Controlling access to a medical monitoring system

• US 8,425,414 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2007
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Braemar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Braemar Incorporated
• Inventors: Eveland, Doug C.
• Primary Examiner(s): STOKLOSA, JOSEPH A
• Application Number:
  US11/734,644
• Publication Number:
  US 20070288067A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,203 Days
• Field of Search: 600/300, 600508-509, 128903-904
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/20 for electronic clinical trials or questionnaires
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• 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

Abstract

Systems and techniques for remote medical monitoring. In one implementation, a method includes monitoring a first medical condition of an individual, the monitoring being initiated remotely by a monitoring service, receiving a query relating to a second medical condition of the individual, transmitting a response to the query to the monitoring service, receiving a prompt from the monitoring service, and transmitting a response to the prompt to the monitoring service. The query is received from the monitoring service. The prompt is designed to provoke a particular action.

Claims

1. A method implemented by a medical monitoring system comprising a patient-portable electrocardiographic monitoring device and a monitoring service, the method comprising:

the medical monitoring system controlling access to itself, comprising;

receiving information indicating that the electrocardiographic monitoring device seeks access to the monitoring service, the electrocardiographic monitoring device configured to monitor cardiac function of an individual;

determining whether the electrocardiographic monitoring device is authorized to access the monitoring service, the determination being based at least in part on authorization data received from a third-party source; and

based on a result of the determination, selectively issuing an activation signal to the electrocardiographic monitoring device.

2. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

conducting a clinical trial, conducting the clinical trial comprising;

the medical monitoring system prompting an individual to medicate in accordance with a regimen of the clinical trial; and

the monitoring service monitoring a cardiac function of the individual during the medication over the electrocardiographic monitoring device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein conducting the clinical trial further comprises the medical monitoring system receiving a response to the prompt indicating that the individual has indeed medicated in accordance with the clinical trial.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein prompting the individual to medicate comprises the medical monitoring system prompting the individual to take a specific pharmaceutical composition.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein conducting the clinical trial further comprises determining the efficacy or safety of the prompted medication.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein prompting the individual comprises prompting the individual using the electrocardiographic monitoring device.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein conducting the clinical trial further comprises generating information regarding the efficacy or safety of the medication based on results of monitoring the cardiac function of the individual during the medication.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein prompting the individual comprises outputting a dosage of a pharmaceutical composition.

9. A method implemented by a medical monitoring system comprising a patient-portable electrocardiographic monitoring device and a remote monitoring service, the method comprising:

the medical monitoring system controlling access to itself, controlling the access comprising;

receiving information indicating that the electrocardiographic monitoring device seeks access to the monitoring service;

determining whether the electrocardiographic monitoring device is authorized to access the monitoring service, the determination being based at least in part on authorization data received from a third-party source; and

based on a result of the determination, selectively issuing an activation signal to the electrocardiographic monitoring device.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

conducting a clinical trial to investigate a safety or efficacy of a medication using the patient-portable electrocardiographic monitoring device, wherein conducting the clinical trial comprises

outputting a medication prompt from the electrocardiographic monitoring device to provoke an individual to medicate with a medication,

the electrocardiographic monitoring device collecting electrocardiogram data during the provoked medication, and

the electrocardiographic monitoring device transmitting at least some of the electrocardiogram data to the remote monitoring service.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein conducting the clinical trial further comprises receiving a confirmation that the individual has medicated as prompted.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein conducting the clinical trial further comprises the electrocardiographic monitoring device transmitting information identifying that the individual has medicated as prompted to the remote monitoring service.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein:

conducting the clinical trial further comprises receiving a prompt from the remote monitoring service at the patient-portable electrocardiographic monitoring device; and

outputting the medication prompt comprises outputting the medication prompt in response to receipt of the prompt at the patient-portable electrocardiographic monitoring device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein receiving the prompt from the remote monitoring service comprises receiving information identifying the medication.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein conducting the clinical trial further comprises generating information regarding the efficacy or safety of the medication based on at least some of the electrocardiogram data transmitted to the remote monitoring service.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein outputting the medication prompt comprises outputting a dosage of a pharmaceutical composition from the electrocardiographic monitoring device.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein conducting the clinical trial further comprises outputting a query related to a participation of the individual in the clinical trial from the electrocardiographic monitoring device.