Personal health card accessed secure medical data storage system

• US 7,424,437 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2003
• Issued: 09/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Orangehook, Inc.
• Original Assignee: LifeNexus, Inc. (Orangehook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Moody, James L., Nesbitt, Kenn A., Clegg, Kenneth D., Maus, Christopher T., Coad, Craig A., Connolly, Jackson B., Coad, Noah M.
• Primary Examiner(s): SIEFKE, SAMUEL P
• Application Number:
  US10/649,283
• Publication Number:
  US 20040049355A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,841 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/3, 705/2, 709/217, 709/219, 709/203, 422/68.1, 436/811
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0475 Special features of memory means, e.g. removable memory cards
• 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: A61B 5/14546 for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150022 for capillary blood or interstitial fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150305 Packages specially adapted for piercing devices or blood sampling devices kits for diabetes A61M5/003; packaging in general B65D
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150358 Strips for collecting blood, e.g. absorbent optical reagent test strips G01N21/8483; chemical reagent test strips G01N33/4875, G01N33/52
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150786 Optical identification systems, e.g. bar codes, colour codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150854 long distance, e.g. between patient's home and doctor's office
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15117 comprising biased elements, resilient elements or a spring, e.g. a helical spring, leaf spring, or elastic strap
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1519 comprising driving means, e.g. a spring, for propelling the piercing unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/157 Devices characterised by integrated means for measuring characteristics of blood
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4261 Evaluating exocrine secretion production A61B3/101 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7435 Displaying user selection data, e.g. icons in a graphical user interface
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/3271 Amperometric enzyme electrodes for analytes in body fluids, e.g. glucose in blood amperometry per se G01N27/49; aspects concerning the enzyme reagent C12Q1/001
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/48792 Data management, e.g. communication with processing unit for in vivo diagnostics A61B5/0002; transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/66 involving blood sugars, e.g. galactose
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/20 for electronic clinical trials or questionnaires
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/65 : stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 : ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• 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 50/30 : for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 436/811 : Test for named disease, body condition or organ function

Abstract

A secure medical records maintenance system and associated removable memory storage device referred to as a “personal health card” for accessing the system. The secure medical records maintenance system includes a first remote server that stores patient identification information associated with multiple patents, and a second remote server that stores patient medical data associated with the multiple patents. The medical data maintained on the second remote server cannot be correlated to the associated patient identification information maintained on the first remote server based on the information contained in the first and second remote servers. To permit correlation of the files, the personal health card stores correlation information sufficient to uniquely associate a patient'"'"'s patient identification information stored on the first remote computer server with that patient'"'"'s medical data stored on the second remote server.

Claims

1. A secure medical records maintenance system comprising:

a first remote server operable for storing patient identification information associated with multiple patients;

a second remote server operable for storing patient medical data associated with the multiple patients;

wherein the medical data maintained on the second remote server cannot be correlated to the associated patient identification information maintained on the first remote server based on the information contained on the first and second remote servers;

a plurality of removable memory storage devices issued to patients who have patient identification information stored on the first remote server and patient medical data stored on the second remote server; and

wherein each removable memory storage device comprises a computer readable memory storing correlation information sufficient to uniquely associate a patient'"'"'s patient identification information stored on the first remote computer server with that patient'"'"'s medical data stored on the second remote server;

wherein the correlation information stored on the removable memory storage correlates the associated patient identification information maintained on the first remote server with the medical data maintained on the second remote server; and

wherein the correlation information stored on the removable memory storage device comprises a patient identification number stored on the first remote server in association with the patient'"'"'s patient identification information and a medical records identification number stored on the second remote server in association with the patient'"'"'s medical data.

2. The secure medical records maintenance system of claim 1, wherein the correlation information stored on the removable memory storage device is encrypted to inhibit unauthorized access to the correlation information.

3. The secure medical records maintenance system of claim 1, wherein the correlation information stored on the removable memory storage device is secured by a personal identification number under the control of the patient.

4. The secure medical records maintenance system of claim 1, wherein:

the computer readable memory stores correlation information for multiple patients sufficient to uniquely associate each patients'"'"' patient identification information stored on the first remote computer server with those patients'"'"' medical data stored on the second remote server; and

the correlation information stored on the removable memory storage device for each patient is secured by separate personal identification number under the control of an associated patient.

5. The secure medical records maintenance system of claim 1, wherein each removable memory storage device is configured as a wallet-sized smartcard.

6. The secure medical records maintenance system of claim 1, wherein each removable memory storage device is further configured to receive and store medical readings from a health monitoring and diagnostic device, and transmit the medical readings from the removable memory storage device to the secured medical data storage system.

7. The secure medical records maintenance system of claim 1, further comprising stored computer readable information sufficient to engage in monetary transactions using the removable memory storage device as a payment instrument.