System and method for handling the acquisition and analysis of medical data over a network

• US 20040093239A1
• Filed: 11/13/2002
• Published: 05/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eResearchTechnology, Inc. (Explorer Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Biomedical Systems Corporation (Explorer Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Buchanan, Michael R., Kidder, Steven M., Ott, James E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,353,179 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

The invention is a central server configured to control the receipt and analysis of patient medical data and patient information. The central server controls access to the patient medical data by an analysis workstation that is responsive to a medical specialist. The analysis workstation analyzes the patient medical data and prepares a medical report associated with the patient medical data. The central server comprises a first communication interface for receiving patient medical data and patient information from a remote computer and for transmitting the medical report associated with the patient medical data to the remote computer. A storage system stores the received patient medical data, patient information, and the associated medical report. A processor is configured to control access to and analysis of the patient medical data by the analysis workstation and the medical specialist and is configured to control access to the medical report. A second communication interface transmits the patient medical data to the analysis workstation and receives the associated medical report from the analysis workstation. The invention is also a method of controlling the acquisition and analysis of patient medical data over a network by a central server from a remote computer operably interconnected by the network with the central server.

Claims

1. A central server configured to control the receipt and analysis of patient medical data and patient information, wherein selective access to the patient medical data is provided to an analysis workstation that is responsive to a medical specialist, wherein the analysis workstation analyzes the patient medical data and prepares a medical report associated with the patient medical data, the central server comprising:

a first communication interface for receiving the patient medical data and the patient information from a remote computer and for transmitting the medical report associated with the patient medical data to the remote computer;

a storage system for storing the received patient medical data, patient information, and the associated medical report;

a processor configured to associate patient medical data with patient information and to control access to and analysis of the stored patient medical data by the analysis workstation and configured to control access to the medical report; and

a second communication interface for transmitting patient medical data to the analysis workstation and for receiving the associated medical report from the analysis workstation.

2. The central server of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to host a web page and wherein a remote computer located remote from the central server accesses the web page and transmits the patient medical data and patient information from the remote computer to the central server through the web page.

3. The central server of claim 2, wherein the central server is configured to receive segmented and compressed patient medical data from the remote computer which is configured to segment the patient medical data, compress the segmented patient medical data and transmit the segmented and compressed patient medical data and user information to the centralized server and wherein the central server is configured to decompress and recombine the received segmented and compressed patient medical data for storage and controlled access.

4. The central server of claim 1, wherein the first communication interface is configured for communication with a network and wherein a remote computer is configured for communication with the network such that central server receives the patient medical data and patient information transmitted by the remote computer via the network.

5. The central server of claim 4, further comprising a remote server configured for hosting a web page, wherein the remote server is operably connected to the network and wherein the remote computer is configured with a web browser for accessing the web page and transmitting the patient medical data and patient information through the web page to the remote server, and wherein the remote server transfers the received patient medical data and patient information to the central server via the first communication interface.

6. The central server of claim 1, wherein the central server is configured to receive patient medical data from a plurality of remote computers and wherein each of the plurality of remote computers and the central server are configured to communicate using a secure access that is a minimum of 128-bit secure socket layer connection.

7. The central server of claim 1, further comprising an analysis workstation responsive to a medical specialist and associated with the central server, the central server securely transferring the patient medical data to the analysis workstation over the second communication interface;

and wherein the analysis workstation is configured to analyze the medical data and create a medical report associated with the patient medical data, the analysis workstation transferring the medical report to the central server over the second communication interface.

8. The central server of claim 1, wherein the storage system comprises a database for storing and controlling access to the patient medical data, corresponding patient information, and the medical report.

9. The central server of claim 1, wherein the patient medical data is Holter data and wherein the medical report is a Holter analysis report.

10. A system for handling patient medical data over a network, comprising:

a remote computer configured to receive patient medical data from a medical sensor and configured to transfer the received patient medical data and patient information corresponding to the patient medical data;

a central server configured to receive and store the transferred patient medical data and corresponding patient information and configured to control access to the patient medical data and its corresponding patient information; and

an analysis workstation associated with the central server, the analysis workstation being operated by a medical specialist to access and analyze the patient medical data stored on the central server, the analysis workstation responsive to the medical specialist to create a medical report associated with the patient medical data, the analysis workstation transmitting the medical report to the central server;

wherein the central server is configured to receive from the analysis workstation the medical report associated with the patient medical data and corresponding patient information, and is configured to transmit the medical report to the remote computer.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a sensor configured to sense a parameter of the patient'"'"'s body and store data corresponding to the sensed parameter as the patient medical data, the sensor being configured to transfer the patient medical data to the remote computer and the remote computer being configured to receive the transferred patient medical data.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the sensor comprises a Holter monitor and the patient medical data comprises Holter data.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the sensor and the remote computer are each configured with a USB interface wherein the sensor transfers the stored patient medical data to the remote computer via the USB interface.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the sensor is equipped with a PCMCIA flashcard, the sensor storing the patient medical data on the PCMCIA flashcard and wherein the remote computer is configured to receive a PCMCIA flashcard and retrieve the patient medical data stored on the PCMCIA flashcard by the sensor.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the remote computer is configured to receive the patient medical data from the sensor, segment the received patient medical data, compress the segmented patient medical data, and communicate the compressed patient medical data to the centralized server, the centralized server being configured to receive and store the compressed medical data.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the remote computer is configured with a patient medical data acquisition, compression and transmission program for receiving patient medical data from a medical sensor, storing the patient medical data on the remote computer, compressing the medical data, and transferring the patient medical data from the remote computer to the central server.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the remote computer is configured for communication via a network and for transmitting the patient medical data and its corresponding patient information to the central server via the network.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the central server hosts a web page and wherein the remote computer is configured with a web browser for accessing the web page and transmitting the patient medical data from the remote computer to the central server via the web page.

19. The system of claim 10, further comprising a remote server hosting a web page which is remote from the central server and interconnected by a network, wherein the remote computer is configured with a web browser for accessing the web page and wherein the transfer of patient medical data and patient information from the remote computer is provided through the web page to the remote server and then transmitted by the remote server to the central server.

20. The system of claim 10, wherein the patient medical data is accessible by a medical specialist from the analysis workstation to perform analysis of the patient medical data, wherein the analysis workstation is configured to receive a medical report created by the medical specialist and analyze the medical data and transmit the medical report to the central server, and wherein the central server is configured to receive the medical report transmitted by the analysis workstation.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising a display associated with the remote computer, wherein the central server is configured to transmit the medical report associated with the patient medical data to the remote computer and wherein the remote computer is configured to receive the medical report and display the medical report on the display.

22. A method of controlling the acquisition and analysis of patient medical data over a network by a central server from a remote computer operably interconnected by the network with the central server, the method comprising:

receiving at a central server patient medical data and corresponding patient information from the remote computer;

controlling at the central server access to and analysis of the received patient medical data by providing secure access by an analysis workstation;

transferring the patient medical data to an analysis workstation, wherein the analysis workstation is responsive to the medical specialist for analyzing the medical data and for creating a medical report associated with the patient medical data;

transferring the medical report to the central server from the analysis workstation;

receiving from the analysis workstation the medical report associated with the patient medical data and corresponding patient information; and

transmitting the medical report to the remote workstation over the network.

23. A method according to claim 22, further comprising:

hosting a web page by the central server;

wherein receiving the patient medical data from the remote computer and transmitting the medical report to the remote computer are via the web page.

24. A method for managing the receipt and analysis of Holter monitor patient medical data received at a remote computer and analyzed by a medical specialist located at a location remote from the remote computer, the method comprising:

At a patient site;

recording patient medical data on a medical sensor;

storing the patient medical data on a local storage medium;

transmitting the stored patient medical data to a remote computer;

At a remote computer site;

creating patient information corresponding to the patient medical data;

receiving patient medical data from the medical sensor;

storing the patient medical data on the remote computer;

compressing the patient medical data;

transmitting the compressed patient medical data and corresponding patient information to the central server;

At a central server site;

receiving the compressed patient medical data and corresponding patient information;

decompressing the patient medical data;

storing the patient medical data and patient information;

controlling access to the patient medical data and patient information;

transferring the patient medical data to an analysis workstation;

At an analysis workstation site;

receiving the patient medical data from the central server;

analyzing the patient medical data;

generating a medical report associated with medical data;

transferring the medical report to the central server;

At the central server site;

receiving the medical report from the analysis workstation;

storing the medical report;

controlling access to the medical report;

transmitting the medical report to the remote computer;

At the remote computer site;

receiving the medical report from the central server; and

displaying the medical report.