Controlling access to medical monitoring system

• US 9,474,445 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2013
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Braemar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Braemar Incorporated
• Inventors: Eveland, Doug C.
• Primary Examiner(s): KAHELIN, MICHAEL WILLIAM
• Application Number:
  US13/868,679
• Publication Number:
  US 20130245472A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,281 Days
• Field of Search: 600/300, 600508-509, 128903-904
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 central monitoring system, the method comprising:

receiving at the central monitoring system electrocardiographic data from the electrocardiographic monitoring device,

storing the data at the central monitoring system,

having the data evaluated to identify an occurrence of a category of cardiac event,

receiving from the electrocardiographic monitoring device a request for a diagnosis,

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

obtaining a diagnosis based on the category of cardiac event,

based on a result of the determination of authorization, transmitting an activation signal to the electrocardiographic monitoring device, thereby enabling the electrocardiographic monitoring device to receive the diagnosis,

wherein enabling the electrocardiographic monitoring device to receive the diagnosis includes turning on at least one of a software function and a hardware function at the electrocardiographic monitoring device, and

transmitting the diagnosis to the electrocardiographic monitoring device,

wherein obtaining a diagnosis based on the category of cardiac event comprises distributing the electrocardiographic data to a selected server of two or more servers linked to the central monitoring system based on the category of cardiac event.

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

transmitting a signal to a medical professional based on whether the diagnosis requires urgent care.

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

conducting a clinical trial, wherein conducting the clinical trial comprises;

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

the monitoring service monitoring over the electrocardiographic monitoring device a cardiac function of the individual while the individual medicates in accordance with the regimen.

4. The method of claim 3, 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.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein prompting the individual to medicate comprises the medical monitoring system prompting the individual to take a specific pharmaceutical composition.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein conducting the clinical trial further comprises determining efficacy or safety of a medication associated with the prompt to medicate.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein prompting the individual comprises using the electrocardiographic monitoring device to prompt the individual.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein conducting the clinical trial further comprises generating, based on results of monitoring the cardiac function of the individual while the individual medicates, information regarding efficacy or safety of a medication associated with the prompt to medicate.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein prompting the individual comprises outputting a dosage of a pharmaceutical composition.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein turning on a hardware function at the electrocardiographic monitoring device comprises turning on a communication link in the electrocardiographic monitoring device.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein turning on a software function at the electrocardiographic monitoring device comprises turning on a software function enabling processing of data by a processor in the electrocardiographic monitoring device.

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

receiving at the central monitoring system electrocardiogram data from the electrocardiographic monitoring device,

transmitting a first communication from the central monitoring system to the electrocardiographic monitoring device,

receiving information at the central monitoring system indicating that the electrocardiographic monitoring device seeks access to one or more servers linked to the central monitoring system,

determining by the central monitoring system whether the electrocardiographic monitoring device is authorized to access the one or more servers, 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, transmitting an activation signal from the central monitoring system to the electrocardiographic monitoring device, thereby enabling the electrocardiographic monitoring device to access the one or more servers,

wherein enabling the electrocardiographic monitoring device to access the one or more servers includes turning on at least one of a software function and a hardware function at the electrocardiographic monitoring device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one of the one or more servers is configured to transmit a result of evaluating electrocardiographic data to one of the electrocardiographic monitoring device and the central monitoring system.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

conducting a clinical trial to investigate 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 prompt an individual to medicate with a medication,

the electrocardiographic monitoring device collecting electrocardiogram data while the individual medicates, and

the electrocardiographic monitoring device transmitting at least some of the electrocardiogram data to the central monitoring system.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein conducting the clinical trial further comprises receiving a confirmation that the individual has medicated as prompted.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein conducting the clinical trial further comprises the electrocardiographic monitoring device transmitting, to the central monitoring system, information identifying that the individual has medicated as prompted.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein:

conducting the clinical trial further comprises receiving a prompt from the central monitoring system 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.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein receiving the prompt from the central monitoring system comprises receiving information identifying the medication.

17. The method of claim 12, 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 central monitoring system.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein outputting the medication prompt comprises outputting, from the electrocardiographic monitoring device, a dosage of a pharmaceutical composition.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein conducting the clinical trial further comprises outputting a query related to participation of the individual in the clinical trial from the electrocardiographic monitoring device.

22. The method of claim 10, wherein turning on a hardware function at the electrocardiographic monitoring device comprises turning on a communication link in the electrocardiographic monitoring device.

23. The method of claim 10, wherein turning on a software function at the electrocardiographic monitoring device comprises turning on a software function enabling processing of data by a processor in the electrocardiographic monitoring device.