SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REMOTE AND MOBILE PATIENT MONITORING SERVICE USING HETEROGENEOUS WIRELESS ACCESS NETWORKS

• US 20100145161A1
• Filed: 10/05/2009
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telecommunications Research Laboratories
• Original Assignee: Telecommunications Research Laboratories
• Inventors: Niyato, Dusit, Camorlinga, Sergio Guido, Hossain, Abu Zafar Ekram
• Granted Patent: US 9,007,908 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A system and method for remote and mobile patient monitoring service is provided using heterogeneous wireless access in which each patient is equipped with a remote monitoring device with a heterogeneous wireless transceiver. This can be a value-added service provided by a Healthcare service provider (i.e., a hospital or healthcare center) for which the Healthcare service provider can pay to the wireless network service provider (i.e., a network operator). With heterogeneous wireless access, a remote/mobile patient can use different types of wireless technologies (e.g., WiMAX-based WMAN and WiFi-based WLAN technologies) to transfer monitored bio-signal data to the healthcare center. The monitoring device can buffer and then transmit the bio-signal data to the healthcare center through the heterogeneous radio access network. In this device, there can be two buffers used to store bio-signal data, each with different priority. The scheduler in this device can make an optimal decision on data transmission. Also, a method is provided to minimize the cost of network connections for remote/mobile patient monitoring.

Claims

1. A system for the remote and mobile monitoring of at least one patient, comprising:

a) a heterogeneous wireless access network providing communication between at least one eHealth service provider and the at least one patient; and

b) at least one monitoring device disposed on the at least one patient, the at least one monitoring device having at least one sensor configured for collecting bio-signal data from the at least one patient, the at least one monitoring device further comprises a heterogeneous wireless transceiver configured to communicate the bio-signal data to the eHealth service provider over the heterogeneous wireless access network.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the at least one monitoring device further comprises means for packeting and buffering bio-signal data into at least one queue.

3. The system as set forth in claim 2, further comprising one queue for critical data, and one queue for normal data.

4. The system as set forth in claim 2, wherein the at least one monitoring device further comprises a scheduler configured to connect the at least one queue with the heterogeneous wireless transceiver.

5. The system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising means for transferring the bio-signal data through two or more wireless connections.

6. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the wireless connection further comprises at least radio access network operatively connected to the e-Health service provider for transferring received bio-signal data from the at least one patient.

7. A method for buffering and transmitting bio-signal data from a patient-attached monitoring device to an eHealth service provider over a heterogeneous wireless access network, the method comprising the steps of:

a) providing a heterogeneous wireless access network providing communication between at least one eHealth service provider and at least one patient;

b) providing at least one monitoring device and attaching the at least one monitoring device to the at least one patient, the at least one monitoring device having at least one sensor configured for collecting bio-signal data from the at least one patient, the bio-signal data comprising one or more of the group consisting of critical data and normal data, the at least one monitoring device further comprising a heterogeneous wireless transceiver configured to communicate the bio-signal data to the eHealth service provider over the heterogeneous wireless access network;

c) receiving bio-signal data from the at least one monitoring device, the bio-signal data collected by the at least one monitoring device from the at least one patient;

d) packeting and buffering the bio-signal data into at least one queue; and

e) connecting the at least one queue to the heterogeneous wireless transceiver and transmitting the bio-signal data to the eHealth service provider over the heterogeneous wireless access network.

8. The method as set forth in claim 7, further comprising the step of packeting and buffering critical bio-signal data into a critical data queue, and packeting and buffering normal bio-signal data into a normal data queue.

9. The method as set forth in claim 8, further comprising the step of scheduling the connection of the critical data queue and the normal data queue to the heterogeneous wireless transceiver.

10. The method as set forth in claim 7, further comprising the step of providing a reserved connection between the at least one monitoring device and the eHealth service provider over the heterogeneous wireless access network whereby bio-signal data is transmitted to the eHealth service provider over the reserved connection.

11. The method as set forth in claim 7, further comprising the step of establishing a connection between the heterogeneous wireless transceiver and the eHealth service provider over the heterogeneous wireless access network on an on-demand basis.

12. The method as set forth in claim 7, further comprising the step of storing or discarding bio-signal data from the at least one sensor in accordance with the status of the at least one queue.

13. The method as set forth in claim 7, wherein the step of connecting the at least one queue to the heterogeneous wireless transceiver further comprises the steps of in accordance with an optimal transmission policy.

14. The method as set forth in claim 13, wherein the optimal transmission policy further comprises the steps of:

a) matching the bio-signal data in the at least one queue to at least one wireless interface to the heterogeneous wireless access network based on the availability of the network;

b) determining the amount of bio-signal data in the at least one queue; and

c) determining the location of the at least one patient.

15. The method as set forth in claim 14, further comprising the step of determining the number of wireless interfaces available to connect to the heterogeneous wireless access network and relaying this information to a scheduler.

16. The method as set forth in claim 14, wherein the step of determining the location of the at least one patient comprises the step of observing an identifier broadcast from a radio access network and relaying the location of the at least one patient to a scheduler.

17. A system for buffering and transmitting bio-signal data from a patient-attached monitoring device to an eHealth service provider over a heterogeneous wireless access network, comprising:

a) collection means for collecting bio-signal data from the at least one patient, the bio-signal data comprising one or more of the group consisting of critical data and normal data;

b) communications means for communicating the bio-signal data to the eHealth service provider over the heterogeneous wireless access network;

c) means for receiving bio-signal data from the collection means;

d) means for packeting and buffering the bio-signal data into at least one queue; and

e) means for connecting the at least one queue to the communications means and transmitting the bio-signal data to the eHealth service provider over the heterogeneous wireless access network.