GB2388194A

GB2388194A - Remote medical monitor utilising a mobile telephone

Info

Publication number: GB2388194A
Application number: GB0210110A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Steven Walde
Original assignee: NEC Technologies UK Ltd
Current assignee: NEC Technologies UK Ltd
Priority date: 2002-05-02
Filing date: 2002-05-02
Publication date: 2003-11-05
Also published as: GB0210110D0

Abstract

A medical monitor comprises at least one sensor 2 for monitoring the characteristic of a patient. Data is transmitted from the sensor 2 to a mobile communication device 4. At the mobile communication device a determination is made as to whether or not the received data falls within predetermined limits. The mobile communication device generates an alert in dependence on the result of this determination. The mobile communications device may consist of a cellular telephone. And a warning may be given as a message on the telephone screen or as an audible alarm. Alternately a pre-composed text message (sms) may be sent to a third party. Position data from a GPS device may also be transmitted.

Description

( - 1 - MEDICAL MONITOR

This invention relates to a medical monitor for monitoring the physical state of people known to be at risk from conditions such as e.g. heart disease.

s In hospitals monitoring equipment is readily available for factors such as pulse rate, blood pressure, etc. This type of equipment is also available as portable devices.

People who have acute conditions such as heart disease are often supplied with this type of monitoring device.

lo However, unless they are in the presence of another person when some significant change happens in the characteristic being monitored it is unlikely that they would be able to alert the emergency services. Therefore, they may not get medical treatment quickly enough in the case of an 5 emergency. Embodiments of the present invention provide one or more wireless sensors such as pulse monitor or blood pressure monitor which are able to transmit signals to a mobile telephone in the event of a significant change in one 20 of the characteristics being monitored. The phone can then make an audible alarm, preferably with a screen message indicating the cause of the alarm and showing the out of range parameter. Alternatively, the phone can send a pre composed text message to a pre-entered phone number to alert 25 a third party to details of the medical alert. Preferably the phone will be equipped with a GPS system and the position of the phone can be included in the text message.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described in detail by way of example with reference to the 30 single figure which shows a block diagram of the embodiment of the invention within a mobile phone in communication with one or more wireless sensors.

- 2 - In the diagram a plurality of wireless sensors 2 are shown. Only one wireless sensor is required for an embodiment of the invention but more than one can be used simultaneously. These sensors may comprise e.g. a pulse s monitor, a temperature monitor etc. A mobile phone 4 is provided and this has a wireless interface 6, which is preferably separate to the wireless interface it uses for telephone communication, for communicating with the wireless sensors 2. The wireless lo interface is preferably a short range interface such as the commonly used Bluetooth wireless interface. The wireless interface is in communication with a medical software package 8 which runs on the CPU of the mobile phone 4. This in turn communicates with the non-volatile memory 10 of the 15 mobile phone in which are stored a set of parameters defining boundary conditions for data which is received via the wireless interface 6 from each of the sensors 2. The non-volatile memory may be internal memory to the phone or may be non-volatile memory on the SIM card of the phone.

20 A user driven menu system 12 is used to set the parameters particular to a patient in the non-volatile memory. This menu system is accessed via the display and keypad of the mobile phone.

Each of the wireless sensors in use sends its output to 2s the wireless interface. This can be via a continuous connection, or preferably, to reduce usage of battery power, a periodic update is sent to the wireless interface. The frequency of the updates is dependent on the characteristic being monitored.

30 When data is received by the wireless interface 6, it is sent to the medical software package 8 which compares it

- 3 - with the preset boundaries from the non-volatile memory 10.

If the data is outside the preset boundaries then the mobile phone initiates an alarm. Two possible options for the alarm are as follows: s 1) The phone will assert an audible alarm. Preferably this also includes a screen message which indicates the cause of the alarm and shows the out of range parameter. 2) The phone will send a pre-composed text message to a lo pre-entered phone number to alert a third party to details of the medical alert. In such a case, if the phone is equipped with a GPS system then the position of the phone is also included in the text message.

The phone can be set up so that if option 1 is selected 5 but no action is taken within a predetermined period of time by e.g. someone pressing a button on the phone to indicate that action has been taken, then option 2 is implemented.

Preferably the mobile phone has the option to receive data continuously. This way, if a medical emergency occurs, 20 continuous monitoring of the condition can take place such as e.g. when the patient is being transported to hospital, or until such time as mains powered equipment is available to continue monitoring.

In a less complex embodiment, the wireless interface 25 between the sensors and the mobile phone could be replaced with a wired interface.

Claims

Al CLAIMS

1. Apparatus for monitoring a medical condition comprising at least one sensor for monitoring a characteristic of a patient, means for transmitting data from the sensor s to a mobile communication device, means for determining at the mobile communication device whether the received data falls within predetermined limits, means for causing the mobile communication device to generate an alert in dependence on the result of the determination.

lo 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the sensor is a wireless sensor and transmits data to the mobile communication device.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 in which the wireless sensor transmits data to the communication device using lb a short range transmission system.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3 in which the mobile communication device is a mobile telephone.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1 r 2, 3 or 4 in which the sensor continuously transmits data to the mobile 20 communication device.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 9 in which the sensor periodically transmits data to the communication device. Apparatus according to any previous claim in which the alert generated by the mobile communication device comprises an audible alert.

8. Apparatus according to any previous claim in which the alert generated by the mobile communication device comprises a message on a display carried by the device.

( 9. Apparatus according to any previous claim in which the alert comprises a message transmitted to a third party by the mobile communication device.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 in which the message 5 comprises a precomposed text message.

11. Apparatus according to claim 9 or 10 in which the mobile communication device includes a potion determining means and position data is also transmitted with the message.

to 12. Apparatus according to claim 9 in which the mobile communication device comprises means to transmit the message a predetermined period of time after commencement of the audible alert.

13. Apparatus for monitoring a medical condition :5 substantially as herein described.