Multi-user remote health monitoring system with biometrics support

• US 8,635,085 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2011
• Issued: 01/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Brown, Stephen J.
• Primary Examiner(s): RANGREJ, SHEETAL
• Application Number:
  US13/151,527
• Publication Number:
  US 20120004525A1
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• Field of Search: 705 2- 3
• US Class Current: 705/2
• 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 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement

Abstract

The invention presents a networked system for identifying an individual, communicating information to the individual, and remotely monitoring the individual. The system includes a remotely programmable apparatus that occasionally connects to a server via a communication network such as the Internet. The remotely programmable apparatus interacts with the individual in accordance with a script program received from the server Among other capabilities, the script program may instruct the remotely programmable apparatus to identify the individual, to communicate information to the individual, to communicate queries to the individual, to receive responses to the queries, and to transmit information identifying the individual and the responses from the remotely programmable apparatus to the server. Information identifying the individual may be obtained via a biometrics sensor, a data card, a remote monitoring device, or the interception of data from a separate information system. The information identifying the individual may be used by either or both the server system and remotely programmable apparatus for security, customization and other purposes. As the present invention has multi-user capabilities, it can be used in a public place, such as a pharmacy or health care clinic. The multi-user capabilities also allow collection and tracking of user data for the healthcare industry.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a measurement apparatus within a housing configured to be carried by a patient, said measurement apparatus configured to (i) measure one or more health condition parameters of the patient and (ii) generate health data representative of the health condition parameters;

a recording device within said housing and configured to (a) store (i) the health data and (ii) identification data unique to each of one or more respective authorized users and (b) communicate the health data and the identification data to an external computer; and

a processor within said housing configured to (A) determine if the patient is one of the authorized users based on the identification data and (B) if the patient is authorized (i) receive a program from the external computer, said program comprising an identification number, one or more queries and one or more sets of response choices corresponding to said queries, wherein said identification number of said program is different from said identification data of said one or more authorized users, (ii) execute the program to present said one or more queries and the one or more sets of response choices to the patient via a display within said housing, (iii) gather one or more responses from the patient to the queries and (iv) transmit the responses and the identification number of the program that gathered the responses to the external computer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the recording device records a medication administration amount.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, the housing having dimensions less than 20 centimeters.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a health condition of the patient includes a diabetes condition, said health condition parameters include a blood glucose parameter, said health data includes a blood glucose level, and said measurement apparatus includes a blood glucose meter.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing has a plurality of outer dimensions each less than 20 centimeters.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the recording device records an insulin infusion amount.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the recording device is further configured to communicate the insulin infusion amount to the external computer at a prescribed time according to a transmit command in the program.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the recording device is further configured to communicate the blood glucose level to the external computer before the external computer transmits the program to the apparatus.

9. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the blood glucose meter further comprises a patient interface and is configured to perform a blood glucose measurement upon patient interaction with the patient interface.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said identification data comprises biometric information.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said biometric information comprises at least one of retina metrics, iris metrics, voice print metrics, body measurement metrics, handwriting metrics, body odor metrics, heart beat signature metrics, and biometrics discernable from body fluids of the patient such as blood, urine or breath.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

a measurement apparatus disposed within a housing that is sufficiently compact to be hand held and carried by a patient, said measurement apparatus configured to (i) measure one or more health condition parameters of the patient and (ii) generate health data representative of the health condition parameters;

a recording device disposed within said housing and configured to (A) store (i) a medication administration amount of the patient and (ii) identification data unique to one or more respective authorized users and (B) communicate the health data and the identification data to an external computer; and

a processor disposed within said housing and configured to (A) determine whether the patient is one of the authorized users based on the identification data and (B) when the patient is an authorized user (1) receive a program from the external computer, wherein said program comprises (i) an identification number separate from said identification data of said one or more authorized users, (ii) one or more queries, and (iii) one or more sets of response choices corresponding to said one or more queries, (2) execute the program to present the one or more queries and the one or more sets of response choices corresponding to the one or more queries to the patient via a display within the housing, (3) gather one or more responses from the patient to the one or more queries, and (4) transmit the responses and the identification number of the program that gathered the responses to the external computer.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the recording device further records the health data.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the recording device is further configured to communicate the health data and the medication administration amount to the external computer at a prescribed time according to a transmit command in the program received from the external computer.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the housing has one or more outer dimensions less than 20 centimeters.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein a health condition of the patient includes a diabetes condition, said health condition parameters include a blood glucose parameter, said health data includes a blood glucose level, said medication administration amount includes an insulin infusion amount, and said measurement apparatus includes a blood glucose meter.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said identification data comprises biometric information including at least one of retina metrics, iris metrics, voice print metrics, body measurement metrics, handwriting metrics, body odor metrics, heart beat signature metrics, and biometrics discernable from body fluids of the patient such as blood, urine or breath.

18. An apparatus, comprising:

a measurement apparatus within a housing that is sufficiently compact to be hand held and carried by a patient, said measurement apparatus configured to (i) measure one or more health condition parameters of the patient and (ii) generate health data representative of the health condition parameters;

a recording device within said housing configured to (A) store (i) the health data, (ii) a medication administration amount, and (iii) identification data unique to each of one or more respective authorized users and (B) communicate the health data and the identification data to an external computer; and

a processor within said housing configured to (A) determine whether the patient is one of the authorized users based on the identification data and (B) when the patient is authorized (1) request a program from the external computer, said program comprising (i) an identification number, (ii) one or more queries and (iii) one or more sets of response choices corresponding to said one or more queries, wherein said identification number of said program is different from said identification data of said one or more authorized users, (2) execute the program to present the one or more queries and the one or more sets of response choices to the patient via a display within said housing, (3) gather one or more responses from the patient to the queries, and (4) transmit the responses and the identification number of the program that gathered the responses to the external computer.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said identification data comprises biometric information.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said biometric information comprises at least one of retina metrics, iris metrics, voice print metrics, body measurement metrics, handwriting metrics, body odor metrics, heart beat signature metrics, and biometrics discernable from body fluids of the patient such as blood, urine or breath.