Remote data control system and measuring data gathering method

• US 20030147515A1
• Filed: 11/27/2002
• Published: 08/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARKRAY, Inc
• Original Assignee: ARKRAY, Inc
• Inventors: Harada, Toshihiko, Kawatahara, Masanao, Kai, Akinori
• Granted Patent: US 6,891,936 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/106.02
• 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 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/904 Telephone telemetry

Abstract

It is an object of the present invention to provide a remote data management system with which, by keeping the transmission of measured data from measurers from being concentrated at particular times, the measured data can be gathered efficiently and the party managing the data can suffice with a minimal equipment investment. In patient households (B, C . . . ), a personal measuring device (3) is connected to a communications device (2) via a cable or the like, and data that are measured by the personal measuring device (3) are transferred to the communications device (2) and stored. A server (1) of a medical institution (A) sends a data transmission request to the communications device (2) in each patient'"'"'s household via a public communications network 10 daily, biweekly, or monthly, for example. When the communications device (2) receives the data transmission request it transmits the stored measured data to the server (1).

Claims

1. A remote data management system comprising a measuring device with which a managed person can perform a measurement of data and a data management device for managing measured data of each managed person that are obtained with the measuring device, wherein the measured data obtained with the measuring device are collected to and managed by the data management device via a communications network, the remote data management system comprising:

a communications device which managed persons use by connecting it to their measuring device, having a measured data storage means for storing measured data obtained by the measuring device and a data transmission means for transmitting the measured data to the communications network, wherein, when connected to the measuring device, the communications device receives measured data from the measuring device and stores the measured data in the measured data storage means, and when a transmission request for the measured data is received from the data management device, the communications device reads out the measured data stored in the measured data storage means and transmits the measured data to the data management device via the communications network using the data transmission means; and

a control means for controlling the timing at which the data management device connects to the communications device of each managed person via the communications network and performs a transmission request for the measured data.

2. The remote data management system according to claim 1, wherein the data management device comprises a received data storage means for storing received measured data together with a time of reception for each managed person, and

wherein the control means determines the timing at which to carry out the transmission request to the communications device of each managed person based on a most recent time of reception of the measured data stored in the received data storage means for that managed person.

3. The remote data management system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the data management device comprises a data processing means for analyzing measured data that have been received, and the results of the analysis by the data processing means are transmitted to the communications device.

4. The remote data management system according to claim 3, wherein the data processing means creates a message for alerting a managed person to perform periodic measurements and includes this message in the results of the analysis, when a number of measured data sets that are measured after previous measured data of that managed person have been received is lower than a number of measurements that should have been performed.

5. The remote data management system according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein, when the communications device receives the data transmission request from the data management device, the communications device retrieves from the measured data that are stored in the measured data storage means measured data that have not yet been transmitted to the data management device, and transmits them to the data management device.

6. The remote data management system according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the communications network is a telephone network and the communications device is a mobile communications type telephony device.

7. The remote data management system according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the measuring device is a blood glucose level meter.

8. The remote data management system according to any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the measuring device and the communications device are configured as a single device.

9. The remote data management system according to any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the measured data that are managed by the data management device are data related to managing the health of the managed persons.

10. A measurement system wherein data measured by a measuring device with which a managed person measures data are transmitted, via a communications network, from the measuring device to a data management device for managing the measured data of the managed person, the measurement system comprising:

a communications device having a measured data storage means for storing measured data obtained with the measuring device and a data transmission means for transmitting the measured data over the communications network, wherein, when connected to the measuring device, the communications device receives measured data from the measuring device and stores the measured data in the measured data storage means, and when a transmission request for the measured data is received from the data management device, the communications device reads out the measured data stored in the measured data storage means and transmits the measured data to the data management device over the communications network using the data transmission means.

11. The measurement system according to claim 10, wherein, when the communications device receives the transmission request for the measured data from the data management device, the communications device retrieves from the measured data that are stored in the measured data storage means only measured data that have not yet been transmitted to the data management device, and transmits them to the data management device using the data transmission means.

12. The measurement system according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the communications network is a telephone network and the communications device is a mobile communications type telephony device.

13. The measurement system according to any of claims 10 to 12, wherein the measuring device is a blood glucose level meter.

14. The measurement system according to any of claims 10 to 13, wherein the measuring device and the communications device are configured as a single device.

15. A communications device in a remote data management system including a measuring device with which managed persons can perform a measurement of data, and a data management device for managing measured data for managed persons obtained with the measuring device, wherein the communications device is used by managed persons by connecting it to the measuring device, and is connected to the data management device via a communications network and transmits measured data that are received from the measuring device to the data management device, the communications device comprising:

a measured data storage means for storing measured data obtained with the measuring device; and

a data transmission means for transmitting the measured data over the communications network;

wherein, when connected to the measuring device, the communications device receives measured data from the measuring device and stores the measured data in the measured data storage means, and when a transmission request for the measured data is received from the data management device, the communications device reads out the measured data stored in the measured data storage means and transmits the measured data to the data management device over the communications network using the data transmission means.

16. The communications device according to claim 15, wherein when the communications device receives the transmission request for the measured data from the data management device, the communications device retrieves, from the measured data that are stored in the measured data storage means, measured data that have not yet been transmitted to the data management device, and transmits them to the data management device using the data transmission means.

17. The communications device according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the communications network is a telephone network and the communications device is a mobile communications type telephony device.

18. A data management device, which receives via a communications network measured data from a measurement system including a measuring means with which a managed person can perform a measurement of data, a measured data storage means for storing the measured data obtained by the measuring means, and a data transmission means for reading out the measured data from the measured data storage means when a transmission request for the measured data is received via a communications network, and manages the measured data, the data management device comprising:

a control means that is connected to the measuring system of each managed person via the communications network and controls the timing at which the transmission request for the measured data is performed.

19. The data management device according to claim 18, further comprising a received data storage means for storing measured data received from the measuring system together with a time of reception for each managed person;

wherein the control means determines the timing at which to carry out the transmission request to the measuring system of each managed person based on a most recent time of reception of the measured data stored in the received data storage means for that managed person.

20. The data management device according to claim 18 or 19, further comprising a data processing means for analyzing measured data that are received from the measuring system, wherein the data management device transmits results of the analysis by the data processing means to the measuring system using the communications means.

21. The data management device according to claim 20, wherein the data processing means incorporates, into the results of the analysis, a message alerting a managed person to perform periodic measurements, when, of the measured data that are received from the measuring system, a number of measured data sets that are measured after previously measured data of that managed person are received is less than a number of measurements that should have been performed.

22. A method for gathering measured data, wherein

in a remote data management system including a measuring device with which managed persons can perform a measurement of data, a data management device for managing measured data of each managed person obtained with the measuring device, and a communications device that is connected to the measuring device and used by the managed persons, wherein the communications device has a measured data storage means for storing the measured data and transmits the measured data to the data management device via a communications network,

the measured data of the managed persons obtained with the measuring device are gathered in the data management device;

the measured data gathering method comprising

connecting the measuring device to the communications device and storing the measured data obtained with the measuring device in the measured data storage means of the communications device;

connecting the data management device to the communications device of the each managed person via the communications network at a predetermined timing and performing a transmission request for the measured data; and

the communications device reading out the measured data from the measured data storage means and transmitting the measured data to the data management device via the communications network when the transmission request for the measured data is received from the data management device.

23. The method for gathering measured data according to claim 22, wherein the timing at which the data management device carries out the transmission request for measured data to the communications device of each managed person is determined based on a last time the measured data for that managed person was received.

24. The method for gathering measured data according to claim 22 or 23, wherein, when the transmission request for the measured data is received from the data management device, measured data from among the measured data stored in the measured data storage means that have not yet been transmitted to the data management device are retrieved, and only the measured data that are retrieved are transmitted to the data management device.

25. A program storage medium, on which is stored a program for controlling operation of a communications device in a remote data management system that includes a measuring device with which managed persons can perform a measurement of data and a data management device for managing the measured data of each managed persons that are obtained with the measuring device, wherein the communications device is used by the managed persons by connecting it to the memory device and is connected to the data management device via a communications network and transmits the measured data that are received from the measuring device to the data management device;

wherein the program executes on the communications device;

a storage process for receiving measured data from the measuring device and storing the measured data in a storage means; and

a transmission process for reading out the measured data stored in the storage means and transmitting the measured data to the data management device via the communications network when the transmission request for the measured data is received from the data management device.

26. A program storage medium on which is stored a program for controlling operation of a data management device for gathering and managing measured data of each managed person via a communications network from a measuring system that includes a measuring means with which the managed persons can perform a measurement of data, a storage means for storing measured data obtained with the measuring means, and a data transmission means for reading out the measured data from the storage means and transmitting the measured data over the communications network when a transmission request for the measured data is received via the communications network;

wherein the program executes on the data management device a process for connecting to the measuring system of each managed person via the communications network and carrying out the transmission request for the measured data at a predetermined timing.

27. A program storage medium on which is stored a program for controlling operation of a data management device that receives and manages measured data of managed persons via a communications network from a measurement system including a measuring means with which the managed persons can perform a measurement of data, a storage means for storing measured data obtained with the measuring means, and a data transmission means for reading out the measured data from the storage means and transmitting the measured data over the communications network when a request for transmission of the measured data is received via the communications network, wherein the data management device is provided with a received data storage means for storing the measured data of each managed person that are received and a time of reception thereof;

wherein the program executes on the data management device a procedure with which the data management device;

determines a timing at which the request for transmission of the measured data should be sent to the measuring system of each managed person based on a most recent time of reception of the measured data stored in the received data storage means for that managed person; and

connects to the measuring system of each managed person via the communications network at the determined timing and performs the request for transmission of the measured data.