Control of data transmission between a remote monitoring unit and a central unit

Abstract

A patient is monitored using a monitoring apparatus including a remote monitoring unit associated with the patient and having a sensor that measures a physiological characteristic of the patient, a central unit, and a communications device which selectively establishes a communications link between the remote monitoring unit and the central unit. The remote monitoring unit obtains a monitored data set for the patient, analyzes the monitored data set to obtain a derived data set from the monitored data set, and determines from the derived data set that communication with the central unit is required. A communications link is established with the central unit, and the remote monitoring unit transmits to the central unit an initially transmitted data set related to the monitored data set. The central unit analyzes the initially transmitted data set and instructs the remote monitoring unit as to any additional transmitted data set related to the monitored data set that is to be transmitted from the remote monitoring unit to the central unit and a time at which the additional transmitted data set is to be transmitted.

1 . (Canceled)  
     
     
         2 . A system comprising: 
 a remote monitoring unit including: 
 a sensor to measure a physiological characteristic of a heart of a patient,  
 a first data processing unit to analyze the sensor measurements of the physiological characteristic to determine if communication with a central unit is desired, and  
 a first communications device to communicate with the central unit in response to prompting by the first data processing unit, the first communications device to transmit data corresponding to the sensor measurements; and  
   a central unit including: 
 a second data processing unit to receive the data communicated from the remote monitoring unit and to identify additional data to be transmitted by the remote monitoring unit, and  
 a second communications device to communicate the identity of the additional data to the remote monitoring unit.  
   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein: 
 the second data processing unit is configured to identify a time when the additional data is to be transmitted by the remote monitoring unit; and    the second communications device is configured to communicate the time to the remote monitoring unit.    
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the remote monitoring unit further includes a data storage device configured to store data including 
 additional data marked for later transmission to a central unit, and    immediate data for current transmission to the central unit.    
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the first communications device is configured to transmit a code for a cardiac abnormality to the central unit.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the remote monitoring unit is configured to identify the immediate measurement information using a patient-specific warning limit.  
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the first communications device comprises: 
 a wireless communications device configured to transmit data over a wireless connection to the central unit; and    a wired communications device configured to transmit data over a wired connection to the central unit.    
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the sensor is configured to measure a cardiogram of the patient.  
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the remote monitoring unit further comprises at least one other sensor configured to measure another physiological characteristic of the patient.  
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the central unit further comprises a patient history storage to store a personal history of the patient.  
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the central unit further comprises a communications link to a human for review of the data communicated from the remote monitoring unit.  
     
     
         12 . A remote monitoring device comprising: 
 a sensor configured to measure a physiological characteristic of a heart of a patient;    a data processing unit configured to analyze the sensor measurements of the physiological characteristic; and    a data storage device including: 
 prior measurement information marked for later transmission to a central unit,  
 immediate measurement information for current transmission to the central unit, and  
 a warning limit used by the data processing unit to identify the immediate measurement information.  
   
     
     
         13 . The remote monitoring device of  claim 12 , wherein the prior measurement information comprises sensor measurements marked for later transmission.  
     
     
         14 . The remote monitoring device of  claim 12 , wherein the immediate measurement information comprises data derived from current sensor measurements.  
     
     
         15 . The remote monitoring device of  claim 14 , wherein the data derived from current sensor measurements comprises a heart rate derived from current sensor measurements.  
     
     
         16 . The remote monitoring device of  claim 12 , wherein the immediate measurement information comprises a code for a cardiac abnormality.  
     
     
         17 . The remote monitoring device of  claim 12 , wherein the warning limit comprises a patient-specific warning limit previously determined for the patient.  
     
     
         18 . The remote monitoring device of  claim 12 , further comprising a communications device configured to communicate measurement information to the central unit.  
     
     
         19 . The remote monitoring device of  claim 12 , wherein the data storage device further includes adjacent measurement information that relates to sensor measurements adjacent in time to the immediate measurement information.  
     
     
         20 . The remote monitoring device of  claim 12 , wherein the data storage device further includes time information identifying a time for transmission of the prior measurement information to the central unit.  
     
     
         21 . The remote monitoring device of  claim 12 , wherein the sensor is configured to measure a cardiogram of the patient.  
     
     
         22 . The remote monitoring device of  claim 12 , further comprising at least one other sensor configured to measure another physiological characteristic of the patient.  
     
     
         23 . A remote monitoring device, the device including instructions operable to cause the device to perform operations comprising: 
 receiving sensor measurements relating to a physiological characteristic of a heart of a patient;    transmitting information related to the received sensor measurements to a central unit;    receiving a request for additional information from the central unit; and    transmitting the requested additional information to the central unit.    
     
     
         24 . The device of  claim 23  further including instructions operable to cause the device to perform operations comprising receiving a request for additional information related to the sensor measurements from the central unit.  
     
     
         25 . The device of  claim 23  further including instructions operable to cause the device to perform operations comprising analyzing the sensor measurements to determine if the transmission of the information to the central unit is warranted.  
     
     
         26 . The device of  claim 25  further including instructions operable to cause the device to perform operations comprising determining if the transmission of the information to the central unit is warranted using a patient-specific warning limit to analyze the sensor measurements.  
     
     
         27 . The device of  claim 23  further including instructions operable to cause the device to perform operations comprising deriving a data set from the received sensor measurements.  
     
     
         28 . The device of  claim 27  further including instructions operable to cause the device to perform operations comprising transmitting the derived data set to the central unit.  
     
     
         29 . The device of  claim 23  further including instructions operable to cause the device to perform operations comprising: 
 receiving, from the central unit, a time for the transmission of the additional information to the central unit; and  
 delaying the transmission of the additional information until the received transmission time.  
 
     
     
         30 . The device of  claim 23  further including instructions operable to cause the device to perform operations comprising receiving a cardiogram of the patient.  
     
     
         31 . A method comprising: 
 receiving, from a remote unit, information related to an electrocardiograph measurement on a patient; determining that additional information absent from the received information warrants communication from the remote unit;    conveying the determination to the remote unit; and    receiving the additional information from the remote unit.    
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein conveying the determination to the remote unit comprises identifying the additional information to the remote unit.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein conveying the determination to the remote unit comprises identifying a time for transmission of the additional information to the remote unit.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein determining that the additional information warrants communication comprises deciding that additional information related to the electrocardiograph measurement warrants communication.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein deciding that the additional information warrants communication comprises receiving human input regarding the decision.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising analyzing the received information to determine whether an emergency situation exists.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein analyzing the received information comprises consulting a medical history of the patient.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein analyzing the received information comprises analyzing the received information in light of other information related to electrocardiograph measurements on the patient.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein receiving the additional information comprises receiving the additional information from the remote unit at a later time.  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein: 
 receiving information related to the electrocardiograph measurement comprises receiving the information over a first communication link; and    receiving the additional information comprises receiving the additional information over a second communication link.    
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein receiving information related to the electrocardiograph measurement comprises receiving information derived from the electrocardiograph measurement.