Abstract:
The present invention provides a system and method for configurable patient queries based on the real-time results from a plurality of health monitoring devices. The results from the queries provide context to the real-time results of the health monitoring devices and are communicated back to an organizational network to inform future questions for that patient and the patient population in general. The system of the present invention provides context based on a set or sets of queries that may inform follow up questions. The context and queries may also be informed based on predetermined thresholds for a plurality of health monitoring devices communicating with the system over a network.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This present invention claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/328,015, filed on Apr. 27, 2016, and entitled, “API for Food, Barcode Recognition that Translates to Health Concerns,” the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to health data informatics and analysis and more particularly to a system and method for the collection and analysis of data from consumed foods and health monitoring devices to manage patient physiological conditions. 
       2. Description of Related Art 
       [0003]    Individuals suffering from chronic conditions often require constant and consistent monitoring to manage their conditions. In addition, as part of this management program, patients are often encouraged if not required to self-manage certain aspects of the monitoring program. For example, diet and nutritional intake is one of the primary areas that patients are required to self-manage. Daily tracking and logging of food and nutrient intake is labor intensive and many patients struggle to maintain this type of monitoring consistently over a long period of time. Such data, however, is extremely critical in chronic condition management such as in a diabetic or hypertensive patient. 
         [0004]    In order to provide the best possible healthcare for these patients, physicians need and employ a variety of health monitoring devices to collect physiological data. Unfortunately, these devices are limited to the collection of physiological data for which they are configured and it is up to the patient to self-manage their nutritional intake. 
         [0005]    There exists a need for a system that streamlines and efficiently tracks and logs a patient&#39;s nutritional intake as well as taking into account a plurality of physiological measurements from health monitoring devices to provide complete, accurate disease management. Because patient&#39;s physiological conditions are constantly changing due to a plurality of factors including, but not limited to, environmental factors, types of food ingested, and presence of more than one acute or chronic conditions, in order to provide the best patient healthcare management, physicians need to provide patients with simple, easy to use self-management systems. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention overcomes these and other deficiencies of the prior art by providing a system and method for health monitoring device testing and associated disease states using a scanner to identify food being consumed from food packaging, menus, and/or recipe books. The system downloads user&#39;s identified food from the network to accurately measure incoming food data associated with the particular food type. The system checks for disease states and/or conditions associated with the levels of food data and predicts the user&#39;s physiological state. The system communicates with a plurality of health monitoring devices and determines actual physiological states by collecting real time data from the health monitoring devices. A comparison is made between the predicted and actual physiological status of the user. The system is configured to use the predicted and actual physiological data of the user to determine whether there are potential disease states, conditions, or physiological changes that may occur as a result of ingesting certain food items. If alerts are warranted, then the system sends a message to the user via a health monitoring device, smartphone, tablet, desktop computer, and/or laptop computer. 
         [0007]    In an embodiment of the invention, a method for health data collection and analysis to patient healthcare management, the method implemented in a computer network and comprising the steps of: loading food data, the food data being associated with a user&#39;s identified food and amount of identified food; checking disease states and/or conditions associated with the food data; predicting the user&#39;s physiological state utilizing the checking step; collecting data from at least one health monitoring device connected to a computer network; analyzing the collected data in order to determine the user&#39;s actual physiological state; comparing the predicted and the actual physiological status of the user; determining whether there are potential disease states, conditions or physiological changes as result of ingesting food utilizing the comparison step; and notifying the user of the determined potential disease states. The collecting step collects real time data. The step of notifying comprises sending a message to the user over the computer network. The food data comprises a meal time. The step of analyzing comprises substeps to compare the collected data to predetermined information; to determine the most critical statuses; and to extract the most critical statuses. 
         [0008]    In another embodiment of the invention, a system for health data collection and analysis to a patient healthcare management, the system comprising: at least one health monitoring device; databases for patient health data, food data and other data; a prediction module, the prediction module being arranged to load food data from the databases, the food data being associated with user&#39;s identified food, to check for disease states and/or conditions associated with the food data and to predict the user&#39;s physiological state utilizing the checking step; a data collecting module, the data collecting module being arranged to collect data from at least one health monitoring device; an analysis module, the analysis module being arranged to analyse the collected data in order to determine the user&#39;s actual physiological state; and a comparison module, the comparison module being arranged to compare the predicted and the actual physiological status of the user and to determine whether there are potential disease states, conditions or physiological changes as result of ingesting food utilizing the comparison. The system further comprises a user device in order to receive a message relating to said potential disease states, conditions or physiological changes as result of ingesting food utilizing the comparison. 
         [0009]    In yet another embodiment of the invention, a non-transient computer readable medium containing program instructions for causing a computer to perform the method of: loading food data, the food data being associated with a user&#39;s identified food and amount of identified food; checking disease states and/or conditions associated with the food data; predicting the user&#39;s physiological state utilizing the checking step; collecting data from at least one health monitoring device connected to a computer network; analyzing the collected data in order to determine the user&#39;s actual physiological state; comparing the predicted and the actual physiological status of the user; determining whether there are potential disease states, conditions or physiological changes as result of ingesting food utilizing the comparison step; and notifying the user of the determined potential disease states. The collecting step collects real time data. The step of notifying comprises sending a message to the user over the computer network. The food data comprises a meal time. 
         [0010]    In yet another embodiment of the invention, a method for personal healthcare management, the method implemented at a health monitoring device and comprising the steps of: scanning a unique article number associated with a food item, acquiring food data linked with the unique article number; checking disease states and/or conditions associated with the food data; predicting a user&#39;s physiological state utilizing the checking step; acquiring health data associated with the user; analyzing the collected data in order to determine the user&#39;s actual physiological state; comparing the predicted and the actual physiological status of the user; determining whether there are potential disease states, conditions or physiological changes as result of ingesting food utilizing the comparison step; and notifying the user of the determined potential disease states. The health monitoring device is a smartphone. The step of analyzing comprises substeps to compare the collected data to predetermined information; to determine the most critical statuses; and to extract the most critical statuses. 
         [0011]    The foregoing, and other features and advantages of the invention, will be apparent from the following, more particular description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, the accompanying drawings, and the claims 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]    For a more complete understanding of the present invention, and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the ensuing descriptions taken in connection with the accompanying drawings briefly described as follows: 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  illustrates an overall depiction of the system and method according to an embodiment of the invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  illustrates an exemplary block diagram of the system and method with connected health monitoring devices according to an embodiment of the invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  illustrates a flow chart of the process of sending collected data from a glucose device to the system according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  illustrates an example of the data collected and stored in the food data database according to an embodiment of the invention; 
           [0017]      FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C  illustrate flow charts of the process of collecting data from connected devices, analyzing the data, and producing a message to be sent to the user based upon the user&#39;s current status according to an embodiment of the invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  illustrates an overall flow chart of the process of predicting physiological conditions of a user according to an embodiment of the invention; 
           [0019]      FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 7C  illustrate individual process flows that make up the overall process flows of predicting physiological conditions of a user according to an embodiment of the invention; 
           [0020]      FIG. 8  illustrates an example of the data collected and stored in the patient health database according to an embodiment of the invention; 
           [0021]      FIG. 9  illustrates a flow chart of the process of updating the system status and result database according to an embodiment of the invention; 
           [0022]      FIG. 10  illustrates an example of the data collected and stored by the system in the physiological conditions database according to an embodiment of the invention; and 
           [0023]      FIG. 11  illustrates an graphical user interface according to an embodiment of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
       [0024]    Preferred embodiments of the present invention and their advantages, as well as the operation of various embodiments of the invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying  FIGS. 1-11 , wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements. Although the invention is described in the context of health monitoring devices, one of ordinary skill in the art readily appreciates that the system and methods described herein are applicable to any activity where the collection and analysis of data to generate real-time recommendations is warranted. 
         [0025]    While the system and methodology described herein is extensible to health monitoring devices generally, for ease and the sake of clarity, the use case described herein with respect to the health monitoring device in the system and method of the present invention will be described in the context of a patient using a glucose meter to monitor blood glucose levels. 
         [0026]    The system described herein is characterized by the ability to facilitate inclusion and/or connectivity with a plurality of connected devices over a computer network. The connected devices may be connected to and in communication with the system via a wired connection or wireless connection. The wireless connection may be facilitated by known wireless protocols including, by way of non-limiting examples, infrared, Bluetooth, ZigBee, Wi-Fi, 3G/4G wireless protocols, radio frequency identification (RFID), and near field communication (NFC) protocols, as well as protocols under development. In a preferred embodiment, the connected devices are health monitoring devices including, but not limited to, spirometer, glucose meter, CPAP machine, indoor air quality (IAQ) meter, ventilator, pulse oximeter, sphygmomanometer, thermometer, nebulizers, heart monitors, and the like. In further embodiments of the present invention the connected devices, in addition to the health monitoring devices include, by way of non-limiting examples, smartphones, tablets, desktop computers, laptop computers, and the like. 
         [0027]    Referring to  FIG. 1  is a broad depiction of the system  100  and method according to an embodiment of the invention. Connected devices  110  may include a plurality of health monitoring devices. Connection to the system of the present invention may be via a wired or wireless connection via the internet or cloud computing resources  120 . The system  100  collects data from the plurality of connected devices  110 . The collected data is sent to a network of the system  100  for analysis and comparison with the user&#39;s historical data and other user&#39;s data that is stored in a plurality of databases  130 . The system  100  then computes output data based on the user&#39;s current status in the form of a message alert recommending a remedial action for the individual user. The message may be sent to the user via a smartphone, tablet, desktop computer, and/or laptop computer  140 . 
         [0028]      FIG. 2  illustrates an exemplary block diagram of the system  200  and method with connected health monitoring devices according to an embodiment of the invention. A glucose device  210 , CPAP device  220 , a plurality of connected devices  230 , and a user device  240  are connected to the system  200  via the internet or cloud computing resources  250 . Each of the connected devices includes its own internal suite of operational hardware modules and software programs. The internal hardware modules and software programs of each connected device collect and store data according to its programming. The glucose device  210 , CPAP device  220 , and plurality of connected devices  230  connect to the system and send the collected and stored data to the network of the system  260 . The network of the system  260  may include a plurality of software programs  270  and a plurality of databases  280 . For example, the plurality of software programs may include updating software; software to collect the data from the connected devices; software to analyze the collected data with historical data of the user and data from a community database; and software to compare the user&#39;s status with a results database to determine appropriate remedial actions for the user. The plurality of databases may include a patient/user database, a patient/user historical database, a community database, a status database, and a results database. 
         [0029]    The network of the system  260  upon receiving the collected data stores the data in the requisite patient/user database. The analytics software then compares the collected data from the patient/user database to the status database. The status database includes predetermined ranges of measurables read from the various connected devices. The ranges of measurables are assigned a status, e.g., normal, caution, or high. A user&#39;s collected data can be compared to the ranges of measurables to determine a status for that user&#39;s particular read measurable from a particular connected health monitoring device. For example, a glucose meter may measure levels of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), mean blood, and glucose in a user. For purposes of this example, the glucose meter returns a measured reading for a user of 5 for HbA1c. The predetermined ranges for HbA1c in the status database for this user may be: 4-6=Normal; 7-8=Caution; and 9-14=High. This collected data would be sent to the network of the present invention for comparison to the ranges of HbA1c in the status database by the analytics software. Therefore, the status for this particular user&#39;s HbA1c reading is Normal. 
         [0030]    Once the analytics software extracts the status from the status database, the status is sent to the result software for comparison to the predetermined message associated with that particular status in the result database. The result software extracts the predetermined message associated with a particular status and sends the message alert to the user for appropriate remedial action if warranted based on the user&#39;s particular status. 
         [0031]      FIG. 3  illustrates a flow chart of the process of sending collected data from a glucose device to the system  300  according to an embodiment of the present invention. At  310  the internal suite of hardware modules and software programs for a glucose meter collect data from a user based upon the glucose meters programming. At  320  the collected data is stored in the internal database of the glucose meter. At  330 , the glucose meter determines whether a connection to the network of the system  300  is available. If a connection exists, then at  340  the glucose meter sends the collected and stored data to the network of the system  300  for appropriate action by the system&#39;s software. 
         [0032]      FIG. 4  shows an example of food data database. Here, different food items are associated with a unique article number. In an embodiment of the invention, any type of unique article number can be implemented such as, but not limited to an International Article Number, i.e., European Article Number (EAN), or Universal Product Code (UPC). The unique article number can be conveyed via various types of barcode symbologies, the implementation and identification of which is apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art. The unique article number is loaded through use of an appropriate scanner, the implementation and identification of which is apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art. Each type of food is associated with a respective sugar count, water content, and alcohol content, among other food parameters. 
         [0033]    The data is collected and stored by a glucose device according to an embodiment of the invention. For example, a glucose meter measures and collects data points at scheduled times during a day for HbA1c, mean blood, and glucose. The data points are then stored in the internal database of the glucose meter for sending to the network of the system of the present invention for appropriate action by the system&#39;s software. 
         [0034]      FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C  illustrate flow charts of the process of collecting data from connected devices, analyzing the data, and producing a message to be sent to the user based upon the user&#39;s current status according to an embodiment of the invention. In  FIG. 5A , the process  500  is an overall process flow once collected data is received from the connected devices by the system. At  510  the data collection software of the system receives the collected data from the plurality of connected devices and stores the collected data in the patient database. At  520  the data collection software sends the collected data to the analytics software of the system for comparison to the predetermined information in the status database. The analytics software extracts the appropriate status from the status database and sends it to the results software at  530 . The results software compares the extracted status to the predetermined messages in the results database and extracts the associated message for sending to the user. 
         [0035]      FIG. 5B  provides a more detailed process flow once the collected data is received by the network of the system. At  511 , the data collection software continuously polls for a connection to a connected device. If the data collection software finds an available connection to a particular device, then at  512 , the data collection software connects to that particular device. At  513 , the data collection software receives the collected and stored data from the connected device. At  514 , the data collection software stores the collected data from the connected device in the system&#39;s patient database. At  515 , the data collection software sends the collected data to the system&#39;s analytics software. 
         [0036]      FIG. 5C  provides a more detail process flow for the analytics and results software. At  521 , the analytics software receives the collected data the data collection software. The collected data may be from one connected device or from a plurality of connected devices. At  522 , the collected data is compared to the predetermined information in the status database. The analytics software at  523  determines the most critical status indicated based on the data from the connected devices. At  524 , the most critical statuses are extracted from the status database. For example if the user had a measured reading from a glucose meter of 12, then from the example above in the description of  FIG. 2 , the status would be High and would be selected for extraction from the status database. At  525 , the extracted statuses are sent to the result software for appropriate action. 
         [0037]    The result software receives the statuses from the analytics software at  531 . The statuses received by the result software are compared at  532  to the result database, which includes predetermined messages associated with a particular status of the user. At  533 , the corresponding message associate with the extracted statuses is selected from the result database. At  534 , the result software polls to determine if a user device is available to receive the selected message associate with a particular status of the user. If a user device is available, then at  535  the result software connects to the user device and sends the selected message as an alert to the user for appropriate remedial action. 
         [0038]      FIG. 6  shows an example of how a prediction software can be arranged having different software units.  FIG. 7A  shows an embodiment of a nutrition info software how it can be arranged to run.  FIG. 7B  shows an example of a BLG prediction software, and  FIG. 7C  shows an example of a comparison software. 
         [0039]    Further,  FIG. 8  illustrates an example of the data collected and stored in the patient health database according to an embodiment of the invention.  FIG. 9  illustrates a flow chart of the process of updating the system status and result database according to an embodiment of the invention.  FIG. 10  illustrates an example of the data collected and stored by the system in the physiological conditions database according to an embodiment of the invention.  FIG. 11  illustrates an graphical user interface according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         [0040]    Data is collected and stored by the system and method from connected devices according to an embodiment of the invention. For example, the data collected and stored by the data collection software of the system is from a glucose meter and CPAP machine. The collected data is stored in the patient database of the system and subsequently sent to the system&#39;s analytics software for appropriate action as described herein. 
         [0041]    The data is stored in the system status database for a patient using a connected glucose and CPAP device according to an embodiment of the invention. The status database includes predetermined ranges of measurables from a plurality of connected device. In this exemplary status database, predetermined ranges of measurables from a glucose meter (HbA1c, mean blood, and glucose) and a CPAP machine (sleep hours, audio, vibration, and AHI) are stored. Each range of the measurables from the connected devices is assigned a status, i.e., Normal, Caution, High, Low, or Severe. The analytics software compares the collected data points from the connected devices to determine the highest priority or most critical status of a particular user, which is then sent to the results software for appropriate action. 
         [0042]    In another example the data is also stored in the system result database from which messages are extracted depending upon the current status of a user according to an embodiment of the invention. In this exemplary results database, predetermined messages associated with a particular status of a user&#39;s collected data is stored. For example, if the highest priority or most critical status of a particular user&#39;s glucose meter and CPAP machine readings is High and Severe, respectively, then the associated message indicated for retrieval by the results software is: Need Medical Attention. The results software would extract this message from the results database and send to a connected device of the user, which may be a health monitoring device, smartphone, laptop computer, desktop computer, and/or tablet computer and the like. 
         [0043]    Referring to  FIG. 9 , the system of the present invention includes software for constantly updating the plurality of databases in the system and updating the analytics and results software of the system. At  910 , the update software receives the collected data in the patient database and adds, at  920 , the data to the system&#39;s patient historical database and community database. In this embodiment, the update software, at  930 , if third party algorithms are available to update the status and result databases. The third party algorithms contain the requisite predetermined ranges of measurables and associate status for the status database and the predetermined messages associated therewith for the results database. In this embodiment, at  940 , if third party algorithms are available then a request is sent for updated algorithms. If no third party algorithms are available, then at  935 , the process returns to receiving collected data from the patient database. At  950 , the updated third party algorithms are received, and at  960  the status and results database are updated accordingly. It is to be understood that the update software runs in the background of the system and does not affect the process flow as described above with respect to  FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C . 
         [0044]    Those of skill in the art will appreciate that the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, units, and algorithm steps described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can often be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or combinations of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular constraints imposed on the overall system. Skilled persons can implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular system, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the invention. In addition, the grouping of functions within a unit, module, block, or step is for ease of description. Specific functions or steps can be moved from one unit, module, or block without departing from the invention. 
         [0045]    The various illustrative logical blocks, units, steps and modules described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein, and those provided in the accompanying documents, can be implemented or performed with a processor, such as a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein, and those provided in the accompanying documents. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor can be any processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, for example, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. 
         [0046]    The steps of a method or algorithm and the processes of a block or module described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein, and those provided in the accompanying documents, can be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in a combination of the two. A software module can reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium. An exemplary storage medium can be coupled to the processor such that the processor can read information from, and write information to, the storage medium. In the alternative, the storage medium can be integral to the processor. The processor and the storage medium can reside in an ASIC. Additionally, device, blocks, or modules that are described as coupled may be coupled via intermediary device, blocks, or modules. Similarly, a first device may be described a transmitting data to (or receiving from) a second device when there are intermediary devices that couple the first and second device and also when the first device is unaware of the ultimate destination of the data. 
         [0047]    The above description of the disclosed embodiments, and that provided in the accompanying documents, is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles described herein, and in the accompanying documents, can be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is to be understood that the description and drawings presented herein, and presented in the accompanying documents, represent particular aspects and embodiments of the invention and are therefore representative examples of the subject matter that is broadly contemplated by the present invention. It is further understood that the scope of the present invention fully encompasses other embodiments that are, or may become, obvious to those skilled in the art and that the scope of the present invention is accordingly not limited by the descriptions presented herein, or by the descriptions presented in the accompanying documents.