Portable ECG device with wireless communication interface to remotely monitor patients and method of use

Abstract

A portable ECG monitor and an overall system for remotely monitoring cardiac function of a patient is disclosed, together with a method of use. The portable ECG includes a multi-lead, multi-channel ECG monitor and a wireless communication device connected to the ECG monitor to receive patient ECG data and transmit the patient ECG data to a centralized facility, such as a hospital. The wireless communication device can include a mobile phone and/or an interactive Internet appliance. A method of remotely monitoring ECG data is also disclosed. The method and apparatus are particularly useful with patients experiencing symptomatic ischemia. The method includes providing a portable ECG device with wireless communication capabilities to such a patient, acquiring ECG data from the patient at a location remote from a health care facility, then transmitting the ECG data to the centralized facility, and assessing the ECG data at the centralized facility. The patient is then provided with instructions based on the ECG assessment. The centralized facility and the health care facility may be one in the same, or may be two different and distinct facilities.

1 - 35 . (canceled)  
   
   
       36 . A cardiac condition monitoring system comprising: 
 a patient ECG monitor;    a plurality of electrodes connectable to the patient ECG monitor and configured to acquire 12-lead ECG data from a patient during a data acquisition stage;    a patient communication interface constructed to process the 12-lead ECG data and communicate the processed 12-lead ECG data to a health care provider; and    a health care communication interface remote from the patient ECG monitor and constructed to receive the processed 12-lead ECG data and display the processed data to health care personnel.    
   
   
       37 . The system of  claim 36  wherein the data acquisition stage is initiated by the patient upon a patient diagnosed cardiac condition and terminated upon determination by the health care provider that the patient diagnosed cardiac condition is a misdiagnosis of a cardiac condition.  
   
   
       38 . The system of  claim 36  wherein the plurality of electrodes are positionable on a patient to acquire  8  views of a patients cardiac condition and derive  4  additional views of a patients cardiac condition.  
   
   
       39 . The system of  claim 38  wherein the plurality of electrodes is further defined as eight electrodes and wherein six of the electrodes are positionable about a patient's chest, one electrode is positionable below a patient's umbilical cord, and one electrode is positionable about a patients arm.  
   
   
       40 . The system of  claim 36  further comprising an information management system connectable to the patient ECG monitor and constructed to at least one of transmit the processed 12-lead ECG data to the health care communication interface and record the processed 12-lead ECG data until arrival of a patient at a health care facility and then connect to the health care communication interface and communicate the recorded data thereto.  
   
   
       41 . The system of  claim 40  wherein the information management system further comprises a removable storage medium constructed to store the recorded data and be removed from the patient ECG monitor and connected to the health care communication interface.  
   
   
       42 . A medical information acquisition system comprising: 
 an individual ECG device;    a plurality of electrodes connectable to the individual ECG device, the plurality of electrodes connectable to a patient to acquire data required to generate 12 views of a patient's cardiac condition;    an ECG device communication interface connected to the individual ECG device and constructed to communicate the 12 views of a patient's cardiac condition with a health care facility upon patient actuation of the individual ECG device; and    a health care facility communication interface constructed to communicate with the ECG device communication interface and configured to display the 12 views of the patient cardiac condition and communicate a diagnosis of the 12 views of the patient cardiac condition to the individual ECG device.    
   
   
       43 . The system of  claim 42  wherein the individual ECG device is constructed to be actuated by a patient upon the patient diagnosing a cardiac condition and deactivated by the patient upon confirmation by a health care provider that the cardiac condition is non-critical.  
   
   
       44 . The system of  claim 42  wherein the individual ECG device further comprising an information management system, the information management system constructed to be connectable to the health care facility communication interface when a patient is proximate thereto and transmit the acquired data thereto when the patient is remote from a health care facility.  
   
   
       45 . The system of  claim 42  wherein the individual ECG device wirelessly communicates with the ECG device communication interface and the ECG device communication interface wirelessly communicates with the health care facility communication interface.  
   
   
       46 . The system of  claim 42  wherein the 12 views of a patients cardiac condition are further defined as 8 views acquired from data received from the plurality of electrodes and 4 views derived from data received from the plurality of electrodes.  
   
   
       47 . The system of  claim 42  wherein the patient communication interface is constructed to concurrently communicate at least two of the ECG signals, ECG signal converted to a human discernable form, and a moving video signal to the health care facility communication interface.  
   
   
       48 . The system of  claim 42  wherein patient actuation of the individual ECG device is further defined as the patient self-attaching the plurality of electrodes of the individual ECG device and a patient deactivation of the individual ECG device further comprises a patient disconnecting the plurality of electrodes and turning off the ECG monitor.  
   
   
       49 . A patient ECG acquiring system comprising: 
 a transportable ECG monitor having a plurality of channels and constructed to be intermittently worn by a patient;    a plurality of electrodes connectable to the transportable ECG monitor across the plurality of channels such that the transportable ECG monitor acquires 12-lead ECG data from a patient having the plurality of electrodes attached thereto;    an information management system connected to the transportable ECG monitor and constructed to receive and process the 12-lead ECG data, the information management system further comprising: 
 a communication interface constructed to communicate processed 12-lead ECG data to a health care provider when a connection link is established therebetween; and  
 a storage device constructed to store at least one of acquired and processed 12-lead ECG data when the communication link is unestablishable during 12-lead ECG data acquisition, the storage device removably connected to the transportable ECG monitor such that it can engage a health care provider information acquisition system and communicate the stored 12-lead ECG data thereto.  
   
   
   
       50 . The system of  claim 49  wherein the transportable ECG monitor is constructed to be turned-on by a patient who is experiencing a self-diagnosed cardiac condition and turned-off by the patient upon confirmation from a health care provider that the self-diagnosed cardiac condition is approximately normal cardiac condition for the patient.  
   
   
       51 . The system of  claim 49  wherein the transportable ECG monitor further comprises a GPS system constructed to communicate an approximate position of the transportable ECG monitor to the health care provider upon remote actuation of the GPS system by the health care provider.  
   
   
       52 . The system of  claim 49  further comprising a moving video capture system in communication with the transportable ECG monitor and constructed to communicate voice and video data to a health care provider across the information management system concurrently with the 12-lead ECG data.  
   
   
       53 . The system of  claim 49  wherein the plurality of electrodes are self-applied by a patient such that the 12-lead ECG data includes 8 acquired views and 4 derived views from a plurality of signals received from the plurality of electrodes.  
   
   
       54 . The system of  claim 49  wherein the transportable ECG monitor is further configured to prompt the patient if assistance is needed when the transportable ECG monitor is activated, and if so, establish communication with the health care facility prior to acquisition of 12-lead ECG data.  
   
   
       55 . The system of  claim 49  wherein the health care provider information acquisition system is constructed to acquire and record information received from the transportable ECG monitor for at least one patient diagnosed event.