Personal health monitoring and/or communication system

• US 8,882,666 B1
• Filed: 04/18/2005
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ideal Life, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ideal Life, Inc.
• Inventors: Goldberg, Jason, Beckerman, Thomas C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomson, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Archer, Marie
• Application Number:
  US11/108,355
• Time in Patent Office: 3,494 Days
• Field of Search: 600300-301, 128903-905
• US Class Current: 600/301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2505/07 Home care
• 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 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse, heart rate, blood pressure or blood flow; Combined pulse/heart-rate/blood pressure determination; Evaluating a cardiovascular condition not otherwise provided for, e.g. using combinations of techniques provided for in this group with electrocardiography or electroauscultation; Heart catheters for measuring blood pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• 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 5/022 by applying pressure to close blood vessels, e.g. against the skin; Ophthalmodynamometers
• 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 5/091 Measuring volume of inspired or expired gases, e.g. to determine lung capacity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14546 for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6826 Finger
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6838 Clamps or clips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/743 Displaying an image simultaneously with additional graphical information, e.g. symbols, charts, function plots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7435 Displaying user selection data, e.g. icons in a graphical user interface
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/903 : Radio telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/92 : Computer assisted medical diagnostics

Abstract

Monitoring systems are provided for monitoring physiologic parameters of at least one subject. The systems generally include a monitoring device or a plurality of monitoring devices, and a transmission device associated with the one or the plurality of the monitoring devices. The monitoring device(s) includes at least one physiologic sensor for measuring at least one physiologic parameter of a subject and a wireless communication unit. The transmission device includes at least one communication unit for communicating with the monitoring device wirelessly and for communicating with a remote computer. The monitoring device(s) communicate data measured with the monitoring device to the transmission device wirelessly and the transmission device communicates the measured data to the remote computer.

Claims

1. A system for use in monitoring physiological parameter data of at least one subject, the system comprising:

a monitoring device which receives physiological parameter data of a subject from at least one physiological sensor and comprises a wireless communication unit having limited range operative to wirelessly communicate over the limited range and a user interface including an input device and a display device, wherein

the monitoring device displays at least text on the display device (a) based on input from the input device and (b) based on data received by the wireless communication unit, and

the wireless communication unit wirelessly transmits over the limited range first data, including data defining text displayed on the display device and data related to the physiological parameter data, and wirelessly receives over the limited range second data including text to be displayed on the display device; and

a local transmission device that communicates with a remote computer over a communications network and communicates over the limited range with the monitoring device, the local transmission device being local to and separate from the monitoring device and being located on a same side of the communications network as the monitoring device, the local transmission device comprising (a) a first wireless communication unit having limited range operative to wirelessly communicate over the limited range with the wireless communication unit of the monitoring device to receive over the limited range the first data from the wireless communication unit of the monitoring device and transmit over the limited range of the first wireless communication unit the second data to the wireless communication unit of the monitoring device and (b) at least one second communication unit that communicates over the communications network with the remote computer to transmit the first data to and receive the second data from the remote computer over the communications network without user operation of a user interface, if any, associated with the local transmission device;

wherein the local transmission device comprises a plurality of second communication units which communicate over the network with the remote computer, one of the second communication units of the local transmission device being initially operable to communicate with the remote computer based on a priority and capability of the respective communication unit to connect to the communications network.

2. The system of claim 1, comprising the at least one physiological sensor which provides physiological parameter dated related to at least one of blood pressure, weight, glucose level, heart rate, and respiratory capacity.

3. The system of claim 1, comprising a plurality of sensors which provide the physiological parameter data to the monitoring device, each sensor for providing a different type of physiological parameter data.

4. The system of claim 1, comprising a plurality of monitoring devices that communicate with the transmission device and at least one sensor for each monitoring device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring device comprises means for associating physiological parameter data received from a sensor with a time and date that the physiological parameter data is received by the monitoring device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring device comprises a memory that stores at least temporarily the physiological parameter data and the display device displays physiological parameter data stored in the memory.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring device comprises a memory that stores at least temporarily coordinate data and the display device displays a graphic image of the physiological parameter data based on the coordinate data, wherein the coordinate data is communicated to the monitoring device from the remote computer via the local transmission device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring device comprises a memory that stores at least temporarily statistical data derived from the physiological parameter data and the display device displays statistical data stored in the memory, wherein the statistical data is communicated to the monitoring device from the remote computer and is related to physiological parameter data provided by the monitoring device to the remote computer.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring device comprises a blood pressure cuff to which the display device is attached.

10. The system of claim 1, comprising the at least one physiological sensor wirelessly coupled to provide the physiological parameter data to the monitoring device, the at least one sensor being displaceable from the monitoring device.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring device communicates a unique identifier with the physiological parameter data to associate the physiological parameter data with a particular monitoring device or a particular subject.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring device comprises a memory that stores at least temporarily second data received from the remote computer for display on the display device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the second data comprises targeted text messages from the remote computer for display on the display device based on physiological parameter data from the monitoring device provided to the remote computer.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the targeted text messages comprise at least one of an alert, news, and advertising.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the monitoring device communicates with the remote computer via the transmission device in a session that comprises:

communication of physiological parameter data from the monitoring device to the remote computer;

communication of coordinate data from the remote computer to the monitoring device related to a graphic image of the physiological parameter data to be displayed on the display device based on the coordinate data;

communication of second data comprising data based on text from the remote computer to the monitoring device; and

communication of first data comprising a response to the data based on text from the monitoring device to the remote computer.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the responses communicated to the remote computer comprise responses to messages communicated to the monitoring device from a previous communication session.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the session is initiated at about the time the monitoring device receives physiological parameter data.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the session comprises communication of at least one acknowledgement that indicates receipt of a communication.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the session comprises a tracking of information communicated between the monitoring device and the remote computer.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the input device comprises a plurality of switches adapted to be activated by a user, and wherein second data defining at least one message from the remote computer comprises at least one label associatable when the message is displayed on the display device with at least one of the switches, which label represents a response to the message when the associated switch is activated.