Patent ID: 8419644

Claim:
A patient monitoring system comprising: a first wearable patient monitor that is operative to monitor at least one aspect of a patient's physiology, the first monitor including a first rechargeable power source and a first low-power transmitter; a second wearable patient monitor that is operative to monitor the at least one aspect of the patient's physiology, the second monitor including a second rechargeable source, and a second low-power transmitter; a portable, cordless charger including an internal rechargeable power supply that is operative to recharge the rechargeable power source of the monitor from the internal rechargeable power supply, the portable, cordless charger including a processor that is operative to determine at least one of a battery charging level or a battery charging rate associated with the rechargeable power source of the first and second wearable patient monitors, and a battery level associated with the internal rechargeable power supply of the charger, and wherein the processor is operative to selectively balance a promptness of recharging the rechargeable power source of the first and second wearable patient monitors relative to preserving the battery level determined for the cordless internal rechargeable power supply of the charger by continuously adjusting the charging rate of the rechargeable power source of the first and second wearable patient monitors and a data transfer system that includes a portable wireless communication device external to the first and second wearable patient monitors and the portable cordless charger, the portable wireless communication device including a low-power receiver operative to receive data from the first and second low-power transmitters of the first and second wearable patient monitors, wherein the portable wireless communication device is operative to communicate the data received from the first and second wearable patient monitors to a processor or memory at a remote site.