Cardiopulmonary monitoring

• US 20020082867A1
• Filed: 09/07/2001
• Published: 06/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wireless Medical Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Wireless Medical Incorporated
• Inventors: Hadjicostis, Andreas N., MacCarter, Dean J., Buckner, John K.
• Granted Patent: US 6,858,006 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0412 Low-profile patch shaped housings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/02 Details of sensors specially adapted for in-vivo measurements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0836 Measuring rate of CO2 production
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1135 by monitoring thoracic expansion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/903 Radio telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/904 Telephone telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/92 Computer assisted medical diagnostics

Abstract

According to the invention, a system for monitoring health information of a plurality of patients is disclosed. Included in the system are a data gathering device, a node, a wide area network, and a monitoring center. The data gathering device includes a respiration sensor, a wireless transmitter, and a self-contained power source. The node is wirelessly coupled to the data gathering device and the wide area network is coupled to the node. Located remote to the node, the monitoring center is coupled to the wide area network.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring health information of a plurality of patients, the system comprising:

a data gathering device comprising;

a respiration sensor,

a wireless transmitter, and

a self-contained power source;

a node wirelessly coupled to the data gathering device;

a wide area network coupled to the node; and

a monitoring center located remote to the node and coupled to the wide area network.

2. The system for monitoring health information of the plurality of patients as recited in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of nodes where each is linked to both a different patient and the wide area network.

3. The system for monitoring health information of the plurality of patients as recited in claim 1, wherein the monitoring center reports medical data relating to diagnosing at least one of:

lung disease, heart disease, sleep apnea, arrhythmia, ischemia, congestive heart failure, and sudden infant death syndrome.

4. The system for monitoring health information of the plurality of patients as recited in claim 1, wherein the data gathering device further includes a digitizer to digitize an analog signal from the respiration sensor.

5. The system for monitoring health information of the plurality of patients as recited in claim 1, wherein the node comprises:

a portable device worn on one of the plurality of patients, and

a wireless connection to the wide area network.

6. The system for monitoring health information of the plurality of patients as recited in claim 1, where in the respiration sensor measures movement between two points on skin of a one of the plurality of patients where the two points are proximate to the one'"'"'s chest .

7. The system for monitoring health information of the plurality of patients as recited in claim 1, wherein the wide area network includes at least one of:

a wireless datalink, a telephone line, an Internet connection, and a private network.

8. The system for monitoring health information of the plurality of patients as recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless transmitter has a range of up to about 300 feet.

9. The system for monitoring health information of the plurality of patients as recited in claim 1, further comprising a second data gathering device comprising at least three of the following:

a heart rate sensor,

a pulse pressure sensor,

a blood pressure sensor,

an oxymetry sensor,

an exhaled CO₂ sensor,

an electrocardiogram sensor,

a peripheral tissue edema sensor,

a second wireless transmitter, and

a second self-contained power source.

10. The system for monitoring health information of the plurality of patients as recited in claim 1, further comprising a medical professional interface proximate to the monitoring center, wherein the medical professional interface provides heart rate and respiration data to a medical professional.

11. The system for monitoring health information of the plurality of patients as recited in claim 1, wherein an area of two inches or less is covered by the data gathering device.

12. The system for monitoring health information of the plurality of patients as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the data gathering device produces a digital signal representative of an analog signal from the sensor, and

the data gathering device processes the digital signal locally.

14. The method for remotely monitoring heart and/or lung function of the patient as recited in claim 13, further comprising steps of:

measuring one more of heart rate, chest wall movement, blood pressure, blood oxygen levels, exhaled CO₂ levels, and peripheral tissue edema with a second data gathering device;

producing second digital medical data related to the immediately-preceding measuring step;

wirelessly transmitting the second digital medical data to the node;

transmitting the second digital medical data over the wide area network to the remote location; and

processing the second digital medical data at the remote location.

15. The method for remotely monitoring heart and/or lung function of the patient as recited in claim 14, further comprising a step of displaying information related to the first and second digital medical data for a medical professional.

16. The method for remotely monitoring heart and/or lung function of the patient as recited in claim 13, wherein the node comprises:

a portable device worn on the patient, and

a wireless connection to the wide area network.

17. The method for remotely monitoring heart and/or lung function of the patient as recited in claim 13, wherein the measuring step comprises measuring with at least one of:

a heart rate sensor,

a respiration sensor,

a pulse pressure sensor,

a blood pressure sensor,

an oxymetry sensor,

an exhaled CO₂ sensor,

an electrocardiogram sensor, and

a peripheral tissue edema sensor.

18. The method for remotely monitoring heart and/or lung function of the patient as recited in claim 13, further comprising a step of providing information related to the digital medical data at the node in a form recognizable by a human.

19. The method for remotely monitoring heart and/or lung function of the patient as recited in claim 13, further comprising steps of:

receiving circulating brain natriuretic peptide level data for the patient; and

analyzing the circulating brain natriuretic peptide level data.

13. A method for remotely monitoring heart and/or lung function of a patient, the method comprising:

measuring at least one of heart rate, chest wall movement, blood pressure, blood oxygen levels, exhaled CO₂ levels, and peripheral tissue edema with a data gathering device;

producing digital medical data indicative of the measuring step;

wirelessly transmitting the digital medical data to a node;

transmitting the digital medical data over a wide area network from the node to a remote location; and

processing the digital medical data at the remote location.

20. A method for remotely monitoring heart and/or lung function of a patient, the method comprising:

measuring at least two of heart rate, chest wall movement, blood pressure, blood oxygen levels, exhaled CO₂ levels, and peripheral tissue edema with a data gathering device;

producing first digital medical data indicative of the measuring step;

producing second digital medical data indicative of the measuring step;

wirelessly transmitting the first digital medical data to a node;

wirelessly transmitting the second digital medical data to the node;

transmitting the first and second digital medical data over a wide area network from the node to a remote location; and

processing the first and second digital medical data at the remote location.

21. The method for remotely monitoring heart and/or lung function of the patient as recited in claim 20, further comprising a step of displaying information related to the first and second digital medical data for a medical professional.

22. The method for remotely monitoring heart and/or lung function of the patient as recited in claim 20, wherein the node comprises:

a portable device worn on the patient, and

a wireless connection to the wide area network.

23. The method for remotely monitoring heart and/or lung function of the patient as recited in claim 20, wherein the measuring step comprises measuring with at least two of:

a heart rate sensor,

a respiration sensor,

a pulse pressure sensor,

a blood pressure sensor,

an oxymetry sensor,

an exhaled CO₂ sensor,

an electrocardiogram sensor, and

a peripheral tissue edema sensor.

24. The method for remotely monitoring heart and/or lung function of the patient as recited in claim 20, further comprising a step of providing information related to at least one of the first and second digital medical data at the node in a form recognizable by a human.

25. The method for remotely monitoring heart and/or lung function of the patient as recited in claim 20, further comprising steps of:

receiving circulating brain natriuretic peptide level data for the patient; and

analyzing the circulating brain natriuretic peptide level data.

26. The method for remotely monitoring heart and/or lung function of the patient as recited in claim 20, further comprising a step of formulating future trend information based, at least in part, on the first and second digital medical data.