System and a method for monitoring the effectiveness of a medical treatment

• US 20020087054A1
• Filed: 01/16/2001
• Published: 07/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microlife Intellectual Property GmbH
• Original Assignee: Microlife Intellectual Property GmbH
• Inventors: Frick, Gerhard, Fong, Yi-Ling, Lin, Wen-Guai
• Application Number:
  US09/759,637
• Publication Number:
  US 20020087054A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0456 Apparatus provided with a docking unit
• 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 5/0008 Temperature signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0017 transmitting optical signals transmission by light H04B10/00
• 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 5/022 by applying pressure to close blood vessels, e.g. against the skin; Ophthalmodynamometers
• 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 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4833 Assessment of subject's compliance to treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 15/00 Printed matter of special format or style not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients

Abstract

In a system for monitoring the effectiveness of a medical treatment of a patient, signals indicating whether the patient (online) with a medicine regimen and with a health parameter measurement schedule and health parameter measurement data are printed out on a printer (13, 23) or displayed on other display means (33). The doctor therefore may easily monitor the influence of a medication to the health parameters.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring a medical treatment of a patient, the system comprising

at least one medicine container (10) for storing medicine and designed to produce a first signal (Si) indicative of the patient taking medicine, such as indicating a container opening,

at least a measuring device (11, 21, 44, 45, 46) for measuring at least one health parameter of the patient for producing a second signal (S2) indicative of said health parameter,

a control and calculating unit (12) and

a printer (13, 23) or an other display means (33),

wherein said first signal (S1) may be coupled into said control and calculating unit (12) for storing and/or displaying medication compliance data (14)

wherein said second signal (S2) may be coupled into said control and calculating unit (12) for displaying and/or storing health parameter

and wherein said printer (13) or said other display means (33) is adapted to be coupled to said control and calculating unit in such a way that a series of medication compliance data and health parameter data of the patient may be printed out with said printer (13) or displayed on said display (14;

33).

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein a medication schedule and/or a health parameter measurement schedule is stored in a memory (42) associated with the control and calculating unit (12).

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the system is formed as an integral unit with a housing (27) including said medicine container (10), said measuring device (21) and said printer (23).

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the system comprises a base unit (16) wherein the medicine container (10) and/or at least one measuring device (11, 44, 45, 46) is adapted to be connected to and removed from said base unit (16).

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein said printer (13) is designed as a remote printer (13) separate from said base unit (16) and wherein medication compliance data and health parameter data may be transmitted to said printer via a communications link (IR).

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein the system (1) comprises means (17) for causing said printer to print out medication compliance data and health parameter data.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein the system comprises a voice generator (19) for reminding the patient to take medicine and/or to measure health parameters.

8. A system according claim 1, wherein said control and calculating unit is associated with a memory means (42) for storing a series of subsequent medication compliance data and a series of subsequent health parameter data.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein said control and calculating unit is programmed in such a way as to calculate a log or chart of a series of successive medication compliance data and health parameter data to be printed out on said printer.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein said control and calculating unit is programmed in such a way as to indicate compliance of the patient with a medication schedule and/or a health parameter measurement schedule by displaying symbols (NM, NE, M,H).

11. A system according to one of the claims 1 to 10, wherein the system includes a sheet like personal health passport (2) to which print outs (P, P1) of a plurality of health parameter data and medicine compliance data may be attached, preferably by means of adhesive strips (3) on said passport (2).

13. A method according to claim 12, comprising the further step of comparing the medicine compliance data and the health parameter data with a medicine compliance schedule and a health parameter measurement schedule stored in a memory (42).

15. A method according to claim 14, comprising the further step of generating voice messages for reminding the patient to comply with a medication schedule and/or to measure health parameters.

16. A method according to claim 12, comprising the further step of calculating and displaying statistic values (STAT) of the health parameter data.

17. A method according to claim 12, wherein compliance and non compliance with scheduled medication and/or health parameter measurements is displayed with symbols (NH, NM, H, M.

18. A method according to claim 12, comprising the further steps of displaying a log or chart of a series of successive medication compliance data and health parameter data.

19. A method according to claim 12, comprising the further step of attaching at least one print out (P) produced in step f on a sheet like personal health passport (2).

12. A method for monitoring a medical treatment of a patient, the method comprising the steps of

a) generating a first signal (Al) indicative of a patient taking a medicine.

b) transmitting said first signal (S1) to a control and calculating unit (12) and storing or displaying medicine compliance data relating to said first signal (S1).

c) measuring at least one health parameter of said patient and generating at least a second signal (S2) indicative of a health parameter of said patient.

d) transmitting said second signal to a control and calculating unit (12) and storing a displaying health parameter data.

e) repeating at least steps a) and b) at least once for generating a series of successive medicine compliance data and a series of successive health parameter data,

f) printing or displaying said series of successive medicine compliance data and health parameter data.

14. A method according to claims 12, comprising the further step of transmitting medicine compliance data and health parameter data via a communications link, especially via a wireless communications link to a printer (13).