Patent Application
20060135858
The invention relates to systems and methods for displaying information related to a physical parameter of an individual, and to a related sensor unit and a mobile hub.
Many health-related measurements with value as stand-alone readings, such as blood pressure, ear temperature, or body mass, are more useful when placed in the context of previous readings from the same person.
This is already known but at present is used in only two ways: Patient data such as measurement values are collected; then the values are transferred to a remote server for later analysis. This reflects normal hospital operation. Or: The values measured are recorded in the sensor itself, which sensor is used only by one patient, as with an ear-temperature thermometer or blood pressure meter that can graph its last ten readings.
Prior art related to an ear thermometer as an example for such a sensor for measuring a physical parameter of an individual is disclosed in URL:
http://www.raun.com/global/products/healthwellness/earthe rmometers/thermoscan/faq/accuracy.html,
in URL:
www.infrared-thermometer.co.uk,
or in URL:
/nmij.jp/ishii200309.pdf,
all retrieved and accessed on the Internet on Jul. 14, 2004.
Another IR thermometer is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,871,279. Another type of health-related sensor, a peak flow meter, is disclosed in URL:
www.lungusa.org/asthma/astpeakflow.html,
retrieved and accessed on the Internet on Jul. 14, 2004.
As for the integration of a database storing multiple records of patient data into the medical evaluation process, on the Applicant's web site URL:
www.zurich.ibm.com/news/03/mobilehealth.html,
accessed on the Internet on Nov. 11, 2003, a system is disclosed comprising a blood pressure monitor and a patient compliance device, both connected via Bluetooth to a cell phone serving as a mobile hub, and to a laptop computer. Patient values measured by the blood pressure monitor are transmitted.
According to URL:
www.haifa.ibm.com/projects/software/foak/mhealth.html,
retrieved and accessed on the Internet on Nov. 13, 2003, there is provided an application that offers physicians the ability to see updated records for their patients. All electronic patient records are stored on a server which can be accessed by the physician's mobile device.
Clearly, medical sensors have the need for individual calibration. It is useful for such devices when used by a single patient, to help establish this calibration by storing a history of measurements. On the other hand, for a medical professional, it is not usually practical to provide and carry a collection of different sensors for each patient. As for having only one sensor applied to many patients, storage on the sensor of reading histories would be useless, unless the sensor could know which patient was evaluated, and could sort these values internally. Furthermore, if an instrument were to be replaced, the calibration data for all possible patients would have to be uploaded to the new instrument.
However, today there is no opportunity for medical personnel to use a medical sensor unit as a generalized device applied to many different patients and at the same time being informed not only about the value currently measured but also on data specific to the patient, e.g. in order to better assess the measured value from a medical view.
Therefore, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for displaying information related to a physical parameter of an individual. An example of such a system includes: a sensor for measuring a physical parameter of an individual, a database remote from the sensor for storing data assigned to an individual, and a display remote from the database for displaying information. The information is based on a value measured and provided by the sensor for this individual and based on the data assigned to this individual and provided by the database, wherein the term individual includes any living entity, including both human and animal.
The value is particularly useful in combining data analysis techniques to give sensor units comprising medical sensors better performance than their local storage or computing power would otherwise allow. This enables a single sensor to be similarly useful to an unlimited number of patients.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an advantageous embodiment having a mobile hub as an intermediary device between the database and the sensor. The sensor communicates with the mobile hub, and the mobile hub communicates with the database. The mobile hub is preferably embodied as a mobile phone or handheld comprising wireless communication means. More particularly, it is embodied as a first wireless interface for communicating to the sensor, such as a WLAN or a Bluetooth interface, and a second wireless interface for communicating to the database, such as a GSM interface. The display for displaying the information is remote from the database unit. So is the sensor. Unit in this context is a constructional object. Remote from a unit thus means not integral part of the unit. The display thus can be part of the sensor unit, or—if provided—part of the mobile hub. Hence, many different locations can be used for arranging the display and the control entity if any.
Other aspects of the invention refer to methods for displaying information related to a physical parameter of an individual. These methods in particular reflect steps executed by a sensor unit or a mobile hub as indicated herein, depending on the capabilities provided in such devices.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer program element comprising program code for performing the steps of the any method as claimed when said program code is run on a processing unit. According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sensor unit comprising a control entity designed for performing steps according to any method of this invention. According a still further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mobile hub comprising a control entity.
The invention and its embodiments will be more fully appreciated by reference to the following detailed description of presently advantageous but nonetheless illustrative embodiments in accordance with the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Different figures may contain identical reference symbols, representing elements with similar or uniform content.
The present invention provides systems for displaying information related to a physical parameter of an individual. It is noted that although the systems and methods are presented in terms of human medicine, it can be equally useful for veterinary readings. Thus, the term individual includes both human and animal.
An example system includes a sensor for measuring a physical parameter of an individual, a database remote from the sensor for storing data assigned to an individual, and a display remote from the database for displaying the information which information is based on a value measured and provided by the sensor for this individual and based on the data assigned to this individual and provided by the database. The value is particularly in combining data analysis techniques to give sensor units comprising medical sensors better performance than their local storage or computing power would allow. On the other hand, this allows a single sensor to be similarly useful to an unlimited number of patients.
It is advantageous to provide wireless connectivity between the database and the sensor, or if a mobile hub is introduced as referred to in one of the following advantageous embodiments, between the sensor and the mobile hub, and between the mobile hub and the database. Wireless connectivity allows the benefits to be enjoyed for shared sensors, such as those carried around by doctors on patient visits.
The data accessed from the database can embody different content as long as it is specific to an individual. Typically, such database provides data specific to many different patients, e.g. if the database is implemented on a hospital server, and a function is provided for querying the database for individuals, identified by an identity code for example. Such data can be values measured by the sensor in the past in one advantageous embodiment. According to another advantageous embodiment, such data includes a correction value specific to an individual for correcting a value measured by the sensor at this individual. Such correction value in particular can be a calibration value.
The information to be displayed is based on the value measured and the data provided by the database. Thus, in one embodiment, the information comprises the value measured and provided by the sensor and the data provided by the database, e.g. next to each other on the joint display. This is in particular helpful to medical staff operating the display, if e.g. the data provided by the database are historical values measured, such that the medical staff can understand at one glance on the display the history of measured values as well as the value currently measured, and if necessary put the value currently measured into context with the values measured in the past.
However, the information displayed can also be result of a computation with the measured value and the stored data as input. For example, if the data stored includes or represents a correction value specific to the individual, a corrected value can determined by processing—e.g. multiplying—the value measured at this individual with the correction value. The corrected value then represents the information to be displayed.
Any such computation is preferably performed by a control entity. A database unit comprising the database from which patient data are retrieved from preferably also comprises the control entity. However, also a mobile hub introduced below can comprise the control entity. In connection with this embodiment, it is an additional advantage that the mobile hub and/or the database unit—also referred to as back-end server—can offer computing assistance as well as storage, in particular when the sensor unit is not designed for doing so. For example, when sending data in form of a patient history to the sensor unit, the database unit might also have calculated and transmitted the expected body temperature or oxygen peak flow to the sensor unit, so the sensor unit can set “alarm levels” uniquely for each patient. Further, because the back-end server does not have the power and cost limitations of end devices like sensors, it can offer computing assistance in recognizing dangerous patterns that the sensor itself would not have been able to identify.
In practice, where an intermediate device such as the mobile hub is used, some computing assistance may also be added by that intermediate device. However, in some specific embodiments, a sensor unit comprising the sensor might additionally comprise the control entity.
Another advantageous embodiment employs a mobile hub as an intermediary device between the database and the sensor. This means that the sensor communicates with the mobile hub, and the mobile hub communicates with the database. The mobile hub is preferably embodied as mobile phone or handheld comprising wireless communication means, in particular a first wireless interface for communicating to the sensor, such as a WLAN or a Bluetooth interface, and a second wireless interface for communicating to the database, such as a GSM interface.
The display for displaying the information is remote from the database unit. So is the sensor. Unit in this context is a constructional object. Remote from a unit thus means not integral part of the unit. The display thus can be part of the sensor unit, or—if provided—part of the mobile hub. Hence, many different locations can be used for arranging the display and the control entity if any.
Advantageously, the system comprises means for determining the identity of an individual. This is in particular useful for learning which data shall be retrieved from the database in order to co-display or correlate such data with the value measured for the individual with this identity. Such means can be sophisticated sensors performing e.g. biometric measurements in order to determine the identity of an individual. On the other hand, such means can be as simple as a keyboard for entering the identity of the individual. Preferably, such means are part of the mobile hub or connected to it. This is in particular helpful, as once the mobile hub is made aware of the identity of the current patient, then it can send calibration—or other patient specific—data to the individual instruments connected to the mobile hub as they require it. The individual may be identified directly—e.g. by using a keyboard, handwriting recognition, voice-to-text transformer, face or other biometric recognition sensors, etc. to input the identity—or implicitly—e.g. by using GPS identification of a patient's home, a beacon signal, etc.
The invention includes methods for displaying information related to a physical parameter of an individual. These methods in particular reflect steps executed by a sensor unit or a mobile hub as described, depending on the capabilities provided in such devices. The order of steps in each method can be interchanged where reasonable.
A first method comprises receiving data assigned to the individual from a remote database, receiving a value measured by a sensor for measuring a physical parameter of the individual, and displaying the information remote from the database, which information is based on the value received from the sensor and on the data received from the database.
A second method comprises receiving a value measured by a sensor for measuring a physical parameter of the individual, transmitting the value to a remote control entity, in response to transmitting the value to the control entity: receiving information which information is based on the value measured by the sensor and on data assigned to the individual and stored in a remote database, and displaying the information remote from the database.
A third method comprises receiving a value measured by a sensor for measuring a physical parameter of the individual, transmitting the value to a remote control entity, in response to transmitting the value to the control entity: receiving information which information is based on the value measured by the sensor and on data assigned to the individual and stored in a remote database, and transmitting the information to a display remote from the database.
A fourth method comprises receiving a value measured by a sensor for measuring a physical parameter of the individual, receiving data assigned to the individual from a remote database, determining the information which information is based on the value measured by the sensor and on data assigned to the individual and stored in a remote database, and transmitting the information to a display remote from the database.
The present invention also provides a computer program element comprising program code for performing the steps of any method of this invention, when said program code is run on a processing unit. The present invention further provides a sensor unit comprising a control entity designed for performing steps according to any method of this invention. The present invention further provides a mobile hub including a control entity designed for performing steps according to a method as described. Advantages of the methods, apparatus, the computer program element, and the embodiments go along with the advantages of the system and its embodiments as described herein.
The sensor unit 1 includes a sensor 11 for measuring a physical parameter of an individual. Such physical parameter can e.g. be the body temperature, blood pressure, and pulse. Accordingly, the sensor 11 and also the sensor unit 1 can also be referred to as thermometer, blood pressure sensor, etc., whichever physical parameter the sensor is determined to measure. The sensor unit 1 is a mobile unit and typically can be reused on multiple individuals. As being embodied as a mobile unit, a battery 13 is provided for supplying the sensor unit 1 with electrical energy.
A measurement can be started by way of pushing a start button 14. Pushing the start button generally implies that the sensor unit is located and applied in an appropriate way such that a reasonable measurement can be taken. A display 12 is provided for displaying e.g. measured values. Since the functions of the sensor unit 1 as proposed in connection with the present embodiment exceed the functions of a conventional sensor unit such as a conventional ear thermometer, a control entity 16 is provided for controlling the functions of the sensor unit 1.
The sensor unit 1 can include an identification module 17 the output of which identification 17 module is the identity of an individual in—most likely—some coded form. In one of its simplest embodiments, the identification module 17 is a keyboard for a user to enter the identity of an individual. However, the identification module 17 might comprise some sophisticated sensor for determining the identity of an individual such as any biometrics recognition sensor. The identification module 17 may preferably be part of the sensor unit 1, however, it can also be embodied as a separate unit and transmit its ID data to the sensor unit 1 via a wired or wireless interface.
It is essential for this embodiment not only to measure and display a value representing a physical property of an individual but also to incorporate stored data assigned to this particular individual with the aim to either show such data on the display next to the value measured for better assessing the value measured, e.g. when the data represent values measured on this individual in the past, or to integrate such data into a computation based on the value measured and the data stored—e.g. when the data stored represent a correction value specific to this individual and this correction value is needed to correct the value measured into a corrected value to be displayed to e.g. the medical staff as a user of the sensor unit. Such corrected value or the measured value together with values of the past can form the information displayed on the display.
Consequently, the data stored and assigned to an individual have to be retrieved from the database, in a best mode by querying the database for the identity of the individual. Thus, any identity determined by the identification module 17 is transmitted via respective wireless communication modules 15 and 22 to the database unit 2. Upon receiving such identity data, a database 21 in the database unit 2 can be searched for data assigned to the individual identified by the transmitted identifier. Preferably, a control entity 24 is responsible for extracting the identifier from the message received at the wireless communication module 22, for conducting the query, and for initiating a submission of the data retrieved via the wireless communication module 22 to the sensor unit 1.
The database unit 2 comprises further a wired communications module 23 for communicating e.g. via the Internet or an Intranet. The database unit 2 can be embodied as a server, e.g. for serving this and/or other applications with individual patient data. Such server can be responsible for serving an entire hospital with data, a medical department or a private medical practice. The wireless communication module 22 not necessarily forms part of the database unit 2 itself and can also be embodied elsewhere. However, a wireless path is preferred in the communication between the sensor unit 1 and the database unit 2 as it is one of the major benefits of the embodiment and the present invention as to allow use of a general mobile sensor unit 1 while not abstain from specific data of an individual which individual is subject to the measurement with the sensor unit 1.
In the meantime, a physical parameter of the individual person is measured and a corresponding value is received from the sensor, see step r7. Such measurement can be triggered once the identity ID of the individual is determined at the sensor unit in step r1 provided the sensor unit is prepared for taking a measurement, such as is arranged appropriately related to the individual. However, it is advantageous to have a measurement initiated by the user, e.g. by pushing a start button 14 as depicted in
There are many alternative steps included by the scope of the methods according to the invention. In another advantageous embodiment, the process is started by first activating the start button of the sensor unit and starting the measurement. Either upon receiving the value measured or upon activating the start button the user can be prompted—e.g. via the display—to enter the identity of the individual. In case the identity determination does not need any user interaction but is performed automatically, any such determination process can be triggered the same way.
In another flow chart according to
In this particular embodiment, the information to be finally displayed on the display of the sensor unit is determined in the database unit. As in advantageous embodiments, such determination comprises rather computational steps based on the measured value and the retrieved data as input than a bare setting of the measured value and the data for display purposes, the processing capabilities of the sensor unit might be undersize. However, the database unit might provide sufficient processing capabilities such that the determination of the information is processed in the database unit. Hence, after having received the request which request then implies the request to determine information based on the value measured and the data to be retrieved from the database unit itself, the value transmitted is preferably stored at least temporarily in the database unit and the data assigned to the individual identified by the transmitted identifier are retrieved from the database in step s5. In this example, the data are represented by a correction value which correction value was stored or computed in the past and represents a value for amending the measured value for this individual. The correction value is thus specific to the individual characterized by the identifier. In step s6, a corrected value—which simultaneously represents the information to be displayed—is computed by e.g. multiplying the measured value with the correction value. The corrected value is then sent back to the sensor unit, step s7, received there, step s8 and displayed in step s9.
Turning now to
The mobile hub 3 serves as mobile communication platform and can serve many different applications in addition to the one proposed in this embodiment. The mobile hub can be embodied as cell phone or handheld, thereby typically comprising a control entity 31, a display 32, a battery 33, and a keyboard 36. The mobile hub 3 can further connect other peripheral devices to the mobile hub 3 which in turn has connectivity with the cellular network as described above in one example. Through this connection, all these peripheral devices and the sensor unit described in more detail can send and receive data from an Internet server, which Internet server represents e.g. the database unit.
While the physical parameter of the individual is still measured in the sensor unit 1, and the data assigned to the individual are still stored in the database unit 2, the usage of the mobile hub 3 increases flexibility. If the mobile hub 3 comprises a display as the one showed in
In case the information to be displayed includes prior processing based on the value measured and the data stored, such processing can now be performed basically at three different locations: the sensor unit 1, the mobile hub 3, and the database 2. The result which represents the information to be displayed is then transmitted to the display of choice. Provided the sensor unit 1 primarily is focused on measuring a physical parameter, its control entity 16 might not provide sufficient processing capacity for substantial computations. And provided the database unit 2 is also reduced to its basic functions—providing data stored—its control entity 24 might also not be adjusted to process the information needed in an efficient way. Thus, in a very advantageous embodiment, the control entity 31 of the mobile hub performs the processing as needed after having received the measured value from the sensor unit and the data stored from the database unit 2.
Again, the mobile hub 3 can also be the preferred component to provide means for determining the identity of the individual. Such identification module 37 can be the module's keyboard 36 in case the identity of an individual can only be entered to the system by typing. However, there can be provided a more sophisticated identification module 37 in addition to the keyboard for automatically determining the identity of an individual. In both cases, the provision of any keyboard or other identification module, e.g. identification 17, at the sensor unit 1 becomes redundant.
In more detail, a flow chart for displaying information in a system comprising a mobile hub is depicted in
According to this embodiment, the process is triggered at the sensor unit by measuring a value of a physical parameter of an individual in step t1. Again, such measurement itself is preferably triggered by a user pressing the start button 14 of sensor unit 1. Once the value is available the value is sent via the wireless interface to the mobile hub according to step t3. Provided the sensor unit is equipped with a display, the value can also be shown on this display, see step t13.
Once the value is received at the mobile hub in step t3, this event is taken as a trigger for prompting the user to enter the identity of the individual who was subject to the measurement, step s4, which identity is entered in step t5. Alternatively, an autonomic identity determination can be started in case the mobile hub 3 is provided with such identification module.
Subsequently, a request for providing data stored in the database is submitted to the database unit in step t6, together with the identified identity. As also provided in
There, the data are received in step t10 and the information to be displayed is determined by making use of the value measured and the data received from the database, step t11. Finally, such information is displayed on the hub's display in step t12. Again, the mobile hub can comprise any storage as necessary or needed for storing/caching one or more of the value measured, the data received, and the information to be displayed.
According to this embodiment, the identity determination, the processing of the information to be displayed, and the display of such information is performed in the mobile hub 3. In such configuration, the other units namely the sensor unit 1 and the database unit 3 can concentrate on their core competencies which is measuring and data storing respectively. However, as already indicated in relation to the sensor unit/database unit only system, any computation can also be performed in the database unit 2 which requires the mobile hub to send also the value measured to the database unit. Then, the information to be displayed on the mobile hub is delivered by the database unit. Both embodiments allow the sensor unit to be embodied as a low cost sensor unit not requiring processing power or display technology. Even the wireless communications module 15 might be provided only for unidirectional communication towards the mobile hub.
According to another embodiment, it is the display of the sensor unit 1 to be determined to show the information. Here, once the information is determined at the mobile hub, such information is transmitted to the sensor unit to be displayed. Starting from this configuration of the system, and additionally having the information processed at the database unit, the mobile hub more or less forms a platform for connect through any transmittal of information between the sensor unit and the database unit, and vice versa. This configuration can be beneficial whenever the mobile hub is working to full capacity under other applications.
Thus, in
In
According to
In the systems according to
Finally,
In
While the invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention.
The present invention can be realized in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. It may be implemented as a method having steps to implement one or more functions of the invention, and/or it may be implemented as an apparatus having components and/or means to implement one or more steps of a method of the invention described above and/or known to those skilled in the art. A visualization tool according to the present invention can be realized in a centralized fashion in one computer system, or in a distributed fashion where different elements are spread across several interconnected computer systems. Any kind of computer system—or other apparatus adapted for carrying out the methods and/or functions described herein—is suitable. A typical combination of hardware and software could be a general purpose computer system with a computer program that, when being loaded and executed, controls the computer system such that it carries out the methods described herein. The present invention can also be embedded in a computer program product, which comprises all the features enabling the implementation of the methods described herein, and which—when loaded in a computer system—is able to carry out these methods. Methods of this invention may be implemented by an apparatus which provides the functions carrying out the steps of the methods. Apparatus and/or systems of this invention may be implemented by a method that includes steps to produce the functions of the apparatus and/or systems.
Computer program means or computer program in the present context include any expression, in any language, code or notation, of a set of instructions intended to cause a system having an information processing capability to perform a particular function either directly or after conversion to another language, code or notation, and/or after reproduction in a different material form.
Thus the invention includes an article of manufacture which comprises a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing one or more functions described above. The computer readable program code means in the article of manufacture comprises computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect the steps of a method of this invention. Similarly, the present invention may be implemented as a computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing a function described above. The computer readable program code means in the computer program product comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to effect one or more functions of this invention. Furthermore, the present invention may be implemented as a program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for causing one or more functions of this invention.
It is noted that the foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects and embodiments of the present invention. This invention may be used for many applications. Thus, although the description is made for particular arrangements and methods, the intent and concept of the invention is suitable and applicable to other arrangements and applications. It will be clear to those skilled in the art that modifications to the disclosed embodiments can be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The described embodiments ought to be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the invention. Other beneficial results can be realized by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or modifying the invention in ways known to those familiar with the art.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 04405571.3 | Sep 2004 | EP | regional |
