Apparatus method and for intelligent electronic medical devices

Abstract

An enhanced electronic medical device is provided that combines some of the enhanced electronic features found in other electronic medical devices with software for executing a stochastic process control and evaluating the digital respiratory and other physiological data collected by the electronic medical device. The programmed stochastic process control is capable of selecting and calculating any one of a number of pulmonary function and other physiological parameters including at least one statistical process control variable to determine a pulmonary or other physiological threshold. Information systems linking doctor's offices and patient's electronic medical devices are further provided to transmit warning data in cases where the pulmonary or other physiological threshold is exceeded.

1 . An electronic medical device comprising:
 a sensor for measuring a physiological function;   a transducer for converting said physiological function into an electronic value;   a processor for storing said electronic value in a memory;   a data section of said memory for storing a set of said converted electronic values;   a program stored within said memory for execution by said processor, said program providing a flag for said electronic values identifying an environmental condition in the presence of which said physiological functions are measured, said processor executing said program to calculate at least one physiological function parameter from said set of electronic values and at least one statistical process control variable from a statistical process control mean to determine a physiological threshold, said physiological threshold being determined by said environmental condition in the presence of which said physiological functions are measured.   
     
     
         2 . The electronic medical device of  claim 1  wherein said physiological function is a respiratory airflow, said physiological function parameter is a PEFR and said statistical process control variable is a standard deviation of said PEFR. 
     
     
         3 . The electronic medical device of  claim 1  wherein said physiological function is a blood component and said physiological function parameter is a blood sugar level. 
     
     
         4 . The electronic medical device of  claim 1  wherein said physiological function is a cardiac function and said physiological function parameter is a heart rate. 
     
     
         5 . The electronic medical device of  claim 1  wherein said physiological threshold is a plurality of standard deviations of said physiological function parameter for said physiological function, and said physiological function values are flagged with a common environmental condition. 
     
     
         6 . The electronic medical device of clam  5  wherein said physiological threshold is updated by a health care professional based on an analysis of said calculated physiological function parameters and said calculated statistical process control variables. 
     
     
         7 . The electronic medical device of  claim 1  wherein said physiological function is a respiratory airflow, said physiological function parameter is a PEFR for each respiratory airflow and said statistical process control variable is either an upper process control limit or a lower process control limit. 
     
     
         8 . A system for evaluating physiological function measurements comprising:
 an electronic medical device having a sensor for measuring a physiological function, a transducer for converting said physiological function into an electronic value and a data port;   a computer having a processor and a memory, said electronic value being stored in said memory, said computer also including a data section for storing a set of said converted electronic values, and a program stored within said memory for execution by said processor, said program providing a flag for said electronic values identifying a environmental condition in the presence of which said physiological functions are measured; and   a computer network coupled to said data port and said computer wherein said processor executes said program to calculate at least one physiological function parameter from said set of electronic values and at least one statistical process control variable from a statistical process control mean to determine a physiological threshold, said physiological threshold being determined by said environmental condition in the presence of which said physiological functions were measured.   
     
     
         9 . The system for evaluating physiological function measurements of  claim 8  wherein a plurality of said physiological function measurements are taken over a sample period of time. 
     
     
         10 . The system for evaluating physiological function measurements of  claim 9  wherein said physiological function is a respiratory air flow, said physiological function parameter is FEV1 for each respiratory airflow, and said statistical process control variable is a standard deviation of said FEV1. 
     
     
         11 . The system for evaluating respiratory air flow measurements of  claim 10  wherein said physiological threshold is three standard deviations from said mean FEV1 and said respiratory airflows are flagged with a common environmental condition. 
     
     
         12 . The system for evaluating physiological function measurements of  claim 11  wherein said physiological threshold is at least eight consecutive converted data values outside of said at least one standard deviation of FEV1, all eight data values being on one side of said process control mean, said respiratory airflows being flagged with a common environmental condition. 
     
     
         13 . The system for evaluating physiological function measurements of  claim 8  wherein said physiological function is a blood component and said physiological function parameter is a blood sugar level. 
     
     
         14 . The system for evaluating physiological function measurements of  claim 8  wherein said physiological function is a cardiac function and said physiological function parameter is a heart rate. 
     
     
         15 . The system for evaluating physiological function measurements of  claim 8  wherein said physiological threshold is updated by a health care professional based on an analysis of said calculated physiological function parameters and said calculated statistical process control variables. 
     
     
         16 . A method for determining physiological function using a computer-based system, comprising said computer-based system performing the steps of:
 measuring a physiological function;   converting said physiological function into a set of electronic values;   flagging said electronic values according to an environmental condition in the presence of which said physiological functions were taken;   storing said electronic values in a memory;   calculating at least one at least one physiological function parameter from said set of said stored electronic values and at least one statistical process control variable from a statistical process control mean; and   determining a physiological threshold, said physiological threshold being determined by said environmental condition in the presence of which said physiological functions were taken.   
     
     
         17 . The computer-based method of  claim 16  wherein said step of calculating at least one statistical process control variable includes calculating either an upper process control limit or a lower process limit and said step of determining a physiological threshold includes setting said physiological threshold at said calculated upper or lower process control limit, said physiological function measurements being flagged with a common environmental condition. 
     
     
         18 . The computer-based method of  claim 16  further comprising the step of issuing a warning alert when said physiological threshold is exceeded. 
     
     
         19 . A computer-readable media having executable instructions for causing a processor within a computer-based system to perform a method for determining physiological functions, said computer-based system performing the steps of:
 measuring a physiological function;   converting said physiological function into a set of electronic values;   flagging said electronic values according to an environmental condition in the presence of which said physiological functions were taken;   storing said electronic values in a memory;   calculating at least one at least one physiological function parameter from said set of said stored electronic values and at least one statistical process control variable from a statistical process control mean; and   determining a physiological threshold, said physiological threshold being determined by said environmental condition in the presence of which said physiological functions were taken.