Networked system for interactive communications and remote monitoring of drug delivery

• US 6,270,455 B1
• Filed: 11/30/1998
• Issued: 08/07/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Health Hero Network Incorporated (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Health Hero Network Incorporated (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Inventors: Brown, Stephen J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg, Max
• Assistant Examiner(s): ASTORINO, MICHAEL C
• Application Number:
  US09/201,441
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• Field of Search: 600/300, 600/301, 600/481-486, 600/500, 600/529, 600/348, 600/361, 600/365, 600/538, 600/544, 128/897-898, 128/904, 128/905, 128/920-925
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0443 Modular apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/087 Measuring breath flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0871 Peak expiratory flowmeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4839 combined with drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6896 Toys
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31525 Dosing burettes, pipettes B01L3/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31556 Accuracy improving means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31568 Means keeping track of the total dose administered, e.g. since the cartridge was inserted
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31573 Accuracy improving means
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/17 delivered via infusion or injection
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/92 Computer assisted medical diagnostics

Abstract

A networked system for communicating information to a patient and for remotely monitoring the patient. The system includes a server and a remote interface for entering in the server a set of queries to be answered by the patient. The server may be a web server and the remote interface may be a personal computer or remote terminal connected to the server via the Internet. The system also includes a measurement apparatus for providing measurement data related to a patient'"'"'s condition and treatment, and a remotely programmable apparatus connected to the server via a communication network, such as the Internet. The remotely programmable apparatus interacts with the patient in accordance with a script program received from the server. The server includes a script generator for generating the script program from the set of queries entered through the remote interface. The script program is received and executed by the remotely programmable apparatus to communicate the queries to the patient, to receive responses to the queries, and to transmit the responses from the apparatus to the server. The measurement data provided by the measurement apparatus may include physiological condition data and drug delivery measurement data for paperless recordation at a remote location.

Claims

1. A system for remotely monitoring a dose of a drug administered to a patient, comprising:

a) a server;

b) a remote interface means connected to the server;

c) a measurement apparatus for providing measurement data related to the patient; and

d) a remotely programmable apparatus, in communication with said measurement apparatus, for receiving measurement data from said measurement apparatus, said remotely programmable apparatus in communication with said server via a communication network;

wherein said measurement apparatus provides drug dose measurement data indicative of the dose.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said measurement apparatus includes a recording device for recording the drug dose measurement data, said recording device in communication with said remotely programmable apparatus.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said measurement apparatus further includes:

a dose measurement element, and a measuring device in communication with said dose measurement element, said measurement apparatus for measuring a response of said dose measurement element, and wherein said measuring device is in communication with said recording device.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said dose measurement element comprises a capacitive element or an inductive element.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein said measurement apparatus further includes a monitoring device for monitoring a physiological condition of the patient and for generating a condition datum representative of the physiological condition of the patient, said monitoring device in communication with said recording device such that said recording device records said condition datum.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said monitoring device comprises a blood glucose meter and said condition datum comprises a blood glucose level of the patient.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein said recording device comprises a digital memory unit.

8. The system of claim 3, wherein said measurement apparatus further includes:

a display connected to said measuring device, said

display for displaying the dose; and

a computing device in communication with said recording device, said computing device for computing said drug dose measurement data from the response of said dose measurement element.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said measurement apparatus further includes a calibration memory in communication with said computing device, said calibration memory for providing said computing device with calibration data indicative of a correspondence between the response of said dose measurement element and said drug dose measurement data.

10. The system of claim 4, wherein said measurement apparatus further includes a holder for receiving and holding a syringe in a measurement position.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a housing enclosing said measuring device and said recording device, wherein said holder is mechanically coupled to said housing.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said housing further encloses said holder and said dose measurement element, said housing shielding said dose measurement element and the syringe from external electric fields.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein said holder comprises a well, said well laterally enclosing the syringe in the measurement position, and said dose measurement element is coupled to said well so as to laterally enclose the syringe in the measurement position.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein said dose measurement element comprises a capacitive element, said capacitive element being defined between a liquid held by the syringe and an electrode located external to the syringe, wherein said measurement apparatus further comprises a needle contact coupled to said holder, said needle contact for establishing electrical communication between said measuring device and a needle of the syringe when the syringe is in the measurement position, and said needle is in electrical contact with the liquid.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein said dose measurement element comprises a capacitive element, said capacitive element including:

a) a first electrically conducting longitudinal plate coupled to said holder; and

b) a second electrically conducting longitudinal plate coupled to said holder opposite said first longitudinal plate, and said second plate electrically insulated from said first plate.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein said inductive element is coupled to said holder such that an inductive response of said inductive element is indicative of the dose when the syringe is in the measurement position.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the measurement apparatus further includes:

a) a syringe having a barrel and an inductance-enhancing element; and

b) a holder for receiving and holding said syringe in a measurement position, wherein a position of said inductance-enhancing element relative to said barrel of said syringe is indicative of the dose, and wherein said inductive response is indicative of said position of said inductance-enhancing element.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said syringe includes a plunger, and said inductance-enhancing element comprises a ferromagnetic material, a longitudinal plunger element, a ferromagnetic plunger core, or a plurality of distinct sections arranged longitudinally within said plunger.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the measurement apparatus further includes:

a) a holding means for receiving and holding a syringe in a measurement position;

b) a light source coupled to said holding means and in optical communication with the syringe, for generating light incident on the syringe when said syringe is in the measurement position, wherein an optical response of the syringe to said light is indicative of said dose; and

c) an optical detector coupled to said holding means and in optical communication with the syringe, for detecting the optical response;

wherein said optical detector is in electrical communication with said recording device, said recording device for recording a dose datum indicative of said optical response, wherein said dose datum is indicative of the dose.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein said server includes a script generating means for generating a script program executable by said remotely programmable apparatus to communicate a message to the patient.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the remotely programmable apparatus comprises:

i) a communication means for transmitting the measurement data to said server;

ii) a memory means for storing the script program;

iii) a user interface means for communicating the message to the patient; and

iv) a processor means connected to said communication means, said user interface means, and said memory means for executing the script program.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein said remotely programmable apparatus includes:

i) communication means for receiving the script program from said server and for transmitting to said server responses to the queries;

ii) user interface means for communicating queries to the patient and for receiving responses to the queries;

iii) memory means for storing the script program and responses to the queries;

iv) processor means connected to said communication means, said user interface means, and said memory means for executing the script program to communicate the queries to the patient, to receive the responses to the queries, and to transmit the responses to said server; and

v) device interface means connected to said processor means for receiving the measurement data from said measurement apparatus;

wherein said memory means includes means for storing the measurement data, and said communication means includes means for transmitting the measurement data to said server.

23. A system for remotely monitoring a dose of a drug administered to a patient, comprising:

a) a server;

b) a remote interface means connected to the server;

c) a measurement apparatus for providing measurement data related to the patient; and

d) a remotely programmable apparatus for receiving measurement data from the measurement apparatus, the remotely programmable apparatus being networked to the server via a communication network;

wherein the measurement apparatus includes;

i) a syringe having a barrel, a plunger, and a response-enhancing element;

ii) a holding means for receiving and holding said syringe in a measurement position;

iii) a light source coupled to said holding means and in optical communication with said syringe, for generating light incident on said syringe, wherein an optical response of said syringe to said light is indicative of said dose; and

iv) an optical detector coupled to said holding means and in optical communication with said syringe, for detecting the optical response;

v) a recording device in electrical communication with said optical detector; and

vi) an alignment means for aligning said barrel of said syringe to said optical detector, said recording device for recording a dose datum indicative of said optical response, wherein said dose datum is indicative of the dose.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein a position of a marking of said response-enhancing element is indicative of said dose;

and said optical response depends on an interaction of the light with said marking in said position.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein said response-enhancing element comprises a longitudinal element mechanically coupled to said plunger, and said longitudinal element is longitudinally marked.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein said marking comprises a longitudinally-variable color marking which varies longitudinally in brightness or in hue.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein said optical detector is situated opposite said light source relative to said syringe, or adjacent said light:

source relative to said syringe.

28. A system for monitoring a patient, comprising:

a) a server;

b) a remote interface means connected to the server;

c) a remotely programmable apparatus for receiving measurement data from the measurement apparatus, the remotely programmable apparatus being networked to the server via a communication network; and

d) an optical dose measurement apparatus, in communication with said server, for providing a dose datum of a drug delivered to the patient from a syringe;

wherein the optical dose measurement apparatus includes;

i) a holding means for receiving and holding the syringe;

ii) at least one optical detecting element coupled to said holding means and in optical communication with the syringe, for detecting an optical response pattern of the syringe, wherein said optical- response pattern is indicative of the dose; and

iii) a recording means in electrical communication with said at least one opt i(al detecting element, for recording a dose datum indicative of said optical response pattern, wherein said dose datum is indicative of the dose.

29. A method for remotely monitoring a patient, comprising the steps of:

a) providing the patient with a remotely programmable apparatus and a measurement apparatus in communication with the remotely programmable apparatus, the measurement apparatus having;

i) a dose measurement, element,

ii) a measuring device in communication with the dose measurement element for measuring a response of the dose measurement element; and

iii) a recording device in communication with the measuring device, wherein the measurement apparatus provides measurement data related to the patient;

b) collecting the measurement data in the remotely programmable apparatus;

c) transmitting the measurement data from the remotely programmable apparatus to a server; and

d) receiving and storing the measurement data in the server.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the remotely programmable apparatus includes:

i) a communication means for exchanging data between the remotely programmable apparatus and the server through a communication network;

ii) a memory means for storing the data exchangeable between the remotely programmable apparatus and the server; and

iii) a processor means connected to the communication means, and the memory means.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the measurement data related to the patient comprises dose measurement data indicative of a dose of a drug delivered to the patient.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the dose measurement element comprises a capacitive element or an inductive element.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein the measurement apparatus further includes a recording device and a monitoring device, wherein the monitoring device provides physiological condition measurements to the recording device, the physiological condition measurements indicative of a physiological condition of the patient;

wherein the remotely programmable apparatus further includes a device interface connected to the processor means for receiving the physiological condition measurements; and

wherein said step b) comprises collecting the physiological condition measurements in the remotely programmable apparatus.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the physiological condition comprises diabetes, and the physiological condition measurements comprise a blood glucose level of the patient.

35. The method of claim 30, wherein the data exchangeable between the remotely programmable apparatus and the server includes a script program, executable by the remotely programmable apparatus, to communicate queries to the patient, to receive responses to the queries, and to transmit the responses to the server;

and wherein the remotely programmable apparatus further includes a user interface mean for communicating the queries to the patient and for receiving the responses to the queries.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the server comprises a web server having a web page for entry of the queries, and wherein the queries are entered by accessing the web page through the Internet and entering the queries in the web page.

37. A method for communicating information to a patient, the method comprising the steps of:

a) providing the patient with a measurement apparatus and a remotely programmable apparatus in communication with the measurement apparatus, the remotely programmable apparatus having;

i) a communication means for exchanging data with a server through a communication network, wherein the exchangeable data includes a script program executable by the remotely programmable apparatus to communicate a message to the patient;

ii) a memory means for storing the script program;

iii) a user interface for communicating the message; and

i) a processor means connected to the communication means, the memory means, and the user interface for executing the script program; and

the measurement apparatus having;

vi) a measuring device comprising a dose measurement element, the measuring element for measuring a response of the dose measurement element;

vii) and a recording device in communication with the measuring device and the remotely programmable apparatus;

b) generating measurement data from the measurement apparatus related to the patient;

c) transmitting the measurement data from the recording device to the remotely programmable apparatus via a standard cable; and

d) transmitting the measurement data from the remotely programmable apparatus to the server through the communication network.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the measurement apparatus further includes a monitoring device for monitoring a physiological condition of the patient, and wherein the measurement data transmitted in said steps c) and d) includes physiological condition data and dose measurement data.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the physiological condition data comprises a blood glucose level of a patient, and the dose measurement data comprises a dose of insulin administered to the patient.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein the dose measurement data comprises a dose of a drug administered to the patient from a syringe.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the syringe includes a plunger, a barrel, and an inductance-enhancing element, wherein a position of the inductance-enhancing element relative to the barrel is indicative of the dose, and the inductance-enhancing element comprises a ferromagnetic material, a longitudinal plunger element, a ferromagnetic plunger core, or a plurality of distinct sections arranged longitudinally within the plunger.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein the measurement apparatus further includes:

i) a holder for receiving and holding the syringe in a measurement position; and

ii) a capacitive element coupled to the holder such that a capacitive response of the capacitive element is indicative of the dose when the syringe is in the measurement position;

wherein the measuring device is in communication with the capacitive element for measuring the capacitive response; and

wherein the recording device is in communication with the measuring device for recording a dose datum indicative of the capacitive response, wherein the dose datum is indicative of the dose.

43. The method of claim 37, wherein the measurement apparatus further includes:

i) a holder for receiving and holding a syringe in a measurement position,

ii) a light source in optical communication with the syringe when the syringe is in the measurement position; and

iii) an optical detector in optical communication with the syringe when the syringe is in the measurement position, the optical detector for detecting an optical response; and

the syringe includes a response-enhancing element having a marking, wherein a position of the marking of the response-enhancing element is indicative of the dose.

44. The method of claim 37, further comprising the steps of:

e) entering in the server the message to be communicated to the patient;

f) generating the script program in the server;

g) transmitting the script program from the server to the remotely programmable apparatus through the communication network; and

h) executing the script program in the apparatus to communicate the message to the patient.