System and method for medical surveillance through personal communication device

Abstract

A medical monitoring and surveillance system uses a server communicating with a general-purpose personal device running an application. The application may be downloadable. The application is configured by the server. The application configures the device to perform medical tests using the sensors, preexisting capabilities, and functionality built into the device. The device may be a cellular telephone with data communication and other functionality, a personal digital organizer, a portable entertainment device, or another similar personal device. The application reports the results of the medical tests to the server or a third party device. Various trigger events and associated tasks may be incorporated in the server or in the application residing on the device. A trigger event may occur, for example, in response to the test results meeting one or more predetermined criteria. Once a trigger event occurs, a task associated with the trigger event is performed.

1 . A method of operating a portable communication device, the method comprising steps of
 receiving a master configuration file by the portable communication device, the master configuration file comprising information sufficient for an initialization application to configure each application of one or more applications to execute on the portable communication device for a user of the-portable communication device;   receiving by the portable communication device the initialization application and-said each application of the one or more applications;   executing the initialization application by the personal communication device, the step of executing the initialization application comprising providing for said each application configuration information corresponding to said each application; and   executing said each application by the portable communication device, the step of executing said each application comprising said each application reading the application configuration information corresponding to said each application and configuring the portable communication device in accordance with the application configuration information corresponding to said each application.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the one or more applications comprise a first application and a second application; and   the first application generates first data used by the second application.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the step of providing for said each application configuration information corresponding to said each application comprises providing for said each application an application configuration file corresponding to said each application, a different configuration file per application; and   the first application comprises a medical application.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the second application generates second data used by the first application. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving from at least one server first configuration information and second configuration information;   wherein:   the one or more applications comprise a first application and a second application, the first application generates first data, and the second application generates second data.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 sending to the at least one server a request for the first configuration information and the second configuration information, wherein the step of receiving from the at least one server the first configuration information and the second configuration information is performed in response to the request for the first configuration information and the second configuration information.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the first configuration information comprises at least one parameter of a diagnostic assessment, test, monitoring protocol, or surveillance protocol, the at least one parameter being specific to the user. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the first configuration information comprises at least one parameter selected from a group consisting of a diagnostic assessment parameter, a test parameter, a monitoring protocol parameter, and a surveillance protocol parameter. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the second application generates, based on interaction provided by the user, data related to condition of the user, timestamps the data related to the condition of the user, and transmits the data related to the condition of the user to at least one remote device when a connection to the at least one remote device is available. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the second application generates, based on interaction provided by the user, data related to condition of the user, timestamps the data related to the condition of the user, and transmits the data related to the condition of the user to the at least one server at periodic intervals. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the second application generates, based on interaction provided by the user, data related to condition of the user, and transmits the data related to the condition of the user to the at least one server when the data related to the condition becomes available. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the second application generates, based on interaction provided by the user, data related to condition of the user, timestamps the data related to the condition of the user, and transmits the data related to the condition of the user to the at least one server. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the first application generates, based on interaction provided by the user, data related to condition of the user;   the first data (1) comprises the data related to the condition of the user, or (2) is generated based on the data related to the condition of the user; and   the second application causes the portable communication device to modify a regimen of the user in response to the data related to the condition of the user meeting a predefined condition.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the second application causes the portable communication device to modify the regimen of the user by displaying regimen modification information to the user. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the second application causes the portable communication device to modify the regimen of the user by changing time of an action performed by the portable communication device. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the second application causes the portable communication device to modify the regimen of the user by changing time of a reminder provided to the user by the portable communication device. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the first application generates, based on interaction provided by the user, data related to condition of the user;   the first data (1) comprises the data related to the condition of the user, or (2) is generated based on the data related to the condition of the user; and   the second application causes the portable communication device to send to the at least one server information related to trigger generation in response to the data related to the condition of the user meeting a predefined condition.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the data related to trigger generation comprises information related to scheduling of an appointment. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the data related to trigger generation comprises information related to modification of a regimen. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the data related to trigger generation comprises information related to scheduling a communication from a provider. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the data related to trigger generation comprises at least a portion of the data related to the condition of the user. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the data related to trigger generation comprises at least a portion of the data related to the condition of the user and a request for evaluation of the data related to the condition of the user. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the data related to trigger generation comprises a request for evaluation of the data related to the condition of the user. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the data related to trigger generation comprises a request for a third application for the portable communication device, the method further comprising receiving by the portable communication device, the third application in response to the request for the third application. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the data related to trigger generation comprises a request for a third application for the portable communication device and third configuration information corresponding to the third application, the method further comprising receiving by the portable communication device, the third application and the third configuration information in response to the request for the third application and the third configuration information. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the first configuration information comprises a menu option determination for the first application or the second application. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising configuring an external device collocated with the personal communication device based on the first configuration information, the second configuration information, or the first and the second configuration information. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the external device and the personal communication device communicate using a short range radio frequency communication standard. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising configuring an external glucose monitoring device collocated with the personal communication device based on the first configuration information, the second configuration information, or the first and the second configuration information. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising configuring an external heart rate monitoring device collocated with the personal communication device based on the first configuration information, the second configuration information, or the first and the second configuration information. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising configuring an external blood pressure monitoring device collocated with the personal communication device based on the first configuration information, the second configuration information, or the first and the second configuration information. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the second application generates, based on interaction provided by the user, data related to condition of the user, and the second configuration information configures the personal communication device to prevent, in response to a predetermined condition, the user from seeing at least some test data resulting from the interaction provided by the user. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the predetermined condition is based on the data related to the condition of the user. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 32 , further comprising receiving by the personal communication device a display flag, wherein the predetermined condition is based on status of the flag. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising receiving by the personal communication device an updated configuration file, re-configuring the personal communication device in accordance with the updated configuration file, the step of re-configuring causing at least one of (1) elimination of a test performed by the first application or the second application, (2) addition of a test to be performed by the first application or the second application, and (3) a change in a test to be performed by the first application or the second application. 
     
     
         36 . A portable communication device comprising:
 a first transceiver;   a display;   an interaction mechanism configured to enable a user of the portable communication device to provide information to the portable communication device;   at least one processor; and   at least one memory, the at least one memory storing program code executable by the at least one processor;   wherein the portable communication device is configured by the at least one processor, under control of the program code, to perform a method comprising steps of:   receiving a master configuration file, the master configuration file comprising information sufficient for an initialization application to configure each application of one or more applications to execute on the portable communication device for the user of the portable communication device;   receiving the initialization application and said each application of the one or more applications;   executing the initialization application, the step of executing the initialization application comprising providing for said each application configuration information corresponding to said each application; and   executing said each application by the portable communication device, the step of executing said each application comprising said each application reading the application configuration information corresponding to said each application and configuring the portable communication device in accordance with the application configuration information corresponding to said each application.   
     
     
         37 . The portable communication device of  claim 36 , wherein:
 the first transceiver is a cellular telephone transceiver.   
     
     
         38 . The portable communication device of  claim 36 , wherein:
 the step of providing for said each application configuration information corresponding to said each application comprises providing, through the first transceiver, for said each application an application configuration tile corresponding to said each application, a different configuration file per application; and   the steps of receiving the master configuration file, receiving the initialization application and said each application of the one or more applications are performed through the first transceiver.   
     
     
         39 . The portable communication device of  claim 36 , wherein:
 the one or more applications comprise a first application and a second application;   the method steps further comprise receiving from at least one server first configuration information and second configuration information.   
     
     
         40 . The portable communication device of  claim 39 , wherein the method steps further comprise:
 sending to the at least one server a request for the first configuration information and the second configuration information, wherein the step of receiving from the at least one server the first configuration information and the second configuration information is performed in response to the request.   
     
     
         41 . The portable communication device of  claim 40 , wherein the first configuration information comprises at least one parameter selected from a group consisting of a diagnostic assessment parameter, a test parameter, a monitoring protocol parameter, and a surveillance protocol parameter. 
     
     
         42 . The portable communication device of  claim 40 , wherein the first application generates first data used by the second application. 
     
     
         43 . The portable communication device of  claim 42 , wherein the second application generates second data used by the first application. 
     
     
         44 . The portable communication device of  claim 42 , wherein:
 the first application generates, based on interaction provided by the user, data related to condition of the user;   the first data (1) comprises the data related to the condition of the user, or (2) is generated based on the data related to the condition of the user; and   the second application causes the portable communication device to modify a regimen of the user in response to the data related to the condition of the user meeting a predefined condition.   
     
     
         45 . The portable communication device of  claim 42 , wherein:
 the first application generates, based on interaction provided by the user, data related to condition of the user;   the first data (1) comprises the data related to the condition of the user, or (2) is generated based on the data related to the condition of the user; and   the second application causes the portable communication device to send to the at least one server information related to trigger generation in response to the data related to the condition of the user meeting a predefined condition.   
     
     
         46 . The portable communication device of  claim 40 , wherein the method steps further comprise:
 configuring an external device collocated with the personal communication device based on the second configuration information.   
     
     
         47 . The portable communication device of  claim 46 , further comprising a radio frequency transceiver for communications using a short range radio frequency communication standard, wherein the external device and the personal communication device communicate through the short range radio frequency transceiver. 
     
     
         48 . A method of configuring a portable communication device, the method comprising steps of:
 sending a master configuration file from at least one server to the portable communication device, the master configuration file comprising information sufficient for an initialization application to configure each application of one or more applications to execute on the portable communication device for a user of the portable communication device; and   sending from the at least one server to the portable communication device the initialization application;   wherein when the initialization application is executed by the personal communication device, the personal communication device is provided with configuration information corresponding to said each application, so that the portable communication device is configured in accordance with the application configuration information corresponding to said each application.   
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein:
 the one or more applications comprise a first application and a second application; and   the first application generates first data used by the second application.   
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 49 , further comprising:
 sending from the at least one server to the portable communication device an application configuration file corresponding to said each application, a different configuration file per application.   
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein at least one of the application configuration files comprises at least one parameter selected from a group consisting of a diagnostic assessment parameter, a test parameter, a monitoring protocol parameter, and a surveillance protocol parameter. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the at least one parameter is specific to the user. 
     
     
         53 . A portable communication device comprising:
 a means for receiving and transmitting;   a means for displaying;   a means for enabling a user of the portable communication device to provide information to the portable communication device;   a means for processing; and   a means for storing data, the means for storing data storing program code executable by the means for processing;   wherein the portable communication device is configured by the means for processing, under control of the program code, to perform a method comprising steps of:   receiving a master configuration file, the master configuration file comprising information sufficient for an initialization application to configure each application of one or more applications to execute on the portable communication device for the user of the portable communication device;   receiving the initialization application and said each application of the one or more applications;   executing the initialization application, the step of executing the initialization application comprising providing for said each application configuration information corresponding to said each application; and   executing said each application by the portable communication device, the step of executing said each application comprising said each application reading the application configuration information corresponding to said each application and configuring the portable communication device in accordance with the application configuration information corresponding to said each application.   
     
     
         54 . An article of manufacture comprising at least one memory device storing computer readable code for performing steps of a method of operating a portable communication device, the method comprising:
 receiving a master configuration file by the portable communication device, the master configuration file comprising information sufficient for an initialization application to configure each application of one or more applications to execute on the portable communication device for a user of the portable communication device;   receiving by the portable communication device the initialization application and said each application of the one or more applications;   executing the initialization application by the personal communication device, the step of executing the initialization application comprising providing for said each application configuration information corresponding to said each application; and   executing said each application by the portable communication device, the step of executing said each application comprising said each application reading the application configuration information corresponding to said each application and configuring the portable communication device in accordance with the application configuration information corresponding to said each application.