SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR EFFECTING CONTEXT-COGNIZANT MEDICAL REMINDERS FOR A PATIENT

• US 20110070835A1
• Filed: 09/19/2010
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Generationone Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Generationone Incorporated
• Inventors: Wolf, Jeffrey A., Rosen, Don, Borras, Jaime
• Granted Patent: US 8,731,512 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0242 adapted to measure environmental factors, e.g. temperature, pollution
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4088 Diagnosing of monitoring cognitive diseases, e.g. Alzheimer, prion diseases or dementia
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/00 ICT specially adapted for therapies or health-improving plans, e.g. for handling prescriptions, for steering therapy or for monitoring patient compliance
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• 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

Abstract

A system for effecting context-cognizant medical reminders for a patient; the system including: (a) at least one sensor unit situated proximately with the patient; the at least one sensor unit sensing and indicating at least one aspect of a personal context of the patient; (b) at least one long-range communication unit configured for wireless communication with a remote patient care monitoring facility via a wireless communication network; and (c) at least one short-range communication unit communicatingly coupled with the at least one sensor unit and with the at least one long-range communication unit; the at least one short-range communication unit and the at least one long-range communication unit cooperating to convey information from the at least one sensor unit to the remote patient care monitoring facility regarding the personal context of the patient.

Claims

1. A system for effecting context-cognizant medical reminders for a patient;

the system comprising;

(a) at least one sensor unit situated proximately with said patient;

said at least one sensor unit sensing and indicating at least one aspect of a personal context of said patient;

(b) at least one long-range communication unit configured for wireless communication with a remote patient care monitoring facility via a wireless communication network; and

(c) at least one short-range communication unit communicatingly coupled with said at least one sensor unit and with said at least one long-range communication unit;

said at least one short-range communication unit and said at least one long-range communication unit cooperating to convey information from said at least one sensor unit to said remote patient care monitoring facility regarding said personal context of said patient.

2. The system for effecting context-cognizant medical reminders for a patient as recited in claim 1 wherein said remote patient care monitoring facility collects data from said at least one sensor;

said patient care monitoring facility employing said data when scheduling medical reminders for said patient.

3. The system for effecting context-cognizant medical reminders for a patient as recited in claim 1 wherein said medical reminders are conveyed by said remote patient care monitoring facility to said patient via said at least one long-range communication unit.

4. The system for effecting context-cognizant medical reminders for a patient as recited in claim 1 wherein said at least one long-range communication unit is comprised of a smart phone unit.

5. The system for effecting context-cognizant medical reminders for a patient as recited in claim 2 wherein said at least one long-range communication unit is comprised of a smart phone unit.

6. The system for effecting context-cognizant medical reminders for a patient as recited in claim 3 wherein said at least one long-range communication unit is comprised of a smart phone unit.

7. The system for effecting context-cognizant medical reminders for a patient as recited in claim 1 wherein said at least one sensor unit includes at least one of a Global Positioning System position determining unit, a blood pressure indicator unit, a blood sampling unit, a weight measuring unit lung capacity indicating unit and a pulse monitoring unit.

8. The system for effecting context-cognizant medical reminders for a patient as recited in claim 1 wherein at least one selected sensor unit of said plurality of sensor units is a subcutaneous sensor unit.

14. The method for effecting context-cognizant medical reminders for a patient as recited in claim 1 wherein said at least one long-range communication unit is comprised of a smart phone unit.

16. The method for effecting context-cognizant medical reminders for a patient as recited in claim 1 wherein at least one selected sensor unit of said plurality of sensor units is a subcutaneous sensor unit.

9. A method for effecting context-cognizant medical reminders for a patient;

the system comprising;

(a) providing at least one sensor unit situated proximately with said patient;

said at least one sensor unit sensing and indicating at least one aspect of a personal context of said patient;

(b) providing at least one long-range communication unit configured for wireless communication with a remote patient care monitoring facility via a wireless communication network;

(c) providing at least one short-range communication unit communicatingly coupled with said at least one sensor unit and with said at least one long-range communication unit; and

(d) operating said at least one short-range communication unit and said at least one long-range communication unit cooperatively to convey information from said at least one sensor unit to said remote patient care monitoring facility regarding said personal context of said patient.

10. The method for effecting context-cognizant medical reminders for a patient as recited in claim 9 wherein the method further comprises said remote patient care monitoring facility collecting data from said at least one sensor;

said patient care monitoring facility employing said data when scheduling medical reminders for said patient.

11. The method for effecting context-cognizant medical reminders for a patient as recited in claim 9 wherein the method further comprises said medical reminders being conveyed by said remote patient care monitoring facility to said patient via said at least one long-range communication unit.

12. The method for effecting context-cognizant medical reminders for a patient as recited in claim 9 wherein said at least one long-range communication unit is comprised of a smart phone unit.

13. The method for effecting context-cognizant medical reminders for a patient as recited in claim 10 wherein said at least one long-range communication unit is comprised of a smart phone unit.

15. The method for effecting context-cognizant medical reminders for a patient as recited in claim 9 wherein said at least one sensor unit includes at least one of a Global Positioning System position determining unit, a blood pressure indicator unit, a blood sampling unit, a weight measuring unit lung capacity indicating unit and a pulse monitoring unit.

17. A system for effecting context-cognizant medical reminders for a patient;

the system comprising;

(a) at least one sensor unit attached with said patient;

said at least one sensor unit sensing and indicating at least one aspect of an environment of said patient;

(b) at least one long-range communication unit configured for wireless communication with a remote patient care monitoring facility via a wireless communication network; and

(c) at least one short-range communication unit communicatingly coupled with said at least one sensor unit and with said at least one long-range communication unit;

said at least one short-range communication unit and said at least one long-range communication unit cooperating to convey information from said at least one sensor unit to said remote patient care monitoring facility regarding said environment of said patient.

18. The system for effecting context-cognizant medical reminders for a patient as recited in claim 17 wherein said remote patient care monitoring facility collects data from said at least one sensor;

said patient care monitoring facility employing said data when scheduling medical reminders for said patient.

19. The system for effecting context-cognizant medical reminders for a patient as recited in claim 18 wherein said medical reminders are conveyed by said remote patient care monitoring facility to said patient via said at least one long-range communication unit.

20. The system for effecting context-cognizant medical reminders for a patient as recited in claim 19 wherein at least one selected sensor unit of said plurality of sensor units is a subcutaneous sensor unit.