The Applications of Remote Patient Monitoring System using a Java-enabled 3G Mobile Phone

Abstract

General telemedicine systems have been proposed as a means of supporting medical doctor. We describe the development and implementation of an innovative realtime telemedicine system based around transmission of patient’s information to and from a third generation (3G) mobile phone. Anywhere at anytime, medical doctor’s requirements for monitoring parameters of vital signs such as electrocardiogram (ECG), respiration (RESP), SpO₂, EtCO₂, blood pressure (BP), and body temperature (BT), can be addressed by the telemedicine system. Conventionally, various patient information had been collected by Bedside Monitor and stored on Central Station Monitor. In proposed system, the patient information is recollected by Remote Information Server, and transported to a mobile phone. The PHP web application on the server converses data on a monitor for the mobile phone. The 3G mobile phone (WCDMA system) carries the multitasking function, such as Java-based program can be used during a voice call. The program is able to acquire patient’s data from server using HTTP protocol. Doctor can browse vital signs of patient communicating medical staff in hospital via the programs of handset. The amount of information got by doctor is increased by transporting visual data as well as voice call. The system can be conducted to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy, efficiency, and safety of telediagnosis. In this study, mock medical environment is established in a laboratory. Moreover basic technologies for data transmission between a server and a mobile phone are developed. Specifically, practical web application on the server to classify data and mobile application to display the data on the phone are implemented in our system. Therefore numeric signal data, text data such as medication and real-time waveform data are measured by the monitor can be seen a few minutes late on the screen of the mobile phone.