Wireless, internet-based medical-diagnostic system

1. A system for monitoring a patient, comprising:

a vital-sign monitor comprising a sensor for measuring data characterizing O 2 saturation from the patient;

a global positioning system for determining location-based data;

a wireless transmitter configured to receive the data and wirelessly transmit these data through a wireless network;

a gateway software piece that receives and processes the data from the wireless network;

a database software piece that communicates with the gateway software piece to receive the data and store them in a computer memory; and

an Internet-based user interface that displays the data and comprises a first interface that displays vital-sign and location-based data for a single patient and a second interface that displays vital-sign and location-based data for a plurality of patients.

2. A system for monitoring a patient, comprising:

a vital-sign monitor comprising:

sensors for measuring from the patient at least one of the following vital-sign data: O 2 saturation, blood pressure, heart rate, electro-cardiogram, respiratory rate, temperature and blood glucose level;

a global positioning system that generates location-based data; and

a wireless component that transmits the vital-sign and location-based data and receives component code;

a wireless transmitter configured to receive the vital-sign and location-based data and wirelessly transmit these data through a wireless network;

a gateway software piece that receives and processes the vital-sign and location-based data from the wireless network;

a database software piece that communicates with the gateway software piece to receive the vital-sign and location-based data and stores them in a computer memory; and

an Internet-based user interface that displays the vital sign and location-based data and comprises a first interface that displays vital-sign and location-based data for a single patient and a second interface that displays vital sign and location-based data for a plurality of patients.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the Internet-based user interface comprises a login functionality that analyzes input information and in response renders either a first or second interface.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the first interface is associated with a single entity, and the second interface is associated with a group of entities.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the input information comprises a user login and a password.

6. The system of claim 3 , wherein the second interface comprises a numerical table that displays the vital-sign and location-based data associated with the plurality of patients.

7. The system of claim 2 , wherein the second interface comprises a web page that displays an alert message associated with a patient.

8. The system of claim 7 , further comprising an application software piece that processes vital-sign data to generate the alert message.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the application software piece comprises an algorithm that compares vital-sign data to a pre-determined level to generate the alert message.

10. The system of claim 7 , further comprising an application software piece configured to process multiple vital-sign data to generate the alert message.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the application software piece processes vital-sign data and a patient's age to generate the alert message.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the application software piece processes vital-sign data and a patient's gender to generate the alert message.

13. The system of claim 3 , wherein the system further comprises a first software component that transmits an electronic file.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the vital-sign monitor further comprises a second software component that receives the electronic file.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the Internet-based user interface comprises a web page that sends an email or electronic message to a patient.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the email or electronic message is a pre-determined message stored in the computer memory.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the system automatically transmits the email or electronic message following analysis of the vital-sign and location-based data.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the system automatically transmits a report.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the database software piece is configured to generate the report.

20. The system of claim 14 , wherein the vital-sign monitor further comprises a display that displays an email or electronic message received from the Internet.

21. The system of claim 14 , wherein the second software component is configured to receive wirelessly transmitted computer code.

22. The system of claim 21 , wherein the second software component processes the wirelessly transmitted computer code to update an existing computer code in the vital-sign monitor.

23. The system of claim 22 , wherein the second software component processes the wirelessly transmitted computer code to load a schema into the vital-sign monitor.

24. The system of claim 23 , wherein the second software component processes the wirelessly transmitted computer code to modify the vital-sign monitor's transmission properties.

25. The system of claim 24 , where the second software component processes the wirelessly transmitted computer code to modify the vital-sign monitor's transmission frequency.

26. The system of claim 23 , wherein the second software component processes the wirelessly transmitted computer code to modify the data transmitted by the vital-sign monitor.

27. The system of claim 13 , wherein the first software component is configured to transmit data formatted in an XML-based format.

28. The system of claim 27 , wherein the XML-based format is compatible with a second Internet-based software system.