Personal medical monitoring unit and system

Abstract

A portable unit worn by a subject, comprising a medical monitoring device, a data processing module with memory and transmitter for collecting, monitoring, and storing the subject's physiological data and also issuing the subject's medical alarm conditions via wireless communications network to the appropriate location for expeditious dispatch of assistance. The unit also works in conjunction with a central reporting system for long term collection and storage of the subject's physiological data. The unit may have the capability to automatically dispense chemicals that may alleviate or assist in recovery from an illness.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A portable medical monitoring device, for generating, collecting, and evaluating physiological data relating to a subject, said device transmitting data via a communications medium to a central reporting system, comprising: 
 (a) at least one medical sensor for generating current physiological data relating to a condition of said subject;    (b) a data storage device for electronically storing said physiological data for a predetermined period;    (c) a transmitter for transmitting said physiological data of said subject to a central reporting system in response to a first output control signal;    (d) data processing means for evaluating said physiological data and generating said first output control signal in response to pre-determined parameters in said evaluation, said data processing means also generating a plurality of input/output control signals; and      7  (e) at least one output device communicating at least one of said input/output control signals to said subject.    
     
     
         2 . The portable medical monitoring device as in  claim 1 , wherein said physiological data is generated in response to said subject's physical condition, including said subject's heart rate, pulse rate, blood pressure, breathing rate, heart EKG activity, or body temperature.  
     
     
         3 . The portable medical monitoring device as in  claim 1 , wherein said first output control signal includes a command to transmit an emergency call.  
     
     
         4 . The portable medical monitoring device as in  claim 1 , wherein said portable medical monitoring device includes a dispense unit having a tube filled with medication, and said first output control signal includes a command to said dispense unit to dispense medication.  
     
     
         5 . The portable medical monitoring device as in  claim 1 , wherein said at least one output device includes a beeper, and one of said plurality of input/output control signals is a signal to activate said beeper.  
     
     
         6 . The portable medical monitoring device as in  claim 1 , wherein said at least one output device includes a vibrator and one of said plurality of input/output control signals is a signal to activate said vibrator.  
     
     
         7 . The portable medical monitoring device as in  claim 1 , wherein said at least one output device includes a screen display, and one of said plurality of output control signals is a signal to display selected data on said screen monitor.  
     
     
         8 . The portable medical monitoring device as in  claim 1 , wherein said transmitter is an interactive paging device whereby a page is sent over a wireless communications network to a central reporting system.  
     
     
         9 . The portable medical monitoring device as in  claim 1 , wherein said transmitter is a PCS network cellular network phone whereby a phone call is made to a central reporting system.  
     
     
         10 . The portable medical monitoring device as in  claim 1 , wherein said data processing means includes a central processing unit (CPU) which interprets and executes instructions.  
     
     
         11 . The portable medical monitoring device as in  claim 1 , wherein said portable medical monitoring device further comprises at least one input means for enabling manual entry of one or more of a plurality of instructions to said data processing means.  
     
     
         12 . The portable medical monitoring device as in  claim 11 , wherein said at least one input means includes push buttons which can be manually depressed and said plurality of instructions include downloading, storing, and displaying a subject's current physiological data.  
     
     
         13 . The portable medical monitoring device as in  claim 1 , wherein said at least one output device includes at least one external data communications port for downloading and uploading said physiological data to an external remote device.  
     
     
         14 . The portable medical monitoring device as in  claim 13 , wherein said external remote device is connected to said central reporting system.  
     
     
         15 . The portable medical monitoring device as in  claim 1 , wherein said physiological data includes a device identification code which identifies a subject to said central reporting system.  
     
     
         16 . The portable medical monitoring device as in  claim 15 , wherein said physiological data transmitted by said transmitter further comprises a subject profile including subject's name, home address, and medical conditions.  
     
     
         17 . A portable medical monitoring device, for generating, collecting, and evaluating physiological data relating to a subject and the subject's geographic location, said device transmitting data via a communications link to a central reporting system, comprising: 
 (a) at least one medical sensor for generating current physiological data relating to a condition of said subject;    (b) a data storage device for electronically storing said physiological data for a predetermined period;    (c) a GPS receiver for determining the geographic coordinates of a subject;    (d) a wireless transmitter for transmitting said physiological data and said geographic coordinates of said subject to a central reporting system in response to a first output control signal;    (e) data processing means for evaluating said physiological data and generating said first output control signal and a plurality of other output control signals; and    (f) at least one output device for communicating with said subject in response to at least one of said other output control signals.    
     
     
         18 . The portable medical monitoring device as in  claim 17 , wherein said physiological data is generated in response to said subject's physical condition, including said subject's heart rate, pulse rate, blood pressure, breathing rate, heart EKG activity, or body temperature.  
     
     
         19 . The portable medical monitoring device as in  claim 17 , wherein one of said plurality of other output control signals is an instruction to transmit an emergency call which includes said geographic coordinates.  
     
     
         20 . The portable medical monitoring device as in  claim 17 , wherein said at least one output device includes a beeper, and one of said plurality of other output control signals is a signal to activate said beeper.  
     
     
         21 . The portable medical monitoring device as in  claim 17 , wherein said at least one output device includes a screen display, and one of said plurality of other output control signals is a signal to display selected data on said screen monitor.  
     
     
         22 . The portable medical monitoring device as in  claim 17 , wherein said transmitter is an interactive paging device whereby a page is sent over a wireless communications network to a central reporting system, said page including the subject's geographic coordinates.  
     
     
         23 . The portable medical monitoring device as in  claim 17 , wherein said transmitter is a PCS network cellular network phone whereby a phone call is made to a central reporting system to transmit data thereto, said data including said geographic coordinates.  
     
     
         24 . The portable medical monitoring device as in  claim 23 , wherein said central reporting system may dispatch emergency services to the geographic coordinates in response to an emergency call from said device.  
     
     
         25 . The portable medical monitoring device as in  claim 17 , wherein said data processing means includes a central processing unit (CPU) which interprets and executes instructions relating to said medical data.  
     
     
         26 . The portable medical monitoring device as in  claim 17 , wherein said portable medical monitoring device further comprises at least one input means for enabling manual entry of one or more of a plurality of instructions to said data processing means.  
     
     
         27 . The portable medical monitoring device as in  claim 26 , wherein said at least one input means includes push buttons which can be manually depressed and said plurality of instructions include the transmission and display of a subject's current medical data and geographic coordinates.  
     
     
         28 . The portable medical monitoring device as in  claim 17 , wherein said at least one output device includes at least one external data communications port for downloading and uploading said physiological data to an external data store at said central reporting system.  
     
     
         29 . The portable medical monitoring device as in  claim 17 , wherein said physiological data includes a device identification code which identifies a subject to said central reporting system.  
     
     
         30 . The portable medical monitoring device as in  claim 29 , wherein said physiological data transmitted by said transmitter further comprises a subject profile including subject's name, home address, and medical conditions.  
     
     
         31 . A medical monitoring system for collection and evaluation of a subject's physiological data comprising: 
 (a) a portable medical monitoring device for generating, collecting, and evaluating physiological data relating to a subject, said portable medical monitoring device further comprising, 
 (i) at least one medical sensor for generating current physiological data relating to a condition of said subject;  
 (ii) a data storage device for electronically storing said physiological data for a predetermined period;  
 (iii) a wireless transmitter for transmitting said physiological data to a central reporting system in response to a first output control signal;  
 (iv) data processing means for evaluating said physiological data and generating a plurality of output control signals;  
 (v) at least one output device for communicating information in response to at least one of a plurality of input/output control signals; and  
   (b) a central reporting data server for collecting and storing physiological data from a plurality of said portable medical monitoring devices wherein each of said portable medical monitoring devices has a unique device identifier and monitors a separate subject, said central reporting data server further comprising means for correlating said unique device identifier to an individual subject medical data record.    
     
     
         32 . The medical monitoring system as claimed in  claim 31 , wherein said central reporting service further comprises means to respond to emergency calls from said medical monitoring devices.  
     
     
         33 . The medical monitoring system as in  claim 32 , wherein said means for responding to emergency calls from said medical monitoring device comprises a processor capable of executing instructions and automatically referencing said device identifier to physiological data relating to a particular subject and issuing a second call to a selected authority and transmitting said physiological data with said second call to said authority.  
     
     
         34 . The medical monitoring system as in  claim 32 , wherein said portable medical monitoring device further includes a GPS receiver and said central reporting system records geographic coordinates of the subject for each emergency call.  
     
     
         35 . The medical monitoring system as in  claim 31 , wherein said medical monitoring system further includes a database where said physiological data and related information pertaining to each subject are stored and retrieved by said central reporting system at predefined intervals.