Apparatus and System for Predictive Health Monitoring

Abstract

An apparatus and system are provided for monitoring an individual, a group or a community of individuals for respiratory infections. Predictive health data, such as waking peak expiratory flow rate (“WPF”) and basal metabolic temperature (“BMT”) are measured and charted to provide an indication of early stage respiratory infection. Data may be collected for target populations and reported to health agencies for use in combating the spread of infection. An apparatus is provided which can simultaneously measure WPF and BMT and other health-condition-related values and automatically transmit readings to a data collection and analysis program on a remote computer.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A chart for graphing Basal Metabolic Temperature for use in early identification of infections, the chart comprising two or more visually distinct horizontal bands with a transverse direction of the bands corresponding to increments of temperature and a longitudinal direction of the bands corresponding to an increments of time, one of said visually distinct horizontal bands having a width corresponding to a normal range for basal metabolic temperature and at least one other horizontal band corresponding to an abnormally elevated range for basal metabolic temperature. 
     
     
         2 . The chart of  claim 1  wherein a grid of squares extend in horizontal rows and vertical columns, and the rows are separated into five visually distinct horizontal bands with three of said bands corresponding to abnormally elevated ranges for basal metabolic temperature. 
     
     
         3 . The chart of  claim 1  wherein visually distinct horizontal bands are shaded with different colors. 
     
     
         4 . The chart of  claim 2  wherein the rows are separated into three or more visually distinct horizontal bands with each row corresponding to an increment of temperature and to an increment of fluid flow and each column corresponding to an increment of time, a first one of said visually distinct horizontal bands corresponding to a normal range for basal metabolic temperature, a second one of said visually distinct horizontal bands corresponding to a normal range for waking peak flow of exhaled fluid and at least one other horizontal band corresponding to an abnormally elevated range for basal metabolic temperature and an abnormally low range for waking peak flow whereby basal metabolic temperature and waking peak flow may be charted simultaneously to indicate correlations in abnormal readings to detect respiratory infections. 
     
     
         5 . A system for measuring, transmitting, and reporting predictive health monitoring data, comprising:
 an apparatus for measuring at least one of basal metabolic temperature and waking peak flow;   a computer program for recording measured values for at least one of basal metabolic temperature and waking peak flow;   a means for transmitting the measured values for at least one of basal metabolic temperature and waking peak flow to said computer program; and   one or more compilations of the measured data for at least one individual or a population for use in predictive health monitoring.   
     
     
         6 . A health agency report showing reported tabulated values of predictive health monitoring data of individuals for monitoring infections, including respiratory infections, in one or more identified populations, comprising a matrix of cells arranged in horizontal rows and vertical columns, the rows corresponding to a first one of basal metabolic temperature and waking peak flow ranges and the columns corresponding to the other of basal metabolic temperature and waking peak flow ranges, wherein each cell contains at least one of raw numbers of individual's and percentage of individuals reporting values for basal metabolic temperature and waking peak flow in the ranges corresponding to that cell. 
     
     
         7 . An apparatus for simultaneously measuring basal metabolic temperature and waking peak flow, the apparatus comprising:
 a fluid channel for passing exhaled fluid and having an impellor disposed therein for measuring peak volumetric flow of fluid through the fluid channel by sensing the rotating magnet within the impellor with a field-effect transistor counting the numbers of rotation per second of the impellor;   a mouthpiece for insertion into an individual's mouth and forming a seal with the mouth and directing exhaled fluid through the fluid channel;   a rapid thermometer disposed in the mouthpiece for measuring basal metabolic temperature when the mouthpiece is inserted into the mouth; and   a digital memory for storing measured values for basal metabolic temperature and waking peak flow.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7  further comprising a connector for transmitting the measured values for basal metabolic temperature and waking peak flow to a remote location. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 7  further comprising a wireless means for transmitting the measured values for basal metabolic temperature and waking peak flow to a remote location.