Method and system for managing patient data

• US 7,972,280 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2009
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Instrumentation Lab Co (Instrumentation Lab)
• Original Assignee: Instrumentation Lab Co (Instrumentation Lab)
• Inventors: Benet, Ramon E., Azer, Anwar A.
• Primary Examiner(s): HOEKSTRA, JEFFREY GERBEN
• Application Number:
  US12/540,803
• Publication Number:
  US 20090306542A1
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• Field of Search: 600/562, 600/573, 600/575, 600/584, 600/300, 600/301, 702/22, 702/32, 702/189, 340/500, 340/540, 340/573.1
• US Class Current: 600/575
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/00 Other methods or instruments for diagnosis, e.g. instruments for taking a cell sample, for biopsy, for vaccination diagnosis vaccination prophylaxis, vaccination therapy A61B17/20; Sex determination; Ovulation-period determination menstruation tables G06C3/00; Throat striking implements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0271 using a remote monitoring unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0276 Determining malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/145 Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissuemeasuring of blood pressure or blood flow A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150015 Source of blood
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150854 long distance, e.g. between patient's home and doctor's office
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/411 Detecting or monitoring allergy or intolerance reactions to an allergenic agent or substance
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/40 for data related to laboratory analysis, e.g. patient specimen analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/60 for the operation of medical equipment or devices
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for managing patient data. In one aspect, the invention relates to a system for managing patient data having many instruments. The instruments have a sampling member for sampling a body fluid from a patient and are in direct communication with at least one other instrument.

Claims

1. A system for managing patient data, the system comprising:

a plurality of instruments, each instrument comprising,

a communication module for facilitating direct electronic bidirectional communication between a first instrument and a second instrument in the plurality of instruments, wherein the direct electronic bidirectional communication comprises controlling the first instrument by the second instrument and controlling the second instrument by the first instrument; and

a sampling member comprising a probe for contacting a sample from a patient, said sample being a body fluid,

and acquires data therefrom.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first instrument in electronic bidirectional communication with the second instrument accesses patient data on the second instrument using the communication module of the first instrument.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the control of the first instrument by the second instrument comprises calibrating the first instrument.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the first instrument in the plurality of instruments is in electronic bidirectional communication with at least the second instrument and a third instrument in the plurality of instruments.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the sampling member further comprises an analytical module for acquiring patient data by analyzing a target component in the body fluid sample.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the control of the first instrument by the second instrument comprises initiating a measurement of an analyte in a patient sample on the first instrument using the analytical module of the first instrument.

7. The system of claim 2 wherein the patient data comprises an analyzed target component.

8. The system of claim 2 wherein the accessing patient data is selected from the group consisting of viewing status of the second instrument on a display of the first instrument, viewing operations of the second instrument on the display of the first instrument, and searching patient results on the second instrument using the display of the first instrument.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the first instrument in the plurality of instruments further comprises a user interface comprising a display for managing the analysis of the body fluid sample and for managing patient data.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the display of the first instrument displays information, in a common format, comprising:

patient data acquired by the sampling member of the first instrument, and patient data acquired by the sampling member of the second instrument, which patient data is accessed by the first instrument.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the patient data is displayed using a browser application on the display.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the direct electronic bidirectional communication between the first instrument and the second instrument is without the aid of a server.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of instruments comprises a sampling member for analyzing a first analyte and another of the plurality of instruments comprises a sampling member for analyzing second analyte.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the control of the first instrument by the second instrument comprises the second instrument instructing the first instrument to analyze a sample.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the control of the first instrument by the second instrument comprises the second instrument switching on the first instrument.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the control of the first instrument by the second instrument comprises the second instrument switching off the first instrument.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the control of the first instrument by the second instrument comprises the second instrument configuring the first instrument according to a predetermined range for an analytical result.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein at least two instruments in the plurality of instruments are heterogeneous.