Multi-user remote health monitoring system with biometrics support

• US 20060287889A1
• Filed: 08/25/2006
• Published: 12/21/2006
• 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 8,407,063 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• 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 5/117 Identification of persons methods or arrangements for recognising patterns, e.g. fingerprints, G06F18/00, G06V40/00; identification of persons by analysing their voice or speech G10L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/70 for mining of medical data, e.g. analysing previous cases of other patients

Abstract

A method for monitoring a physiological condition of a user with an apparatus in a computer network is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) storing authorization information in a nonvolatile condition within the apparatus, the authorization information being suitable for identifying at least one of (i) one or more authorized patients among a plurality of medical patients of a health monitoring service and (ii) one or more authorized types among a plurality of patient types of the health monitoring service, (B) sensing biometric data from the user of the apparatus and (C) identifying the user as a particular patient from at least one of (i) the authorized patients and (ii) the authorized types in response to matching the biometric data to the authorization information.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring a physiological condition of an individual using a computer network, comprising:

(a) a central processing unit having access to one or more databases and performing operations for assigning to the individual a script program for collecting device measuring measurement data relating to physiological condition of the individual;

(b) a remote processing apparatus configured to connect (i) with a measuring device to receive data corresponding to measurements of at least one parameter indicative of the physiological condition of the individual, and (ii) with the central processing unit to transmit data corresponding to the measurements to the central processing unit;

(c) a workstation configured to connect to the central processing unit and receive data corresponding to the measurements such that a report generated based on the collected data is available for review by a health care provider; and

(d) wherein the script program comprises a command for collecting said measuring device measurement data relating to said physiological condition of said individual.

2. The system of claim 1, the physiological condition comprises diabetes, asthma, hypertension, eating disorder, or cardiovascular disease, or combinations thereof, and the measuring device comprises a blood glucose measurement device, a respiratory flow meter, a blood pressure cuff, an electrocardiograph, an electronic weight scale, or a pulse monitor, or combinations thereof, and the measuring device measurement data comprises blood glucose data, respiratory flow data, blood pressure data, weight data or pulse data, or combinations thereof.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the workstation further comprises a script entry program configured to select or generate a script program for collecting device measuring measurement data relating to physiological condition of the individual.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the workstation further comprises a program configured to communicate an input by the health care provider to the central processing unit based on which the central processing unit assigns to the individual the script program.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the script entry program further comprises a collect command configured to initiate collection of the measuring device measurement data from the measuring device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring application program is configured to further provide instructions used by the central processing unit to generate said report based on the collected measuring device measurement data.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote processing apparatus further comprises a script interpreter configured to execute the script program.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the generating and assigning of the script program further comprises including a unique patient identification code to the script program for the individual.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring application program is further configured to instruct the central processing unit to store the script program in a database, the assignment of the script program including generating a pointer to the script program for the individual for storing in a look-up table associated with the database.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the script program includes queries and response choices for the individual.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the remote apparatus is configured to individual to input responses to the queries to be communicated to the central processing unit for review by the health care provider.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote apparatus is sufficiently compact to be hand-held and carried by the individual.

13. The system of claim 2, wherein the report further comprises a graph of measuring device measurement data comprising measurements of blood glucose data, respiratory flow data, blood pressure data, weight data or pulse data, or combinations thereof.

14. A method for monitoring a physiological condition of an individual using a computer network comprising at least a first processing apparatus and a remote processing apparatus, the first processing apparatus having a script program stored therein including instructions permitting measurement data to be received from the remote processing apparatus, the measurement data comprising at least one parameter indicative of the physiological condition, the method comprising the steps of:

(A) assigning the script program with the individual;

(B) connecting the first processing unit with the remote processing apparatus;

(C) executing the script program; and

(D) transmitting measuring device measurement data from the remote processing apparatus to the first processing apparatus.

15. The method of claim 14, the physiological condition comprises diabetes, asthma, hypertension, eating disorder, or cardiovascular disease, or combinations thereof, and the measuring device comprises a blood glucose measurement device, a respiratory flow meter, a blood pressure cuff, an electrocardiograph, an electronic weight scale, or a pulse monitor, or combinations thereof, and the measuring device measurement data comprises blood glucose data, respiratory flow data, blood pressure data, weight data or pulse data, or combinations thereof.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of:

generating a report based upon the measuring device measurement data.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of:

transmitting the report to a workstation connected with the processing apparatus.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the report includes a graph of the measuring device measurement data.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of:

collecting measurement data by the remote processing apparatus from the measuring device according to a collect command of one or more script programs received from the processing apparatus.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of:

prompting for device connection to the remote processing apparatus; and

connecting the remote processing apparatus to interface with the measurement device.

21. A method of monitoring a physiological condition of an individual using a computer network at least including a central processing unit and a remote processing apparatus, the central processing unit having a script program stored therein including instructions permitting measuring device measurement data to be received from the remote processing apparatus, the measurement data including at least one parameter indicative of the physiological condition, the method comprising the steps of:

(A) collecting device measurement data by the remote processing apparatus from the measuring device according to a collect command of one or more script programs received from the central processing unit;

(B) connecting the remote processing apparatus to interface with the central processing unit; and

(C) transmitting the device measurement data from the remote processing apparatus to the central processing unit.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the physiological condition comprises diabetes, asthma, hypertension, eating disorder, or cardiovascular disease, or combinations thereof, and the measuring device comprises a blood glucose measurement device, a respiratory flow meter, a blood pressure cuff, an electrocardiograph, an electronic weight scale, or a pulse monitor, or combinations thereof, and the measuring device measurement data comprises blood glucose data, respiratory flow data, blood pressure data, weight data or pulse data, or combinations thereof.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of:

generating a report based upon the collected measuring device measurement data.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of:

transmitting the report to a workstation connected with the central processing unit.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the report includes a graph including the measuring device measurement data.

26. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of:

prompting for device connection to the remote processing apparatus; and

connecting the remote processing apparatus to interface with the measurement device.

27. The method of claim 22, where the measurement data is transmitted in response to a transmit command within the one or more script programs.

28. One or more processor readable storage devices containing processor readable code, said processor readable code for programming one or more processors to perform a method of monitoring a physiological condition of an individual using a computer network at least including a central processing unit and a remote processing apparatus, the central processing unit having access to a script program stored within the one or more storage devices including instructions permitting measuring device measurement data to be received from the remote processing apparatus, the remote apparatus for receiving the measurement data from a signal coupling with a measuring device that measures at least one parameter indicative of the physiological condition, the method including:

assigning the script program to the individual;

connecting the first processing unit with the remote apparatus;

executing the script program including a measuring device measurement data transmit command; and

transmitting measuring device measurement data from the remote apparatus to the central processing unit.

29. The one or more storage devices of claim 28, wherein the physiological condition comprises diabetes, asthma, hypertension, eating disorder, or cardiovascular disease, or combinations thereof, and the measuring device comprises a blood glucose measurement device, a respiratory flow meter, a blood pressure cuff, an electrocardiograph, an electronic weight scale, or a pulse monitor, or combinations thereof, and the measuring device measurement data comprises blood glucose data, respiratory flow data, blood pressure data, weight data or pulse data, or combinations thereof.

30. The one or more storage devices of claim 29, wherein the method further includes generating a report based upon the collected measurement data.

31. The one or more storage devices of claim 30, wherein the method further includes transmitting the report to a workstation connected with the central processing unit.

32. The one or more storage devices of claim 31, wherein the report includes a graph including the measuring device measurement data.

33. The one or more storage devices of claim 29, wherein the method further includes collecting device measurement data by the remote apparatus from the measuring device according to a collect command of one or more script programs received from the central processing unit.

34. The one or more storage devices of claim 33, wherein the method further includes:

prompting for device connection to the remote processing apparatus; and

connecting the remote processing apparatus to interface with the measuring device.

35. The one or more storage devices of claim 29, the physiological condition comprises diabetes, asthma, hypertension, eating disorder, or cardiovascular disease, or combinations thereof, and the measuring device comprises a blood glucose measurement device, a respiratory flow meter, a blood pressure cuff, an electrocardiograph, an electronic weight scale, or a pulse monitor, or combinations thereof, and the measuring device measurement data comprises blood glucose data, respiratory flow data, blood pressure data, weight data or pulse data, or combinations thereof.

36. The one or more storage devices of claim 29, the method further including generating a report based upon the collected measuring device measurement data.

37. The one or more storage devices of claim 36, the method further including transmitting the report to a workstation connected with the central processing unit.

38. The one or more storage devices of claim 37, the report including a graph including the measuring device measurement data.

39. The one or more storage devices of claim 35, the method further including prompting for device connection to the remote processing apparatus;

and connecting the remote processing apparatus to interface with the measurement device.

40. The one or more storage devices of claim 33, said transmitting of the device measurement data from the remote processing apparatus to the first processing unit being according to a transmit command of the one or more script programs stored for access by the central processing unit.