Sleep-lab systems and methods

• US 20040244807A1
• Filed: 06/04/2004
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Vitalog, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Vitalog, Inc.
• Inventors: Miles, Laughton, Tverskaya, Julia, Zau, Kang, Prupis, Victor, Sun, Jianguo
• Application Number:
  US10/861,089
• Publication Number:
  US 20040244807A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/26
• 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 5/4806 Sleep evaluation A61B5/4821 takes precedence; devices for inducing sleep A61M21/02

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for operation of a sleep-lab. A central processor provides connectivity between sleep-lab personnel, sleep-lab equipment, monitoring and analysis personnel and the patient. The sleep-lab supports at-home treatment and diagnostics, monitor-only sleep labs, and conventional sleep-labs. Monitoring and analysis, performed by the real-time monitor, scorer and over-reader, interpreter, and follow-up analyst, may be performed at a central location or disbursed throughout the world to take advantage of time-shifting and/or other resources. A central processor provides security and connectivity to facilitate the data exchange between data sources and monitoring and analysis facilities. A sleep-lab communication protocol helps to ensure a loss-less transfer of data over an interruptible network connection. A sleep-lab interface provides data conversion and accounting processes.

Claims

1. A system for remote sleep-lab patient monitoring comprising:

a patient connected to a biometric sleep monitor located at a first location wherein the biometric sleep monitor reads the patient physiology as raw sleep-data;

the biometric sleep monitor is connected to a network, providing raw sleep-data to a central server at a second location;

an analyzer at one or more other locations connected to the network, receiving raw sleep-data from the central server and providing analyzed data.

2. A system of claim 1, further comprising biometric sleep monitor receive data and commands from an authorized user of the network connection.

3. A system of claim 1, wherein the biometric sleep monitor is connected to the network through a connection with a virtual sleep-lab connectivity device.

4. A system of claim 1, wherein the biometric sleep monitor provides a treatment to the patient.

5. A system of claim 1, wherein the analyzer at one or more other locations further comprises:

a first monitor of the raw sleep-data at a third location connected to the network to receive raw sleep-data, monitor the raw sleep-data and issue commands.

6. A system of claim 5, wherein the first monitor issues commands to be received by one of the biometric sleep monitor and the virtual sleep-lab connectivity device.

7. A system of claim 5, wherein the first monitor issues commands to be received by a device capable of conveying the command to a healthcare provider at the first location.

8. A system of claim 5, wherein the first monitor issues commands to be received by the central server.

9. A system of claim 5, wherein the first monitor issues commands to be received by another authorized recipient of the commands.

10. A system of claim 5, wherein the analyzer at one or more other locations further comprises:

a second monitor of the raw sleep-data at a fourth location connected to the network to receive raw sleep-data, monitor the raw sleep-data, and issue commands.

11. A system of claim 10, wherein the second monitor issues commands to be received by one of the biometric sleep monitor and the virtual sleep-lab connectivity device.

12. A system of claim 10, wherein the second monitor issues commands to be received by a device capable of conveying the command to a healthcare provider at the first location.

13. A system of claim 10, wherein the second monitor issues commands to be received by one of the first monitor and the central server.

14. A system of claim 10, wherein the second monitor issues commands to be received by another authorized recipient of the commands.

15. A system of claim 10, wherein the first monitor issues commands to be received by the second monitor.

16. A system of claim 1, wherein the analyzer at one or more other locations further comprises:

a scorer of the raw sleep-data at a third location connected to the network to receive raw sleep-data, score the raw sleep-data, and issue a scored sleep report to authorized recipients on the network.

17. A system of claim 1, wherein the analyzer at one or more other locations further comprises:

an interpreter at a third location connected to the network to receive one of raw sleep-data and scored sleep-data.

18. A system of claim 1, wherein the analyzer at one or more other locations further comprises:

an interpreter at a third location connected to the network to receive commands and issue an interpretation to authorized recipients on the network.

19. A system of claim 1, wherein the analyzer at one or more other locations further comprises:

a refinement analysis at a third location connected to the network to receive the scored sleep-data score, analyze the scored sleep-data score and issue a treatment refinement analysis to an authorized recipient on the network.

20. A system of claim 1, wherein the analyzer at one or more other locations further comprises:

a refinement analysis at a third location connected to the network to receive raw sleep-data, analyze the raw sleep-data, and issue a treatment refinement analysis to an authorized recipient on the network.

21. A system of claim 3, wherein the virtual sleep-lab connectivity device provides one of audio communication, video communication, text communication, and iconic communication between the patient and a healthcare provider over the network.

22. A sleep-lab data interface comprising:

a central processor;

a network; and

a database for storing and retrieval of sleep-lab data.

23. An interface of claim 22, wherein the central processor comprises:

a server; and

a user authentication interface to grant or deny access to one or more other interfaces.

24. An interface of claim 22, wherein the database maintains one or more of patient information, patient sleep-lab raw data, a patient'"'"'s scored sleep-data, a patient'"'"'s interpreted sleep-data, a patient'"'"'s follow-up analysis, version data on sleep-lab equipment, device driver data on sleep-lab equipment, and other relevant patient sleep diagnosis and treatment data.

25. An interface of claim 23, wherein the server facilitates real-time communication between a biometric sleep monitoring device and a patient monitoring facility.

26. An interface of claim 23, wherein the server facilitates real-time communication between a patient monitoring facility and one of a patient diagnosis facility and a patient analysis facility.

27. An interface of claim 23, wherein the server facilitates real-time communication between a patient analysis facility and a patient diagnosis facility.

28. An interface of claim 23, wherein the server facilitates batch communication between a biometric sleep monitoring device and one of a patient monitoring facility, a patient diagnosis facility and a patient analysis facility.

29. An interface of claim 23, wherein the server facilitates batch communication between a patient monitoring facility and one of a patient diagnosis facility and a patient analysis facility.

30. An interface of claim 23, wherein the server facilitates batch communication between a patient analysis facility and a patient diagnosis facility.

31. An interface of claim 23, wherein the server facilitates communication in the form of alerts.

32. An interface of claim 23, wherein the server facilitates data conversion to a standard data format.

33. A method of performing sleep studies at a remote location through the Internet, comprising:

communicating patient sleep-data through the Internet to a centralized server; and

accessing the centralized server to evaluate the patient sleep-data.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising alerting a patient as to abnormalities in the patient sleep-data.

35. The method of claim 33, further comprising monitoring a patient to determine the patient sleep-data.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein accessing comprises scoring the patient sleep-data based on one or more attributes of availability, file name, file size, length of recording, date of recording, time of recording, place of recording, type of recording, recording equipment used, patient, doctor, sleep-lab, completeness, reviewer, review status, sequence number and datamap position.

37. A sleep lab system, comprising:

a sleep monitor configured for monitoring a patient'"'"'s sleep-data;

server connectivity to the sleep monitor; and

a plurality of access ports interfacing through the server connectivity to the sleep monitor to access the data from the sleep monitor.

38. The sleep lab system of claim 37, wherein the server connectivity is configurable to a plurality of sleep monitor types.

39. A sleep-analysis software product, comprising:

a computer readable medium comprising instructions for monitoring a patient'"'"'s sleep and for analyzing substantially real-time data resulting from monitoring.

40. The sleep analysis software product of claim 39, the sleep analysis software product configurable with a personal computer, wherein the instructions are modifiable through software downloads via the internet.

41. A process for CPAP follow-up, comprising:

receiving a patient'"'"'s CPAP follow-up attributes from the patient'"'"'s locale;

storing the attributes in a centralized server via a VSL network hub in response to receiving; and

evaluating the attributes to determine one or more of

whether the patient is adhering to the CPAP follow-up and

whether monitoring is operationally functional.

42. The process of claim 41, the patient CPAP attributes including one or more of quality of life information, hours used, and relative patient experiences.

43. The process of claim 41, further comprising transferring a questionnaire from the server to the patient for ascertaining the patient attributes.

44. The process of claim 41, further comprising transferring a questionnaire completed by the patient from the patient'"'"'s locale to the centralized server.

45. The process of claim 44, wherein transferring comprises transferring the questionnaire to the server through one or more of an internet connection, a dial-up connection, a wireless device, and a cable connection.

46. The process of claim 44, wherein transferring comprises transferring the questionnaire through one of an audio and a video connection.

47. The process of claim 41, further comprising retrieving evaluation scores at the patient'"'"'s locale through an internet connection.

48. The process of claim 41, further comprising modifying software at the patient'"'"'s locale via the centralized server, the software operable to receive the patient'"'"'s CPAP follow-up attributes, to store the attributes in a centralized server, and to evaluate the attributes.