Bio-medical unit having storage location information

• US 8,254,853 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2010
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rofougaran, Ahmadreza (Reza)
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Minh D
• Application Number:
  US12/848,823
• Publication Number:
  US 20110076983A1
• Time in Patent Office: 757 Days
• Field of Search: 455/100, 455/404.1, 455/573, 455/41.2, 455/414.1, 455/404.2, 705/3, 705/2, 714/15
• US Class Current: 455/100
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/00 Apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis; Apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis combined with radiation therapy equipment instruments measuring radiation intensity for application in the field of nuclear medicine, e.g. in vivo counting, G01T1/161; apparatus for taking X-ray photographs G03B42/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/0009 involving or responsive to electricity, magnetism or acoustic waves; Galenical aspects of sonophoresis, iontophoresis, electroporation or electroosmosis microelectromechanical systems A61K9/0097
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2037/0007 having means for enhancing the permeation of substances through the epidermis, e.g. using suction or depression, electric or magnetic fields, sound waves or chemical agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3507 with implanted devices, e.g. external control
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3523 using telemetric means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3592 using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 31/002 Devices for releasing a drug at a continuous and controlled rate for a prolonged period of time artificial gland structures or devices A61F2/022; intra-uterine contraceptive devices A61F6/14; tampons for introducing into the vagina A61F13/20, A61L15/00; suppositories or bougies for intra-vaginal or intra-uterine application A61K9/02; physical forms of medicinal preparations for sustained or differential drug release A61K9/20, A61K9/50
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 37/00 Other apparatus for introducing media into the body for reproduction or fertilisation A61B17/425; apparatus for iontophoresis or cataphoresis A61N1/30; Percutany, i.e. introducing medicines into the body by diffusion through the skin salt baths A61H33/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/325 for iontophoresis, i.e. transfer of media in ionic state by an electromotoric force into the body electrodes for external use A61N1/0428
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/002 in combination with another treatment
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/65 stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/17 delivered via infusion or injection
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A bio-medical unit includes a power harvesting module, a processing module, memory, and a transceiver. The power harvesting module converts an electromagnetic signal into a supply voltage, which powers the processing module, the memory, and the transceiver. The processing module communicates, via the transceiver, with an external device regarding a medical matter to obtain storage location information regarding the medical matter, wherein the storage location information indicates where data associated with the medical matter is at least partially stored. The processing module then aggregates the storage location information with patient data storage location information to produce updated patient data storage location information, wherein the patient data storage location information contains storage location information regarding previous medical matters associated with the host body. The memory stores the patient data storage location information and the updated patient data storage location information.

Claims

1. An implantable bio-medical unit comprising:

a power harvesting module operable to convert an electromagnetic signal into a supply voltage;

memory powered by the supply voltage;

a transceiver powered by the supply voltage; and

a processing module powered by the supply voltage, wherein the memory, transceiver, and processing circuitry are operable to;

communicate with an external device regarding a medical matter;

retrieve data storage location information regarding the medical matter from the memory; and

communicate the data storage location information regarding the medical matter to the external device.

2. The implantable bio-medical unit of claim 1, wherein the memory, transceiver, and processing circuitry are further operable to:

receive additional data storage location information from the external device;

aggregate the additional data storage location information with the data storage location information to produce updated data storage location information; and

store the updated data storage location information in the memory.

3. The implantable bio-medical unit of claim 1, wherein the data storage location information addresses a plurality of differing storage locations.

4. The implantable bio-medical unit of claim 1, wherein the data storage location information addresses information regarding previous medical matters associated with a host body.

5. The implantable bio-medical unit of claim 1, wherein the memory, transceiver, and processing circuitry are further operable to:

generate a communication initiation message to initiate the communication with the external device, wherein the external device is a service provider communication device;

process a communication response message to verify authenticity of the service provider communication device; and

when the authenticity of the service provider is verified, transmit the data storage location information regarding the medical matter to the service provider communication device.

6. The implantable bio-medical unit of claim 1, wherein the memory, transceiver, and processing circuitry are further operable to convert an inbound signal into a data storage location information request regarding the medical matter received from a cellular telephone affiliated with the implantable bio-medical unit.

7. The implantable bio-medical unit of claim 1, wherein the data storage location information comprises at least one of:

a local area network address;

a wide area network address;

a web page address; and

a uniform resource locator (URL).

8. The implantable bio-medical unit of claim 1, wherein the memory, transceiver, and processing circuitry are further operable to:

convert an inbound wireless signal into an inbound signal;

convert the inbound signal into a request for the data storage location information regarding the medical matter;

convert the data storage location information regarding the medical matter into an outbound signal; and

convert the outbound signal into an outbound wireless signal.

9. The implantable bio-medical unit of claim 1, wherein the medical matter comprises one or more of:

image data of at least a portion of the host body;

information regarding identity of the host body;

medication prescriptions for the host body;

physical examination data of the host body;

operations performed on the host body; and

blood test results of the host body.

10. An implantable bio-medical unit comprising:

a power harvesting module operable to convert an electromagnetic signal into a supply voltage;

memory powered by the supply voltage and operable to store a plurality of medical matters regarding a host body including a medical matter;

a transceiver powered by the supply voltage; and

a processing module powered by the supply voltage, wherein the memory, transceiver, and processing circuitry are operable to;

convert an inbound signal into a request for data storage location information of the medical matter;

retrieve the data storage location information for the medical matter from the memory based on the request; and

convert the data storage location information for the medical matter into an outbound signal.

11. The implantable bio-medical unit of claim 10, wherein the memory, transceiver, and processing circuitry are further operable to:

convert an inbound wireless signal into the inbound signal; and

convert the outbound signal into an outbound wireless signal.

12. The implantable bio-medical unit of claim 10, wherein the memory, transceiver, and processing circuitry are further operable to:

determine an identity of a source of the request;

when the source of the request is an affiliated cellular telephone, retrieve the data storage location information for the medical matter from memory; and

when the source of the request is a service provider communication device, execute an authentication process to authenticate the service provider communication device and, upon authentication, retrieve the data storage location information for the medical matter from memory.

13. The implantable bio-medical unit of claim 10, wherein the data storage location information comprises at least one of:

a local area network address;

a wide area network address;

a web page address; and

a uniform resource locator (URL).

14. The implantable bio-medical unit of claim 10, wherein the medical matter comprises one or more of:

image data of at least a portion of the host body;

information regarding identity of the host body;

medication prescriptions for the host body;

physical examination data of the host body;

operations performed on the host body; and

blood test results of the host body.

15. A method for execution by a cellular telephone, the method comprising:

establishing a wireless communication link with a bio-medical unit;

via the wireless communication link, transmitting a retrieval command regarding a medical matter of a host body associated with the bio-medical unit that includes a request for data storage location information for the medical matter;

receiving, via the wireless communication link, the data storage location information; and

initiating a cellular telephone communication to retrieve data regarding the medical matter based on the storage location information.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the data storage location information comprises at least one of:

a local area network address;

a wide area network address;

a web page address; and

a uniform resource locator (URL).

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the medical matter comprises one or more of:

image data of at least a portion of the host body;

information regarding identity of the host body;

medication prescriptions for the host body;

physical examination data of the host body;

operations performed on the host body; and

blood test results of the host body.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising, when the command is a storage command, including in the command an instruction to store the data storage location information for the medical matter.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving a download instruction from a remote medical device via a cellular telephone communication; and

in response to the download instruction, generating the storage command.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving additional data storage location information;

transmitting the additional data storage location information to the implantable bio-medical device for storage.