ONLINE MONITORING OF PATIENT FOR ROUTINE CHECKUPS

• US 20100185711A1
• Filed: 01/16/2009
• Published: 07/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Subramaniam, Rajendran
• Granted Patent: US 9,149,187 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/286.70
• 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 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• 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: G16H 70/40 relating to drugs, e.g. their side effects or intended usage
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product for performing remote monitoring of a patient during a routine checkup is provided. A local server is adapted for receiving instructions from a medical professional and processing the instructions into commands for remote broadcast. A network device is in remote communication with the local server. At least one modular diagnostic tool is communicable with the network device over a standardized communications link. The at least one modular diagnostic tool is operable by the medical professional based on a second portion of the commands for remote broadcast to obtain the diagnostic information. Upon a communications connection between the modular diagnostic tool and the network device, an automated process is executed to upload the diagnostic information from the modular diagnostic tool to the local server for collection and analysis.

Claims

1. A system for performing remote monitoring of a patient during a routine checkup, comprising:

a local server adapted for receiving instructions from a medical professional and processing the instructions into commands for remote broadcast;

a network device in remote communication with the local server, the network device adapted for processing the commands for remote broadcast received from the local server; and

at least one modular diagnostic tool communicable with the network device over a standardized communications link, the at least one modular diagnostic tool adapted for obtaining diagnostic information from the patient, wherein;

a first portion of the commands for remote broadcast includes directions to the patient for installation of the at least one modular diagnostic tool in the network device,

the at least one modular diagnostic tool is initialized for operation by the network device,

the at least one modular diagnostic tool is operable by the medical professional based on a second portion of the commands for remote broadcast to obtain the diagnostic information, and

the network device, when connected with the at least one modular diagnostic tool over the standardized communications link, executes an automated process to upload the diagnostic information to the local server for collection and analysis by the medical professional.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one modular diagnostic tool is one of an available plurality of modular diagnostic tools capable of being provided to the patient by the medical professional, each of the available plurality of modular diagnostic tools communicable with the network device over the standardized communications link.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the network device is further adapted to be communicable with a computing device of the patient as a client, the network device utilizing a communications channel associated with computing device to forward the diagnostic data from the at least one modular diagnostic tool to the local server.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the standardized communications link is compliant with at least one of a universal serial bus (USB) communications protocol, an internet protocol (IP), an Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) wired or wireless communications protocol, a wireless application protocol (WAP), a local area network (LAN) protocol, a wide area network (WAN) protocol, a global system for mobile communication (GSM) protocol, and an AppleTalk®

protocol.

5. The system of claim 1, further including a data storage subsystem in communication with the local server for storing at least a portion of the diagnostic information.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the local server is adapted to perform at least one of:

comparing patient prescription information with drug interaction data to generate a drug analysis accessible by at least one of the medical professional and the patient, and

comparing the diagnostic information against additional diagnostic information previously stored by the local server to generate an analysis provided to the medical professional.

7. The system of claim 1, further including at least one of:

(1) an email server operable on the local server for providing at least one of the diagnostic information, scheduling information, notifications, reminders, and alerts to at least one of the patient and the medical professional, and (2) a local memory operable on the at least one modular diagnostic tool for storing additional diagnostic information obtained from operation of the at least one modular diagnostic tool remote from the standardized communications link.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one modular diagnostic tool includes at least one of a blood pressure monitor, pulse oximeter, blood glucose meter, scale, thermometer, otoscope, ophthalmoscope, body fat monitor, heart rate monitor, stethoscope, alcohol screening device, fingerprint scanner, retinal scanner, and pH meter.

9. A method for performing remote monitoring of a patient during a routine checkup by at least one processor device in communication with a memory device, comprising:

receiving instructions from a medical professional on a local server;

processing the instructions into commands for remote broadcast;

forwarding the commands for remote broadcast to a network device over a network path;

processing the commands for remote broadcast received from the local server on the network device;

directing the patient to install a modular diagnostic tool in the network device using a first portion of the commands for remote broadcast;

initializing the modular diagnostic tool for operation and communication with the network device over a standardized communications link;

operating the modular diagnostic tool by the medical professional over the network path using a second portion of the commands for remote broadcast to obtain diagnostic information; and

upon a communications connection between the modular diagnostic tool and the network device, executing an automated process to upload the diagnostic information from the modular diagnostic tool to the local server for collection and analysis by the medical professional.

10. The method of claim 9, further including associating the network device with a computing device of the patient as a client, wherein forwarding the diagnostic information by the network device over the network path to the local server includes using a communications channel associated with the computing device of the patient as at least a portion of the network path.

11. The method of claim 9, further including storing the diagnostic information in a local memory on the modular diagnostic tool.

12. The method of claim 9, further including storing at least a portion of the diagnostic information on a storage device in a data storage subsystem associated with the local server.

13. The method of claim 9, further including at least one of:

comparing patient prescription information with drug interaction data to generate a drug analysis accessible by at least one of the medical professional and the patient, and

comparing the diagnostic information against additional diagnostic information previously stored by the local server to generate an analysis provided to the medical professional.

14. The method of claim 9, further including at least one of:

providing at least one of the diagnostic information, scheduling information, notifications, reminders, and alerts to at least one of the patient and the medical professional via email, and

facilitating interaction between the medical professional and the patient over the network path using at least one of a chat application, a voice over internet protocol (VOIP) application, and a web cam application.

15. A computer program product for performing remote monitoring of a patient during a routine checkup by at least one processor device in communication with a memory device, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

a first executable portion for receiving instructions from a medical professional on a local server;

a second executable portion for processing the instructions into commands for remote broadcast;

a third executable portion for forwarding the commands for remote broadcast to a network device over a network path;

a fourth executable portion for processing the commands for remote broadcast received from the local server on the network device;

a fifth executable portion for directing the patient to install a modular diagnostic tool in the network device using a first portion of the commands for remote broadcast;

a sixth executable portion for initializing the modular diagnostic tool for operation and communication with the network device over a standardized communications link;

a seventh executable portion for operating the modular diagnostic tool by the medical professional over the network path using a second portion of the commands for remote broadcast to obtain diagnostic information; and

an eighth executable portion for, upon a communications connection between the modular diagnostic tool and the network device, performing an automated process on the network device to upload the diagnostic information from the modular diagnostic the local server for collection and analysis by the medical professional.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, further including a ninth executable portion for associating the network device with a computing device of the patient as a client, wherein forwarding the diagnostic information by the network device over the network path to the local server includes using a communications channel associated with the computing device of the patient as at least a portion of the network path.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, further including a ninth executable portion for storing the diagnostic information on a medical database operable on the local server.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, further including a tenth executable portion for storing at least a portion of the medical database on a storage device in a data storage subsystem.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, further including a ninth executable portion for performing at least one of:

comparing patient prescription information with drug interaction data to generate a drug analysis accessible by at least one of the medical professional and the patient, and

comparing the diagnostic information against additional diagnostic information previously stored by the local server to generate an analysis provided to the medical professional.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, further including a ninth executable portion for providing at least one of the diagnostic information, scheduling information, notifications, reminders, and alerts to at least one of the patient and the medical professional via email.