SYSTEMS AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING SPATIAL LOCATIONS OF PATIENT DATA GATHERING DEVICES

• US 20140207371A1
• Filed: 01/17/2014
• Published: 07/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zoll Medical Corporation (Asahi Kasei Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Zoll Medical Corporation (Asahi Kasei Corporation)
• Inventors: JOHNSON, Guy Robert
• Granted Patent: US 9,693,691 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/454
• 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: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A method for determining a spatial location of at least one patient data gathering device includes the steps of receiving at least one signal from a geolocation system and analyzing the at least one signal to determine the spatial location of the at least one patient data gathering device.

Claims

1. A method for determining and presenting a spatial location of at least one patient data gathering device, comprising the steps of:

receiving at least one signal from a geolocation system;

analyzing the at least one signal to determine the spatial location of the at least one patient data gathering device;

receiving an electronic map including the spatial location of the at least one patient data gathering device;

generating a device location map by modifying the electronic map to include an icon at the spatial location of the at least one patient data gathering device; and

generating a report including the device location map.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating the report includes presenting the device location map on an electronic display.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

gathering patient data by using the patient data gathering device; and

selecting the icon on the device location map to present the patient data on the electronic display.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating the device location map includes modifying the electronic map to include icons at respective spatial locations of a plurality of patient data gathering devices.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of generating the device location map includes modifying the electronic map to include a list of the plurality of patient data gathering devices.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a server remotely located from the at least one patient data gathering device performs the step of receiving the electronic map including the spatial location of the at least one patient data gathering device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein a plurality of patient data gathering devices including the at least one patient data gathering device communicates with the server via a mesh network defined by the plurality of patient data gathering devices.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein at least some of the plurality of patient data gathering devices each perform the steps of:

determining a nearest adjacent patient data gathering device of the plurality of patient data gathering devices; and

subsequently directly communicating with only the nearest adjacent patient data gathering device.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein at least some of the plurality of patient data gathering devices each perform the steps of:

determining a shortest path for indirectly communicating with the server via the plurality of patient data gathering devices; and

subsequently indirectly communicating with the server only via the shortest path.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the device location map includes depictions of landmarks proximate the spatial location of the at least one patient data gathering device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the geolocation system includes at least one of a Global Positioning System, a cellular geolocation system, and a Wi-Fi geolocation system.

12. A method for determining a spatial proximity of a first patient data gathering device of a plurality of patient data gathering devices relative to second and third patient data gathering devices of the plurality of patient data gathering devices, comprising the steps of:

receiving at least one signal from a geolocation system;

analyzing the at least one signal to determine the spatial location of the first patient data gathering device;

receiving respective spatial locations of the second and third patient data gathering devices; and

comparing the spatial location of the first patient data gathering device to the respective spatial locations of the second and third patient data gathering devices to determine a closer of the second and third patient data gathering devices to the first patient data gathering device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein upon determining the closer of the second and third patient data gathering devices to the first patient data gathering device, the first patient data gathering device subsequently directly communicates with only the closer of the second and third patient data gathering devices.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of patient data gathering devices defines a mesh network in communication with a remotely disposed server.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

receiving the respective spatial locations of the first, second, and third patient data gathering devices at the server;

receiving an electronic map including the respective spatial locations of the first, second, and third patient data gathering devices at the server;

generating a device location map by modifying the electronic map to include an icon at each of the respective spatial locations of the first, second, and third patient data gathering devices; and

generating a report including the device location map.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the device location map includes a list including the first, second, and third patient data gathering devices.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of generating the report includes presenting the device location map on an electronic display.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the geolocation system includes at least one of a Global Positioning System, a cellular geolocation system, and a Wi-Fi geolocation system.