Method and apparatus for remote health monitoring and providing health related information

#This invention relates to self-care health monitoring arrangements that enable a patient or other user to gather data important to a health management program and, if appropriate, provide that data to a healthcare professional.

#In the following discussion certain articles and methods will be described for background and introductory purposes. Nothing contained herein is to be construed as an “admission” of prior art. Applicant expressly reserves the right to demonstrate, where appropriate, that the articles and methods referenced herein do not constitute prior art under the applicable statutory provisions. Controlling or curing conditions of ill health generally involves both establishing a therapeutic program and monitoring the progress of the afflicted person. Based on that progress, decisions can be made as to altering therapy to achieve a cure or maintain the affliction or condition at a controlled level. Successfully treating certain health conditions calls for rather frequent monitoring and a relatively high degree of patient participation. For example, in order to establish and maintain a regimen for successful diabetes care, a diabetic should monitor his or her blood glucose level and record that information along with the date and time at which the monitoring took place. Since diet, exercise, and medication all affect blood glucose levels, a diabetic often must record data relating to those items of information along with blood glucose level so that the diabetic may more closely monitor his or her condition and, in addition, can provide information of value to the healthcare provider in determining both progress of the patient and detecting any need to change the patient's therapy program.

#Advances in the field of electronics over the past several years have brought about significant changes in medical diagnostic and monitoring equipment, including arrangements for self-care monitoring of various chronic conditions. With respect to the control and monitoring of diabetes, relatively inexpensive and relatively easy-to-use blood glucose monitoring systems have become available that provide reliable information that allows a diabetic and his or her healthcare professional to establish, monitor and adjust a treatment plan (diet, exercise, and medication) . More specifically, microprocessor-based blood glucose monitoring systems are being marketed which sense the glucose level of a blood sample that is applied to a reagent-impregnated region of a test strip that is inserted in the glucose monitor. When the monitoring sequence is complete, the blood glucose level is displayed by, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) unit.

#The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

#FIG. 1 is a block diagram that illustrates a healthcare monitoring system arranged in accordance with the invention;

#FIG. 2 diagrammatically illustrates monitoring systems constructed in accordance with the invention connected in signal communication with a remotely located computing facility which includes provision for making the data supplied by the monitoring system of the invention available to a designated healthcare professional and/or for providing data and instructions to the system user;

#FIG. 1 depicts a self-care health monitoring system arranged in accordance with the invention. In the arrangement shown in FIG. 1, a data management unit 10 is electrically interconnected with a handheld microprocessor-based unit 12 via a cable 14. In the depicted arrangement, data management unit 10 also is electrically interconnected with a blood glucose monitor 16 of the type capable of sensing blood glucose level and producing an electrical signal representative thereof. Although FIG. 1 illustrates blood glucose monitor 16 as being connected to data management unit 10 by a cable 18, it may be preferable to construct blood glucose monitor 16 as a plug-in unit that is placed in a recess or other suitable opening or slot in data management unit 10. Regardless of the manner in which blood glucose monitor 16 is interconnected with data management unit 10, both that interconnection and cable 14 are configured for serial data communication between the interconnected devices.

#Also shown in FIG. 1 are two additional monitoring devices 20 and 22, which are electrically connected for serial data communication with data management unit 10 via cables 24 and 26, respectively. Monitoring units 20 and 22 of FIG. 1 represent devices other than blood glucose monitor 16 that can be used to configure the invention for self-care health monitoring applications other than (or in addition to) diabetes care. For example, as is indicated in FIG. 1, the monitoring device 20 can be a peak-flow meter that provides a digital signal representative of the airflow that results when a person suffering from asthma or another chronic respiratory affliction expels a breath of air through the meter. As is indicated by monitor 22 of FIG. 1, various other devices can be provided for monitoring conditions such as blood pressure, pulse, and body temperature to thereby realize systems for self-care monitoring and control of conditions such as hypertension, certain heart conditions and various other afflictions and physical conditions. Upon understanding the hereinafter discussed aspects and features of the invention it will be recognized that the invention is easily implemented for these and other types of healthcare monitoring. In particular, monitors used in the practice of the invention can be arranged in a variety of ways as long as the data to be recorded or otherwise employed by handheld microprocessor unit 12 and/or data management unit 10 is provided in serial format in synchronization with clock signals provided by data management unit 10. As is the case with blood glucose monitor 16, the additional monitors can be configured as plug-in units that are directly received by data management unit 10, or can be connected to data management unit 10 with cables (as shown in FIG. 1).

#As is shown in FIG. 1, handheld microprocessor unit 12 includes a display screen 28 and a plurality of switches or keys (30, 32, 34, 36, and 38 in FIG. 1), which are mounted on a housing 40. Located in the interior of housing 40, but not shown in FIG. 1, are a microprocessor, memory circuits, and circuitry that interfaces switches 30, 32, 34, 36 and 38 with the microprocessor. Stored in the memory of program handheld microprocessor unit 12 is a set of program instructions that establishes a data protocol that allows handheld microprocessor unit 12 to perform digital data signal processing and generate desired data or graphics for display on display unit 28 when a program cartridge 42 is inserted in a slot or other receptacle in housing 40. That is, program cartridge 42 of FIG. 1 includes read-only memory units (or other memory means such as battery-powered random access memory) which store program instructions and data that adapt handheld microprocessor 12 for operation in a blood glucose monitoring system. More specifically, when the instructions and data of program cartridge 42 are combined with program instructions and data included in the internal memory circuits of handheld microprocessor unit 12, handheld microprocessor unit 12 is programmed for processing and displaying blood glucose information in the manner described below and additional monitors 22 to provide health monitoring for asthma and various other previously mentioned chronic conditions. In each case, the plurality of switches or keys (30, 32, 34, 36, and 38 in FIG. 1) are selectively operated to provide signals that result in pictorial and/or alphanumeric information being displayed by display unit 42.