Method and apparatus for health and disease management combining patient data monitoring with wireless internet connectivity

• US 6,976,958 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2004
• Issued: 12/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Philips North America LLC (Koninklijke Philips N.V.), Q-Tec Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: Q-Tec Systems LLC
• Inventors: Quy, Roger J.
• Primary Examiner(s): WOLFE JR, WILLIS RAY
• Application Number:
  US10/773,501
• Publication Number:
  US 20040162466A1
• Time in Patent Office: 683 Days
• Field of Search: 600/300, 600/301, 600/345, 600/365, 600/481, 600/483, 600/485, 600/509, 600/529, 607/27, 607/60, 607 30- 32, 128903-905, 128/920, 348/14.01, 725/116, 725/131, 705/2
• US Class Current: 600/301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/045 with a separable interface unit, e.g. for communication
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0013 Medical image data A61B1/00011, A61B6/56, A61B8/56 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7465 Arrangements for interactive communication between patient and care services, e.g. by using a telephone network telemetry of measured physiological signal A61B5/0002
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/60 relating to pathologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/14 using intermediate storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/903 Radio telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/904 Telephone telemetry

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide a method and apparatus for a wireless health monitoring system for interactively monitoring a disease or health condition of a patient by connecting an internet-enabled wireless web device (“WWD”) to a digital camera or other health monitoring device. The WWD may accommodate a memory device for enhanced storage capabilities that may be particularly pertinent to data-intensive tasks such as the handling and storage of images or other visual data. The health related data is transmitted from the WWD to a server using standard internet protocols and may be integrated with various operating systems for handheld or wireless devices, especially those with enhanced capabilities for handing images and visual data.

Claims

1. A wireless health-monitoring system for monitoring a disease state or condition of a patient using visual data, comprising:

an internet-enabled wireless web device including an integral digital camera, a communications port having a circuit for wireless communications with a network, a memory device, and a user interface;

a server application, residing on a computer readable medium and disposed on a server in communication with the wireless network, for causing the server to;

receive visual data from the digital camera; and

display the visual data,

wherein in the event of an interruption of a wireless connection between the internet-enabled wireless web device and the wireless network, the internet-enabled wireless web device is configured to store the visual data from the digital camera in a memory or on the memory device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the internet-enabled wireless web device is selected from the group consisting of:

an internet-enabled mobile phone;

a handheld, palm, or laptop computer or personal digital assistant having an optional implemented or integral wireless capability; and

a hybrid device of a handheld computer and mobile telephone.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a memory device removably insertable into the internet-enabled wireless web device including an application program capable of being run from the memory device or run subsequent to download into the memory of the internet-enabled wireless web device.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the application program includes instructional materials, or visual still or video images.

5. A wireless health-monitoring system for monitoring a disease state or condition of a patient using visual data from a health-monitoring device, comprising:

an internet-enabled wireless web device including a generic input/output port for reception of visual data from an output port of a health-monitoring device, a circuit for wireless communications with a network, a memory device, and memory configured to store;

visual data corresponding to a health parameter, the health parameter corresponding to a disease state or condition of a patient and determined by the health monitoring device;

a device application; and

a user interface; and

a server application, residing on a computer readable medium and disposed on a server in communication with the wireless network, for causing the server to;

receive the visual data; and

display the visual data.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein in the event of an interruption of a wireless connection between the internet-enabled wireless web device and the wireless network, the internet-enabled wireless web device is configured to store the visual data from the health-monitoring device in the memory or on the memory device.

7. A method of wirelessly monitoring the disease state or condition of a patient via viewing photographic data corresponding to the patient, comprising:

capturing a visual image of a patient via a camera, the camera integral with or connected via a link to an internet-enabled wireless web device having a memory device;

wirelessly transmitting the visual image to a server via a wireless network;

receiving the visual image at the server;

wherein if the wireless transmitting between the internet-enabled wireless web device and the wireless network is interrupted, further comprising storing the photographic image on the memory device or in a memory of the internet-enabled wireless web device.

8. The method of claim 7, where the image is a video image, a still image, a streamed image, or a non-streamed image.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

Attaching a memory device to the internet-enabled wireless web device including an application program, and running the application program from the memory device or from the memory or subsequent to download of the application program into the memory.

10. The method of claim 9, whereby the application program includes instructional materials, photographic still or video images.

11. A method of wirelessly monitoring the disease state or condition of a patient using visual data from a health monitoring device, comprising:

transmitting visual data from a health monitoring device corresponding to a health parameter to an internet-enabled wireless web device having a memory device via a port, the health parameter corresponding to a disease state or condition of a patient;

wirelessly transmitting the visual data to a server;

receiving the visual data at the server;

displaying the visual data; and

wherein in the event of an interruption of a wireless connection between the internet-enabled wireless web device and the wireless network, the internet-enabled wireless web device is configured to store the visual data from the health monitoring device in a memory or on the memory device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

Attaching a memory device to the internet-enabled wireless web device, the memory device including an application program, and running the application program from the memory device or from the memory subsequent to download of the application program into the memory.

13. The method of claim 12, whereby the application program includes instructional materials, or photographic still or video images.

14. A computer program, residing on a computer-readable medium, containing instructions for causing an internet-enabled wireless web device in signal communication via a wireless network to the internet to:

cause an internet-enabled wireless web device to receive data corresponding to a visual image of a patient from a camera connected to or integral therewith, the visual data indicative of a disease state or condition of a patient;

wherein in the event of an interruption of the wireless connection between the internet-enabled wireless web device and the wireless network, the internet-enabled wireless web device is configured to store the visual data from the camera in a memory or on a removable memory device.

15. A computer program, residing on a computer-readable medium, containing instructions for causing an internet-enabled wireless web device in signal communication via a wireless network to the internet to:

cause an internet-enabled wireless web device to receive via data corresponding to a health parameter of a patient from a health monitoring device connected to or integral with the internet-enabled wireless web device, the health parameter indicative of a disease state or condition of a patient;

wherein in the event of an interruption of the wireless connection between the internet-enabled wireless web device and the wireless network, the internet-enabled wireless web device is configured to store the health parameter from the health monitoring device in a memory or on a removable memory device.

16. A internet-enabled wireless web device for monitoring health, the internet-enabled wireless web device connected in wireless communication with a server running an application, comprising:

an internet-enabled wireless web device with a removable memory device and running an application, the application functioning to accept inputs from a first communications port and a second communications port, the first communications port including a generic input/output port and the second communications port including a wireless link to a network, the generic input/output port for receipt of a health parameter from a health monitoring device or visual data from a digital camera, the health parameter or visual data corresponding to a patient'"'"'s disease state or condition;

wherein in the event of an interruption of the wireless connection between the internet-enabled wireless web device and the server, the internet-enabled wireless web device is configured to store the health parameter or visual data in a memory or on the removable memory device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the internet-enabled wireless web device is selected from the group consisting of:

an internet-enabled mobile phone;

a handheld, palm, or laptop computer or personal digital assistant having an optional implemented or integral wireless capability; and

a hybrid device of a handheld computer and mobile telephone.