Medical information system

• US 8,150,710 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2002
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: PHC Holdings Corporation
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nagamoto, Shunichi, Nomura, Hiroyoshi, Honma, Shirou, Miyazaki, Jinsei, Iwano, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Cobanoglu, Dilek B
• Application Number:
  US10/067,843
• Publication Number:
  US 20030153815A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,707 Days
• Field of Search: 705 2- 3, 705/51, 600/301, 709/229, 370/352, 726/15, 434/236, 380/283, 713/185
• US Class Current: 705/3
• 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: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring

Abstract

A medical information system includes a patient server that retains vital information received from a patient terminal. The patient server transmits the vital information to a medical care provider server through a network. The vital information retained in the medical care provider server can then be browsed from a doctor terminal.

Claims

1. A medical information system comprising:

a patient server comprising a first database, said patient server receiving vital information and unique identifications allocated to patients, storing and managing the received vital information and unique identifications in said first database such that the vital information is associated with a corresponding unique identification, and such that correspondence between each of the unique identifications and patient data, wherein the patient data includes at least a patient name, is unrecognizable, and transmitting the stored and managed vital information and unique identifications;

a medical care provider server connected to said patient server through a first network and comprising a second database, said medical care provider server receiving the vital information and unique identifications from said first database of said patient server through the first network, storing and managing the received vital information, unique identifications, and patient data in said second database, associate each of the unique identifications with corresponding patient data, identifying corresponding patient data using each of the unique identifications, and allowing the stored and managed vital information, unique identifications, and patient data to be browsed;

a patient terminal connected to said patient server through a second network, said patient terminal transmitting the vital information and unique identifications to said patient server through the second network; and

a doctor terminal connected to said medical care provider server through a third network, said doctor terminal browsing the vital information, unique identifications, and patient data stored and managed in said medical care provider server through the third network,

wherein the first network is configured to allow communication between said patient server and said medical care provider server and disallow communication between either said patient terminal or said doctor terminal and either said patient server or said medical care provider server, and disallow communication between said patient terminal and said doctor terminal,

wherein the second network is configured to allow communication between said patient terminal and said patient server, and disallow communication among said patient server, said medical care provider server, and said doctor terminal, and

wherein the third network is configured to allow communication between said doctor terminal and said medical care provider server, and disallow communication among said patient server, said medical care provider server, and said patient terminal.

2. A medical information system according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor for measuring vital data, wherein the vital information includes a measurement value by said sensor.

3. A medical information system according to claim 1, wherein:

said doctor terminal transmits, as consultation data, an inquiry regarding a health status of a patient to said medical care provider server through the third network; and

the vital information transmitted from said patient terminal to said patient server through the second network includes a reply to the inquiry transmitted to said patient terminal.

4. A medical information system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first unauthorized access prevention section provided in the first network;

a second unauthorized access prevention section provided in the second network; and

a third unauthorized access prevention section provided in the third network,

wherein said first and third unauthorized access prevention sections have higher security levels than a security level of said second unauthorized access prevention section.

5. A medical information system according to claim 4, wherein:

said first unauthorized access prevention section comprises a firewall and a virtual private network;

said second unauthorized access prevention section comprises a remote access server; and

said third unauthorized access prevention section comprises a terminal authentication server.

6. A medical information system according to claim 1, wherein said patient server and said medical care provider server are respectively clustered.

7. A medical information system comprising:

a plurality of patient servers each comprising a first database and each patient server receiving vital information and unique identifications allocated to patients, storing and managing the received vital information and unique identifications in a respective first database such that the vital information is associated with a corresponding unique identification, and such that correspondence between each of the unique identifications and patient data, wherein the patient data includes at least a patient name, is unrecognizable, and transmitting the stored and managed vital information and unique identifications;

a medical care provider server connected to said plurality of patient servers through a first network and comprising a second database, said medical care provider server receiving the vital information and unique identifications from each of said first databases of said plurality of patient servers through the first network, storing and managing the received vital information, unique identifications, and patient data, associate each of the unique identifications with corresponding patient data, identifying the corresponding patient data using each of the unique identifications, and allowing the stored and managed vital information, unique identifications, and patient data to be browsed;

a plurality of patient terminals each connected to at least one of said patient servers through a second network, said patient terminals respectively transmit the vital information and unique identifications to said patient servers through the second network; and

a doctor terminal connected to said medical care provider server through a third network, said doctor terminal browsing the vital information, unique identifications, and patient data stored and managed in said medical care provider server through the third network,

wherein the first network is configured to allow communication between said patient servers and said medical care provider server and disallow communication between either said patient terminals or said doctor terminal and either said patient servers or said medical care provider server, and disallow communication between said patient terminals and said doctor terminal,

wherein the second network is configured to allow communication between said patient terminals and said patient servers, and disallow communication among said patient servers, said medical care provider server, and said doctor terminal, and

wherein the third network is configured to allow communication between said doctor terminal and said medical care provider server, and disallow communication among said patient servers, said medical care provider server, and said patient terminals.

8. A medical information system according to claim 7, wherein each of said plurality of patient terminals includes a sensor for measuring vital data, and the vital information includes a measurement value by said sensor.

9. A medical information system according to claim 7, wherein:

said doctor terminal transmits, as consultation data, an inquiry regarding a health status of a patient to said medical care provider server through the third network; and

the vital information transmitted from one of said patient terminals to a corresponding patient server through the second network includes a reply to the inquiry transmitted to said one of said patient terminals.

10. A medical information system according to claim 7, further comprising:

a first unauthorized access prevention section provided in the first network;

a second unauthorized access prevention section provided in the second network; and

a third unauthorized access prevention section provided in the third network,

wherein said first and third unauthorized access prevention sections have higher security levels than a security level of said second unauthorized access prevention section.

11. A medical information system according to claim 10, wherein:

said first unauthorized access prevention section comprises a firewall and a virtual private network;

said second unauthorized access prevention section comprises a remote access server; and

said third unauthorized access prevention section comprises a terminal authentication server.

12. A medical information system comprising:

a patient server comprising a first database, said patient server receiving vital information and unique identifications allocated to patients, storing and managing the received vital information and said unique identifications such that the vital information is associated with a corresponding unique identification, and such that correspondence between each of the unique identifications and patient data, wherein the patient data includes at least a patient name, is unrecognizable, and transmitting the stored and managed vital information and unique identifications;

a plurality of medical care provider servers connected to said patient server through a first network and each comprising a second database, said medical care provider servers respectively receiving the vital information and unique identifications from said patient server through the first network, storing and managing the received vital information, unique identifications and patient data in said second database, associate each of the unique identifications with corresponding patient data, identify corresponding patient data using each of the unique identifications, and allowing the stored and managed vital information, unique identifications, and patient data to be browsed;

a patient terminal connected to said patient server through a second network, said patient terminal transmitting the vital information and unique identifications to said patient server through the second network; and

a plurality of doctor terminals each connected to at least one of said medical care provider servers through a third network, said plurality of doctor terminals browsing the vital information, unique identifications, and patient data stored and managed in said medical care provider servers through the third network, respectively,

wherein the first network is configured to allow communication between said patient server and said medical care provider servers and disallow communication between either said patient terminal or said doctor terminals and either said patient server or said medical care provider servers, and disallow communication between said patient terminal and said doctor terminals,

wherein the second network is configured to allow communication between said patient terminal and said patient server, and disallow communication among said patient server, said medical care provider servers, and said doctor terminals, and

wherein the third network is configured to allow communication between said doctor terminals and said medical care provider servers, and disallow communication among said patient server, said medical care provider servers, and said patient terminal.

13. A medical information system according to claim 12, wherein said patient terminal includes a sensor for measuring vital data, and the vital information includes a measurement value by said sensor.

14. A medical information system according to claim 12, wherein:

each of said plurality of doctor terminals transmits, as consultation data, an inquiry regarding a health status of a patient through the third network to a respective one of said plurality of medical care provider servers; and

the vital information transmitted from said patient terminal to said patient server through the second network includes a reply to the inquiry transmitted to said patient terminal.

15. A medical information system according to claim 12, further comprising:

a first unauthorized access prevention section provided in the first network;

a second unauthorized access prevention section provided in the second network; and

a third unauthorized access prevention section provided in the third network,

wherein said first and third unauthorized access prevention sections have higher security levels than a security level of said second unauthorized access prevention section.

16. A medical information system according to claim 15, wherein:

said first unauthorized access prevention section comprises a firewall and a virtual private network;

said second unauthorized access prevention section comprises a remote access server; and

said third unauthorized access prevention section comprises a terminal authentication server.