Medical monitoring device and system

• US 6,840,904 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2001
• Issued: 01/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ideal Life, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Jason Goldberg
• Inventors: Goldberg, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones, Mary Beth
• Assistant Examiner(s): ASTORINO, MICHAEL C
• Application Number:
  US09/975,097
• Publication Number:
  US 20030073884A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,188 Days
• Field of Search: 600300-301, 600/309, 600/316, 600/322, 600/365, 600/347, 600/481, 600/484, 600/500, 600/529, 600/538, 600/587, 128903-904, 128920-925, 128/905, 340/573.1, 702/19, 705 2- 4, 452 8- 9
• 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: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• 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 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14546 for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6826 Finger
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6838 Clamps or clips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/743 Displaying an image simultaneously with additional graphical information, e.g. symbols, charts, function plots
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/903 Radio telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/92 Computer assisted medical diagnostics

Abstract

A portable device that receives data provided by one or more sensors and displays statistical data related to the sensor data or otherwise related to the person. Statistical data may include high, low, average, mean value, median value, standard deviation, least square, variance, distribution, compilation, etc. for or at any given time or period of time for the person being monitored, as well as for such values for segments or groups of the population, or limit values, or target values, etc. The values may represent measurements and other data related to physiological signs and parameters such as blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature, electrocardiogram, glucose level, substances and/or chemical presence or level, analyze measurements, etc. The portable device may also display such measurements. The portable device may compute the statistical data, with or without the aid of a remote computer, and/or store statistical data, and/or a remote computer may compute and/or store statistical data. The portable device may communicate with a remote computer through a wireless link from the portable device, which may compute and/or store statistical data and measurements.

Claims

1. A medical monitoring system comprising:

a plurality of portable electronics units each sized to be carried by a person being monitored and each comprising;

an electronic controller;

at least one memory coupled to the electronic controller that at least temporarily stores data provided by at least one sensor associated with the monitored person related to at least one physiological characteristic of the monitored person;

a communications unit coupled to the electronic controller that wirelessly transmits first data provided by or related to data provided by a first sensor and wirelessly receives statistical data including statistical data based on or related to first data transmitted by the communications unit and other statistical data not based on or related to first data transmitted by the communications unit, the statistical data received by the communications unit being stored at least temporarily in the at least one memory; and

a display device that displays at least statistical data received by the communications unit; and

the system including a remote computer and associated memory that at least temporarily stores first data transmitted by the communications unit and statistical data including statistical data based on or related to first data transmitted by the communications unit and other statistical data not based on or related to first transmitted by the communications unit, the communications unit of the electronics unit transmitting first data for receipt by a remote computer and receiving statistical data provided by a remote computer;

the display device displaying statistical data provided by a remote computer, including statistical data based on or related to first data transmitted by the communications unit and other statistical data not based on or related to first data transmitted by the communications unit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the communications unit comprises a two-way pager.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the display device displays data provided by the at least one sensor stored in the at least one memory.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the statistical data based on or relating to first data transmitted by the communications unit comprises at least one of an average, a variance, a standard deviation, a least square, a distribution, and a compilation of first data transmitted by the communications unit.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the display device displays statistical data as at least one of text and graphics.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote computer comprises a web server connected to the Internet.

7. The system of claim 1, comprising means for providing at least first data stored by the associated memory to authorized party devices in accordance with an authorization procedure.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to control transmission of first data by the communications unit for receipt by the remote computer in response to a user input to the electronics unit and to request statistical data from the remote computer in response to a user input to the electronics unit.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to control transmission of first data by the communications unit for receipt by the remote computer at programmed time intervals and to request statistical data from the remote computer at programmed time intervals.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein a remote computer is programmed to provide statistical data to an electronics unit according to programmed parameters.