SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COMMUNICATING PHYSIOLOGICAL DATA OVER A WIDE AREA NETWORK

• US 20070130287A1
• Filed: 01/29/2007
• Published: 06/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Abodyne,Inc.
• Original Assignee: Televital,Inc.
• Inventors: Kumar, Kishore, Rashinkar, Laxmikant
• Granted Patent: US 8,005,691 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/20 for electronic clinical trials or questionnaires
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications

Abstract

A system and method are provided for network-based monitoring of physiological data. At least one patient-side device collects physiological data from a patient. A provider-side device receives the data from at least one patient-side device via a wide area network. An engine communicates with at least one patient-side device and the provider-side device. The engine manages transmission of the data from the patient-side device to the provider-side device.

Claims

1. A method for network-based communication of medical-related data from a patient-side device, comprising:

communicating with a computing device from a central site remote from the computing device using a wide area network, the computing device being coupled to a patient-side device, the patient-side device being for collecting physiological data from a patient;

communicating with a second device from a central site remote from the second device using the wide area network, the second device being remote from the patient-side device;

managing transmission of data from the computing device to the second device; and

allowing a user to remotely control at least some function of the computing device or patient-side device via the second device, the function relating to collection of the physiological data.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising storing the physiological data at the central site.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one patient-side device includes at least one of:

a medical device for collecting biomedical data from the patient and a biofeedback device for collecting biofeedback data from the patient.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the computing device includes a browser-based interface that communicates with the patient-side device.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the computing device is selected from a group consisting of a computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a telephone.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the computing device includes a browser-based interface that communicates with the patient-side device.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second device includes a browser-based interface outputting the data from the computing device.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data sent to the second device relates to at least one of cardiovascular readings, blood pressure readings, blood glucose readings, pulse oxymetry reading, urinary tract-related readings, vulva-related readings, fetal monitoring, hemodialysis, pulmonary data, and sleep-related readings, and fitness equipment readings.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second device is selected from a group consisting of a computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a telephone coupled to the wide area network.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second device includes at least one of assessment software for assessing the data and analysis software for analyzing the data prior to output of a result thereof to the user.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the physiological data is stored by the computing device until a connection to the central site in established, and thereafter sending the physiological data to the central cite.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the patient-side device and the computing device have a wireless interface for transmitting data.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising managing transmission of data from the computing device to at least a third device concurrently with managing transmission of data from the computing device to the second device.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising managing transmission of data from at least a second computing device coupled to a second patient-side device to the second device concurrently with managing transmission of data from the computing device to the second device.

15. A method for network-based monitoring of physiological data, comprising:

uploading software from a central site to at least one patient-side device or a computing device coupled to the at least one patient-side device, the software enabling collection of physiological data from at least one of directly from a patient, the at least one patient-side device, and the computing device;

collecting the physiological data from the patient utilizing the at least one patient-side device; and

managing a transmission of the physiological data originating with the at least one patient-side device to a provider-side device,

wherein the software is only active when the at least one patient-side device is connected to the central site,

wherein the central site includes at least one server, at least one data storage device, and at least one wide area network interface.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein transmission of the physiological data from the at least one patient-side device to the provider-side device is transmitted via at least one of a wide area network, a local area network, Internet, and a satellite link.

17. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising encrypting the physiological data transmitted from the at least one patient-side device to a provider-side device.

18. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising compressing the physiological data transmitted from the at least one patient-side device to a provider-side device.

19. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the at least one patient-side device includes at least one of:

a medical device for collecting biomedical data from the patient and a biofeedback device for collecting biofeedback data from the patient.

20. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising allowing communication between the patient and a provider, the communication type being selected from a group consisting of electronic mail, instant messaging, streaming audio, and streaming video.

21. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the data relates to at least one of cardiovascular readings, blood pressure readings, blood glucose readings, pulse oxymetry reading, urinary tract-related readings, vulva-related readings, fetal monitoring, hemodialysis, pulmonary data, and sleep-related readings, and fitness equipment readings.

22. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein a fee is charged for at least one of sending data to the provider-side device and for storing the data on a central server.

23. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the at least one patient-side device is remotely controlled.

24. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein at least one of the patient-side device and the computing device have a wireless interface for transmitting data.

25. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein at least one of the computing device and the patient-side device includes a browser-based interface.

26. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising managing transmission of the physiological data from the patient device to at least a second provider-side device concurrently with managing the transmission of the physiological data originating with the at least one patient-side device to a provider-side device.

27. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising managing transmission of the physiological data from at least a second patient-side device to the provider-side device concurrently with managing the transmission of the physiological data originating with the at least one patient-side device to a provider-side device.

28. A method for network-based monitoring of physiological data, comprising:

collecting physiological data from a patient utilizing a patient-side device;

compressing the physiological data; and

managing a transmission of the physiological data from the patient-side device to a second device, the data being transmitted utilizing a wide area network including at least in part satellite communications.

29. A system for network-based transmission of data from a patient-side physiological collecting device, comprising:

at least one patient-side device for collecting physiological data from a patient, the patient-side device being operatively coupled to a wide area network;

multiple provider-side devices coupled to the network, the at least one patient-side device sending the data to the provider-side devices;

an engine coupled to the network and resident on a device intermediate the at least one patient-side device and the provider-side devices, the engine communicating with the at least one patient-side device and the provider-side devices, the engine managing transmission of the data from the patient-side device to the provider-side devices;

wherein the data is monitored for an event, wherein an alert is output by at least one of the patient-side device and the provider-side devices upon occurrence of the event,

wherein the at least one patient-side device encrypts the data prior to sending the data;

wherein a fee is charged for coordinating the sending of the data to the provider-side devices,

wherein the at least one patient-side device includes a browser-based interface for allowing the patient to send human language communications to the provider-side devices,

wherein the provider-side devices each include a browser-based interface for allowing one or more providers to send human language communications to the patient-side device,

wherein one or more providers is allowed to remotely control the at least one patient-side device,

wherein at least one of the one or more providers is allowed to remotely control at least a portion of the browser based interface of the at least one patient-side device,

wherein clinical notes are stored on the device intermediate the at least one patient-side device and the provider-side devices,

wherein the at least one patient-side device automatically detects medical devices coupled thereto.

30. The system as recited in claim 29, further comprising an engine coupled to the network, the engine communicating with the at least one patient-side device and the provider-side devices.

31. A system for network-based transmission of data from a patient-side physiological collecting device, comprising:

at least one patient-side device for collecting physiological data from a patient, the patient-side device being operatively coupled to a wide area network;

multiple provider-side devices coupled to the network, the at least one patient-side device sending the data to the provider-side devices;

an engine coupled to the network and resident on a device intermediate the at least one patient-side device and the provider-side devices, the engine communicating with the at least one patient-side device and the provider-side devices, the engine managing transmission of the data from the patient-side device to the provider-side devices;

wherein the data is monitored for an event, wherein an alert is output by at least one of the patient-side device and the provider-side devices upon occurrence of the event,

wherein the at least one patient-side device encrypts the data prior to sending the data;

wherein a fee is charged for coordinating the sending of the data to the provider-side devices,

wherein a fee is charged by a human provider viewing the data on one of the provider-side devices,

wherein the at least one patient-side device includes a browser-based interface for allowing the patient to send human language communications to the provider-side devices,

wherein the provider-side devices each include a browser-based interface for allowing one or more providers to send human language communications to the patient-side device,

wherein at least one of the one or more providers is allowed to remotely control the at least one patient-side device,

wherein at least one of the one or more providers is allowed to remotely control at least a portion of the browser based interface of the at least one patient-side device,

wherein clinical notes are stored on the device intermediate the at least one patient-side device and the provider-side devices,

wherein the at least one patient-side device automatically detects medical devices coupled thereto.

32. The system as recited in claim 31, further comprising an engine coupled to the network, the engine communicating with the at least one patient-side device and the provider-side devices.

33. A system for network-based transmission of data from a patient-side physiological collecting device, comprising:

at least one patient-side device for collecting physiological data from a patient, the patient-side device being operatively coupled to a wide area network;

multiple provider-side devices coupled to the network, the at least one patient-side device sending the data to the provider-side devices;

an engine coupled to the network and resident on a device intermediate the at least one patient-side device and the provider-side devices, the engine communicating with the at least one patient-side device and the provider-side devices, the engine managing transmission of the data from the patient-side device to the provider-side devices;

wherein the data is monitored for an event, wherein an alert is output by at least one of the patient-side device and the provider-side devices upon occurrence of the event,

wherein the at least one patient-side device encrypts the data prior to sending the data;

wherein the at least one patient-side device compresses the data prior to sending the data;

wherein a fee is charged for coordinating the sending of the data to the provider-side devices,

wherein the at least one patient-side device includes a browser-based interface for allowing the patient to send human language communications to the provider-side devices,

wherein the provider-side devices each include a browser-based interface for allowing one or more providers to send human language communications to the patient-side device,

wherein at least one of the one or more providers is allowed to remotely control the at least one patient-side device,

wherein at least one of the one or more providers is allowed to remotely control at least a portion of the browser based interface of the at least one patient-side device,

wherein clinical notes are stored on the device intermediate the at least one patient-side device and the provider-side devices,

wherein the at least one patient-side device automatically detects medical devices coupled thereto.

34. The system as recited in claim 33, further comprising an engine coupled to the network, the engine communicating with the at least one patient-side device and the provider-side devices.