US 4,838,275 AGranted

Home medical surveillance system

OwnerArnold St. J. Leeinventor

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Abstract

Many subscriber patients are served by this system. In each patient's home is an apparatus that includes special furniture on which the patient lies and sits, and embedded in which are devices that automatically sense multiple parameters related to the patient's health. The patient cooperates only passively. The parameters are so chosen--and are sufficiently numerous and accurate--as to provide in the aggregate a comprehensive profile of the patient's general state of health. The apparatus also generates electronic health-parameter signals related to the sensed parameters, and it transmits these signals from the patient's home to a central surveillance and control office. Equipment there receives the signals, displays corresponding indicia of the parameters, and transmits control signals back to the patient's apparatus. Two-way voice communication between the patient and a highly trained observer at the central office supplements the electronic measurements. The observer conducts routine diagnostic sessions except when an emergency is noted from these sessions or from a patient-initiated communication. The observer determines whether a nonroutine therapeutic response is required, and if so facilitates such a response. Selection among emergency cases follows a highly refined emergency-priority hierarchy.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A system for medical surveillance and care of spatially distributed, passively-cooperating patients, each of who has a primary physician having a physician's office, by a remote, trained observer, comprising:

(a) a patient subscriber apparatus located proximate one of said patients operable by the patient without physical interaction with a trained medical personnel including:
(i) sensing means for automatically sensing, with only passive cooperation by said patient, multiple parameters related to the state of health of said patient constituting in the aggregate a comprehensive profile of said patient's state of health;
(ii) first electronic means for automatically generating, transmitting and receiving electronic health-parameter signals related to said health parameters;
(b) at least one surveillance and control office remote from said patient for accommodating said observer, including:
(i) second electronic means for receiving, generating and transmitting electronic signals to and from said patient subscriber apparatus;
(ii) display means for selecting and displaying indicia derived from said health-parameter signals;
(iii) third electronic means for transmitting and receiving data relating to said health parameters of said patient to and from said patient's primary physician's office;
(iv) means for accommodating such observer, said accommodating means being particularly adapted to afford such observer ready access to the indicia displaying means, and to the second electronic means;
and
(c) fourth electronic means, located in said patient's primary physician's office, for receiving and transmitting data relating to said health parameters of said patient.

7 more elements

A method of providing home medical surveillance and care of patients, each of who has a primary physician having an office, by a remote, trained observer, comprising the steps of:

routinely obtaining a multiplicity of measurements related to the state of health of each such patient by remote automatic sensing equipment which is operable by the patient without physical interaction with a trained medical personnel while such patient is at home, with no more than passive cooperation by such patient, wherein passive cooperation comprises each such patient moving to and emplacing himself/herself upon the means for automatically sensing;
receiving the results of all of such routine measurements by remote data transmission into a central office, and displaying the results in the central office for routine review by such observer;
transmitting and receiving data relating to said measurement results to and from said patient's primary physician's office;
in emergencies for any particular such patient, obtaining a multiplicity of measurements related to the state of health of that patient while such patient is at home, with no more than passive cooperation by such patient;
receiving the results of all such emergency measurements by remote data transmission into a central office, and displaying the results of such emergency measurements for emergency review by such observer;
said observer determining the general state of health of such patient from such routine and emergency measurements;
said observer determining from the general state of health of such patient whether a nonroutine therapeutic response should be provided;
and
if so, said observer facilitating such a nonroutine therapeutic response.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 07/076,998Filed 20 Jul 1987 · continuation
Priority: 29 Nov 1985
Granted: 13 Jun 1989
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification19 codes

A61B 5/6887
Arrangements of detecting, measuring or recording means, e.g. sensors, in relation to patient: mounted on external non-worn devices, e.g.…
A61B 5/0022
Characterised by features of the telemetry system: monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
A61B 5/0205
Detecting, measuring or recording for evaluating the cardiovascular system, e.g. pulse, heart rate, blood pressure or blood flow: simultaneously…
A61B 5/1102
Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor or mobility of a limb: ballistocardiography