Health monitoring and diagnostic device and network-based health assessment and medical records maintenance system

Abstract

A health monitoring and diagnostic device (LIFESTREAM cholesterol meter) configured as a self-contained testing and diagnostic unit in a clam-shell type case. One side of the case includes a spring-loaded finger stick and a compartment for carrying one or more packages of disposable items including a test strip, a needle for the finger stick, and an alcohol swipe. The other half of the case includes a test strip reader, a key pad, and a liquid crystal display. The meter reads a test strip carrying a droplet of blood and receives additional diagnostic information from the patient, such as age, gender, weight, and family history of heart disease. Within minutes, the meter displays test results, including total cholesterol levels. The meter also displays additional diagnostic results, such as the patient's “cardiac age,” recommended weight loss, and a cardiac risk assessment. The meter also works in connection with a network-based comprehensive health analysis and reporting system. The meter writes patient data to a smartcard. This patient data typically includes patient identification information, the test results, the diagnostic information, and the diagnostic results. A computer station reads the smartcard and establishes a network connection with a health report server over the Internet. The computer then downloads the patient data to the health report server, which prepares a comprehensive health report. Within minutes, this report is transmitted back to the computer station, where it is printed out and delivered to the patient.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 649,293 filed Aug. 26, 2003; which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 436,323 filed Nov. 8, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,602,469 issued Aug. 5, 2003; which claims the benefit of commonly-owned U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 107,707, filed Nov. 9, 1998; and commonly-owned U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 144,705, filed Jul. 20, 1999. The foregoing applications are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as though fully disclosed herein.TECHNICAL FIELD[0002]This invention relates to health monitoring and diagnostic devices and, more particularly, relates to a hand-held device operable for determining blood lipid levels from test-strip analyses, obtaining additional diagnostic information from a user, displaying corresponding diagnostic results, and storing this data on a secure patient-held data carrier, such as a sm...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011]The hand-held LIFESTREAM cholesterol meter drastically reduces the costs and inconvenience associated with obtaining cholesterol tests by performing total cholesterol tests in virtually any location, including a physician's office, a pharmacy, a clinic, or in the privacy of the patient's home.

[0013]Producing diagnostic results like “cardiac age” and “5-year risk of heart attack” rather than total cholesterol levels alone may motivate more people to change their lifestyles and reduce their cholesterol levels. Moreover, producing these diagnostic results instantaneously, inexpensively, and in a convenient location encourages frequent testing and provides patients with the positive feedback necessary to encourage continued compliance with drug therapies and lifestyle changes. Ultimately, widespread use of the LIFESTREAM cholesterol meter can be expected to improve cardiac health nationwide, shift the focus of cardiac treatment from corrective to preventative, improve the cardiac health of the population in general, and reduce medical costs and health insurance rates.

[0017]The comprehensive health report may also include additional patient-specific information such as the diagnostic information and results compiled by the meter, and additional diagnostic and health assessment information compiled by the server. For example, the report may include a trend analysis showing how cholesterol, blood glucose, and weight levels have changed over multiple readings. The report may also include generally-applicable educational information, such as coronary risk factors, dietary guidelines for reducing cholesterol levels, diabetes information, cancer information, and the like. At present, a patient may have to undergo a physical examination, pay thousands of dollars, and wait weeks to obtain a similar comprehensive health report. The network-based comprehensive health analysis and reporting system, working in concert with the LIFESTREAM cholesterol meter, allows the patient to obtain the report within minutes at a fraction of the cost.

[0019]The meter may also require validation of all test strips. Validation is important for some types of tests because readings obtained from each test strip will have to be interpreted correctly to obtain correct test results, and the calibration data used to interpret the readings from different lots of test strips may vary significantly. To allow proper calibration, each lot of test strips has a corresponding memory device, such as a romkey, that must be placed into the meter. The romkey includes a code number, an expiration date, and the calibration data for interpreting readings from the corresponding test strips. A test strip identification number that is mathematically derived from the code number is printed on the test strips or their packaging. The user must enter the proper test strip identification number into the meter, which the meter verifies with reference to the code number and the expiration date read from the romkey. This allows the meter to prevent the use of expired test strips and to also prevent test strips from being used in combination with incorrect romkeys.

[0032]The business model described above is largely dependent on the sale of proprietary test strips for the collection of revenue from end users. That is, the health monitoring device itself may be made available to individual patients at little or no cost, with the sale of proprietary test strips providing a major source of revenue for the proprietor of the health monitoring device. As noted previously, this may be a desirable business model for deploying the devices because it minimizes the initial cost that an individual patient must pay to begin using the device. Having to sell each device at its full cost, on the other hand, would undermine the economic feasibility of using the device in many contexts.

Problems solved by technology

Although the dangers of high cholesterol have been widely publicized, many people fail to make effective use of this information because they do not know their own blood cholesterol levels.

In other words, a great many of the people with high cholesterol levels fail to heed the advice to lower their cholesterol levels simply because they are unaware of their own cholesterol levels.

This situation persists because of the high cost and inconvenience presently involved in obtaining cholesterol information.

This is expensive and time consuming; the average cost is about $83 for each office cholesterol consultation, and the average wait for the results is several days.

The cost and inconvenience involved in obtaining cholesterol tests inhibits many people from testing their cholesterol frequently enough to provide effective positive feedback.

As a result, many people who begin corrective exercise, diet, or drug therapy programs in response to high cholesterol tests often give up their corrective programs because they do not monitor their cholesterol frequently enough to remain aware of the benefits of their programs.

Moreover, blood cholesterol numbers by themselves are often poor motivators for patients who feel and look fine, and do not immediately feel or look differently when they take their prescriptions.

The current system of hard-copy and electronic medical records maintained in doctors' offices will become increasingly obsolete and inconvenient as the availability of electronically-stored medical data increases.

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