Method and apparatus for remotely monitoring the condition of a patient

• US 7,448,996 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2003
• Issued: 11/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Carematix, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Carematix, Inc.
• Inventors: Khanuja, Sukhwant Singh, Singh, Irwin Preet, Garg, Sandeep
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg; Max
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rajan; Kai
• Application Number:
  US10/414,326
• Publication Number:
  US 20040102683A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,037 Days
• Field of Search: 600/300, 600/301, 128/920, 128903-905, 709/203, 705 2- 4
• US Class Current: 600/300
• 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 comprising:

one or more patient monitoring devices for one or more patients, each patient monitoring device including a physiological transducer monitoring physiological characteristic data of said one or more patients and storing said physiological characteristic data in a device memory, and a first wireless communication system automatically transmitting and synchronizing said physiological characteristic data to a common hub over a first communication link,

wherein said physiological data is associated with a time stamp representing a time reading from an internal microprocessor taken when said physiological characteristic data is recorded,

wherein said synchronizing includes comparing said time stamp with a time stamp received from a common hub and transmitting said physiological characteristic data and said associated time stamp to said hub only when said time stamp indicates a time after said time stamp received from said hub,

wherein said physiological characteristic data and associated time stamp are deleted from said device memory when said associated time stamp represents a time earlier than said time stamp received from said hub;

wherein said internal microprocessor receives an indication of the current time from said hub and updates its time to the current time received from said hub;

a common hub remote from said patient monitoring devices and including a second communication system automatically receiving and synchronizing said physiological characteristic data from said patient monitoring devices and exchanging messages with said patient monitoring devices over said first communication link from said one or more patient monitoring devices and automatically transmitting and synchronizing said physiological characteristic data, received from said patient monitoring devices, to a remote server over a second communication link,

wherein synchronizing said hub with said patient monitoring device includes transmitting a time stamp stored at said hub to said patient monitoring device,

wherein said time stamp stored at said hub is previously received from said remote server;

wherein synchronizing said hub with said remote server includes receiving a time stamp from said remote server and replacing said time stamp stored at said hub with said time stamp from said remote server, and

wherein said hub receives a current time indication from said remote server and updates an internal hub microprocessor to said current time indication, wherein a time indication from said internal hub microprocessor is later sent to said patient monitoring device to update the current time at said patient monitoring device; and

a remote server including a third communication system receiving said physiological characteristic data from said hub over said second communication link, which automatically synchronizes said physiological characteristic data from said common hub and exchanges messages with said common hub over said second communication link,

wherein said server receives a time stamp associated with said physiological characteristic data from said hub,

wherein said server compares the time reading of said time stamp to a time reading of a previously received time stamp associated with physiological characteristic data,

wherein said server discards said physiological characteristic data and said time stamp when said time reading of said time stamp is earlier than said time reading of said previously received time stamp,

wherein said server transmits the later of said time stamp and said previously received time stamp to said hub to synchronize said physiological characteristic data from said common hub, and

wherein said remote server transmits an indication of the current time to said hub.

2. The patient monitoring system as recited in claim 1, wherein said second communication link includes a public communication network.

3. The patient monitoring system as recited in claim 1, wherein said second communication link includes a private communication network.

4. The patient monitoring system as recited in claim 1, wherein said remote server is also configured as a web portal.

5. The patient monitoring system as recited in claim 1, wherein said first communication system and said second communication system are bi-directional.

6. The patient monitoring system as recited in claim 5, wherein said remote server is configured to transmit data to said patient monitoring device under predetermined conditions.

7. The patient monitoring system as recited in claim 6, wherein said data includes patient reminders to take reading at predetermined times.

8. The patient monitoring system as recited in claim 1, wherein said remote server is configured to provide a notification under predetermined conditions by way of a separate notification system.

9. The patient monitoring system as recited in claim 8, wherein said separate notification system is email.

10. The patient monitoring system as recited in claim 8, wherein said separate notification system is a pager.

11. The patient monitoring system as recited in claim 8, wherein said notification is provided to a patient.

12. The patient monitoring system as recited in claim 8, wherein said notification is provided to a third party.

13. The patient monitoring system as recited in claim 4, wherein said web portal is configured to provide third-party access to said physiological characteristic data.

14. The patient monitoring system as recited in claim 6, wherein said data includes alarm threshold values for said physiological characteristic data and said patient monitoring device includes an alarm which indicates when patient physiological characteristic data exceeds said alarm threshold value.

15. The patient monitoring system as recited in claim 1, wherein said physiological characteristic data is continuously monitored.

16. The patient monitoring system as recited in claim 1, wherein said physiological characteristic data is periodically monitored.

17. The patient monitoring system as recited in claim 1, wherein said physiological characteristic data is continuously transmitted over said first and second communication links.

18. The patient monitoring system as recited in claim 1, wherein said physiological characteristic data is periodically transmitted over said first and second communication links.

19. The patient monitoring system as recited in claim 8, wherein said separate notification system is a cellular phone.

20. The patient monitoring system as recited in claim 5, wherein an alarm is transmitted to the patient monitoring device when one or more instances of predetermined physiological data are not received over a predetermined time period.

21. The patient monitoring system as recited in claim 5, wherein confirmation of receipt of physiological data is provided to said patient monitoring device by said hub.

22. The patient monitoring system as recited in claim 5, wherein confirmation of receipt of physiological data is provided by said remote server.

23. The patient monitoring system as recited in claim 1, wherein said hub is configured to receive and segregate physiological data from two or more patients.

24. The patient monitoring system as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of said one or more patient monitoring devices includes a real time clock.

25. The patient monitoring system as recited in claim 24, wherein said hub is configured to synchronize said real time clock in said at least one of said one or more patient monitoring devices.

26. The patient monitoring system as recited in claim 5, wherein confirmation of receipt of physiological data is provided to said hub by said remotes server.

27. A patient monitoring system comprising:

one or more patient monitoring devices for one or more patients, each patient monitoring device including a physiological transducer monitoring physiological characteristic data of said one or more patients and storing said physiological characteristic data in a device memory, and a first wireless communication system automatically transmitting and synchronizing said physiological characteristic data to a common hub over a first communication link,

wherein said physiological data is associated with a time stamp representing a time reading from an internal microprocessor taken when said physiological characteristic data is recorded,

wherein said synchronizing includes comparing said time stamp with a time stamp received from a common hub and transmitting said physiological characteristic data and said associated time stamp to said hub only when said time stamp indicates a time after said time stamp received from said hub,

wherein said physiological characteristic data and associated time stamp are deleted from said device memory when said associated time stamp represents a time earlier than said time stamp received from said hub;

wherein said internal microprocessor receives an indication of the current time from said hub and updates its time to the current time received from said hub;

a common hub remote from said patient monitoring devices and including a second communication system automatically receiving and synchronizing said physiological characteristic data from said patient monitoring devices and exchanging messages with said patient monitoring devices over said first communication link from said one or more patient monitoring devices and automatically transmitting and synchronizing said physiological characteristic data, received from said patient monitoring devices, to a remote server over a second communication link,

wherein synchronizing said hub with said patient monitoring device includes transmitting a time stamp stored at said hub to said patient monitoring device,

wherein said time stamp stored at said hub is previously received from said remote server;

wherein synchronizing said hub with said remote server includes receiving a time stamp from said remote server and replacing said time stamp stored at said hub with said time stamp from said remote server, and

wherein said hub receives a current time indication from said remote server and updates an internal hub microprocessor to said current time indication, wherein a time indication from said internal hub microprocessor is later sent to said patient monitoring device to update the current time at said patient monitoring device; and

a remote server including a third communication system receiving said physiological characteristic data from said hub over said second communication link, which automatically synchronizes said physiological characteristic data from said common hub and exchanges messages with said common hub over said second communication link, and

wherein said remote server transmits an indication of the current time to said hub.