Medical testing telemetry system

• US 6,650,932 B1
• Filed: 05/15/2000
• Issued: 11/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Boston Medical Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Boston Medical Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Menzie, Wayne Y., Schafer, John, Cohen, Alan M., Knapp, Keith N. II
• Primary Examiner(s): Jastrzab, Jeffrey R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Oropeza, Frances P.
• Application Number:
  US09/570,683
• Time in Patent Office: 1,282 Days
• Field of Search: 600/300, 600/301, 600/483, 600/509, 600/513, 600/516, 600/519, 600/521, 600/532, 600/538
• US Class Current: 600/513
• 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 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/087 Measuring breath flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7232 involving compression of the physiological signal, e.g. to extend the signal recording period
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A medical testing system includes telemetry features whereby physiological data collected by a collection device at a medical facility is transmitted to a remote processing center for analysis by a trained analyst to provide a test result. In one embodiment, the collection device is a heart rate monitor capable of collecting data with which heart rate variability can be assessed. The heart rate monitor includes a display on which is displayed a waveform showing the breathing performance of the patient during data collection along with standards against which to compare the waveform in order to determine the extent to which the patient followed a predetermined breathing regimen during data collection. The operator of the monitor can use the performance waveform to assess how well the test was taken (i.e., how well the patient complied with the prescribed breathing regimen) and can accept or reject the physiological data accordingly. Also described is a medical testing telemetry system including two processing centers, with each collection device being capable of communicating with both processing centers. Each collection device randomly chooses one of the processing centers for analysis of the collected physiological data. The two processing centers are interconnected in order to permit physiological data and test results to be replicated and stored at both sites.

Claims

1. A heart rate variability system comprising:

a plurality of heart rate monitors, each located at a medical facility and operable to collect physiological data of a patient from which heart rate variability can be assessed; and

a processing center located remotely from, and in communication with said plurality of heart rate monitors, wherein said processing center is adapted to receive said physiological data from at least one of said plurality of heart rate monitors and to analyze said physiological data to provide results of one or more tests based on the patient'"'"'s heart rate variability and indicative of the patient'"'"'s autonomic nervous system function, and wherein said processing center is further adapted to transmit said results to the at least one heart rate monitor at which said physiological data is collected.

2. The heart rate variability system of claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of heart rate monitors is in communication with said processing center through at least one of a POTS line and a T1 line.

3. The heart rate variability system of claim 1 wherein said processing center includes:

a processor on which an R-wave detection routine is implemented; and

a user interface adapted to receive an input from an analyst by which R-wave detections are added or deleted.

4. The heart rate variability system of claim 3 wherein said user interface is further adapted to receive an input from said analyst by which a heart rate variability waveform generated in response to said detected R-waves is modified.

5. The heart rate variability system of claim 1 wherein each of said heart rate monitors comprises a display for displaying a waveform showing the breathing performance of said patient during collection of said physiological data and standards against which to compare said waveform in order to determine the extent to which said patient followed a predetermined breathing regimen during collection of said physiological data.

6. The heart rate variability system of claim 5 wherein each of said plurality of heart rate monitors includes a user interface adapted to receive an input from an operator by which said physiological data of said patient is accepted or rejected, wherein only accepted physiological data is transmitted to said processing center for analysis.

7. The heart rate variability system of claim 6 wherein said physiological data of said patient is rejected by said operator if comparison of said waveform to said standards reveals greater than a predetermined deviation between said waveform and said standards.

8. The heart rate variability system of claim 6 wherein said physiological data of said patient is accepted by said operator if (a) comparison of said waveform to said standards reveals less than a predetermined deviation between said waveform and said standards;

or (b) comparison of said waveform to said standards reveals greater than a predetermined deviation between said waveform and said standards and said acceptance is based on a request by said operator for feedback from said processing center.

9. The heart rate variability system of claim 1 wherein said processing center is further adapted to compare said results to predetermined acceptance criteria and to reject said results if said comparison reveals greater than a predetermined deviation between said results and said predetermined acceptance criteria.

10. The heart rate variability system of claim 1 wherein said processing center is further adapted to receive input from an analyst in order to provide results of one or more tests based on the patient'"'"'s heart rate variability and indicative of the patient'"'"'s autonomic nervous system function.

11. A heart rate variability system comprising:

a plurality of heart rate monitors, each located at a, medical facility and operable to collect physiological data of a patient from which heart rate variability can be assessed, wherein each of said heart rate monitors comprises a display for displaying a waveform showing the breathing performance of said patient during collection of said physiological data and standards against which to compare said waveform in order to determine the extent to which said patient followed a predetermined breathing regimen during collection of said physiological data; and

a processing center located remotely from, and in communication with said plurality of heart rate monitors, wherein said processing center is adapted to receive said physiological data from each of said plurality of heart rate monitors and to analyze said physiological data to provide results of one or more tests based on the patient'"'"'s heart rate variability and indicative of the patient'"'"'s autonomic nervous system function.

12. The heart rate variability system of claim 11 wherein each of said plurality of heart rate monitors includes a user interface adapted to receive an input from an operator by which said physiological data of said patient is accepted or rejected, wherein only accepted physiological data is transmitted to said processing center for analysis.

13. The heart rate variability system of claim 12 wherein said physiological data of said patient is rejected by said operator if comparison of said waveform to said standards reveals greater than a predetermined deviation between said waveform and said standards.

14. The heart rate variability system of claim 12 wherein said physiological data of said patient is accepted by said operator if (a) comparison of said waveform to said standards reveals less than a predetermined deviation between said waveform and said standards;

or (b) comparison of said waveform to said standards reveals greater than a predetermined deviation between said waveform and said standards and said acceptance is based on a request by said operator for feedback from said processing center.

15. A heart rate variability system comprising:

a plurality of heart rate monitors, each located at a medical facility and operable to collect physiological data of a patient from which heart rate variability can be assessed; and

a processing center located remotely from, and in communication with said plurality of heart rate monitors, wherein said processing center is adapted to receive said physiological data from each of said plurality of heart rate monitors and to analyze said physiological data to provide results of one or more tests based on the patient'"'"'s heart rate variability and indicative of the patient'"'"'s autonomic nervous system function, wherein said processing center is further adapted to compare said results to predetermined acceptance criteria and to reject said results if said comparison reveals greater than a predetermined deviation between said results and said predetermined acceptance criteria.