System for monitoring and reporting medical measurements

• US 5,549,117 A
• Filed: 12/22/1995
• Issued: 08/27/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Enact Health Management Systems
• Original Assignee: Enact Health Management Systems
• Inventors: Tacklind, Christopher A., Walne, Geoffrey B., Sanders, Matthew H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sykes, Angela D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUANG, STEPHEN D
• Application Number:
  US08/579,062
• Time in Patent Office: 249 Days
• Field of Search: 128/671, 128/716, 128/720, 128/725, 128/726, 128/719
• US Class Current: 600/529
• 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 5/0871 Peak expiratory flowmeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/09 using an element rotated by the flow toys actuated by air current A63H33/40
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/904 Telephone telemetry

Abstract

A system for monitoring and reporting medical information includes a stand-alone monitor for storing data records comprising measured values and time stamps and for transmitting the records to a remote reporting unit over a communication system. The remote reporting unit includes a relational data base that is updated when records are down-loaded from the monitor; a report generator for generating chronological graphs of the measured values for a particular patient; and a report transmitting unit for transmitting reports to a requesting health care provider.

Claims

1. A respiratory function sensor comprising:

a monitor housing, having anterior and posterior ends and top and bottom plates, with the posterior end having a posterior edge divided into an arc-segment section and a mouthpiece abutting section, and the bottom plate including a support projection extending beyond said posterior edge and having an axial connecting member attached thereto;

a sensor chamber including a cylindrical chamber part having substantially circular top and bottom surfaces and interior and exterior surfaces, each having a center, and a cylindrical side surface with the side surface having a mouthpiece aperture formed therein and with the chamber having a plurality of air vents formed along a circular path on at least one of said circular surfaces to prevent a formation of back pressure, and with one of said top and bottom surfaces having an axial connector formed at the center of its exterior surface for rotatably coupling with said axial connecting member so that said sensor chamber rotates from an open position to a closed position about an axis of rotation passing through the centers of said surfaces and so that the cylindrical side surface of said sensor chamber abuts the arc-segment section of said posterior edge, and with the top and bottom surfaces having bearing receptor notches formed at the center of the interior surfaces, and with said sensor chamber further including a mouthpiece part having a distal end connected to said mouthpiece aperture and having a proximal end for accepting air flow from a patient and with the proximal end shaped to abut against the mouthpiece abutting section of said posterior edge when the chamber is rotated to the closed position to seal of said mouthpiece; and

a rotor, having a central section with an axis of rotation passing therethrough and having a plurality of rotor blades extending from the central section, with the central section having bearing parts extending therefrom and registered with the bearing receptor notches formed on the interior sides of the top and bottom surfaces of the sensor chamber so that the rotor rotates about the axis of rotation when air flows against said rotor blades.

2. The sensor of claim 1 further comprising:

a magnet disposed in the central section of said rotor to generate a magnetic field;

a coil housing member, protruding from said support projection and displaced from said the axis of rotation of said chamber; and

a coil housing aperture formed in one of said circular surfaces of said chamber and disposed so that said coil housing member extends through said coil housing aperture to detect the magnetic field and generates pulses for each rotation of said rotor.