Method and Apparatus for Remotely Monitoring the Condition of a Patient

• US 20090118596A1
• Filed: 10/28/2008
• Published: 05/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Carematix, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Carematix, Inc.
• Inventors: Singh, Irwin Preet, Garg, Sandeep, Khanuja, Sukhwant Singh
• Application Number:
  US12/259,905
• Publication Number:
  US 20090118596A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/087 Measuring breath flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/411 Detecting or monitoring allergy or intolerance reactions to an allergenic agent or substance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/40 for data related to laboratory analysis, e.g. patient specimen analysis
• 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 80/00 ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/567 Integrating service provisioning from a plurality of service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/007 with remote control systems remote control in general G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/823 where the data is sent when the measured values exceed a threshold, e.g. sending an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/903 Radio telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/904 Telephone telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/905 : Feedback to patient of biological signal other than brain electric signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/92 : Computer assisted medical diagnostics

Abstract

A patient monitoring system provides enhanced functional capability relative to known systems and provides a wireless communication link between a patient monitoring device, worn by a patient, and a local hub. The patient monitoring system is adapted to monitor various patient physiological characteristics, such as blood pressure, pulse rate, blood glucose, weight, pulse oximetry and others. The data from the patient monitoring device is wirelessly transmitted to a local hub, which, in turn, is configured to automatically transfer the data to a remote server, for example, over a public or private communications network. In one embodiment of the invention, the server is configured as a web portal to selectively allow access to such patient physiological data by designated third parties, such as physicians, clinicians, relatives and the patient themselves.

Claims

1. A patient monitoring system including:

a patient monitoring device determining a plurality of physiological readings of a patient and wirelessly transmitting said plurality of patient readings to a wireless hub;

a wireless hub wirelessly receiving said plurality of physiological readings; and

a remote server, wherein said remote server receives said plurality of physiological readings from said wireless hub and compares said plurality of physiological readings to a predetermined alert condition based on a plurality of physiological readings,

wherein an alert indication is provided to said patient when said plurality of patient readings violate said alert condition.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said alert condition is established by said patient.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said alert condition is established by an entity other than said patient.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said alert condition is established by a physician.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said alert condition is established using a web portal to said remote server.

6. The system of claim 1 further including a second predetermined alert condition, wherein at least one of said plurality of physiological readings is compared to said second predetermined alert condition.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said predetermined alert condition is established using a trend in a plurality of previous physiological readings from said patient.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein an alert indication is also provided to an entity other than said patient.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said entity is a physician.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein a plurality of alerts are provided to said patient.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein a first of said plurality of alerts is provided to said patient using a first communication channel and a second of said plurality of alerts is provided to said patient using a communication channel other than said first communication channel.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein one of said communication channels is a pager and another of said communication channels is e-mail.

14. A patient monitoring system including:

a patient monitoring device determining a first physiological reading of a patient and a second physiological reading of a patient and wirelessly transmitting said first physiological reading and said second physiological reading to a wireless hub;

a wireless hub wirelessly receiving said first physiological reading and said second physiological reading; and

a remote server, wherein said remote server receives said first physiological reading and said second physiological reading from said wireless hub, wherein said remote server includes a predetermined alert condition that requires a plurality of physiological readings from a patient to determine whether said alert condition has been triggered,

wherein said remote server uses both said first physiological reading and said second physiological reading to determine whether said alert condition has been triggered,

wherein an alert indication is provided to said patient when said alert condition has been triggered.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said remote server also includes a second predetermined alert condition that requires only a single physiological reading from a patient to determine whether said second predetermined alert condition has been triggered,

wherein at least one of said first physiological reading and said second physiological reading are compared to said second predetermined alert condition to determining whether said second predetermined alert condition has been triggered,

wherein an alert indication is provided to said patient when said second alert condition has been triggered.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein both said first physiological reading and said second physiological reading are compared to said second predetermined alert condition.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein said alert condition is established using a web portal to said remote server.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein said predetermined alert condition is established using a trend in a plurality of previous physiological readings from said patient.

19. The system of claim 14 wherein an alert indication is also provided to an entity other than said patient.

20. The system of claim 14 wherein a plurality of alerts are provided to said patient.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein a first of said plurality of alerts is provided to said patient using a first communication channel and a second of said plurality of alerts is provided to said patient using a communication channel other than said first communication channel.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein one of said communication channels is a pager and another of said communication channels is e-mail.

23. The system of claim 15 wherein a plurality of communication channels to said patient are provided and the communication channel selected to communicate an alert indication varies depending upon whether said alert condition or said second alert condition has been triggered.

24. A method for monitoring a patient, said method including:

determining a plurality of physiological readings of a patient at a patient monitoring device;

wirelessly transmitting said plurality of patient readings to a wireless hub;

wirelessly receiving said plurality of physiological readings at said hub;

transmitting said plurality of physiological readings to a remote server;

receiving said plurality of physiological readings from said wireless hub at said remote server;

comparing said plurality of physiological readings to a predetermined alert condition based on a plurality of physiological readings; and

providing an alert indication to said patient when said plurality of patient readings violate said alert condition.

25. A method for monitoring a patient, said method including:

determining a first physiological reading of a patient at a patient monitoring device;

determining a second physiological reading of said patient at said patient monitoring device;

wirelessly transmitting said first physiological reading and said second physiological reading to a wireless hub;

wirelessly receiving said first physiological reading and said second physiological reading at said hub;

transmitting said first physiological reading and said second physiological reading to a remote server;

receiving said first physiological reading and said second physiological reading from said wireless hub at said remote server, wherein said remote server includes a predetermined alert condition that requires a plurality of physiological readings from a patient to determine whether said alert condition has been triggered;

using both said first physiological reading and said second physiological reading to determine whether said alert condition has been triggered; and

providing an alert indication to said patient when said alert condition has been triggered.