SYSTEM FOR MONITORING OF PATIENTS

• US 20070027382A1
• Filed: 06/06/2006
• Published: 02/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Herbert Berman, James Moyer, Robert Blair, Russell Potts
• Original Assignee: Herbert Berman, James Moyer, Robert Blair, Russell Potts
• Inventors: POTTS, Russell, BERMAN, Herbert, BLAIR, Robert, MOYER, James
• Application Number:
  US11/422,561
• Publication Number:
  US 20070027382A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/347
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0412 Low-profile patch shaped housings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02028 Determining haemodynamic parameters not otherwise provided for, e.g. cardiac contractility or left ventricular ejection fraction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1477 non-invasive
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1486 using enzyme electrodes, e.g. with immobilised oxidase
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A patient monitoring system implemented by a service provider for users via recording a patient'"'"'s analytes measurements by non-invasively interrogating a skin patch placed upon the patient'"'"'s skin surface. The system includes an input module to provide a device to measure analytes from a patient, such as a measurement of the blood glucose level. The measurement is shared among a plurality of output devices such as computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), cellular phones, and pagers that are stationed or held by various users, such as doctors, patients, researchers, pharmacies, labs, and health insurers. In addition, behavioral attributes are recorded and correlated with the analytes measurements to generate a profile. The profile is selectively sent to output devices based on the user profile corresponding to the output device. Also, access to the profile is monitored by a security module that encrypts the profile to prevent access by un-authorized users.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring a patient, comprising:

measuring a physiological attribute of the patient from a patch placed upon a skin surface of the patient; and

transmitting the attribute to one or more users.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein measuring comprises measuring a blood glucose level of the patient.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein measuring comprises measuring the attribute via an electrochemical sensor.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising processing one or more attributes to generate a profile of the patient.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising correlating the attribute with one or more behavioral attributes in generating the profile of the patient.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising encrypting the profile to prevent unauthorized access.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting comprises transmitting the attribute wirelessly.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein transmitting wirelessly comprises transmitting the attribute via a cellular phone.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein transmitting wirelessly comprises transmitting the attribute via a wireless transmitting device.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting comprises transmitting the attribute via a network.

11. A method of monitoring a patient, comprising:

interrogating a skin patch placed upon a skin surface of the patient via a non-invasive measurement device;

correlating a measurement from the skin patch to a physiological attribute of the patient; and

transmitting the attribute to one or more users.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein interrogating comprises electrochemically interrogating the skin patch.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein interrogating comprises measuring a blood glucose level of the patient.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein correlating comprises processing the measurement to generate a profile of the patient.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising encrypting the profile to prevent unauthorized access.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein transmitting comprises transmitting the attribute wirelessly.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein transmitting wirelessly comprises transmitting the attribute via a cellular phone.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein transmitting comprises transmitting the attribute via a network.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising determining whether to proceed with the measurement by looking for the presence of a marker upon the skin surface prior to interrogating.

20. A patient monitoring system for distributing information among one or more recipients, comprising:

an analyte monitoring device configured to measure at least one attribute of a patient via non-invasively interrogating a skin patch placed upon a skin surface of the patient; and

a data processing unit to process the at least one attributes and to generate and transmit a profile of the patient to one or more recipients.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the profile is transmitted via a network.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein the profile is transmitted wirelessly.

23. The system of claim 20 wherein the profile is transmitted based on recipient parameters.

24. The system of claim 20 further comprising a security module to verify recipient access to the profile.