Systems and methods for processing and transmittal of medical data through multiple interfaces

• US 8,126,732 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2007
• Issued: 02/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medapps Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Medapps Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Dicks, Kent, Kent, Ralph, Tripp, Robert, Bartlett, Terry, Crosley, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Najarian, Lena
• Assistant Examiner(s): SEOH, MINNAH L
• Application Number:
  US11/876,719
• Publication Number:
  US 20080097910A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,590 Days
• Field of Search: 705 2- 3, 710 15- 16, 600/300
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A system according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a processor, a plurality of device interfaces, a data relay transceiver, and a memory coupled to the processor and storing instructions. The processor executes the instructions in the memory to receive data from one or more medical devices through a wired connection coupled to at least one of the device interfaces, and transmits the data to an intermediary device using the data relay transceiver. This system can be implemented in a small, portable unit that is easy for a patient to transport.

Claims

1. A medical data interchange device comprising:

a processor;

a plurality of medical device interfaces, wherein each medical device interface is configured to receive patient data directly from one or more of a plurality of different medical devices;

a data relay transceiver; and

a memory coupled to the processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

transition from a quiescent state to an active state in response to a signal transmitted from the one or more medical devices to prepare the medical data interchange device to receive data from the one or more medical devices;

broadcast an authorization code stored in the medical data interchange device to the one or more medical devices in response to a request for authorization from the one or more medical devices for authenticating the medical data interchange device;

automatically detect, based on a voltage of the signal from the one or more medical devices, a communication protocol used by the one or more medical devices;

automatically configure a medical device interface of the plurality of medical device interfaces to communicate with the one or more medical devices using the detected communication protocol;

receive data from a first medical device from the plurality of medical devices through a first wired connection coupled to a first medical device interface from the plurality of medical device interfaces, wherein the patient data comprises the data from the first medical device;

determine, based upon data from the first medical device, a first medical device type of the first medical device;

receive data from a second medical device from the plurality of medical devices through a second wired connection coupled to a second medical device interface of the plurality of the medical device interfaces wherein the patient data comprises the data from the second medical device; and

transmit the patient data comprising at least one of the data from the first medical device and data from the second medical device to an intermediary device using the data relay transceiver; and

wherein at least one of the first wired connection and the second wired connection comprises at least one of a;

tip and sleeve (TS) connection;

a tip, ring, and sleeve (TRS) connection;

a tip, ring, ring and sleeve (TRRS) connection;

a serial peripheral interface bus (SPI) connection;

a universal serial bus (USB) connection;

an RS-232 serial connection;

an Ethernet connection; and

a FireWire connection,

and wherein the first wired connection is a different type of connection than the second wired connection.

2. The medical data interchange device of claim 1, wherein the data relay transceiver includes one or more wireless transmitters for transmitting the patient data wirelessly to the intermediary device.

3. The medical data interchange device of claim 1, further comprising a wired connecter in communication with the data relay transceiver for transmitting the patient data to the intermediary device.

4. The medical data interchange device of claim 1, wherein the patient data includes information regarding a patient associated with the one or more of the plurality of different medical devices.

5. The medical data interchange device of claim 1, wherein the patient data includes respective information regarding a respective plurality of patients associated with the one or more of the plurality of different medical devices.

6. The medical data interchange device of claim 5, wherein the information regarding the plurality of patients measured by the one or more of the plurality of different medical devices includes a patient identifier for the respective plurality of patients.

7. The medical data interchange device of claim 1, wherein the patient data includes diagnostic information regarding the one or more of the plurality of different medical devices.

8. The medical data interchange device of claim 1, wherein the patient data includes an environmental parameter, wherein the environmental parameter includes at least one of a battery charge level, a temperature, a barometric pressure, a code relating to an accessory for the one or more of the plurality of different medical devices, a data validity measurement, an elapsed time since a previous reading by the one or more of the plurality of different medical devices, a test result parameter, a signal-to-noise parameter, and a quality of service (QoS) parameter.

9. The medical data interchange device of claim 1, wherein each medical device interface is configured to receive data from the one or more of the plurality of different medical devices using an identifier associated with each of the plurality of different medical devices and wherein the data from the first medical device interface comprises a first identifier associated with the first medical device and wherein the determining the first medical device type comprises determining based upon the first identifier.

10. The medical data interchange device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of different medical devices include at least one of a blood glucose meter, a pacemaker, a blood pressure monitor, an insulin pump, a pulse oximeter, a holter monitor, an electrocardiograph, an electroencephalograph, a blood alcohol monitor, an alcohol breathalyzer, an alcohol ignition interlock, a respiration monitor, an accelerometer, a skin galvanometer, a thermometer, a patient geolocation device, a scale, an intravenous flow regulator, patient height measuring device, a biochip assay device, a sphygmomanometer, a hazardous chemical agent monitor;

an ionizing radiation sensor;

a monitor for biological agents, a loop recorder, a spirometer, an event monitor, a prothrombin time (PT) meter, an international normalized ratio (INR) meter, a tremor sensor, and a defibrillator.

11. The medical data interchange device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of device interfaces is configured to receive the patient data through a plurality of wired connections.

12. The medical data interchange device of claim 1, wherein the processor further executes the instructions in the memory to cause the processor to store the patient data in the memory.

13. The medical data interchange device of claim 12, wherein the patient data is stored until the data has been transmitted to the intermediary device.

14. The medical data interchange device of claim 12, wherein the patient data is stored until the data relay transceiver has received acknowledgment of receipt of the data.

15. The medical data interchange device of claim 1, wherein the processor further executes the instructions in the memory to cause the processor to request an identification number from the one or more of the plurality of different medical devices.

16. The medical data interchange device of claim 15, wherein the processor further executes the instructions in the memory to cause the processor to determine a type for the one or more of the plurality of different medical devices based at least partially on the identification number when receiving data from the one or more of the plurality of different medical devices using the plurality of device interfaces.

17. A medical data interchange device comprising:

a processor;

a plurality of medical device interfaces, wherein each medical device interface is configured to receive patient data directly from one or more of a plurality of different medical devices;

a data relay transceiver; and

a memory coupled to the processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

transition from a quiescent state to an active state in response to a signal transmitted from a first medical device from the plurality of medical devices to prepare the medical data interchange device to receive data from the first medical device;

broadcast an authorization code stored in the medical data interchange device to the first medical device in response to a request for authorization from the first medical device for authenticating the medical data interchange device;

automatically detect, based on a voltage of the signal from the first medical device, a communication protocol used by the first medical device;

automatically configure a medical device interface of the plurality of medical device interfaces to communicate with the first medical device using the detected communication protocol;

receive data from the first medical device through a first wired connection coupled to a first medical device interface from the plurality of medical device interfaces, wherein the patient data comprises the first data;

determine, based upon data from the first medical device, a first medical device type of the first medical device;

receive data from a second medical device from the plurality of medical devices through a second wired connection coupled to a second medical device interface of the plurality of the medical device interfaces wherein the patient data comprises the second data;

encrypt the patient data;

transmit the patient data comprising at least one of the data from the first medical device and data from the second medical device to an intermediary device using the data relay transceiver; and

wherein at least one of the first wired connection and the second wired connection comprises at least one of a;

tip and sleeve (TS) connection;

a tip, ring, and sleeve (TRS) connection;

a tip, ring, ring and sleeve (TRRS) connection;

a serial peripheral interface bus (SPI) connection;

a universal serial bus (USB) connection;

an RS-232 serial connection;

an Ethernet connection; and

a FireWire connection,

and wherein the first wired connection is a different type of connection than the second wired connection.

18. The medical data interchange device of claim 17, wherein the patient data is encrypted using at least one encryption key, the at least one encryption key selected from the group consisting of:

a private encryption key associated with the patient;

a private encryption key of a health care provider associated with the patient;

a public encryption key associated with at least one of;

an intended recipient, and

a medical data server; and

combinations thereof.

19. The medical data interchange device of claim 17, wherein the patient data includes an environmental parameter, wherein the environmental parameter includes at least one of a battery charge level, a temperature, a barometric pressure, a code relating to an accessory for the one or more of the plurality of different medical devices, a data validity measurement, an elapsed time since a previous reading by the one or more of the plurality of different medical devices, a test result parameter, a signal-to-noise parameter, and a quality of service (QoS) parameter.

20. The medical data interchange device of claim 17, wherein the plurality of different medical devices include at least one of a blood glucose meter, a pacemaker, a blood pressure monitor, an insulin pump, a pulse oximeter, a holter monitor, an electrocardiograph, an electroencephalograph, a blood alcohol monitor, an alcohol breathalyzer, an alcohol ignition interlock, a respiration monitor, an accelerometer, a skin galvanometer, a thermometer, a patient geolocation device, a scale, an intravenous flow regulator, patient height measuring device, a biochip assay device, a sphygmomanometer, a hazardous chemical agent monitor;

an ionizing radiation sensor;

a monitor for biological agents, a loop recorder, a spirometer, an event monitor, a prothrombin time (PT) meter, an international normalized ratio (INR) meter, a tremor sensor, and a defibrillator.

21. The medical data interchange device of claim 17, wherein the processor further executes the instructions in the memory to cause the processor to authenticate the intermediary device.

22. The medical data interchange device of claim 20, wherein authenticating the intermediary device is performed using at least one of an authorization code and a password received from the intermediary device.

23. The medical data interchange device of claim 20, wherein authenticating the intermediary device includes verifying the intermediary device advertises at least one qualified service.