Internet-based disease monitoring system

Abstract

An Internet-based disease monitoring system may include a miniaturized disease sensor device, which is coupled to a sensor, such as a spirometer, and a transmitter configured to transmit raw input signals from the sensor to a mobile device as cellular voice or text data for forwarding to a remote server. A remote server may be coupled to the network-based disease sensor device to provide analysis of raw input signals from the sensor. The remote server may be able to provide various services for grouping or handling functions relating to such input signals. A service may provide the ability to aggregate input signals from multiple sensors coupled to sensor devices and provide predictive modeling or statistical analysis, which may then be used to adjust future input signals. A service may also contain instructions how to handle billing based on usage of the network-based disease sensor device.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a patient-operated device comprising:
 a sensor-transmission module configured for generating raw input signals from a sensor system responsive to a patient condition and communicating via a transmitter system said raw input signals to a mobile device as cellular voice or text data, the sensor-transmission module comprising:
 the sensor system comprising a sensor unit ID and configured for generating raw input signals for a specific parameter related to the patient condition, and 
 the transmitter system coupled to the sensor system and configured for transmitting the raw input signals including the sensor unit ID associated with the sensor system as cellular voice or text data to a mobile device for forwarding the raw input signals to a server; and 
 
   the server configured for:
 receiving the forwarded raw input signals as cellular voice or text data from the mobile device; 
 authenticating the raw input signals based on the sensor unit ID; 
 analyzing the raw input signals by calculating parameter values based on the raw input signals and sensor-specific computations; 
 determining whether the calculated parameters are within a certain threshold; 
 adding the results of the determination of whether the calculated parameter values are within the certain threshold to a user record; and 
 transmitting the results of the determination and the calculated parameter values in one or more formats to one or more locations. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor-transmission module performs no functions on the raw input signals other than transmitting the raw input signal as cellular voice or text data. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the transmitter system performs no functions on the raw input signals other than transmitting the raw input signal as cellular voice or text data and the mobile device performs no functions on the cellular voice or text data other than forwarding the to the server 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the sensor-transmission module is configured for producing raw input signals that are conditioned prior to being transmitted by the transmitter system. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the sensor-transmission module is configured for producing raw input signals that are digitized prior to being transmitted by the transmitter system. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the raw input signals transmitted to the server are in the same form as cellular voice data. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the raw input signals transmitted to the server are in the same form as cellular text data. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein analyzing the raw input signals by calculating parameter values comprises the server computing calculated respiratory function parameters based on the transmitted raw input signals and sensor-specific computation. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the sensor system senses a patient condition measured by spirometer; and wherein analyzing the raw input signals by calculating parameter values comprises the server computing calculated parameters for respiratory volume, rate of breath flow, or other calculated respiratory function parameters based on the transmitted raw input signals and sensor-specific computation. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the sensor system senses a patient condition measured by an OEM blood glucose meter or a cholesterol monitor; and wherein analyzing the raw input signals by calculating parameter values comprises the server computing calculated parameters for blood glucose, or cholesterol based on the transmitted raw input signals and sensor-specific computation. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the server is further configured to: receive location data associated with the mobile device and environmental data based on the location of the mobile device, the environmental data associated with one or more of: measurement of allergens, ozone level, pollution index, smog level, and heat index; and transmit the results of the determination, the calculated parameter values, and environmental data in one or more formats to one or more locations. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the sensor-transmission module is further configured for producing raw input signals that are encrypted prior to being transmitted by the transmitter system; and wherein the server is further configured for decrypting the raw input signals. 
     
     
         13 . A system comprising:
 a patient-operated device comprising a sensor, including a sensor unit ID, configured for generating raw analog input signals responsive to a patient condition;   a transmission module for coupling to the sensor, the transmission module configured for transmitting the raw analog input signals including the sensor unit ID associated with the sensor as cellular voice or text data to a mobile device for forwarding the raw input signals to a server, wherein the transmission module performs no functions on the raw analog input signals other than transmitting the raw analog input signal as cellular voice or text data, and wherein the mobile device performs no functions on the cellular voice or text data other than forwarding the to the server; and   the server configured for:
 receiving the forwarded raw analog input signals as cellular voice or text data from the mobile device; 
 authenticating the raw analog input signals based on the sensor unit ID; 
 analyzing the raw analog input signals by calculating parameters based on the raw analog input signal and sensor-specific computations for the sensor unit ID; 
 directing the raw analog input signals for sensor-specific computation configured for recognizing the sensor unit ID and automatically analyzing the raw analog signal inputs based on the sensor unit ID by calculating parameters based on the raw analog signal inputs and the sensor-specific computation; 
 adding the results of the determination of whether the calculated parameters are within the certain threshold to a user record; and 
 transmitting the results of the determination and the calculated parameters in one or more formats to one or more locations; 
 wherein the server performs all calculating functions on the raw analog input signals. 
   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the sensor senses a patient condition measured by a spirometer, an OEM blood glucose meter or a cholesterol monitor; and wherein analyzing the raw analog input signals by calculating parameter values comprises the server computing calculated parameters for respiratory volume, rate of breath flow, blood glucose, or cholesterol based on the transmitted raw analog input signals and sensor-specific computation. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the raw analog input signals transmitted to the server are in the same form as cellular voice data. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the raw analog input signals transmitted to the server are in the same form as cellular text data. 
     
     
         17 . A system comprising:
 a patient-operated device comprising a sensor, including a sensor unit ID, configured for generating raw digital input signals responsive to a patient condition;   a transmission module for coupling to the sensor, the transmission module configured for transmitting the raw digital input signals including the sensor unit ID associated with the sensor as cellular voice or text data to a mobile device for forwarding the raw digital input signals to a server, wherein the transmission module performs no functions on the raw digital input signals other than transmitting the raw digital input signal as cellular voice or text data, and wherein the mobile device performs no functions on the cellular voice or text data other than forwarding the to the server; and   the server configured for:
 receiving the forwarded raw digital input signals as cellular voice or text data from the mobile device; 
 authenticating the raw digital input signals based on the sensor unit ID; 
 directing the raw digital input signals for sensor-specific computation configured for recognizing the sensor unit ID and automatically analyzing the raw digital signal inputs based on the sensor unit ID by calculating parameters based on the raw digital input signals and the sensor-specific computation; 
 determining whether the calculated parameters are within a certain threshold; 
 adding the results of the determination of whether the calculated parameters are within the certain threshold to a user record; and 
 transmitting the results of the determination and the calculated parameters in one or more formats to one or more locations; 
 wherein the server performs all functions and calculating on the raw digital input signals. 
   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the sensor senses a patient condition measured by a spirometer, an OEM blood glucose meter or a cholesterol monitor; and wherein analyzing the raw analog input signals by calculating parameter values comprises the server computing calculated parameters for respiratory volume, rate of breath flow, blood glucose, or cholesterol based on the transmitted raw analog input signals and sensor-specific computation. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the raw analog input signals transmitted to the server are in the same form as cellular voice data. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the raw analog input signals transmitted to the server are in the same form as cellular text data.