WO2004000111A1

WO2004000111A1 - Telehealth system and method

Info

Publication number: WO2004000111A1
Application number: PCT/CA2003/000935
Authority: WO
Inventors: Victor Lanzo; Assia Senouci
Original assignee: Andromed Inc.
Priority date: 2002-06-20
Filing date: 2003-06-20
Publication date: 2003-12-31
Also published as: AU2003245157A1

Abstract

A telehealth system and method is disclosed for assisting an attending physician or other health support personnel in remote monitoring the condition of one or more patients. The system and method monitors the condition of a patient having a disorder, compares the condition with a predetermined profile and warns the attending physician or other support personnel when the patient's condition deteriorates such that it no longer corresponds to the predetermined profile.

Description

TITLE OF THE INVENTION

TELEHEALTH SYSTEM AND METHOD

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a telehealth system. In particular the present invention relates to a system for the continuous remote monitoring of the biological signs of a patient having a disorder and the provision of a warning to an attending physician or other support personnel when the patient's condition deteriorates such that it no longer corresponds to a predetermined profile.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Given the ever increasing costs related to medical care, especially regarding the treatment of disorders and convalescence in a hospital setting, in recent years there has been a greater emphasis placed on treatment and convalescence away from the hospital, in particular in a convalescent home or a patient's own home.

One of the drawbacks of moving a patient outside of the hospital environment is that the attending physician or nurse is unable to readily asses the current condition of the patient therefore making it more difficult to objectively determine if patient's condition is improving or deteriorating. Another drawback is that in order to assess the patient's condition the attending physician or specialist is in many cases obliged to visit the patient.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention overcomes the above and other drawbacks by providing a telehealth system. The telehealth system is an end-to-end solution designed to provide continuous, real-time, secure collection, transmission and analysis of medical data. The primary application of this technology is for continuous real time monitoring and analysis of the biological signs of a patient in either a medical facility, a home environment, or other ambulatory environment in order to sense variations in a patient's condition. Depending on the nature of the underlying ailment which is being treated and a variety of other potential factors, deterioration in a patient's condition relative to a predetermined profile or failure to improve according to a predetermined profile causes an alarm to be raised thereby providing notice to the attending physician, nurse or other support personnel. Additionally, the attending physician, nurse, etc.. is able to examine historical data regarding the patient's condition.

Other applications of the technology can include:

• Historical data bank offering physicians easy access to historical medical information of their patients;

• Monitoring of patients participating in research projects or clinical trials;

• Monitoring of animals used in research facilities or laboratories for drug testing;

• Training for patients' rehabilitation; • Disease management of patients with chronic or acute symptoms;

• Disease simulation tool that can be used to train medical students to recognise disease symptoms; and

• Collection and analysis of historical medical data for research on disease symptoms and effects.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a telehealth system incorporating, in particular but not exclusively, Al (Artificial Intelligence) and/or reverse streaming capabilities.

The foregoing and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following non restrictive description of illustrative embodiments thereof, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the appended drawings:

Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram of a mobile transmitter/receiver unit used in co-operation with a base unit;

Figure 2 is a schematic block diagram of the base unit;

Figure 3 is schematic block diagram of a server architecture used in relation to the mobile transmitter/receiver unit and base unit of Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4a is a first graph showing degradation, in relation to medication, of the state of a first patient having a first profile and a first life style treated by a first specialist;

Figure 4b is a second graph showing degradation, in relation to medication, of the state of a second patient having a second profile and a second life style treated by the first specialist;

Figure 5a is a third graph showing degradation, in relation to medication, of the state of the first patient having the first profile and the first life style treated by a second specialist; and

Figure 5b is a fourth graph showing degradation, in relation to medication, of the state of the second patient having the second profile and the second life style treated by the second specialist.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

Referring to figure 1 an illustrative embodiment of the present invention will described. In the TS system, data derived from multiple biological sensors as in 11 through 16 attached to a patient 10 is transferred using a mobile transmitter/receiver 17 and base unit 34 pair to external data sinks via a high speed data connection 81. The transfer of data comprises the following links: patient (patient) 10 - mobile transmitter/receiver unit 17 - base unit 34 - physician (general practitioner or specialist) - monitoring personnel - data servers.

The patient 10 provides data to the mobile transmitter/receiver unit 17, contacts the monitoring centre when required, initiates audio/visual communication and provides feedback. Feedback may include, for example, the patient's health symptoms transmitted by voice or the patient's response to a questionnaire.

Data representative of biological signs from a patient 10 are collected from one or more biological sensors as in 11 through 16 and supplied to a mobile transmitter/receiver unit 17 as follows:

• A first biological sound monitor 11 (for example the biological sound monitor as described in the international patent application published under the number WO01/78059) is used to sense on the patient 10 phono-cardio data (representative of patient's heartbeat) subsequently used to calculate PAP

(Pulmonary Artery Pressure);

• a second biological sound monitor 12 is used to sense lung sounds data related to a first lung of the patient 10;

• a third biological sound monitor 13 is provided to sense lung sounds data related to the second lung of the patient 10;

• a fourth biological sound monitor 14 is used to sense phono-spirometric data related to the patient's tracheal sounds and obtain corresponding information about the patient's respiratory air flow;

• 3-5 up to 12 leads 15 for sensing the patient's ECG; • a patient's motion detector 16 is optionally included in the mobile transmitter/receiver unit 17 for detecting, for example, movement of a patient at home; etc.

For the sake of clarity, non-invasive sensing of phono-spirometric data typically involves recording and analysing acoustical sounds gathered from a patient's airway and converting these to an electronic representation of the volume and rate of air flow. A method and apparatus for gathering phono-spirometric data is disclosed in US Patent No. 6,241 ,683B1.

The patient 10 also provides the mobile unit 17 with collection data 18 confirming the medication schedule/symptoms collection, and with tags (marked data) 19 identifying abnormal symptoms data that should be prioritised.

The patient 10 can also initiate a disconnected mode 120 (off-line monitoring), for example:

• when the patient 10 takes a shower;

• when the patient 10 does not wish to be monitored for a certain period of time, for example for privacy reasons;

• to change the batteries of the mobile transmitter/receiver unit 17; • to reconfigure this mobile transmitter/receiver unit 17;

• etc.

In the disconnected mode, the mobile transmitter/receiver unit 17 switches off (sleep mode).

The patient 10 will also provide, when required, a panic signal 20 (for example depression of a button) in response to an emergency state or situation.

Technicians may also have access to an input 39 of the mobile transmitter/receiver unit 17 enabling them to manually configure the equipment, namely the mobile transmitter/receiver unit 17. The mobile transmitter/receiver unit 17 comprises a real time collection module 21 for collecting, in real time, biological signs data from the patient 10 including, amongst others, the above-mentioned phono-cardio data from the first biological sound monitor 11 , the above-mentioned lung sounds data from the second biological sound monitor 12, the above-mentioned lung sounds data from the third biological sound monitor 13, the above-mentioned phono-spirometric data from the fourth biological sound monitor 14, the above mentioned patient's ECG from the leads 15, and data from the above mentioned patient's motion detector 16. Of course, the nature and number of collected biological signs data can vary depending on the patient's profile and disease.

The mobile transmitter/receiver unit 17 also comprises a patient's feedback collection module 25 for collecting the above-mentioned collection data 18 confirming the medication schedule/symptoms collection, and tags (marked data) 19. Module 25 is also responsive to the disconnected mode 120 initiated by the patient 10.

A filter 22 filters the data collected through both the modules 21 and 25. The purpose of this filtering is to remove from the collected data non relevant data, for example noise generated by ambient sounds such as voice. Note, however, that in a given implementation all or a portion of the filtering could take place at the biological sensor in question prior to the data being to the real time collection module 21.

A module 23 stores for retransmission the filtered data from the filter 22 into a buffer 24 for one hour minimum; this will enable retransmission of data lost during a prior transmission.

A manager 26 is responsive to depression of the panic button (panic signal 20) by the patient 10 to retransmit panic alarm data to an analyser 27 through a message display/beep module 28, the patient's feedback collection module 25 and the data filter 22.

The analyser 27 is designed to analyse the data from the filter 22, including verifying i the patient's tagged data. Any detected alarm is transmitted to an alarm dispatcher 29. The analyser 27 analyses the data from the filter 22 to detect any programmed abnormal status on the patient's biological signs and, in response to such detected abnormal status, produces an alarm; an alarm may result, for example, from an

5 analysis (analysed alarm) of the data indicating that a patient's biological sign is situated outside a safe range. An alarm may also be a panic alarm detected by the analyser 27 through the manager 26, module 25 and filter 22.

Filtered biological signs data from the filter 22 are transmitted by the analyser 27 to 0 an encryption/compression module 30. In the same manner, alarms are supplied from dispatcher 29 to the encryption/compression module 30.

A module 31 performs a hardware monitoring analysis to collect equipment status related to the mobile transmitter/receiver unit 17. Such equipment status may include 5 leads connection status, leads positions on the patient's body, battery status, processor status, out of range status, etc. A module 32 transmits the equipment status data collected by the module 31 to the encryption/compression module 30.

The encryption/compression module 30 encrypts and compresses the filtered signs 0 data from the analyser 27, the analysed and panic alarms data from the dispatcher 29 and the equipment status data from the modules 31 and 32. These encrypted and compressed filtered signs data, analysed and panic alarms data, and equipment status data are then transmitted by a signal transmitter 33 from the mobile transmitter/receiver unit 17 to a base unit 34. 5

The mobile transmitter/receiver unit 17 further comprises a signal receiver 35 and a module 36 to reprogram functions of the mobile transmitter/receiver unit 17.

The signal receiver 35 receives remote signals such as a message to display 37 or 0 real time equipment reconfiguration data 38. The signal receiver 35 subsequently transmits the message to display 37 to the message display/beep module 28. In the same manner, the signal receiver 35 subsequently transmits the real time equipment reconfiguration data 38 to the module 36.

Module 36 is responsive to the real time equipment reconfiguration data 38 from the signal receiver 35 or to reconfiguration data manually entered on input 39 to reconfigure the functions of the mobile transmitter/receiver unit 17. Reconfiguration may be required for example to change the patient's leads to be monitored or to reconfigure the collection hardware.

The message djsplay/beep module 28 produces beep alarms 40 in response to the equipment status data received from modules 31 and 32. The message display/beep module 28 is provided to display:

• messages 41 related to the collected data received through module 21 , filter 22 and module 25; • messages 41 requesting the patient 10 to acknowledge taking of medication;

• messages 41 related to the alarm data received through the dispatcher 29 and the panic alarm manager 26;

• messages 41 received from module 36 and related to reconfiguration of the functions of the mobile transmitter/receiver unit 17; • messages 41 requesting the patient to acknowledge disconnected or reconnected mode;

• the message to display 37 received through the signal receiver 35; and eventually

• messages 41 related to the equipment status data received from the modules 31 and 32.

The filtered biological signs data, the analysed and panic alarms data and the equipment status data are transmitted from the signal transmitter 33 to the base unit 34 using, for example, a RF transmission bluetooth process.

The base unit 34 will now be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. The base unit 34 is in fact a small server since storage and processing power are distributed. The base unit 34 first comprises a data acquisition interface 42 through which the filtered signs data, the analysed and panic alarms data, and the equipment status data transmitted from the signal transmitter 33 of the mobile transmitter/receiver unit 17 are received. Each type of data is parameterised in accordance with a corresponding data definition protocol.

The base unit 34 further includes a module 43 supplied with the equipment status data from the interface 42. Module 43 is provided for forwarding these equipment status data. For that purpose, module 43 sends the equipment status data to a real time compression module 44 in which the equipment status data are compressed using a given compression algorithm. The compressed equipment status data from compression module 44 are then encrypted by means of an encryption module 45 before being broadcast through a communication handler 46 which manages the data transmission process (see 47 in Figure 1).

The analysed and panic alarms data and the filtered biological signs data are supplied from the interface 42 to a signal receiver 47. The analysed and panic alarms data and the filtered biological signs data are transmitted to a data analyser 50 through a biological signs data filter 51 whose function is to filter the biological signs data in order to, for example, extract the curves A2, P2 from the phono-cardio data, remove noise, etc.

The data analyser 50 constitutes the artificial intelligence (Al) of the base unit 34. The data analyser 50 is associated to a PAP calculation module 52 and an air flow calculation module 120. The data analyser 50 supplies to the modules 52 and 120 the filtered signs data required to calculate PAP and respiratory air flow, in particular the filtered ECG and phono-cardio signs data sensed through the first biological sound monitor 11. The calculated PAP is then returned from the PAP calculation module 52 back to the data analyser 50. In the same manner, the calculated respiratory air flow is returned from the air flow calculation module 120 to the data analyser 50. The calculated PAP and respiratory air flow are used by the analyser 50 for alarm management that depends on the physician's set-up for this particular patient 10.

The data analyser 50 performs preliminary analysis to calculate statistics, calculate derived data, detect preconfigured events, transmit analysis results and monitor patient behaviour to prevent abnormal states based on the physician's input and disease evolution. Disease evolution is computed from the collected symptoms and pattern matched with backtracking overtime (Al engine on the base unit 34).

The data analyser 50 may also be supplied with:

• blood samples 52 from the patient 10 through a blood collection engine 53 and a blood collection interface;

• the patient's weight/temperature 54 through a weight/temperature collection engine 55 and a weight/temperature collection interface 56 (Graphical User

Interface); and

• the patient's SPO2 57 through a SPO2 collection engine 58 and a SPO2 collection interface 59.

SPO2 relates to pulse oximetry which provides estimates of arterial oxyhemoglobin saturation (Sa02). For example, selected wavelengths of light can be used to non invasively determine the saturation of oxyhemoglobin (SPO2).

The data analyser 50 will transmit the analysed and/or panic alarms to an alarm dispatcher 60. The analyser 50 will also analyse the filtered biological signs data from the filter 51 , the calculated PAP, the calculated respiratory air flow, and the blood samples 52, weight/temperature 54, and SPO2 57 and will generate an alarm every time there exists a physician-preprogrammed abnormal status of biological signs. The analyser 50 includes an alarm mechanism driven by an Al process to prevent patient abnormal states. These alarms will be transmitted to the alarm dispatcher 60. The alarm dispatcher 60 will transmit the alarms to a post alarm manager 61 and the post alarm manager 61 will (a) transmit to the mobile transmitter/receiver unit 17 a message 37 to be displayed on that unit 17 and/or (b) transmit (page) the alarm through a telephone line 62 to warn the monitoring physician, nurse or employee.

Just a word to mention that the post alarm manager will send messages 37 to display by the mobile unit 17 requesting the patient 10 to proceed with collection of SPO2, weight/temperature, etc..

The data analyser 50 will also perform an analysis of the filtered biological signs data from filter 51, the blood samples data, the weight/temperature data and the SPO2 data to calculate useful information according to its program in order to fulfil the requirements of the intended application. Such useful information may comprise any information the physician has scheduled and "alarm set patterns".

The data from the analyser 50 are real time compressed in the module 44 and stored in the database 48. These data include the filtered signs data, the PAP data, the respiratory air flow data, the blood samples data, the weight/temperature data, the SPO2 data, the calculated useful information, and the alarm data. All the real time compressed biological signs data from the module 44 are stored into a recycled database 121 for up to one (1) month through a link 63. Recycled database 121 constitutes a recycled storage area. Co-ordinate and non biological signs data are also stored in the database 48 through link 49. The co-ordinate data will enable the database 48 to recover from the recycled database 121 desired biological signs data through a link 122.

The above mentioned data from the data analyser 50 are, after real time compression in the module 44, encrypted in module 45 and broadcast in real time by handler 46.

A voice and video stream 63 can also be recorded through a micro/cam real time recorder 64. The audio data are stored in the database through an audio collection interface 65 for re-transcription. The video-audio collection interface 65 also transmits the voice and video stream 63 to the real time compression module 44 for compression. The compressed voice and video stream can then be supplied to module 45 for encryption and to handler 46 for real time transmission for example through the Internet, using TCP/IP or another suitable transmission protocol, to the physician's location. This will allow the physician to examine the patient as required.

A module 68 collects the base unit equipment status, stores the collected base unit equipment status, and transmits this base unit equipment status to the real-time compression module 44. After compression, the base unit equipment status is encrypted in module 45 and broadcast through communication handler 46.

Initially, a specialist physician 66 configures the profile and schedule of the patient 10 through a patient profile/schedule configuration module 67. The profile and schedule are then stored in the database 48. The patient's profile/schedule defines the patient's condition, the symptoms to be monitored and the nature of the patient's medication. For example, degeneration in the condition of a patient suffering from congestive heart failure is typically accompanied by an increase in respiration rate, an increase in heart rate, an increase in weight due to the collection of fluid in the patient's lungs and a decrease in SPO2. This is often accompanied by other indicia such as the use of an increased number of pillows and a thickening of mucus in the mouth. Similarly, degradation in the condition of a patient who is suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma is typically accompanied by an increase in respiration rate, an increase in heart rate, a decrease in SPO2 and a decrease in the ratio of FEV1 to FVC, where FEV1 is defined as the forced expiration volume during the first second of expiration and FVC is the forced vital capacity (which is an indicator that the patient is having difficulty in exhaling). A change in the breathing pattern of the patient is also typically exhibited from more regular inhalations and exhalations to one where the inhalation is very rapid relative to exhalation.

By collecting and analysing data related to the biological signs of the patient and comparing this to a predetermined profile selected based on the disease and other factors, degradation in the condition of the patient can be readily determined.

A technician 69 configures, according to the specialist physician's instructions, both the base unit 34 and the mobile transmitter/receiver unit 17 through an equipment configuration module 70 which includes a suitable Graphical User Interface (GUI) fir supporting the configuration. Configuration of the mobile transmitter/receiver unit 17 also proceeds through a mobile configuration module 71 and the real time mobile reconfiguration data 38. Obviously, this configuration is conducted in relation to and adapted to the profile/schedule of the patient 10.

Reconfiguration can also be conducted by a remote server through a secure telecommunication link 72 and a receiver module 73. Just a word to mention that the telecommunication link 72 is independent from the telecommunication system through which the data are broadcast from the communication handler 46. The reconfiguration data from the receiver module 73 are decrypted by a decryption module 74 and decompressed by an decompression module 75. The decrypted and decompressed reconfiguration data are dispatched by a dispatcher 76 toward a patient's profile/schedule configuration module 77 for updating the profile/schedule of the patient 10 stored in the database 48.

The decrypted and decompressed reconfiguration data are also dispatched to the mobile configuration module 71 for reconfiguration of the mobile transmitter/receiver unit 17 through the real time mobile reconfiguration data 38.

Reconfiguration can also extend to the base unit 34 by transmitting decrypted and decompressed reconfiguration data from module 71 to module 70 (see link 79).

Reconfiguration can also take into consideration the profile/schedule of the patient 10 as stored in the database 48 (see link 78). The reconfiguration data can also be stored in the database 48 from module 71 (see link 78).

Requests from the servers can also be transmitted via the telecommunication link 72. This request can, for example, be a request to retransmit old data not received by a server. Since all data are time-stamped, they are easy to relocate in the database.

Again, the request data are received by receiver 73, decrypted by module 74 and decompressed by module 75, and finally dispatched by dispatcher 76 to data reading module 80. The module 80 will read the corresponding data in the database 48 and will return it to the real-time compression module 44, encryption module 45 and communication handler 46 for retransmission.

Transmission is conducted, as illustrated in Figure 1 , through a real time compression, encryption and transmission through a high speed modem 81 (for example a DSP/Cable Modem) and a secure network connection 82 to finally reach remote servers.

Reconfiguration data and server requests are addressed through a secure telecommunication process. This process can include a real-time reversed streaming technique using a TP protocol (client's PC to Server) in a distributed architecture including a DSP line.

Referring now to Figure 3, the broadcast data are received by a communication server 83 through a firewall 84 and load balancing switch 85, when needed. As well known to those of ordinary skill in the art, a firewall comprises hardware and software that deliberately prevent use of certain network services while permitting others to qualified users. Load balancing is a technique used to distribute traffic over several connections in order to balance the communication flux.

The scheduled and abnormal biological signs data (the PAP data, the respiratory air flow data, the blood samples data, the weight/temperature data, the SP02 data), the calculated useful information and the alarm data received by the communication server 83 are transferred to a request dispatcher and load balancing server 124. These data, including the filtered biological signs data, the PAP data, the respiratory air flow data, the blood samples data, the weight/temperature data, the SPO2 data, the calculated useful information and the alarm data are transferred to a data compiler server 125. Server 125 decompresses (see 87) and decrypts (see 88) the data. Decryption includes reverse processing the encryption processes of module 30 of mobile transmitter/receiver unit 17 and module 45 of base unit 34. Server 125 also disassembles the packets for storage.

The decompressed and decrypted data are transferred from the compiler server 125 to a storage engine, i.e. a data storage server 86. The data storage server 86 comprises a data writer 89 to write the decompressed, decrypted and decompiled data in a database 90. Associated with the data writer 89 is also a temporary storage area 91 for decompiled data.

The decompressed and decrypted data are also transferred to an analyser engine under the form of an analysis server 92. The analysis server 92 is also supplied with data from the monitoring personal 98. Monitoring personal 98 comprise:

(a) Physician and nurse who:

• Monitor parameters; • Contact patients;

• Configure parameters:

• Enter patient profiles;

• Enter symptoms prescription in a schedule;

• Medicines prescription - drug list by disease; and • Behaviour (alarm set-up for patient);

• Enter follow-up; and

• Modify schedule; and

(b) Monitoring employees who: • Monitor parameters;

• Contact patients; • Configure the mobile transmitter/receiver units and the base units:

• Install equipment;

• Configure data collection (scheduled or not); Test equipment; and

• Instruct patient.

The analysis server 92 comprises a real-time data analyser 93, an Al engine 94, an alarm dispatcher 95, and a post alarm dispatcher 96.

The real-time data analyser 93 receives the decompressed and decrypted data decompiled from the data compiler server 85, including formerly analysed results, to detect and store patterns in relation to the nature of the cases and the specialist and patient feedback and the result of these analyses are stored in an Al knowledge- based, real-time refreshed samples database 97.

The alarm dispatcher 95 recognises, by means of tags, the priority of the alarms to inform with the required level of priority the monitoring personal 98. The monitoring personal 98 then take the necessary action to handle the alarm, including sending an ambulance to transport the patient to the closest hospital.

The post alarm dispatcher 96 addresses the alarms to the databases 90 and 97 for storage thereof in association with their related case. The post alarm information is also addressed to the monitoring personal.

The Al engine 94 constitutes an Al scheduler capable of determining, in relation to the specialist physician set-up (symptoms collection routine), patient profile collection, medication profile, specialist feedback collection and patient feedback collection as stored in the databases 90 and 97, to generate an Al prediction mechanism in order to help physicians recognise patterns in treated clients. The Al algorithms may incorporate: decision tree, induction graph, induction rules, neural networks, regressions, discriminant analysis, and bayesian (in time) methods with backtracking on patient behaviour. Servers and clients are equipped Al engines capable of recognising patterns in data collected from the above mentioned sources. This in turn allows for problem detection, suggested approaches to resolve any problems and alarm generation. The Al server includes a learning engine based on patient schedules, profiles, feedback and physicians' input to predict and prevent patient state degeneration as shown in Figures 4a, 4b, 5a and 5b.

Different physicians treating different patients with the same disease in many cases may not use the same treatments and obtain the same disease evolution. Therefore focusing on disease only is not believed to be a good approach. Rather, a focus on the patient's profile, history of treatment and his current disease is preferred over pooling all patients together. When understanding this nuance between disease evolution and a patient's profile one can conclude that the best approach is to build data collection mechanisms to collect and seek patterns continuously. This system might not have a powerful engine at the beginning but it will evolve into an efficient and dependable tool over time for specialists.

As previously described, all patients suffering from the same disease or illness are different therefore all inputs are stored and processed by disease combined and patient profile.

An equipment set-up web server 99 is used to remotely reconfigure the mobile transmitter/receiver units 17 and the base units 34 through the communication server 83, the firewall 84, the load balancing switch 85, architecture replication, when needed, and the transmission system.

To perform this reconfiguration, the monitoring personnel 98 has access to the old data (signs patterns) through a viewer 100, a scheduler configuration web tool 101 , and a data synchroniser (console and server) 102. Reconfiguration is then performed through an equipment reconfiguration module 103. Just a word to mention that the new configuration is stored in database 90 and that data from the database 90 are available upon reconfiguration. Also, during reconfiguration, the monitoring personal has access to the analysis server 92 and therefore to the recognised patterns in the patient being monitored, Al problem detection, Al suggestion algorithms, prediction of degeneration in the patient's physical state and real-time routing patient's broadcast data to view the patient's current biological signs.

Still referring to Figure 3, a network management server 104 comprises a network management tool/watchdog 105. The network management tool is present at all nodes of the network to detect alarms and hardware failures. As known to those of ordinary skill in the art, a watchdog is a timer set by a program to prevent the system from looping endlessly or becoming idle because of program errors or equipment faults. This also can be a combination of diagnostics and an input device (switch) the aim of which is to monitor the correct operation of a programmable electronic device.

The network management server 99 enables the monitoring personal 98 to manage as required the network to give to the persons involved access to the required information, to establish connections with the patients, etc.

Finally, the architecture of the system is open and may comprise as required additional compiler servers such as 106, additional analysis servers 107 and additional data storage servers 108.

Therefore, the following information from the patient (wireless transmission) can be consulted or monitored:

Patient's profile;

History of treatments;

Feedback (voice/notes);

Real time view tools (patient video input);

Motion detector;

Biological signs inputs:

• Phono-cardio and PAP calculation (BSM 1); • Lung sounds 1 (BSM 2);

• Lung sounds 2 (BSM 3);

• Phono-spiro trachea for respiratory air flow (BSM 4);

• ECG 3-6 leads up to 8; and • Motion detector.

Patient (possible integration of wireless transmission):

EEG; • Blood sample;

Weight;

Temperature; and SPO2.

The outputs include alarms, Al patterns data, real-time biological signs described above on demand and on a "short-term" storing period (up to one month), and abnormal data on biological signs.

The above described real-time reversed streaming technique and Al scheduler present, amongst others, the following advantages over the systems presently available on the market:

• Wireless transmission that gives the patient mobility;

• Common symptoms gathering (ECG, Temperature, etc..) plus real time PAP calculations;

• Phono-spiro meter calculations;

• Tele-auscultation;

• Physician schedules for symptoms and medication gathering;

• Physician feedback and patient follow-up gathering; Patients feedback gathering; and

• Servers and clients with artificial intelligence engines for patterns seek and therefore problems detection, suggestion algorithms and alarm generations.

Although health monitoring is a very interesting field of application of the above described real-time reversed streaming technique and Al scheduler, many other applications thereof can be implemented. Such other applications comprise, amongst others, the following:

• Hospitals monitoring patients to detect and prevent degeneration of a patient's disease; • Helpful tool for physician/patients follow-up;

• Medical training tool for university students (HMS) with symptoms simulator;

• Drug laboratory test on patients (animals) for pharmaceutical/drug companies;

• Profile/pattern data bank (database samples) for research on diseases for laboratory.

Although the present invention has been described hereinabove by way of an illustrative embodiment thereof, this embodiment can be modified at will, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit and nature of the patient invention.

Claims

We Claim:

1. A method for assisting an attending physician or other medical support personnel in the remote real time monitoring of a patient having a disorder by warning of degeneration of the disorder, the method comprising the steps of: collecting data from at least one biological sensor operationally attached to the patient; filtering said data to remove non-relevant data; analysing said filtered data; comparing said analysed data with a predetermined profile in order to determine a degree of correspondence; and generating and transmitting an alarm to the attending physician or other medical support personnel when said degree of correspondence is below a predetermined threshold.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein each of said at least one biological sensors is sensitive to a biological sign selected from the group of phono-cardio, lung sounds, phono-spirometric, ECG and motion.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of analysing said filtered data is carried out by an Al engine.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said Al engine incorporates one or more of algorithms selected from the group consisting of decision tree, induction graph, induction rules, neural networks, regressions, discriminant analysis, and bayesian (in time) methods with backtracking on patient behaviour.

5. A system for assisting an attending physician or other medical support personnel in the remote real time monitoring of a patient having a disorder by warning of degeneration of the disorder, the system comprising: a plurality of biological signs detectors operationally attached to the patient, each of the detectors detecting data related to at least one biological sign; a means for transmitting said detected data to a first unit; said first unit including: a means for analysing said filtered detected data and detecting when said data indicates an abnormal condition in the patient; an alarm dispatcher for generating and transmitting an alarm to a second unit when said abnormal condition is detected; and said second unit including: a filter for removing non-relevant data from said detected data; a data store for storing said filtered detected data, said blood data, said weight data and said SPO2 data; an analyser for comparing said stored filtered detected data with a predetermined profile and generating a degree of correspondence between said filtered detected data and said predetermined profile; and an alarm dispatcher for generating and transmitting an alarm to the attending physician or other medical support personnel when said degree of correspondence is below a predetermined threshold.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said at least one biological sign is selected from the group consisting of phono-cardio, lung sounds, phono-spirometric, ECG and motion.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein said first unit further includes a buffer for temporarily storing said filtered detected data.

8. The system of claim 5 wherein said analyser comprises an Al engine.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said Al engine incorporates one or more of algorithms selected from the group consisting of decision tree, induction graph, induction rules, neural networks, regressions, discriminant analysis, and bayesian (in time) methods with backtracking on patient behaviour.

10. The system of claim 5 wherein said transmitting means is selected from the group consisting of an electrical cable, an optic fibre, an infrared data link or a wireless data link.

11. The system of claim 5 wherein said non-relevant data includes voice and noise.

12. The system of claim 5 wherein said second unit further includes: a blood collection engine for regularly collecting and analysing said patient's blood data; a weight collection engine for regularly collecting said patient's weight data; and a SPO2 collection engine for regularly collecting said patient's SPO2 data; and wherein said analyser further compares said stored filtered detected data, said blood data, said weight data and said SP02 data with a predetermined profile and generates a degree of correspondence between said stored filtered detected data, said blood data, said weight data and said SPO2 data and said predetermined profile.

13. The system of claim 5 wherein said first unit and said second unit are integrated into a single unit.

14. The system of claim 5 wherein said first unit is a mobile unit and said second unit is a base unit and further comprising a bi-directional communication means between said mobile unit and said base unit for communication of filtered detected data to said base unit and commands to said mobile unit.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said mobile unit further includes a module for encrypting said filtered detected data prior to transmission to said base unit and said base unit further includes a decryption module for decrypting said encrypted filtered detected data.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said bi-directional communication means is selected from the group consisting of a wireless connection and an infrared connection.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein said wireless connection is bluetooth.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein said base unit communicates with a plurality of mobile units, each of said mobile units dedicated to a single patient.

19. The system of claim 5 wherein said alarm is transmitted via a pager.

20. The system of claim 5 wherein said alarm is transmitted via an SMS enabled cellular telephone.

21. The system of claim 5 further comprising at least one remote unit including a means for reconfiguring said base unit and a high speed data connection for bi-directional communication between said base unit and said remote unit.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein said alarm is transmitted via said high speed data connection to said remote unit.

23. The system of claim 21 wherein said remote unit comprises a plurality of networked computers.