Bio-information sensor monitoring system and method

Abstract

A bio-information monitoring system passively monitors a patient with a remote portable bio-information unit that takes various bio-information measurements at selected time intervals as well as at random times without patient intervention. The measurements are converted to digital signals which are transmitted from the bio-information unit to a modem when the bio-information unit is in proximity to the modem. The signals are stored in the modem and uploaded to a central monitoring network. Automatic alerts may be sent from the central monitoring network to a treatment provider. The treatment provider may also access the information through secured dedicated websites via the Internet.

1 . A bio-information network for use with a bio-information modem and a continuous remote bio-information unit attached to a human subject, the bio-information network comprising: 
 a communication server, wherein said communication server receives raw data over a communication link from the bio-information modem, wherein said raw data is gathered by the continuous remote bio-information unit attached to the subject and transmitted to the bio-information modem;    a situation analyzer connectable to said communication server, wherein said situation analyzer parses said raw data through a predetermined set of rules into a plurality of messages;    a workflow instructions connectable to said situation analyzer, wherein said situation analyzer queries said workflow instructions for an action to be applied to each of said plurality of messages;    a treatment provider/subject database connectable to said situation analyzer for storing said raw data, for storing information on the human subject, treatment provider, and a monitoring personnel monitoring the human subject, and for storing a method of notification predetermined by said monitoring personnel; and    a notification server connectable to said situation analyzer, wherein when said situation analyzer determines that said action to be applied to a one of said plurality of messages requires an immediate notification of said monitoring personnel, said situation analyzer will communicate said one of said plurality of messages to said notification server, and further wherein said notification server queries said treatment provider/subject database to determine a predetermined notification method, and executes said predetermined notification method to communicate a one of said plurality of messages to said monitoring personnel.    
     
     
         2 . The bio-information network according to  claim 1  wherein said communication server, upon establishment of said communication link with the bio-information modem, executes a series of inquiries to validate said bio-information modem.  
     
     
         3 . The bio-information network according to  claim 1  further comprising: 
 an alert manager connectable to said situation analyzer and to said workflow instructions, wherein said situation analyzer passes each of said plurality of messages to said alert manager, and further wherein said alert manager categorizes each of said plurality of messages into a one of a plurality of alert management categories for presentation to a monitoring person at a monitoring station.    
     
     
         4 . The bio-information network according to  claim 3  wherein said plurality of alert management categories further comprises: 
 a review/report;    a take action;    a snooze alert;    a log action required; and    a change the status of alert.    
     
     
         5 . The bio-information network according to  claim 1  wherein said treatment provider/subject database further comprises: 
 a treatment center information for a treatment center associated with said treatment provider;    a historical record of all previously received raw data; and    a patient data for the human subject, said patient data further comprising a reading schedule, a communication schedule, a device information for the continuous remote bio-information unit, and a device information for the bio-information modem in communication with the continuous remote bio-information unit.    
     
     
         6 . The bio-information network according to  claim 1  wherein said situation analyzer categorizes said plurality of messages into a plurality of categories, said plurality of categories further comprising: 
 an equipment alert, including a power up alarm from the continuous remote bio-information unit, and an equipment failure alert;    a communication alert, including a no bio-information modem communication, a no continuous remote bio-information unit communication, a bio-information modem missed scheduled communication, and a continuous remote bio-information unit missed scheduled communication;    an equipment maintenance, including a scheduled maintenance, a non-scheduled maintenance, and a software download maintenance; and    an equipment assignment, including an equipment assigned and an equipment removed.    
     
     
         7 . The bio-information network according to  claim 6  wherein said situation analyzer, in categorizing said plurality of messages, analyzes historical data relating to similar messages in making categorization decisions.  
     
     
         8 . The bio-information network according to  claim 7  wherein said situation analyzer analyzes said historical data to detect data trends and provide feedback to the human subject by sending messages related to the data trends to the bio-information modem for output on an LCD display of the bio-information modem.  
     
     
         9 . The bio-information network according to  claim 1  wherein the continuous remote bio-information unit monitoring of a human subject is done twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.  
     
     
         10 . The bio-information network according to  claim 1  wherein said treatment provider/subject database further comprises: 
 a plurality of programs for monitoring a plurality of sensors in the continuous remote bio-information unit, wherein once a sensor configuration has been assigned to the continuous remote bio-information unit, said treatment provider/subject database selects from said plurality of programs a set of programs necessary for said sensor configuration, and downloads said set of programs to the bio-information modem, which in turn downloads said set of programs to the continuous remote bio-information unit.    
     
     
         11 . A method for using a bio-information network to process raw data received via a bio-information modem from a continuous remote bio-information unit attached to a human subject, the method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) receiving in a communication server in the bio-information network the raw data over a communication link from the bio-information modem, wherein the raw data is gathered by the continuous remote bio-information unit attached to the subject and is transmitted to the bio-information modem;    (b) parsing with a situation analyzer said raw data through a predetermined set of rules into a plurality of messages;    (c) determining with a workflow instructions an action to be applied to each of said plurality of messages;    (d) storing in a treatment provider/subject database said raw data, an information on the human subject, an information on a treatment provider associated with the human subject, a predetermined notification method for notifying a monitoring personnel of said treatment provider associated with the human subject; and    (e) when said action to be applied to a one of said messages requires an immediate notification of said monitoring personnel, executing with a notification server said predetermined notification method to communicate a one of said plurality of messages to said monitoring personnel.    
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11  wherein said receiving step further comprises: 
 upon establishing said communication link, validating by said communication server said bio-information modem by executing a series of inquiries to said bio-information modem.    
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 11  wherein said predetermined notification method is a one of an e-mail message, a facsimile transmission, a page to a pager, a text message, a call to a telephone, and a call to a cellular telephone.  
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 11  further comprising the step of: 
 categorizing by an alert manager each of said plurality of messages into a one of a plurality of alert management categories for presentation to said monitoring personnel at a monitoring station, wherein said plurality of alert management categories is a one of a review/report, a take action, a snooze alert, a log action required, and a change the status of alert.    
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14  further comprising the steps of: 
 analyzing by said situation analyzer a current message together with a historical raw data related to said current message; and    escalating said current message to a higher one of said plurality of alert management categories when a pattern is detected by said analyzing step that would require more immediate attention.    
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 14  further comprising the steps of: 
 downloading by the bio-information network said reading schedule and said communication schedule to said bio-information modem;    downloading by said bio-information modem said reading schedule and said communication schedule to the continuous remote bio-information unit;    when a scheduled communication between said communication server and said bio-information modem fails to occur, generating by said communication server a communication alert; and    communicating said communication alert to said monitoring station.    
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 11  further comprising the step of: 
 storing in said treatment provider/subject database a treatment center information for a treatment center associated with said treatment provider, a historical record of all previously received raw data, and a patient data for the human subject, said patient data further comprising a reading schedule, a communication schedule, a device information for the continuous remote bio-information unit, and a device information for the bio-information modem in communication with the continuous remote bio-information unit.    
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 11  wherein said parsing with a situation analyzer step further comprises the step of: 
 categorizing each of said plurality of messages into a one of a plurality of categories, wherein said plurality of categories is a one of an equipment alert, including a power up alarm from the continuous remote bio-information unit and an equipment failure alert; a communication alert, including a no bio-information modem communication, a no continuous remote bio-information unit communication, a bio-information modem missed scheduled communication, and a continuous remote bio-information unit missed scheduled communication; an equipment maintenance, including a scheduled maintenance, a non-scheduled maintenance, and a software download maintenance; and an equipment assignment, including an equipment assigned and an equipment removed.    
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18  wherein said categorizing each of said plurality of messages into a one of a plurality of categories step further comprises: 
 analyzing historical data relating to similar messages in making categorization decisions.    
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19  wherein said analyzing historical data step further comprises: 
 analyzing said historical data to detect a data trend; and    based on said data trend, sending a message related to said data trend to the bio-information modem for output on an LCD display of the bio-information modem to provide feedback to the human subject.    
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 11  wherein steps (a) through (e) may be performed twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.  
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 11  further comprising the steps of: 
 assigning by said treatment provider/subject database a sensor configuration to the continuous remote bio-information unit for the human subject;    selecting by said treatment provider/subject database, based upon said sensor configuration, a set of programs from a plurality of programs stored in said treatment provider/subject database, wherein a plurality of sensors in the continuous remote bio-information unit are monitored by a one of said plurality of programs, and further wherein said set of programs are necessary for monitoring said sensor configuration;    downloading by said treatment provider/subject database said set of programs to the bio-information modem; and    downloading by the bio-information modem said set of programs to the continuous remote bio-information unit.