REMOTE MOBILE MEDICAL COMMUNICATION APPARATUS, SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20080018454A1
• Filed: 07/13/2006
• Published: 01/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Chang, Wen-Chen, Lin, Chun-Jen, Lin, Tzeng-Yow, Shaw, Jiunn-Haur, Lin, John, Chan, Kuo-Hung
• Application Number:
  US11/309,208
• Publication Number:
  US 20080018454A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.11
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/747 in case of emergency, i.e. alerting emergency services
• 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 remote mobile medical communication apparatus is suitable for use in communicating with a remote terminal for monitoring and treating a patient. The apparatus comprises a communicating unit, for transmitting a local communication information to the remote terminal, and receiving a remote communication information from the remote terminal. A patient-monitor interface unit receives at least one patient vital-sign signal from the patient, and then transmits to the remote terminal via the communicating unit. A bi-directional audio/video communication unit is for communicating with the remote terminal with an audio/video information via the communicating unit. An instruction from the remote terminal is instructed if the patient needs a treatment. A system and method use the function of the remote mobile medical communication apparatus.

Claims

1. A remote mobile medical communication apparatus, suitable for use in communicating with a remote terminal for monitoring and treating a patient, comprising:

a communicating unit, for transmitting a local communication information to the remote terminal, and receiving a remote communication information from the remote terminal;

a patient-monitor interface unit, for receiving at least one patient vital-sign signal from the patient, and then transmitting to the remote terminal via the communicating unit; and

a bi-directional audio/video communication unit, for communicating with the remote terminal with an audio/video information via the communicating unit, wherein an instruction from the remote terminal is instructed if the patient needs a treatment.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an electronic map unit, for positioning a locality and transmitting the locality to the remote terminal.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communicating unit comprises a mobile wireless communication unit or an internet communication unit.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communicating unit comprises a blue tooth communication unit.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the patient-monitor interface unit comprises a memory unit to store at least one interface information, used to handle various signal types of different patient monitors.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the at least one interface information for the patient-monitor interface unit comprises interfaces of RS232, USB, UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver-Transmitter), I²C (Inter-integrated Circuit), SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) or LAN.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the patient-monitor interface unit receiving information comprising ECG signal, blood oxygen saturation status, non-invasive blood pressure or heart rate.

8. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the electronic map unit comprises a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, for positioning the locality.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, the bi-directional audio/video communication unit receiving at least one of a video signal and an audio signal from a video device or an audio device in external connection.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one of a video device and an audio device, which is connected with the bidirectional audio/video communication unit when in operation.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an ID reader/writer to read or write a basic information in an ID tag, carried by the patient.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the ID reader/writer comprises a radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader/writer.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a keypad to input information.

14. A remote mobile medical communication system, suitable for monitoring and treating a patient, comprising:

a server center, for exchanging any information between a medical center and a local center;

a mobile medical communication apparatus, implemented at the local center, wherein the apparatus comprises;

a communicating unit, for transmitting a local communication information to the medical center, and receiving a communication information from the medical center;

a patient-monitor interface unit, for receiving at least one patient vital-sign signal from the patient, and then transmitting to the medical via the communicating unit; and

a bidirectional audio/video communication unit, for communicating with the medical center with an audio/video information via the communicating unit, wherein an instruction from the medical center is instructed if the patient needs a treatment; and

a displaying and communicating equipment, implemented at the medical center for realizing a vital sign, wherein if the patient needs a treatment, the medical center gives an instruction to the local center.

15. The system of the claim 14, wherein the local center is a place where an event occurs, or an ambulance.

16. The system of the claim 14, wherein the mobile medical communication apparatus further comprising an electronic map unit, for positioning a locality and transmitting the locality to the medical center.

17. The system of the claim 14, wherein the communicating unit comprises a mobile wireless communication unit or an internet communication unit.

18. The system of the claim 14, wherein the patient-monitor interface unit comprises a memory unit to store at least one interface information, used to handle various signal types of different patient monitors.

19. The system of the claim 14, wherein the bidirectional audio/video communication unit receiving at least one of a video signal and an audio signal from a video device or an audio device in external connection.

20. The system of the claim 14, wherein the mobile medical communication apparatus further comprises at least one of a video device and an audio device, which is connected with the bidirectional audio/video communication unit when in operation.

21. A method of medical communication, suitable for monitoring and treating a patient, comprising:

providing a server center, for making an authorized communication connection between a responsible medical center and a local center, wherein a locality of the local center is movable;

setting up a video/audio bi-direction communication between the responsible medical center and the local center, via the server;

transmitting at least one patient vital-sign signal taken from the patient, by the local center;

receiving the least one patient vital-sign signal, at the responsible medical center; and

giving an instruction from the responsible medical center to the local center, for treating the patient if the patient needs a treatment.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising step of receiving the locality of the local center at the responsible medical center, based on an electronic map system.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the authorized communication connection is in a wireless manner or a wire manner.