Systems and methods for processing and transmittal of medical data through an intermediary device

1. A method comprising:

transitioning, by a medical data interchange device, from a quiescent state to an active state in response to a signal transmitted from a medical device to prepare the medical data interchange device to receive data from the medical device, wherein the data comprises at least one of patient data, a device identifier and a patient identifier;

broadcasting, by the medical data interchange device, an authorization code stored in the medical data interchange device in response to a request for authorization;

authenticating, by the medical device, the medical data interchange device by determining that the broadcast authorization code matches a code stored by the medical device;

automatically detecting, based on a voltage of the signal from the medical device, a communication protocol used by the medical device;

automatically configuring a medical device interface of a plurality of medical device interfaces to communicate with the medical device using the detected communication protocol, wherein each medical device interface is configured to receive patient data via a wired connection from a plurality of different medical devices

receiving, by the medical data interchange device and via the configured medical device interface, the data from the medical device;

transmitting, by the medical data interchange device, the data to an the intermediary device, wherein the intermediary device formats a message for transmission to a medical data server, wherein the message includes the received data, and wherein the intermediary device includes a software program configured to: receive the data; and process the data into a format compatible with the medical data server.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data is transmitted to the intermediary device using a wireless transmitter, wherein the wireless transmitter transmits the data to the intermediary device using a protocol selected from the group consisting of a Zigbee protocol, a Wibree protocol, an IEEE 802.11 protocol, an IEEE 802.15 protocol, an IEEE 802.16 protocol, an Ultra-Wideband (UWB) protocol, an Infrared Data Association (IrDA) protocol, a Bluetooth protocol, and combinations thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data includes respective information regarding a plurality of patients associated with the medical device.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the respective information regarding the plurality of patients associated with the medical device includes a patient identifier for each of the respective plurality of patients.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data includes an environmental parameter, wherein the environmental parameter includes at least one of a battery charge level, a temperature, a barometric pressure, a code relating to an accessory for the medical device, a data validity measurement, an elapsed time since a previous reading by the medical device, a test result parameter, a signal-to-noise parameter, and a quality of service (QoS) parameter.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data is received from the medical device through a connection selected from the group consisting of an optical fiber connection, a tip and sleeve (TS) connection, a tip, ring, and sleeve (TRS) connection, a tip, ring, ring, and sleeve (TRRS) connection, an RS-232 serial connection, an Ethernet connection, a FireWire connection, and combinations thereof.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the medical device is selected from the group consisting of: a blood glucose meter; a pacemaker; a blood pressure monitor; an insulin pump; a pulse oximeter; a holter monitor; an electrocardiograph; an electroencephalograph; a blood alcohol monitor; an alcohol breathalyzer; an alcohol ignition interlock; a respiration monitor; an accelerometer; a skin galvanometer; a thermometer; a patient geolocation device; a scale; an intravenous flow regulator; a patient height measuring device; a biochip assay device; a monitor for biological agents; a hazardous chemical agent monitor; an ionizing radiation sensor; a sphygmomanometer; a loop recorder; a spirometer; an event monitor; a prothrombin time (PT) meter; an international normalized ratio (INR) meter; a tremor sensor; a defibrillator; and combinations thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising encrypting, by the medical data interchange device at least one of: the received data; a portion of the received data; and a digest of the received data.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein encrypting utilizes a key selected from the group consisting of:

a private encryption key associated with the patient;

a private encryption key of a health care provider associated with the patient;

a public encryption key associated with the medical data server; and

combinations thereof.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the authenticating the medical data interchange device is performed using at least one of an authorization code and a password received from the medical data interchange device.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting the formatted message from the intermediary device to a medical data server, wherein the formatted message is transmitted from the intermediary device to a medical data server through a wireless network selected from the group consisting of: a cellular network; a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) network; a wireless Local Area Network (WLAN); a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network; a Personal Communication Service (PCS) network; an Advanced Mobile Phone System (AMPS) network; a satellite communication network; and combinations thereof.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein transmitting the data from the intermediary device to the medical data server includes selecting a transmission method from a plurality of transmission methods based at least partially on a cost associated with the transmission method.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein formatting the message includes processing the data into one or more formats, the one or more formats including at least one of an XML record, an SMS text message, an email, and a facsimile.

14. A medical data interchange device comprising:

a processor;

a plurality of medical device interfaces, wherein each medical device interface is configured to receive patient data directly from one or more of a plurality of different medical devices;

a data relay transceiver; and

a memory coupled to the processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

transition from a quiescent state to an active state in response to a signal transmitted from a medical device to prepare the medical data interchange device to receive data from a the medical device, wherein the data comprises at least one of patient data, a device identifier and a patient identifier;

broadcast an authorization code stored in the medical data interchange device in response to a request for authorization, wherein the medical device authenticates the medical data interchange device by determining that the broadcast authorization code matches a code stored by the medical device;

automatically detect, based on a voltage of the signal from the medical device, a communication protocol used by the medical device;

automatically configure a medical device interface of the plurality of medical device interfaces to communicate with the medical device using the detected communication protocol;

receive, via a first medical device interface in a plurality of medical device interfaces, the data from the medical device, wherein each medical device interface is configured to receive patient data via a wired connection from a plurality of different medical devices

transmit the data to an the intermediary device, wherein the intermediary device formats a message for transmission to a medical data server, wherein the message includes the received data, and wherein the intermediary device includes a software program configured to: receive the data; and process the data into a format compatible with the medical data server.

15. The device of claim 14 , wherein the data is transmitted to the intermediary device using a wireless transmitter, wherein the wireless transmitter transmits the data to the intermediary device using a protocol selected from the group consisting of a Zigbee protocol, a Wibree protocol, an IEEE 802.11 protocol, an IEEE 802.15 protocol, an IEEE 802.16 protocol, an Ultra-Wideband (UWB) protocol, an Infrared Data Association (IrDA) protocol, a Bluetooth protocol, and combinations thereof.

16. The device of claim 14 , wherein the data includes respective information regarding a plurality of patients associated with the medical device.

17. The device of claim 16 , wherein the respective information regarding the plurality of patients associated with the medical device includes a patient identifier for each of the respective plurality of patients.

18. The device of claim 14 , wherein the data includes an environmental parameter, wherein the environmental parameter includes at least one of a battery charge level, a temperature, a barometric pressure, a code relating to an accessory for the medical device, a data validity measurement, an elapsed time since a previous reading by the medical device, a test result parameter, a signal-to-noise parameter, and a quality of service (QoS) parameter.

19. The device of claim 14 , wherein the data is received from the medical device through a connection selected from the group consisting of an optical fiber connection, a tip and sleeve (TS) connection, a tip, ring, and sleeve (TRS) connection, a tip, ring, ring, and sleeve (TRRS) connection, a serial peripheral interface bus (SPI) connection, a universal serial bus (USB) connection, an RS-232 serial connection, an Ethernet connection, a FireWire connection, and combinations thereof.

20. The device of claim 14 , wherein the medical device is selected from the group consisting of:

a blood glucose meter;

a pacemaker;

a blood pressure monitor;

an insulin pump;

a pulse oximeter;

a holter monitor;

an electrocardiograph;

an electroencephalograph;

a blood alcohol monitor;

an alcohol breathalyzer;

an alcohol ignition interlock;

a respiration monitor;

an accelerometer;

a skin galvanometer;

a thermometer;

a patient geolocation device;

a scale;

an intravenous flow regulator;

a patient height measuring device;

a biochip assay device;

a monitor for biological agents;

a hazardous chemical agent monitor;

an ionizing radiation sensor;

a sphygmomanometer;

a loop recorder;

a spirometer;

an event monitor;

a prothrombin time (PT) meter;

an international normalized ratio (INR) meter;

a tremor sensor;

a defibrillator; and

combinations thereof.

21. The device of claim 14 , further comprising encrypting at least one of:

the received data;

a portion of the received data; and

a digest of the received data.

22. The device of claim 21 , wherein encrypting utilizes a key selected from the group consisting of:

a private encryption key associated with the patient;

a private encryption key of a health care provider associated with the patient;

a public encryption key associated with the medical data server; and

combinations thereof.

23. The device of claim 14 , wherein the formatted message is transmitted from the intermediary device to a medical data server through a wireless network selected from the group consisting of:

a cellular network;

a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) network;

a wireless Local Area Network (WLAN);

a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network;

a Personal Communication Service (PCS) network;

an Advanced Mobile Phone System (AMPS) network;

a satellite communication network; and

combinations thereof.

24. The device of claim 14 , wherein formatting the message includes processing the data into one or more formats, the one or more formats including at least one of an XML record, an SMS text message, an email, and a facsimile.

25. The device of claim 14 , wherein transmitting the data from the intermediary device to the medical data server includes selecting a transmission method from a plurality of transmission methods based at least partially on a cost associated with the transmission method.