow a person within exam room 36 to see into garages 20 and 22, respectively. This arrangement provides convenience and safety to clients/pet owners by allowing, for example, a parent to handle a pet within exam room 36 while maintaining supervision of children located within vehicle 52. Applicant believes that provision of windows 58 and 60 in exam room 36 is counterintuitive to those in the veterinary field as privacy within the exam room has typically been considered more important than the ability of the client/pet owner to see out of the exam room.
In various embodiments, drive-through veterinary clinic 10 may include any number of garages and exam rooms as may be needed to serve a particular area or client base. For example, drive-through veterinary clinic 10 may include 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, etc. garages. In some embodiments, as shown in
In various embodiments, drive-through veterinary clinic 10 is equipped to only provide outpatient medical treatment to small animals/pets. As used herein a small animal/pet includes typical household pet animals or companion animals, such as dogs, cats, birds, various pet rodents (e.g., rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, mice, rats, etc.), reptiles, amphibians, etc., and excludes animals typically classified as large animals, livestock or food animals, such as cows, horses, pigs, other livestock, etc. Further, outpatient veterinary medical treatment as used herein includes basic, routine medical care that small animals/pets routinely and periodically need, such as outpatient wellness exams, routine vaccines, routine tests (e.g., blood test and fecal test), diagnosing and treating minor health conditions such as ear infections, provision of heartworm medication and flea/tick medication, etc. Outpatient veterinary medical treatment as used herein excludes various procedures such as major surgeries, radiological examinations, procedures utilizing anesthesia, procedures requiring the pet to stay overnight, etc.
In various embodiments, exam room 36 is equipped with various veterinary equipment used to provide the various outpatient treatments discussed herein. In various embodiments, exam room 36 includes at least one of an otoscope, a stethoscope, an ophthalmoscope, a centrifuge, a microscope, an electrocardiograph, and a pet microchip scanner. In a specific embodiment, exam room 36 includes all of an otoscope, a stethoscope, an ophthalmoscope, a centrifuge, a microscope, an electrocardiograph, and a pet microchip scanner
In various embodiments, clinic building 12 does not include various facilities typically found in a full-service veterinary clinic. In such embodiments, clinic building 12 does not include one or more of an operating room, overnight pet housing, radiology suite, or dentistry suite. Applicant believes that conventional knowledge in the small animal veterinary industry is that a veterinary clinic must provide “high-value” inpatient treatment services in order to be commercially viable. In contrast to the conventional knowledge, Applicant believes that a veterinary clinic, specifically configured according to one or more of the exemplary embodiments discussed herein, can provide only outpatient care in manner that is commercially viable and that provides a better client and pet experience. Further, in various embodiments, the systems and methods discussed here allow for the provision of veterinary care that can substantially reduce the fear/anxiety that some pets may feel when visiting the veterinarian (e.g., so called “fear free veterinary care”). For example, most dogs are more comfortable in their owner's vehicles than in a veterinary facility. The proximity of the vehicle to the exam room and/or the convenient option to use the vehicle as an examination room can ease the pet's anxiety resulting in improved delivery of veterinary services.
Referring to
The process includes accessing the small animal at the vehicle, such as vehicle 52 within garage bay 28, in order provide medical treatment, such as outpatient veterinary medical treatment, to the small animal. In various embodiments, accessing the small animal at the vehicle may include providing direction to the client/pet owner to open a door of the vehicle allowing the animal to be removed from the vehicle. In addition or in the alternative, accessing the small animal at the vehicle may include veterinary clinic staff removing or assisting in the removal of the small animal from the vehicle. In specific embodiments, the small animal is located in the passenger or cargo compartment of the vehicle, such as a car, SUV, or pickup truck, and accessing the small animal includes removing the small animal from the vehicles passenger or cargo compartment.
The process includes directing the small animal from the vehicle, into the garage bay and through a door, such as door 48, into an exam room, such as exam room 36. In various embodiments, directing the small animal from the vehicle includes providing direction to the owner of the small animal to lead the animal from the vehicle and into the exam room. In other embodiments, directing the small animal from the vehicle includes leading the small animal from the vehicle and into the exam room, for example by veterinary clinic staff. Alternatively, examination and care of the pet may be provided in the passenger or cargo compartment of the vehicle.
The process includes providing outpatient veterinary care to the small animal within the exam room. Following the completion of the outpatient veterinary care, the process includes directing the small animal (e.g., accompanied by the animal's owner or clinic staff) from the exam room through the door, back into the garage bay and into the vehicle. The process includes opening a second garage door, such as garage door 26, located at a second end of the garage bay and positioned opposite and facing the first garage door such that the vehicle holding the small animal is allowed to exit the garage bay through the second door. Following exit from the garage bay, the vehicle may traverse an exit driveway, such as exit driveway 16, to leave the veterinary clinic and garage bay.
In another embodiment, a process for delivering medical treatment to a pet animal (e.g., a non-human small animal, companion animal, a pet animal, etc.) is provided. In this embodiment, the process includes receiving a vehicle having a passenger compartment holding a pet animal within the passenger compartment into a garage bay, such as garage bay 28, through a first garage door, such as garage door 24. The process includes accessing the pet animal at passenger compartment of the vehicle within the garage bay for medical treatment. The process includes opening a second garage door located at a second end of the garage bay, allowing the vehicle holding the pet animal to exit the garage bay following medical treatment of the pet animal.
Referring to
Based on the information received at the intake/registration stage, the client is provided with a price for the service ordered. In some embodiments, the client may also be provided with an estimated time for the selected outpatient services to be completed. In particular embodiments, the information gathered at the intake stage is used to automatically generate an invoice following completion of service, and in some embodiments, payment of the invoice is received immediately following provision of service, such as prior to opening of exit garage door 26 and the client leaving garage bay 28. It is believed that this conversion of a client-accessed menu into an invoice and associated reminders for follow up pet care is unique service offered here.
In some embodiments, the intake/registration listing may be available ahead of time, e.g., via website, app, etc. associated with drive-through veterinary clinic 10. In this embodiment, the client can complete registration ahead of time by selecting the services needed, and a cost estimate is provided (e.g., via the website or app) to the client based on the selected services. Such a system allows the client to evaluate price of the veterinary services prior to arriving at clinic 10.
In this specific embodiment, following intake/registration, the vehicle pulls forward within garage bay 28 to spot 32. When vehicle 52 reaches spot 32, the small animal/pet is accessed as discussed above and brought to exam room 36, if needed, for the provision of outpatient veterinary care. When a first vehicle 52 reaches spot 32, a second vehicle may enter garage bay 28 at spot 30 and begin the registration process while the pet of the vehicle in spot 32 receives the ordered outpatient veterinary care.
In various embodiments, veterinary clinic staff may perform a screening of the condition of the small animal/pet either while vehicle 52 is located in spot 30 or in spot 32. During the screening step an assessment is made by the veterinary clinic staff regarding whether the treatment that small animal/pet needs falls within the types of services provided by drive-through veterinary clinic 10. If it is not, the veterinary clinic may provide a referral to one or more nearby veterinary hospitals suitable for treating the condition. In particular embodiments, the referral may be to a veterinary hospital associated with (e.g., under common ownership, under common partial ownership, under contractual referral agreement, etc.) drive-through veterinary clinic 10. In some such embodiments, the referred veterinary hospital may be close by (e.g., less than 20 miles, less than 10 miles, less than 5 miles away from) to drive-through veterinary clinic 10.
In some embodiments, in which intake/registration occurs before arrival at clinic 10, limited pre-screening may occur via questions provided to the client via the website or app at the time of registration. If the registration system determines based on the answers provided to the questions that the needed service exceeds the capabilities of clinic 10, a referral to an appropriate facility is made via the app or website, allowing the client/pet owner to go directly to the veterinary hospital without coming first to drive-through clinic 10.
In various embodiments, drive-through veterinary clinic 10 is configured via the layout shown in
It should be understood that the figures illustrate the exemplary embodiments in detail, and it should be understood that the present application is not limited to the details or methodology set forth in the description or illustrated in the figures. It should also be understood that the terminology is for the purpose of description only and should not be regarded as limiting.
Further modifications and alternative embodiments of various aspects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of this description. Accordingly, this description is to be construed as illustrative only. The construction and arrangements, shown in the various exemplary embodiments, are illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments have been described in detail in this disclosure, many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter described herein. Some elements shown as integrally formed may be constructed of multiple parts or elements, the position of elements may be reversed or otherwise varied, and the nature or number of discrete elements or positions may be altered or varied. The order or sequence of any process, logical algorithm, or method steps may be varied or re-sequenced according to alternative embodiments. Other substitutions, modifications, changes and omissions may also be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of the various exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention.
While the current application recites particular combinations of features in the claims appended hereto, various embodiments of the invention relate to any combination of any of the features described herein whether or not such combination is currently claimed, and any such combination of features may be claimed in this or future applications. Any of the features, elements, or components of any of the exemplary embodiments discussed above may be used alone or in combination with any of the features, elements, or components of any of the other embodiments discussed above.
This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/872,396, filed Oct. 1, 2015, priority from which is hereby claimed and which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 14872396 | Oct 2015 | US |
| Child | 16751757 | US |
