Remote health monitoring and maintenance system

• US 20060178914A1
• Filed: 04/04/2006
• Published: 08/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1992
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Health Hero Network Incorporated (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Health Hero Network Incorporated (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Inventors: Brown, Stephen J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,761,312 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0431 Portable apparatus, e.g. comprising a handle or case
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0443 Modular apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0295 Strip shaped analyte sensors for apparatus classified in A61B5/145 or A61B5/157 disposable multilayered or laminated electrodes G01N27/307; details of handling chemical test elements G01N33/4875
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• 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 5/087 Measuring breath flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14 Devices for taking samples of blood hypodermic syringes A61M5/00; Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration within the blood, pH-value of blood measuring of blood pressure A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150022 for capillary blood or interstitial fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150854 long distance, e.g. between patient's home and doctor's office
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6896 Toys
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7275 Determining trends in physiological measurement data; Predicting development of a medical condition based on physiological measurements, e.g. determining a risk factor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/743 Displaying an image simultaneously with additional graphical information, e.g. symbols, charts, function plots
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/48792 Data management, e.g. communication with processing unit for in vivo diagnostics A61B5/0002; transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/20 for electronic clinical trials or questionnaires
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/90 Blood pressure recorder

Abstract

A system and method is described that enables a health care provider to monitor and manage a health condition of a patient. The system includes a health care provider apparatus operated by a health care provider and a remotely programmable patient apparatus that is operated by a patient. The health care provider develops a script program using the health care provider apparatus and then sends the script program to a remotely programmable patient apparatus through a communication network such as the World Wide Web. The script program is a computer-executable patient protocol that provides information to the patient about the patient'"'"'s health condition and that interactively monitors the patient health condition by asking the patient questions and by receiving answers to those questions. The answers to these health related questions are then forwarded as patient data from the remotely programmable patient apparatus to the health care provider apparatus through the communication network. The patient data may also include information supplied by a physiological monitoring device such as a blood glucose monitor that is connected to the remotely programmable patient apparatus. When the patient data arrives at the health care provider apparatus, the patient data is processed for further management of the patient'"'"'s health condition by the health care provider, such as forwarding another script program to the remotely programmable patient apparatus.

Claims

1. A method for the remote monitoring and management of a patient'"'"'s health condition by a health care provider, the method comprising:

a) providing a health care provider apparatus to the health care provider, a health care provider apparatus, comprising;

i) a health care provider interaction unit having;

A) a health care provider interaction unit display that is controlled by a health care provider interaction unit interface, a health care provider interaction unit interface accepting a health care provider display information and rendering the health care provider display information for display on the health care provider interaction unit display;

B) a health care provider interaction unit input device that receives a health care provider input from the health care provider, the health care provider interaction unit input device sending the health care provider input to the health care provider interaction interface;

ii) a health care provider data management unit, comprising;

A) a health care provider central processing unit having a health care provider script program;

B) a health care provider communications circuit coupled to the health care provider central processing unit;

C) a health care provider memory coupled to the health care provider central processing unit;

b) generating the script program with the health care provider script generator, the script program having script commands representing a computer-executable patient protocol for the management and monitoring of the patient'"'"'s health condition;

c) providing a remotely-programmable patient apparatus to the patient, the remotely-programmable patient apparatus, comprising;

i) a patient interaction unit having;

A) the patient interaction unit display that is controlled by a patient interaction unit interface, the patient interaction unit interface accepting a patient display information and rendering the patient display information for display on the patient interaction unit display;

B) a patient interaction unit input device that receives a patient data from the patient, the patient interaction unit input device sending the patient data to the patient interaction unit interface;

ii) a patient data management unit, comprising;

A) a patient central processing unit having a patient script processor for processing the script program;

B) a patient communications circuit coupled to the patient central processing unit;

C) a patient memory coupled to the patient central processing unit;

d) connecting the health care provider apparatus to the communication network by way of the health care provider communication means;

e) connecting the remotely programmable patient apparatus to the communication network by way of the patient communication means;

f) downloading the script program from the health care provider apparatus to the remotely programmable patient apparatus over the communication network;

g) processing the script program with the patient central processing means of the remotely programmable patient apparatus, the processing of the script program producing the patient display information;

h) displaying the patient display information to the patient on the patient interaction unit display of the patient interaction unit.

2-53. -53. (canceled)

54. A remote patient management system, comprising:

at least one sensor outputting patient physiologic data;

a patient monitor operative to receive the physiologic data and automatically download the data in encrypted form to a network over a wired telephone connection; and

a server interfaced to the network providing a viewing environment enabling a clinician to access and decrypt the patient physiologic data for private analysis or diagnostic purposes.

55. The remote patient management system according to claim 54, wherein the patient physiologic data output by the sensor is cardiac-related.

56. The remote patient management system according to claim 55, wherein the patient physiologic data output by the sensor includes electrocardiogram information.

57. The remote patient management system according to claim 54, wherein the patient monitor is portable or wearable.

58. The remote patient management system according to claim 54, wherein the patient physiologic data is self-descriptive to facilitate proper routing and retrieval through the server.

59. The remote patient management system according to claim 54, wherein the network is the Internet.

60. The remote patient management system according to claim 54, wherein at least a portion of the transfer of the physiologic data monitor from the sensor to the server occurs through a wireless communication link.

61. A remote patient management system, comprising:

at least one sensor outputting cardiac-related patient data;

a portable patient monitor operative to receive the patient data and automatically download the data in encrypted form to an Internet server over a wired telephone connection; and

a viewing environment resident on the server enabling a clinician to access and decrypt the patient'"'"'s cardiac data for private analysis or diagnostic purposes.

62. The remote patient management system according to claim 61, wherein the cardiac-related data includes electrocardiogram information.

63. The remote patient management system according to claim 61, wherein the cardiac-related data is self-descriptive to facilitate proper routing and retrieval through the server.

64. The remote patient management system according to claim 61, wherein at least a portion of the transfer of the physiologic data monitor from the sensor to the server occurs through a wireless communication link.

65. A remote patient management system, comprising:

at least one sensor communicating patient physiological data;

a patient monitoring unit operative to receive the physiological data and automatically download and encode the data in a manner which restricts access thereto to a network over a wired telephone connection; and

a server in signal communication with a network providing a viewing environment enabling a healthcare professional to access the physiological data upon identification of the healthcare provider as an authorized user, and use the data for private analysis or diagnostic purposes.

66. The remote patient management system according to claim 65, wherein the patient physiological data output by the sensor is related to a heart condition.

67. The remote patient management system according to claim 65, wherein the patient monitor is portable.

68. The remote patient management system according to claim 65, wherein the patient physiological data is identified by its source to facilitate proper routing and retrieval through the server.

69. The remote patient management system according to claim 65, wherein the network is a digital network.

70. The remote patient management system according to claim 65, wherein at least a portion of the transfer of the physiological data from the sensor to the server occurs over a wireless communications link.

71. A remote patient management system, comprising:

at least one sensor outputting patient data related to a heart condition;

a portable patient monitor operative to receive the patient data and automatically download and encode the data in a manner which restricts access thereto to a network server over a wired telephone connection; and

a viewing environment resident on the server enabling a healthcare professional to access the patient'"'"'s heart condition-related data upon identification of the healthcare professional as an authorized user, and use the data for private analysis or diagnostic purposes.

72. The remote patient management system according to claim 71, wherein the patient physiological data is identified by its source to facilitate proper routing and retrieval through the server.

73. The remote patient management system according to claim 71, wherein at least a portion of the transfer of the physiological data from the sensor to the server occurs over a wireless communications link.