Dyspnea monitor, and telemedicine system and method

• US 20040068197A1
• Filed: 10/03/2002
• Published: 04/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: F Poszat Hu LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Home-Medicine.com Incorporated
• Inventors: Sarel, Oded
• Granted Patent: US 6,949,073 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/529
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/411 Detecting or monitoring allergy or intolerance reactions to an allergenic agent or substance
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring

Abstract

Breathing interval measurement apparatus for measuring breathing of a subject, the apparatus comprising: a breathing interval beginning determinator, a breathing interval end determinator, and a timer associated with said breathing interval beginning determinator and said breathing interval end determinator to measure an interval between activation of said determinators, and a processor operable with said timer to assign levels of importance to said measured time interval.

Claims

1. Breathing interval measurement apparatus for measuring breathing of a subject, the apparatus comprising

a breathing interval beginning determinator,

a breathing interval end determinator, and

a timer associated with said breathing interval beginning determinator and said breathing interval end determinator to measure an interval between activation of said determinators, and

a processor operable with said timer to assign levels of importance to said measured time interval.

2. Breathing interval measuring apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising storage for storing a previous measurement, and a comparator for comparing said interval with said previous measurement.

3. Breathing interval measuring apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a communication unit for sending processed data of said breathing measuring to a remote location.

4. Breathing interval measuring apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an instruction unit for providing interactive instructions to said subject.

5. Breathing interval measuring apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said instruction unit is remotely located.

6. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said breathing interval end determinator comprises a sound analyzer operable to identify intake of breath.

7. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said sound analyzer is operable to make said determination from sound envelope measurement.

8. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said sound analyzer is operable to make said determination from identification of sounds indicative of breathing end.

9. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said breathing interval beginning determinator comprises a sound analyzer operable to identify intake of breath.

10. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said sound analyzer is operable to make said determination from sound envelope measurement.

11. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said sound analyzer is operable to make said determination from identification of sounds indicative of breathing start.

12. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said breathing interval beginning determinator comprises a sound analyzer operable to identify intake of breath.

13. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said breathing interval end determinator is operable to determine a breathing interval end over a remote connection.

14. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said breathing interval beginning determinator is a user activation unit.

15. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 1, said processor being operable to assign high levels of importance to short measured intervals and successively lower levels of importance to successively longer intervals.

16. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 15, said processor operable to define at least four levels of importance to said result.

17. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 15, said processor operable to define at least seven levels of importance.

18. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said processor is remotely located.

19. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said processor is-remotely located.

20. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 19, said processor being arranged to receive other measurements from said patient, and to assign levels of importance thereto, and comprising logic for combining said assigned levels of importance to form a recommendation.

21. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said processor further comprises a communicator for selecting at least one communication target and communicating said recommendation to said target.

22. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 21 wherein said target is said subject.

23. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said target comprises medical personnel.

24. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said target is selectable in accordance with said recommendation.

25. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 24, wherein given recommendations have a plurality of selectable targets.

26. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said plurality of selectable targets include at least one of a group comprising a laboratory for carrying out a respective test, a pharmaceutical supplier for supplying a relevant pharmaceutical, a hospital for making available medical facilities, a specialist medical practitioner for providing specialist medical services and a general medical practitioner for providing generalized medical services.

27. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 23, further comprising target input functionality through which at least one of said medical personnel is able to select any of said measurements and recommendations to be automatically informed of.

28. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said communicator is operable to communicate messages of successively increasing levels of importance in accordance with said recommendation.

29. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said recommendations are associated with follow-up questions selected to test an understanding of said recommendations, the apparatus further comprising follow-up functionality operable to select at least one of said predetermined follow-up questions associated with said recommendation to communicate to said subject via said communicator, and an evaluator to evaluate a response of said subject, to said question, thereby to determine whether a subject has understood said recommendation.

30. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 29, further comprising a telephone connection to connect between said subject and said processor.

31. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 30, wherein said breathing interval beginning determinator is a telephone key.

32. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 31, wherein said communicator is an audio communicator.

33. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 32, wherein said breathing interval end determinator is a telephone key.

34. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 33, comprising a telephone microphone for remotely sensing said breathing of said subject.

35. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said timer is remotely located from said subject.

36. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 35, further comprising a memory for storing profiles of individual subjects, and wherein said processor comprises an identity matcher to obtain identity information of a subject and to associate said subject with a respective profile, thereby to modify said recommendation based on said respective profile.

37. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 36, further comprising an interactive profile builder for interactively remotely asking questions of a subject and processing answers of a subject thereby to individualize a respective profile for said subject.

38. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 37, wherein said remote interactive profile builder comprises an Internet text-based form.

39. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 38, wherein said remote interactive profile builder is adapted to interact with said subject via mobile telephony.

40. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 37, wherein said remote interactive profile builder comprises voice processing.

41. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 39, wherein said remote interactive profile builder comprises voice processing.

42. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 37, comprising subject-operable language selection functionality to allow a subject to select a language for said interaction.

43. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 36, wherein said identity matcher comprises log-in functionality for interactively obtaining said identity information from said subject.

44. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 36, wherein said profile comprises medical history information of said subject, said logic for combining further being operable to combine said medical history with said measurements to adjust said levels of importance, thereby to modify said recommendation.

45. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 44, wherein said logic for combining includes predetermined modification rules for modifying said levels of importance in accordance with particular conditions appearing in said history.

46. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 45, wherein said particular conditions with predetermined modification rules include any one of a group comprising:

CVA, brain hemorrhage, brain blockage, TIA, Diabetes, Bruit, and PMI, and a combination thereof.

47. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 46, wherein said measurements comprise blood pressure.

48. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 45, wherein each one of a plurality of conditions is assigned a predetermined delta for at least one respective measurement, said logic being operable to assign a level of importance calculated from an initial threshold set assigned to said measurement combined with a summation of each delta for each respective condition.

49. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 47, wherein each one of a plurality of conditions is assigned a predetermined delta for at least one respective measurement, said logic being operable to assign a level of importance calculated from an initial threshold set assigned to said measurement combined with a summation of each delta for each respective condition.

50. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 48, wherein said logic for combining is further operable to combine a recommendation with an additional measurement to make an additional recommendation.

51. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 50, wherein said logic for combining is operable to combine said recommendation and said additional recommendation to form a third recommendation.

52. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 51, wherein said logic for combining is operable to combine at least one of said recommendation, said additional recommendation and said third recommendation with an additional input to derive a fourth recommendation.

53. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 1, further operable to base a plurality of recommendations on substantially an identical measurement set.

54. Remote measuring apparatus comprising:

a sound pickup unit for picking up breathing sounds,

a voice connection, and

processing functionality remotely linked via said voice connection to said sound pickup unit for processing said breathing sounds, thereby to obtain breathing related measurments.

55. Remote interactive patient assessment system, comprising:

an input for receiving subject identification data and measurements remotely from a subject,

an identifier for using said identification data to associate a subject with a prestored subject profile,

a thresholder for assigning thresholds to respective measurements from which to derive levels of importance of said measurements,

said thresholder being operable with said subject profile to modify said thresholds in accordance with subject medical conditions found in said subject profile, and

combination logic for combining said levels of importance to form a first recommendation.

56. System according to claim 55, wherein each one of a plurality of conditions is assigned a delta for application to each one of a plurality of measurements, said thresholder being adapted to apply a summation to each threshold of each delta for a respective measurement of each condition present in said profile.

57. System according to claim 55, wherein said thresholder is operable to define at least four levels of importance to said measurement.

58. System according to claim 56, wherein said thresholder is operable to define at least seven levels of importance.

59. System according to claim 55, further comprising a communicator for selecting at least one communication target and communicating said recommendation to said target.

60. System according to claim 59 wherein said target is said subject.

61. System according to claim 59, wherein said target comprises medical personnel.

62. System according to claim 61, wherein said target is selectable in accordance with said recommendation.

63. System according to claim 62, wherein given recommendations have a plurality of selectable targets.

64. System according to claim 63, wherein said plurality of selectable targets includes at least one of a group comprising a laboratory for carrying out a respective test, a pharmaceutical supplier for supplying a relevant pharmaceutical, a hospital for making available medical facilities, a specialist medical practitioner for providing specialist medical services and a general medical practitioner for providing generalized medical services.

65. System according to claim 61, further comprising target input functionality through which at least one of said medical personnel is able to select any of said measurements and recommendations to be automatically informed of.

66. System according to claim 60, wherein said communicator is operable to communicate messages of successively increasing levels of importance in accordance with said recommendation.

67. System according to claim 66, wherein said recommendations are associated with follow-up questions selected to test an understanding of said recommendations, the system further comprising follow-up functionality operable to select at least one of said predetermined follow-up questions associated with said recommendation to ask said subject, and an evaluator to evaluate a response of said subject, to said question, thereby to determine whether a subject has understood said recommendation.

68. System according to claim 67, further comprising a telephone connection to connect with said subject.

69. System according to claim 59, wherein said communicator is an audio communicator.

70. System according to claim 55, further comprising an interactive profile builder for interactively remotely asking questions of a subject and processing answers of a subject thereby to individualize a respective profile for said subject.

71. System according to claim 70, wherein said remote interactive profile builder comprises an Internet text-based form.

72. System according to claim 71, wherein said remote interactive profile builder is adapted to interact with said subject via mobile telephony.

73. System according to claim 70, wherein said remote interactive profile builder comprises voice processing.

74. System according to claim 72, wherein said remote interactive profile builder comprises voice processing.

75. System according to claim 70, comprising subject-operable language selection functionality to allow a subject to select a language for said interaction.

76. System according to claim 55, wherein said identifier comprises log-in functionality for interactively obtaining said identity information from said subject.

77. Breathing interval measurement apparatus according to claim 55, wherein said logic for combining includes predetermined modification rules for modifying said levels of importance in accordance with particular conditions appearing in said history.

78. System according to claim 77, wherein said particular conditions with predetermined modification rules including any one of a group comprising:

CVA, brain hemorrhage, brain blockage, TIA, Diabetes, Bruit, and PMI, and a combination thereof.

79. System according to claim 78, wherein said measurements include blood pressure.

80. System according to claim 55, wherein said logic for combining is further operable to combine a recommendation with an additional measurement to make an additional recommendation.

81. System according to claim 80, wherein said logic for combining is operable to combine said recommendation and said additional recommendation to form a third recommendation.

82. System according to claim 81, wherein said logic for combining is operable to combine at least one of said recommendation, said additional recommendation and said third recommendation with an additional input to derive a fourth recommendation.

83. System according to claim 55, further operable to base a plurality of recommendations on substantially an identical measurement set.

84. Remote interactive patient assessment system, comprising:

an input for receiving subject identification data and measurements remotely from a subject,

a thresholder for assigning thresholds to respective measurements from which to derive levels of importance of said measurements,

combination logic for combining said levels of importance to form a first recommendation, and

a communicator for communicating said recommendation to an output target, said communicator comprising a target selector for selecting at least one target for sending said recommendation.

85. System according to claim 84, wherein said target selector comprises target selection logic operable to select said at least one target according to a predefined target profile associated with said recommendation.

86. System according to claim 84, wherein said target selector comprises an interface for allowing a target to select data and measurements to be sent thereto.

87. System according to claim 84, wherein said targets include any one of a group comprising the subject, a pharmaceutical supplier, a specialist medical practitioner, a hospital, a general medical practitioner, and emergency medical services.

88. System according to claim 84, further comprising an identifier for obtaining identification information from a subject, thereby to associate said subject with a respective user profile.

89. System according to claim 88, wherein said user profile comprises any of a plurality of conditions in a subject'"'"'s medical history, each one of said plurality of conditions being assigned a delta for application to each one of a plurality of measurements, said thresholder being adapted to apply a summation to each threshold of each delta for a respective measurement of each condition present in said profile.

90. System according to claim 88, wherein said thresholder is operable to define at least four levels of importance to said measurement.

91. System according to claim 89, wherein said thresholder is operable to define at least seven levels of importance.

92. System according to claim 88, further comprising a communicator for selecting at least one communication target and communicating said recommendation to said target.

93. System according to claim 92, wherein said communicator is operable to communicate messages of successively increasing levels of importance in accordance with said recommendation.

94. System according to claim 93, said recommendations being associated with follow-up questions selected to test an understanding of said recommendations, the system further comprising follow-up functionality operable to select at least one of said predetermined follow-up questions associated with said recommendation to ask said subject, and an evaluator to evaluate a response of said subject, to said question, thereby to determine whether a subject has understood said recommendation.

95. System according to claim 94, further comprising a telephone connection to connect with said subject.

96. System according to claim 92, wherein said communicator is an audio communicator.

97. System according to claim 88, further comprising an interactive profile builder for interactively remotely asking questions of a subject and processing answers of a subject thereby to individualize a respective profile for said subject.

98. System according to claim 97, said remote interactive profile builder comprising an Internet text-based form.

99. System according to claim 98, said remote interactive profile builder being adapted to interact with said subject via mobile telephony.

100. System according to claim 97, said remote interactive profile builder comprising voice processing.

101. System according to claim 99, said remote interactive profile builder comprising voice processing.

102. System according to claim 97, comprising subject-operable language selection functionality to allow a subject to select a language for said interaction.

103. System according to claim 88, wherein said identifier comprises log-in functionality for interactively obtaining said identity information from said subject.

104. System according to claim 88, wherein said logic for combining includes predetermined modification rules for modifying said levels of importance in accordance with particular conditions appearing in said history.

105. System according to claim 104, wherein said particular conditions with predetermined modification rules include any one of a group comprising:

CVA, brain hemorrhage, brain blockage, TIA, Diabetes, Bruit, and PMI, and a combination thereof.

106. System according to claim 105, wherein said measurements include blood pressure.

107. System according to claim 88, wherein said logic for combining is further operable to combine a recommendation with an additional measurement to make an additional recommendation.

108. System according to claim 107, wherein said logic for combining is operable to combine said recommendation and said additional recommendation to form a third recommendation.

109. System according to claim 108, wherein said logic for combining is operable to combine at least one of said recommendation, said additional recommendation and said third recommendation with an additional input to derive a fourth recommendation.

110. System according to claim 88, further operable to base a plurality of recommendations on substantially an identical measurement set.

111. A method of remotely monitoring breathing quality of a subject, comprising:

remotely determining that a breath has been begun by said subject,

commencing a timing operation upon said determination,

remotely automatically determining that said breath has been completed,

ending said timing operation upon determination of said completion,

comparing an output of said timing operation with at least one threshold,

from said comparison making a determination of said breathing quality.

112. A method according to claim 111, comprising using sound envelope measurements to determine said beginning and said end of said breath.

113. A method according to claim 111, comprising using subject input to determine said beginning and using sound envelope measurements to determine said end.

114. A method according to claim 111, comprising using voice processing to determine said beginning and said end of said breath.

115. A method according to claim 111, comprising using subject input to determine said beginning of said breath and using voice processing to determine said end of said breath.

116. A method of automatic patient monitoring and assessment comprising:

receiving identity data of a subject,

using said identity data to find a prestored subject profile comprising medical history of said subject including medical conditions of said subject, each condition having deltas associated therewith for modifying recommendation thresholds of given measurements,

for each of said given measurements, modifying respective thresholds in accordance with a summation of each respective delta of each condition in said profile,

receiving measurements from said subject corresponding to said given measurements,

associating a status with each received measurement in accordance with said modified thresholds, and

assessing said subject in accordance with said assigned statuses.

117. The method of claim 116, wherein said measurements and said thresholds correspond to a breathing test.

118. A method of automatic patient monitoring and assessment comprising:

receiving measurement data of a subject,

using prestored thresholds to apply to each measurement a status,

using combinational logic to derive output recommendations from said statuses,

using predetermined recommendation profiles associated with each possible output recommendation to direct different output recommendations to different recipients in accordance with respective content of said output recommendation.

119. The method of claim 118, wherein said measurement data correspond to a breathing test.

120. A method of automatic patient monitoring and assessment comprising:

receiving measurement data of a subject, said data comprising a plurality of measurements,

using prestored thresholds to apply to at least some of said measurements a respective status,

using combinational logic to derive output recommendations from said respective statuses,

receiving from potential recipients requests for output recommendations said recipient wishes to be informed of, and

directing different output recommendations to different recipients in accordance with a respective recipient request.

121. The method of claim 120, wherein data corresponds to a breathing test.

122. A method of post-operative patient monitoring comprising:

using a communication network to monitor patients remotely, and

assigning costs of using said communication network to a communication overhead in a cost report.