Method and Apparatus for Remotely Monitoring the Condition of a Patient

Abstract

A patient monitoring system provides enhanced functional capability relative to known systems and provides a wireless communication link between a patient monitoring device, worn by a patient, and a local hub. The patient monitoring system is adapted to monitor various patient physiological characteristics, such as blood pressure, pulse rate, blood glucose, weight, pulse oximetry and others. The data from the patient monitoring device is wirelessly transmitted to a local hub, which, in turn, is configured to automatically transfer the data to a remote server, for example, over a public or private communications network. In one embodiment of the invention, the server is configured as a web portal to selectively allow access to such patient physiological data by designated third parties, such as physicians, clinicians, relatives and the patient themselves.

1 . A patient monitoring system including:
 a patient monitoring device determining a plurality of physiological readings of a patient and wirelessly transmitting said plurality of patient readings to a wireless hub;   a wireless hub wirelessly receiving said plurality of physiological readings; and   a remote server, wherein said remote server receives said plurality of physiological readings from said wireless hub and compares said plurality of physiological readings to a predetermined alert condition based on a plurality of physiological readings,   wherein an alert indication is provided to said patient when said plurality of patient readings violate said alert condition.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said alert condition is established by said patient. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said alert condition is established by an entity other than said patient. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3  wherein said alert condition is established by a physician. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said alert condition is established using a web portal to said remote server. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  further including a second predetermined alert condition, wherein at least one of said plurality of physiological readings is compared to said second predetermined alert condition. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said predetermined alert condition is established using a trend in a plurality of previous physiological readings from said patient. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  wherein an alert indication is also provided to an entity other than said patient. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8  wherein said entity is a physician. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1  wherein a plurality of alerts are provided to said patient. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10  wherein a first of said plurality of alerts is provided to said patient using a first communication channel and a second of said plurality of alerts is provided to said patient using a communication channel other than said first communication channel. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11  wherein one of said communication channels is a pager and another of said communication channels is e-mail. 
     
     
         14 . A patient monitoring system including:
 a patient monitoring device determining a first physiological reading of a patient and a second physiological reading of a patient and wirelessly transmitting said first physiological reading and said second physiological reading to a wireless hub;   a wireless hub wirelessly receiving said first physiological reading and said second physiological reading; and   a remote server, wherein said remote server receives said first physiological reading and said second physiological reading from said wireless hub, wherein said remote server includes a predetermined alert condition that requires a plurality of physiological readings from a patient to determine whether said alert condition has been triggered,   wherein said remote server uses both said first physiological reading and said second physiological reading to determine whether said alert condition has been triggered,   wherein an alert indication is provided to said patient when said alert condition has been triggered.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14  wherein said remote server also includes a second predetermined alert condition that requires only a single physiological reading from a patient to determine whether said second predetermined alert condition has been triggered,
 wherein at least one of said first physiological reading and said second physiological reading are compared to said second predetermined alert condition to determining whether said second predetermined alert condition has been triggered,   wherein an alert indication is provided to said patient when said second alert condition has been triggered.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15  wherein both said first physiological reading and said second physiological reading are compared to said second predetermined alert condition. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 14  wherein said alert condition is established using a web portal to said remote server. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 14  wherein said predetermined alert condition is established using a trend in a plurality of previous physiological readings from said patient. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 14  wherein an alert indication is also provided to an entity other than said patient. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 14  wherein a plurality of alerts are provided to said patient. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20  wherein a first of said plurality of alerts is provided to said patient using a first communication channel and a second of said plurality of alerts is provided to said patient using a communication channel other than said first communication channel. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21  wherein one of said communication channels is a pager and another of said communication channels is e-mail. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 15  wherein a plurality of communication channels to said patient are provided and the communication channel selected to communicate an alert indication varies depending upon whether said alert condition or said second alert condition has been triggered. 
     
     
         24 . A method for monitoring a patient, said method including:
 determining a plurality of physiological readings of a patient at a patient monitoring device;   wirelessly transmitting said plurality of patient readings to a wireless hub;   wirelessly receiving said plurality of physiological readings at said hub;   transmitting said plurality of physiological readings to a remote server;   receiving said plurality of physiological readings from said wireless hub at said remote server;   comparing said plurality of physiological readings to a predetermined alert condition based on a plurality of physiological readings; and   providing an alert indication to said patient when said plurality of patient readings violate said alert condition.   
     
     
         25 . A method for monitoring a patient, said method including:
 determining a first physiological reading of a patient at a patient monitoring device;   determining a second physiological reading of said patient at said patient monitoring device;   wirelessly transmitting said first physiological reading and said second physiological reading to a wireless hub;   wirelessly receiving said first physiological reading and said second physiological reading at said hub;   transmitting said first physiological reading and said second physiological reading to a remote server;   receiving said first physiological reading and said second physiological reading from said wireless hub at said remote server, wherein said remote server includes a predetermined alert condition that requires a plurality of physiological readings from a patient to determine whether said alert condition has been triggered;   using both said first physiological reading and said second physiological reading to determine whether said alert condition has been triggered; and   providing an alert indication to said patient when said alert condition has been triggered.