Remote health monitoring system

• US 8,945,009 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2008
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch Healthcare Systems, Inc. (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch Healthcare Systems, Inc. (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Inventors: Brown, Stephen J., Gunabushanam, Gowthaman
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomson, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): SORIANO, BOBBY GILES
• Application Number:
  US12/137,660
• Publication Number:
  US 20080269571A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,427 Days
• Field of Search: 128903-905, 128920-925, 705 2- 4, 3405731-576, 600300-301
• US Class Current: 600/301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/20 for electronic clinical trials or questionnaires
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/80 for detecting, monitoring or modelling epidemics or pandemics, e.g. flu
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/92 Computer assisted medical diagnostics

Abstract

The invention relates generally to remote health monitoring systems, as applied to the field of public health surveillance. In particular, it relates to a multi-user remote health monitoring system that is capable of reliably identifying and collecting data from frontline healthcare providers, laboratory and hospital information systems, patients and healthy individuals in a number of ways, with a view to aid in the field of public health. The system can also be used to query and collect additional information regarding specifics pertaining to the health of the individuals, and for patient tracking, monitoring, and the collection of individual data.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for monitoring a plurality of individuals located across a regional, state, or national geographic area using a server executing instructions stored on a computer readable medium, the instructions comprising:

(A) receiving, with the server, health-related data corresponding to one or more health conditions of said plurality of individuals from a respective device of a plurality of devices associated with said plurality of individuals and configured to produce said health-related data by (i) measuring one or more physiological parameters related to said one or more health conditions and (ii) receiving responses to one or more queries presented to said plurality of individuals, wherein said plurality of devices are (i) remotely located from said server, (ii) in communication with said server via a communications network, (iii) configured to generate data corresponding to a geographical location of each respective device of said plurality of devices, and (iv) configured to transmit said health-related data and said data corresponding to a geographical location of each respective device of said plurality of devices to said server;

(B) highlighting (i) a population and (ii) a geographic region at risk of exposure to a disease by analyzing, with the server, said health-related data and said data corresponding to said geographical location of each respective device of said plurality of devices;

(C) generating, with the server, one or more reports based on said health-related data and said data corresponding to said geographical location of each respective device of said plurality of devices; and

(D) scaling, with the server, a level of surveillance among said plurality of individuals using the plurality of devices in response to a change in a threat level of said disease.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

generating, with the server, a visualization of said health-related data in response to said data corresponding to said geographical location of each respective device of said plurality of devices received from said devices.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

generating, with the server, one or more surveys for one or more symptoms in response to said health-related data suggesting one or more outbreaks of said disease; and

transmitting, with the server, said surveys only to said devices in proximity to one or more of said locations associated with said outbreaks based on said data corresponding to said geographical location of each respective device of said plurality of devices.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

storing one or more programs in said server; and

transmitting said programs to one or more of said plurality of devices to convey one or more messages to one or more of said plurality of individuals.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said health-related data and said data corresponding to said geographical location of each respective device of said plurality of devices comprises sentinel data from a group of said individuals likely to catch said disease.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said one or more health conditions comprise at least one of (i) one or more physiological conditions and (ii) one or more symptoms.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said health-related data comprises one or more environmental variables.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

generating, with the server, one or more surveys in response to said health-related data and said data corresponding to said geographical location of each respective device of said plurality of devices when said health-related data and said data corresponding to said geographical location of each respective device of said plurality of devices suggest a link between said disease and at least one of said one or more health conditions among said plurality of individuals.

9. The method according to claim 5, wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting said surveys to said plurality of devices in said highlighted population and said highlighted geographic region.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein said geographical location is generated by a global positioning system (GPS) located in each of said devices.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein said data corresponding to said geographical location includes a time-stamped geographical location.