Home health and medical monitoring method and service

• US 7,508,307 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2006
• Issued: 03/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InnovAlarm Corporation
• Original Assignee: InnovAlarm Corporation
• Inventors: Albert, David E.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, TOAN NGOC
• Application Number:
  US11/640,594
• Publication Number:
  US 20070096927A1
• Time in Patent Office: 827 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/521, 340/506, 340/517, 340/539.11, 340/539.26, 340/539.27, 340/825.19, 340/407.1, 340/628, 340/541, 381/56, 381/57
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 1/08 using electric transmission ; transformation of alarm signals to electrical signals from a different medium, e.g. transmission of an electric alarm signal upon detection of an audible alarm signal
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/00 Fire alarms; Alarms responsive to explosion
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0423 detecting deviation from an expected pattern of behaviour or schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0446 worn on the body to detect changes of posture, e.g. a fall, inclination, acceleration, gait
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0453 worn on the body to detect health condition by physiological monitoring, e.g. electrocardiogram, temperature, breathing detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0461 integrated or attached to an item closely associated with the person but not worn by the person, e.g. chair, walking stick, bed sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0469 Presence detectors to detect unsafe condition, e.g. infrared sensor, microphone G08B21/0476 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission

Abstract

A health monitoring method and system utilizes a bedside device to monitor breathing patterns and other health measuring signals and communicates these patterns and signals to a medical monitoring station. The medical monitoring service analyzes the signals for health conditions and determines when the signals indicate a medical response is required.

Claims

1. A method for providing a medical monitoring service, the method comprising:

receiving at a medical monitoring service location, first signals relayed out a communications port of a bedside home health monitoring unit, the first signals representing base pattern health indicating parameters of an existing diagnosed health condition;

receiving at a medical monitoring service location, real time signals representing real time health indicating parameters, the real time signals relayed out the communications port of the bedside home health monitoring unit; and

comparing the real time signals to the first signals to determine pattern changes in the signals and determining when the pattern changes in the signals indicate a worsening of the diagnosed health condition, the worsening requiring medical response.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first signals and real time signals comprise health indicating parameters obtained from sounds received by a microphone of the bedside home health monitoring unit.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the first signals and real time signals additionally comprise health indicating parameters obtained from measuring device signals received by the bedside home health monitoring unit.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising providing a medical response when it is determined that the medical response is required.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the first signals and real time signals received comprise breathing patterns selected from the group consisting of breathing rate, breathing sound frequency spectrum, snoring and coughing, and the diagnosed health condition is an asthmatic condition.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the first signals and real time signals received comprise breathing patterns selected from the group consisting of breathing rate, breathing sound frequency spectrum, snoring and coughing, and the diagnosed health condition is a chronic obstructive pulmonary condition.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein the first signals and real time signals received comprise cardiovascular patterns selected from the group consisting of breathing rate, breathing sound frequency spectrum, snoring, coughing, beat-to-beat R-wave intervals, QRS duration, chest movement-respiratory effort, and activity, and the diagnosed health condition is a cardiovascular condition.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein the first signals and real time signals received comprise breathing patterns selected from the group consisting of breathing rate, breathing sound frequency spectrum, snoring and coughing, and the diagnosed health condition is an obstructive sleep apnea condition.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of comparing the real time signals to the first signals includes utilizing a digital signature recognition technology comprising a technique selected from the group consisting of matched filtering, cross correlation, and neural networking.