IOT-INTEGRATED HEALTHCARE MONITORING AND ALERT SYSTEM

Abstract

The invention relates to an IoT-Integrated Healthcare Monitoring and Alert System designed for continuous, real-time monitoring of patients' vital signs using wearable sensors, a gateway device, and a cloud-based analytics platform. The system collects physiological data such as heart rate, blood pressure, SpO2, and temperature, which is then analyzed using machine learning algorithms to detect anomalies and predict potential health risks. Upon identifying deviations, the system triggers automated alerts to healthcare providers or caregivers via mobile notifications, enabling timely intervention. The solution is scalable, adaptable for individual or clinical use, and ensures data privacy and security through encrypted communication.

Specification

Description:In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, various specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. Several features described hereafter can each be used independently of one another or with any combination of other features. An individual feature may not address all of the problems discussed above or might address only some of the problems discussed above. Some of the problems discussed above might not be fully addressed by any of the features described herein.

The ensuing description provides exemplary embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the disclosure. Rather, the ensuing description of the exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing an exemplary embodiment. It should be understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as set forth.

Specific details are given in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. For example, circuits, systems, networks, processes, and other components may be shown as components in block diagram form in order not to obscure the embodiments in unnecessary detail. In other instances, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, and techniques may be shown without unnecessary detail to avoid obscuring the embodiments.

Also, it is noted that individual embodiments may be described as a process that is depicted as a flowchart, a flow diagram, a data flow diagram, a structure diagram, or a block diagram. Although a flowchart may describe the operations as a sequential process, many of the operations can be performed in parallel or concurrently. In addition, the order of the operations may be re-arranged. A process is terminated when its operations are completed but could have additional steps not included in a figure. A process may correspond to a method, a function, a procedure, a subroutine, a subprogram, etc. When a process corresponds to a function, its termination can correspond to a return of the function to the calling function or the main function.

The word "exemplary" and/or "demonstrative" is used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. For the avoidance of doubt, the subject matter disclosed herein is not limited by such examples. In addition, any aspect or design described herein as "exemplary" and/or "demonstrative" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs, nor is it meant to preclude equivalent exemplary structures and techniques known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms "includes," "has," "contains," and other similar words are used in either the detailed description or the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term "comprising" as an open transition word without precluding any additional or other elements.

Reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" or "an instance" or "one instance" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Thus, the appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

The IoT-Integrated Healthcare Monitoring and Alert System described in this invention is designed to continuously monitor a patient's vital signs through a network of wearable sensors. The system consists of three main components: wearable sensors, a gateway device, and a cloud-based analytics platform. These components work in unison to collect, process, and analyze health data, providing timely alerts to healthcare providers and caregivers when anomalies are detected.

The wearable sensor network includes devices capable of measuring physiological parameters such as heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation (SpO2), body temperature, and electrocardiogram (ECG) signals. These sensors are non-invasive and designed to be worn comfortably on different parts of the body, such as the wrist, chest, or finger. The sensors use wireless communication protocols like Bluetooth, Zigbee, or Wi-Fi to transmit data to a local gateway device, ensuring real-time data collection without causing discomfort to the patient.

The gateway device serves as an intermediary between the wearable sensors and the cloud-based analytics platform. It aggregates the data collected from various sensors, processes it locally to filter out noise and irrelevant signals, and transmits the filtered data to the cloud platform for further analysis. The gateway device can be a smartphone, a tablet, or a dedicated IoT hub equipped with internet connectivity (via Wi-Fi, 4G/5G, or Ethernet). This device ensures reliable data transmission and reduces latency, enabling immediate response in case of critical health changes.

The cloud-based analytics platform is the core component of the invention, responsible for storing, processing, and analyzing the health data received from the gateway device. The platform employs advanced machine learning algorithms to detect anomalies, such as irregular heartbeats, sudden drops in blood oxygen levels, or spikes in blood pressure. It also uses predictive analytics to assess trends in the patient's health metrics, providing early warnings for potential issues like heart attacks or strokes. The cloud platform continuously updates its models based on new data, enhancing the accuracy and reliability of its predictions.

The alert and notification system is designed to immediately inform designated contacts, such as healthcare providers, family members, or emergency responders, when the cloud analytics platform detects significant deviations from normal health parameters. Alerts can be customized based on user preferences and are delivered via multiple channels, including SMS, email, and mobile app notifications. The system can also generate audio or visual alerts on the wearable device itself, prompting the patient to seek assistance if they experience symptoms.

The user interface provided through a mobile application offers patients and caregivers access to real-time health metrics, historical data, and personalized health insights. The application features a user-friendly dashboard that displays vital signs, trends, and alerts. It also allows users to configure alert settings, manage profiles, and share data securely with healthcare professionals for further analysis and consultation. The interface is designed to be intuitive and accessible, catering to users of different age groups and technical expertise.

The invention includes data privacy and security measures to protect sensitive health information. The system employs end-to-end encryption for data transmission between wearable sensors, the gateway device, and the cloud platform. Additionally, it complies with healthcare data protection regulations, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) or General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), ensuring that patient information remains confidential and secure at all times.

The scalability and adaptability of the system make it suitable for various healthcare applications. It can be used for individual patient monitoring at home, integrated into hospital systems for real-time monitoring of multiple patients, or deployed in elderly care facilities to provide continuous supervision of residents' health. The system's flexible architecture allows for easy integration with existing healthcare infrastructure, making it a versatile solution for enhancing patient care.

In the first embodiment, the invention is implemented as a home-based remote patient monitoring system. A patient with a chronic condition, such as hypertension or diabetes, wears a set of sensors that monitor their heart rate, blood pressure, and glucose levels. The sensors continuously transmit data to a smartphone, which acts as the gateway device. The smartphone processes the data locally and sends it to the cloud-based analytics platform for real-time analysis. If the platform detects abnormal blood pressure or glucose levels, it sends an alert to the patient's doctor via a mobile app notification, enabling the doctor to take timely action. This embodiment is designed to empower patients to manage their health from home, reducing the need for frequent hospital visits and allowing for early intervention in case of potential health issues.

In the second embodiment, the invention is deployed in a hospital setting to monitor multiple patients simultaneously. Each patient in the ward is equipped with a wearable sensor device that tracks vital signs like ECG, SpO2, and body temperature. The data from these sensors is transmitted to a central IoT hub located in the ward, which aggregates and processes the information before sending it to the hospital's cloud-based analytics platform. The system uses machine learning algorithms to detect anomalies in real-time across all monitored patients. For instance, if the platform identifies a sudden drop in a patient's oxygen saturation, it triggers an alert to the attending nurse's smartphone, allowing immediate medical intervention. This embodiment demonstrates the system's scalability and efficiency in a clinical environment, enabling healthcare providers to monitor patients' health continuously and respond swiftly to emergencies.

While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the invention. These and other changes in the preferred embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter to be implemented merely as illustrative of the invention and not as limitation. , Claims:1.An IoT-integrated healthcare monitoring and alert system, comprising:
A plurality of wearable sensors configured to measure one or more physiological parameters of a patient, wherein the sensors transmit data wirelessly;
A gateway device configured to receive data from the wearable sensors, aggregate the data, and transmit the aggregated data to a cloud-based analytics platform;
A cloud-based analytics platform configured to process the aggregated data using machine learning algorithms to detect anomalies;
An alerting module configured to send notifications to predefined contacts when anomalies are detected.

2.The system of claim 1, wherein the wearable sensors are selected from the group consisting of heart rate monitors, blood pressure monitors, SpO2 sensors, ECG sensors, and body temperature sensors.

3.The system of claim 1, wherein the gateway device is a smartphone, a tablet, or a dedicated IoT hardware device with internet connectivity.

4.The system of claim 1, wherein the cloud-based analytics platform employs machine learning algorithms for real-time pattern recognition and predictive analysis of health data.

5.The system of claim 1, further comprising a mobile application that allows users to view real-time health metrics, receive alerts, and access historical data.

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