Health monitoring and communications device
Devices, systems and methods for reconfigurable and/or updatable lightweight embedded devices or systems are disclosed. Via use of such a device, system, or method, various capabilities for a user are provided, simplified, secured, and/or made more convenient. The system may interact with various other devices or systems, including those that are cloud-based or communicate through the cloud, and may utilize various local sensors, in order to provide one or more of improved access, monitoring, diagnostics, and so forth.
1. A device for being attached to a user or the user's clothing, the device having a length, a width, and a thickness, the device comprising:
(a) electronic circuity, a first power source, and a display;
(b) a thickness of 2″ or less, wherein the circuitry has a thickness of 25% or less of the thickness of the device, or 25%-50% of the thickness of the device, or 75% or less of the thickness of the device; and
(c) the device being configured to communicate with and receive data from one or more medical devices;
(d) wherein the device is configured to have a functionality that changes depending upon the one or more medical devices with which the device communicates.
2. The device of claim 1 that has a width of 1½″ or less, or 1″ or less or ¾″ or less.
3. The device of claim 1 wherein the circuitry has a length that is 50% or less of the length of the device, or 80% or less of the length of the device.
4. The device of claim 1 wherein the circuitry has a width of 90% or less of the width of the device, or between 50% and 80% of the width of the device, or between 80% and 100% the width of the device.
5. The device of claim 1 wherein the display has a length that is 50% or less of the length of the device, or 80% or less of the length of the device.
6. The device of claim 1 that is configured to monitor one or more physical conditions of the user.
7. The device of claim 1 that is configured to analyze a plurality of the one or more physical conditions of the user to determine a health attribute of the user.
8. The device of claim 1 that includes one or more ports, wherein each of the one or more ports can be connected to a sensor, and the device is configured to receive information from at least one sensor.
9. The device of claim 8 that has a plurality of ports.
10. The device of claim 9 that has a plurality of sensors, wherein each of the plurality of sensors is connected to a port.
11. The device of claim 10 that has a plurality of operating modes, and the operating mode of the device changes depending upon one or more of the sensors attached to the device.
12. The device of claim 1 , wherein data is received by the device from the one or more medical devices through a connection that is 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.
13. The device of claim 1 that is configured to transmit at least some of the data received from the one or more medical devices.
14. The device of claim 13 , wherein the data received and transmitted includes 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, a quality of service (QoS) parameter; and a user's: heart rate, blood oxygen level, perspiration, electrical resistance on the skin, movement, blood pressure, fall or sudden impact, calories used, calories consumed, body temperature; and ambient air temperature, time, day, and location.
15. The device of claim 1 that is configured to communicate with a plurality of medical devices.
16. The device of claim 1 that is configured to communicate simultaneously with a plurality of medical devices.
17. The device of claim 1 that is configured to also communicate with an intermediary device, or a central server.
18. The device of claim 1 that is configured to receive data from an apparatus implanted in a user of the device.
19. The device of claim 1 that is configured to analyze the user's health information to identify a condition for the user.
20. The device of claim 19 that is configured to alert the user or a health care professional when the user condition satisfies a predetermined threshold condition.
21. The device of claim 1 that is configured to analyze one or more medications taken by the user and determines whether the user is in compliance with a prescribed medical treatment.
22. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more medical devices are selected from one or more of the group consisting of: a blood glucose meter; a pacemaker; a blood pressure monitor; an insulin pump; a pulse oximeter; a hotter 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; and a defibrillator.