Method and system for performing remote treatment and monitoring
View Patent ↗The disclosure relates to medical databases, remote monitoring, diagnosis and treatment systems and methods. In one particular embodiment, a system for remote monitoring, diagnosis, or treatment of eye conditions, disorders and diseases is provided. This method generally includes administering a stream of droplets to the eye of a subject from an ejector device, and storing data related to the administration in a memory of the ejector device. The data may then be monitored and analyzed.
1. A system for treating ophthalmic subjects, comprising:
at least one piezo electric ejector device configured for administering an ejected stream of droplets to the eye of a subject in need thereof upon activation of said ejector device by a user;
said at least one ejector device comprising: a housing; a reservoir disposed within the housing for receiving a volume of ophthalmic fluid; an ejector mechanism comprising an ejector plate having a first surface coupled to a fluid delivery area of the reservoir, the ejector plate including a plurality of openings formed through its thickness; and a piezo electric actuator coupled to a second surface of the ejector plate, the actuator being operable to oscillate the ejector plate at a frequency to thereby generate the ejected stream of droplets upon actuation;
a memory for storing subject-specific data;
a communication interface for communicating said stored subject-specific data;
an image capture device for obtaining images of the eye or structures of the eye of said subject sufficient to obtain information about the diagnosis or health of the eye, the subject-specific data including image information captured by said image capture device, and
at least one database or server in communication with said at least one ejector device via said communication interface.
2. A system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one docking station comprising a communication interface for communicating with said at least one ejector device.
3. A system of claim 2 , wherein said communication interface of said at least one ejector device and said communication interface of said at least one docking station are each individually selected from a wired or wireless communication interface.
4. A system of claim 2 , wherein said at least one ejector device comprises at least one I/O port configured to interface with said communication interface of said at least one docking station.
5. A system of claim 2 , wherein said at least one ejector device is in communication, with said at least one database or server via said at least one docking station.
6. A system of claim 1 wherein the image capture device is a charge coupled device (CCD) configured capture images of the eye or structures of the eye at different wavelength illuminations.
7. A system of claim 1 , further comprising a user terminal.
8. A system of claim 7 , wherein said user terminal is selected from the group consisting of a computer, a smartphone, and a PDA.
9. A system of claim 7 , wherein said system is configured for two-way communication between said at least one ejector device and said user terminal via a communication network.
10. A method for monitoring the treatment of ophthalmic subjects, the method comprising:
administering an ejected stream of droplets to the eye of a subject in need thereof using a piezo electric ejector device, said ejector device comprising: a housing: a reservoir disposed within the housing for receiving a volume of ophthalmic fluid; an ejector mechanism comprising an ejector plate having a first surface coupled to a fluid delivery area of the reservoir, the ejector plate including a plurality of openings formed through its thickness; and a piezo electric actuator coupled to a second surface of the ejector plate, the actuator being operable to oscillate the ejector plate at a frequency to thereby generate the ejected stream of droplets upon actuation; a memory for storing subject-specific data; an image capture device for obtaining images of the eye or structures of the eye of said subject sufficient to obtain information about the diagnosis or health of the eye the subject-specific data including image information captured by said image capture device; and a communication interface for communicating said stored subject-specific data;
capturing images of the eye or structures of the eye of said subject sufficient to obtain information about the diagnosis or health of the eye prior to, concurrently with, subsequent to, or a combination thereof, said administration of the ejected stream of droplets to the eye of said subject;
storing said subject-specific data including image information in the memory of said piezo electric ejector device;
communicating said stored subject-specific data from said piezo electric ejector device to a docking station, database or server, and/or user terminal; and
analyzing the communicated subject-specific data to thereby monitor the treatment of said ophthalmic subject.
11. A method of claim 10 , wherein said analysis comprises comparing said images of the eye or structures of the eye of said subject to previous images captured of the eye or structures of the eye of said subject.
12. A method of claim 10 , further comprising adjusting administration of said ejected stream of droplets to the eye of said subject based on said analysis.
13. A method of claim 10 , wherein said subject is being treated for glaucoma, and said stream of droplets administered to the eye comprises a medicament for the treatment of glaucoma.
14. A method of claim 13 , wherein said subject-specific data includes dosing regimen information related to the treatment of glaucoma.
15. A method of claim 14 , wherein said subject-specific data includes information related to said subject's compliance with the dosing regimen.
16. A method for monitoring the treatment of ophthalmic subjects, the method comprising:
receiving subject-specific data at, at least one database or server via a communication network via a communication interface of a piezo electric ejector device used to administer an ejected stream of droplets to an eye of a subject need thereof and to capture images of the eye or structures of the eye of said subject sufficient to obtain information about the diagnosis or health of the eye prior to, concurrently with, subsequent to, or a combination thereof, said administering of the ejected stream of droplets to the eye of said subject, the subject-specific data comprising said images of the eye or structures of the eye of the subject sufficient to obtain information about the diagnosis or health of the eye;
storing said subject-specific data in the at least one database or server; and
analyzing the stored subject-specific data to thereby monitor the treatment of said ophthalmic subject.
17. A method of claim 16 , further comprising adjusting administration of said ejected stream of droplets to the eye of said subject based on said analysis.
18. A method of claim 16 , wherein said subject is being treated for glaucoma, and said stream of droplets administered to the eye comprises a medicament for the treatment of glaucoma.
19. A method of claim 18 , wherein said subject-specific data includes dosing regimen information related to the treatment of glaucoma.
20. A method of claim 19 , wherein said subject-specific data includes information related to said subject's compliance with said dosing regimen.
21. A method of claim 16 , wherein said analysis comprises comparing said images of the eye or structures of the eye of said subject to previous images captured of the eye or structures of the eye of said subject.