Communication terminal, medical telemetry system and method for monitoring physiological data

• US 9,398,853 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2005
• Issued: 07/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LifeWatch Technologies Ltd. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: LifeWatch Technologies Ltd. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Nanikashvili, Reuven
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Gary
• Assistant Examiner(s): JIAN, SHIRLEY XUEYING
• Application Number:
  US11/144,891
• Publication Number:
  US 20070015973A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,071 Days
• Field of Search: 600300-301, 128903-904, 340/539.12, 705 2- 4
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0004 characterised by the type of physiological signal transmitted
• 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 5/02 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: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A medical telemetry system for remote monitoring of data collected from mobile persons including a sensor capable of monitoring physiological data, a mobile communication telemeter operably connected to said sensor for communicating physiological data to terminals, a plurality of terminals for receiving physiological data and for communication said physiological data over a wireless link using the Bluetooth standard to a communication gateway, and a communications gateway for communicating such physiological data to a first end of a communications network. Terminal may also be operably connected to power lines and may be capable of transmitting data via both a wireless link and a power line modem over power lines, such that the power line modem is capable of communicating or receiving physiological data over power lines if it is unable to communicate physiological data over a wireless link.

Claims

1. A terminal comprising:

a wireless transmitter;

a wireless receiver, adapted to receive processed physiological data;

wherein the processed physiological data is wirelessly transmitted by a wireless telemeter that wirelessly receives physiological data collected by at least one sensor and processes the physiological data to provide the processed physiological data a power line transmitter, coupled to the wireless receiver;

a terminal controller, coupled to the power line transmitter and the wireless receiver, for controlling the power line transmitter and the wireless receiver;

wherein the terminal controller is adapted to at least partially process the processed physiological data;

wherein the process comprises performing health event detection;

wherein the terminal controller is further adapted to determine whether to transmit said processed physiological data over the at least one power line or to wirelessly transmit said processed physiological data over a wireless connection;

wherein the wireless transmitter is arranged to wirelessly transmit the processed physiological information if it is determined to wirelessly transmit the processed information;

wherein the power line transmitter is arranged to transmit, over the at least one power line the processed physiological information if it is determined to wirelessly transmit the processed information over the at least one power line; and

wherein the terminal controller is further adapted to determine whether to transmit said processed physiological data over the at least one power line or to wirelessly relay said processed physiological data to another terminal;

wherein the wireless transmitter is arranged to wirelessly relay the processed physiological information to another terminal if it is determined to wirelessly relay the processed information to the other terminal.

2. The terminal according to claim 1 whereas the at least one sensor is coupled to a short-range transceiver and whereas the terminal further comprises a wireless transmitter for transmitting signals to the short-range transceiver.

3. The terminal according to claim 1 further adapted to receive physiological data from multiple persons simultaneously.

4. The terminal according to claim 1 whereas the terminal controller is adapted to at least partially analyze the received physiological data and to decide whether to transmit said physiological data.

5. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the terminal functions as a master and the mobile telemeter serves as a slave.

6. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the power line transmitter is coupled to the power line which provides operating power for the terminal and for other devices.

7. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the power line transmitter is coupled to the power line by a common two prong plug via a wall electrical outlet.

8. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the power line transmitter is coupled to the power line by a common three prong plug via a wall electrical outlet.

9. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the power line transmitter is an embedded power line carrier (PLC) modem.

10. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the power line transmitter is adapted to transmit the physiological data over the at least one power line that is a standard residential electric power lines of 110 or 220 volts.

11. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the terminal controller is adapted to determine, in response to multi-path interference, whether to transmit said processed physiological data over the at least one power line or to wirelessly transmit said processed physiological data over the wireless connection.

12. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the terminal controller is adapted to determine to transmit said processed physiological data over the at least one power line if wireless communication becomes unavailable.

13. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the terminal controller is further adapted to determine whether to transmit said processed physiological data over the at least one power line to a central unit or to wirelessly transmit said processed physiological data to the central unit;

wherein the wireless transmitter is arranged to wirelessly transmit the processed physiological information to the central unit if it is determined to wirelessly transmit the processed information to the central unit.

14. A terminal comprising:

a wireless transmitter;

a wireless receiver, adapted to receive processed physiological data;

wherein the processed physiological data is wirelessly transmitted by a wireless telemeter that wirelessly receives physiological data collected by at least one sensor and processes the physiological data to provide the processed physiological data;

a power line transmitter, coupled to the wireless receiver;

a terminal controller, coupled to the power line transmitter and the wireless receiver, for controlling the power line transmitter and the wireless receiver;

wherein the terminal controller is adapted to at least partially process the processed physiological data;

wherein the process comprises performing health event detection;

wherein the terminal controller is further adapted to determine whether to transmit said processed physiological data over the at least one power line or to wirelessly transmit said processed physiological data over a wireless connection;

wherein the wireless transmitter is arranged to wirelessly transmit the processed physiological information if it is determined to wirelessly transmit the processed information;

wherein the power line transmitter is arranged to transmit, over the at least one power line the processed physiological information if it is determined to wirelessly transmit the processed information over the at least one power line; and

wherein the terminal is further adapted to wirelessly receive physiological information from another terminal and to wirelessly relay the physiological information from another terminal to a central unit.