Medical data transmission system

• US 5,791,342 A
• Filed: 09/03/1996
• Issued: 08/11/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Telediagnostics Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Telediagnostics Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Woodard, Larry L.
• Primary Examiner(s): JAWORSKI, FRANCIS J
• Application Number:
  US08/707,327
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• Field of Search: 128/630, 128/653.1, 128/696, 128/700, 128/710, 128/731, 128/903, 128/904, 364/413.05, 364/413.06
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/00 Modulated-carrier systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/904 Telephone telemetry

Abstract

A medical data transmission system which, at the transmitting end, is comprised of a detection means for the detection of various physiological parameters of a patient and a pre-transmission processing means for digitizing and processing the detected analog signals. The optimal digitized data is then transmitted via a data transmission linkage and a suitable transmission medium such as a conventional telephone line to a post-transmission processing means at the receiving end. The post-transmission processing means buffers and processes the transmitted digitized data, which is then reconverted to create an accurate analog reconstruction of the physiological signals as detected at the patient location.

Claims

1. A medical data transmission system, comprising:

(a) a detection means for detecting at least one physiological parameter from a patient;

(b) a pre-transmission processing means for digitally sampling and transmitting the detected analog signals in real-time, said pre-transmission processing means coupled to said detection means;

(c) a data transmission linkage which simultaneously transmits more than ten channels of the digitized data samples to a receiving location, said data transmission linkage coupled to said pre-transmission processing means; and

(d) a post-transmission processing means coupled to said data transmission linkage at said receiving location for converting said digitized data samples and accurately reconstructing said analog signal.

2. The medical data transmission system of claim 1, wherein said physiological parameter is selected from the group comprising:

EEG signals, EKG signals, EMG signals, EOG signals, respiration signals, and oximetry signals.

3. The medical data transmission system of claim 1, wherein said detection means is capable of detecting more than twelve channels of physiological parameters from a patient.

4. The medical data transmission system of claim 1, wherein said pre-transmission processing means incorporates an analog-to-digital converter.

5. The medical data transmission system of claim 1, wherein said pre-transmission processing means digitally samples said detected analog signals at a rate which is at least ten times greater than the actual data transmission rate, and selects optimal digitized data samples prior to transmission.

6. The medical data transmission system of claim 5, wherein said pre-transmission processing means selects optimal digitized data samples prior to transmission by:

(a) calculating the minimum, maximum and average values for a set of said digitized data samples;

(b) if the difference between the minimum and maximum values is less than or equal to 15% of the full scale range of said analog-to-digital converter, selecting and transmitting the average value for said set of digitized data sample;

(c) if the difference between the minimum and maximum values is greater than 15% of the full scale range of said analog-to-digital converter, and the average value for said set of digitized data samples is less than the average value for the preceding set of data samples, selecting and transmitting the minimum value for said set of digitized data samples; and

(d) if the difference between the minimum and maximum values is greater than 15% of the full scale range of said analog-to-digital converter, and the average value for said set of digitized data samples is greater than the average value for the preceding set of data samples, selecting and transmitting the maximum value for said set of digitized data samples.

7. The medical data transmission system of claim 1, wherein said data transmission linkage comprises a transmitting computer coupled with a receiving computer over a transmission medium via a pair of modems.

8. The medical data transmission system of claim 7, wherein said transmission medium comprises a voice-grade telephone line.

9. The medical data transmission system of claim 1, wherein said post-transmission processing means buffers said digitized data upon receipt to ensure continuous analog signal reconstruction.

10. The medical data transmission system of claim 1, wherein said post-transmission processing means performs a smoothing method on said digitized data.

11. The medical data transmission system of claim 10, wherein said smoothing method comprises the insertion of intervening data points into said digitized data.

12. The medical data transmission system of claim 1, wherein said post-transmission processing means further comprises a digital-to-analog converter for reconstructing said detected analog signal corresponding to said physiological parameter of said patient.

13. A method for the transmission of medical data through a transmission medium, comprising:

(a) detecting at least one physiological parameter from a patient;

(b) pre-processing the analog signals corresponding to said detected physiological parameter into digitized data samples;

(c) simultaneously transmitting said digitized data samples across more than ten transmission channels to a receiving location in real-time; and

(d) post-processing said digitized data samples at said receiving location prior to analyzing said physiological parameter from said patient.

14. The medical data transmission method of claim 13, wherein said physiological parameter is selected from the group comprising:

EEG signals, EKG signals, EMG signals, EOG signals, respiration signals, and oximetry signals.

15. The medical data transmission method of claim 13, wherein said pre-processing step further comprises digitally sampling said analog signals at a rate which is at least ten times greater than the actual data transmission rate, and performing a data reduction method on the digitized data samples.

16. The medical data transmission method of claim 15, wherein said data reduction method further comprises:

(a) calculating the minimum, maximum and average values for a set of said digitized data samples;

(b) if the difference between the minimum and maximum values is less than 15% of the full scale range of the analog-to-digital converter, selecting and transmitting the average value for said set of digitized data samples;

(c) if the difference between the minimum and maximum values is greater than 15% of the full scale range of the analog-to-digital converter, and the average value for said set of digitized data samples is less than the average value for the preceding set of data samples, selecting and transmitting the minimum value for said set of digitized data samples; and

(d) if the difference between the minimum and maximum values is greater than 15% of the full scale range of the analog-to-digital converter, and the average value for said set of digitized data samples is greater than the average value for the preceding set of data samples, selecting and transmitting the maximum value for said set of digitized data samples.

17. The medical data transmission method of claim 13, wherein said post-processing step further comprises performing a smoothing method on said digitized data samples.

18. The medical data transmission method of claim 17, wherein said smoothing method comprises the insertion of intervening data points into said digitized data.

19. The medical data transmission method of claim 17, wherein said post-processing step further comprises buffering said digitized data for a predetermined length of time prior to performing said smoothing method on said digitized data samples.

20. A medical data transmission system, comprising:

(a) a detection means for detecting at least one physiological parameter from a patient;

(b) a pre-transmission processing means for digitally sampling the detected analog signals and selecting optimal digitized data samples for transmission, said pre-transmission processing means coupled to said detection means;

(c) a data transmission linkage comprising a transmitting computer coupled with a receiving computer over a telephone line via two modems, which transmits more than ten channels of said digitized data samples to a receiving location, said data transmission linkage coupled to said pre-transmission processing means;

(d) a post-transmission processing means coupled to said data transmission linkage at said receiving location for buffering said digitized data samples and performing a smoothing method on said digitized data samples prior to analyzing said physiological parameter from said patient.