Ambulatory physiological monitor with removable disk cartridge and wireless modem

Claim 3

A method as defined in claim 1 further including the steps of identifying an alarm condition when the physiological data meets an alarm criteria and storing information representative of the alarm condition in said disk cartridge.

Claim 4

A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the step of acquiring physiological data includes the steps of converting a physiological signal to physiological data and storing the physiological data in a data buffer, and wherein the step of storing the physiological data includes transferring the physiological data from the data buffer to said disk cartridge.

Claim 5

A method as defined in claim 1 further including the steps of storing analysis software in said disk cartridge and analyzing at least a portion of the physiological data stored in said disk cartridge in said ambulatory physiological monitor.

Claim 6

An ambulatory physiological monitor for recording physiological data from a patient for subsequent medical diagnosis of the patient, comprising: a housing; a high capacity, miniaturized magnetic disk cartridge mounted in said housing for storing physiological data and analysis software; and a circuit, located in said housing, for receiving a physiological signal representative of a physiological parameter of an ambulatory patient from a transducer attached to the ambulatory patient, for converting said physiological signal to said physiological data and for transferring said physiological data to said disk cartridge; wherein said disk cartridge is plug connectable in said monitor and is easily removable from said monitor, said disk cartridge being connectable to a remote computer for transfer of said physiological data and at least a portion of said analysis software from said disk cartridge to the remote computer for analysis of said physiological data using the analysis software stored in said disk cartridge and transferred, at least in part, to the remote computer.

Claim 7

An ambulatory physiological monitor for recording physiological data from a patient for subsequent medical diagnosis of the patient, comprising: a housing; a high capacity, miniaturized magnetic disk cartridge mounted in said housing for storing physiological data and analysis software; and a circuit, located in said housing, for receiving a physiological signal representative of a physiological parameter of an ambulatory patient from a transducer attached to the ambulatory patient, for converting said physiological signal to said physiological data and for transferring said physiological data to said disk cartridge; wherein said disk cartridge is plug connectable in said monitor and is easily removable from said monitor, said disk cartridge being connectable to a remote computer for transfer of said physiological data and at least a portion of said analysis software from said disk cartridge to the remote computer for analysis of said physiological data using the analysis software stored in said disk cartridge and transferred, at least in part, to the remote computer.

Claim 8

An ambulatory physiological monitor as defined in claim 5 wherein said circuit includes a data buffer, an acquisition processor for converting said physiological signal to said physiological data and for storing said physiological data in said data buffer, and a command processor for transferring said physiological data from said data buffer to said disk cartridge when said data buffer is nearly full.

Claim 9

An ambulatory physiological monitor as defined in claim 5 wherein said disk cartridge comprises a PC Card module.

Claim 10

An ambulatory physiological monitor as defined in claim 5 further including a wireless data modem for wireless communication with a remote computer system.

Claim 13

A method as defined in claim 9 further including the step of analyzing the physiological data stored in the storage device, using said analysis software, to provide physiological information and wherein the step of communicating with said remote computer system includes transmitting said physiological information to said remote computer system.

Claim 14

A method as defined in claim 10 wherein the step of transmitting said physiological information to said remote computer system is executed in response to a predetermined event in said physiological data.

Claim 15

A method as defined in claim 10 wherein the step of communicating with said remote computer system includes downloading new analysis software from said remote computer system to said ambulatory physiological monitor through said cellular telephone system using said wireless data modem, said new analysis software being used to replace, modify or supplement the analysis software in said storage device.

Claim 16

A method as defined in claim 9 further including the step of selecting a portion of said physiological data based on a predetermined criteria and wherein the step of communicating with said remote computer system includes transmitting the selected physiological data to said remote computer system through said cellular telephone system using said wireless data modem.

Claim 17

A method as defined in claim 9 wherein the step of communicating with said remote computer system includes transmitting at least a portion of said analysis software to said remote computer system through said cellular telephone system using said wireless data modem.

Claim 18

A method as defined in claim 9 further including the step of placing said ambulatory physiological monitor in a server mode and wherein the step of communicating with said remote computer system includes said ambulatory physiological monitor receiving commands from said remote computer system and executing said commands.

Claim 19

An ambulatory physiological monitor for recording physiological data from a patient for subsequent medical diagnosis of the patient, comprising: a housing; a storage device mounted in said housing for storing physiological data and analysis software; a circuit, mounted in said housing and coupled to said storage device, for receiving a physiological signal representative of a physiological parameter of an ambulatory patient from a transducer attached to the ambulatory patient, for converting said physiological signal to said physiological data and for transferring said physiological data to said storage device, said physiological data representing the patient's condition; and a wireless data modem, mounted in said housing and coupled to said storage device, for communicating with a remote computer system as to the patient's condition by transferring said physiological data from said storage device to the remote computer system through a cellular telephone system, said wireless data modem comprising a cellular digital packet data modem for transmitting and receiving data packets.

Claim 20

An ambulatory physiological monitor for recording physiological data from a patient for subsequent medical diagnosis of the patient, comprising: a housing; a storage device mounted in said housing for storing physiological data and analysis software; a circuit, mounted in said housing and coupled to said storage device, for receiving a physiological signal representative of a physiological parameter of an ambulatory patient from a transducer attached to the ambulatory patient, for converting said physiological signal to said physiological data and for transferring said physiological data to said storage device, said physiological data representing the patient's condition; and a wireless data modem, mounted in said housing and coupled to said storage device, for communicating with a remote computer system as to the patient's condition by transferring said physiological data from said storage device to the remote computer system through a cellular telephone system, said wireless data modem comprising a cellular digital packet data modem for transmitting and receiving data packets.

Claim 21

An ambulatory physiological monitor as defined in claim 16 wherein said circuit includes means responsive to a predetermined event in said physiological data for initiating transmission of said physiological information to said remote computer system by said wireless data modem.

Claim 22

An ambulatory physiological monitor as defined in claim 16 wherein said storage device comprises a high capacity, miniaturized magnetic disk cartridge.

Claim 23

An ambulatory physiological monitor as defined in claim 16 wherein said circuit comprises a data buffer, an acquisition processor for converting said physiological signal to said physiological data and for storing said physiological data in said data buffer, and a command processor for transferring said physiological data from said data buffer to said storage device.

Claim 24

An ambulatory physiological monitor as defined in claim 19 wherein said command processor includes means for executing said analysis software for analyzing said physiological data.

Claim 25

An ambulatory physiological monitor as defined in claim 19 wherein said command processor includes means for controlling communication with said remote computer system with said wireless data modem.

Claim 26

An ambulatory physiological monitor as defined in claim 19 wherein said command processor includes means for responding to commands received from said remote computer system using said wireless data mode.

Claim 27

An ambulatory physiological monitor as defined in claim 19 wherein said command processor includes means for transmitting a selected portion of said physiological data to said remote computer system using said wireless data modem.

Claim 28

An ambulatory physiological monitor for recording physiological data from a patient for subsequent medical diagnosis of the patient, comprising: a housing that is easily carried by a patient during normal activities for an extended period; a high capacity, miniaturized magnetic disk cartridge mounted in said housing, said disk cartridge being plug connected in said monitor and being easily removable from said monitor; an electronics module, located in said housing, for receiving a physiological signal representative of a physiological parameter of an ambulatory patient from a transducer attached to the ambulatory patient, for converting said physiological signal to physiological data and for transferring said physiological data to said disk cartridge, said physiological data representing the patient's condition; a wireless data modem, mounted in said housing, for communicating with a remote computer system as to the patient's condition through a cellular telephone system, said wireless data modem comprising a cellular digital packet data modem for transmitting and receiving data packets; and a battery module, mounted in said housing, for supplying electrical power for operation of said disk cartridge, said electronics module and said wireless data modem.

Claim 29

An ambulatory physiological monitor for recording physiological data from a patient for subsequent medical diagnosis of the patient, comprising: a housing that is easily carried by a patient during normal activities for an extended period; a high capacity, miniaturized magnetic disk cartridge mounted in said housing, said disk cartridge being plug connected in said monitor and being easily removable from said monitor; an electronics module, located in said housing, for receiving a physiological signal representative of a physiological parameter of an ambulatory patient from a transducer attached to the ambulatory patient, for converting said physiological signal to physiological data and for transferring said physiological data to said disk cartridge, said physiological data representing the patient's condition; a wireless data modem, mounted in said housing, for communicating with a remote computer system as to the patient's condition through a cellular telephone system, said wireless data modem comprising a cellular digital packet data modem for transmitting and receiving data packets; and a battery module, mounted in said housing, for supplying electrical power for operation of said disk cartridge, said electronics module and said wireless data modem.

Claim 30

An ambulatory physiological monitor as defined in claim 24 wherein said electronics module comprises a data buffer, an acquisition processor for converting said physiological signal to said physiological data and for storing said physiological data in said data buffer, and a command processor for transferring said physiological data from said data buffer to said disk cartridge when said data buffer is nearly full.

Claim 31

An ambulatory physiological monitor as defined in claim 25 wherein said disk cartridge contains analysis software and wherein said command processor includes means for executing said analysis software for analyzing said physiological data.

Claim 32

An ambulatory physiological monitor as defined in claim 24 wherein said physiological data comprises ECG data.

Claim 37

An ambulatory physiological monitor for recording physiological data from a patient for a subsequent medical diagnosis of the patient, comprising: a housing; a storage device mounted in said housing for storing physiological data and analysis software; a circuit, mounted in said housing and coupled to said storage device, for receiving a physiological signal representative of a physiological parameter of an ambulatory patient from a transducer attached to the ambulatory patient, for converting said physiological signal to said physiological data and for transferring said physiological data to said storage device, said physiological data representing the patient's condition; and a wireless data modem, mounted in said housing and coupled to said storage device, for communicating with a remote computer system as to the patient's condition by transferring said physiological data from said storage device to the remote computer system through a cellular telephone system, wherein said circuit includes means responsive to a request by the remote computer system for initiating transmission of said physiological information to the remote computer system by said wireless data modem.

Claim 38

An ambulatory physiological monitor for recording physiological data from a patient for a subsequent medical diagnosis of the patient, comprising: a housing; a storage device mounted in said housing for storing physiological data and analysis software; a circuit, mounted in said housing and coupled to said storage device, for receiving a physiological signal representative of a physiological parameter of an ambulatory patient from a transducer attached to the ambulatory patient, for converting said physiological signal to said physiological data and for transferring said physiological data to said storage device, said physiological data representing the patient's condition; and a wireless data modem, mounted in said housing and coupled to said storage device, for communicating with a remote computer system as to the patient's condition by transferring said physiological data from said storage device to the remote computer system through a cellular telephone system, wherein said circuit includes means responsive to a request by the remote computer system for initiating transmission of said physiological information to the remote computer system by said wireless data modem.

Claim 39

An ambulatory physiological monitor for recording physiological data from a patient for a subsequent medical diagnosis of the patient, comprising: a housing; a storage device mounted in said housing for storing physiological data and analysis software; a circuit, mounted in said housing and coupled to said storage device, for receiving a physiological signal representative of a physiological parameter of an ambulatory patient from a transducer attached to the ambulatory patient, for converting said physiological signal to said physiological data and for transferring said physiological data to said storage device, said physiological data representing the patient's condition; and a wireless data modem, mounted in said housing and coupled to said storage device, for communicating with a remote computer system as to the patient's condition by transferring said physiological data from said storage device to the remote computer system through a cellular telephone system, wherein said circuit includes means for initiating transmission of said physiological information to the remote computer system at predetermined intervals.

Claim 40

An ambulatory physiological monitor for recording physiological data from a patient for a subsequent medical diagnosis of the patient, comprising: a housing; a storage device mounted in said housing for storing physiological data and analysis software; a circuit, mounted in said housing and coupled to said storage device, for receiving a physiological signal representative of a physiological parameter of an ambulatory patient from a transducer attached to the ambulatory patient, for converting said physiological signal to said physiological data and for transferring said physiological data to said storage device, said physiological data representing the patient's condition; and a wireless data modem, mounted in said housing and coupled to said storage device, for communicating with a remote computer system as to the patient's condition by transferring said physiological data from said storage device to the remote computer system through a cellular telephone system, wherein said circuit includes means for initiating transmission of said physiological information to the remote computer system at predetermined intervals.