The object of the invention is a modular telemedicine apparatus applicable in long-term monitoring of patient's vital functions, in particular in Holter ECG monitoring.

Conditions connected with patient's heart functions, like chest pains, palpitations, dyspnea, or fainting, are typically diagnosed by electrocardiographic means (ECG) . Such examination, being little invasive, provides information on electric activity of the heart muscle, eventually enabling to diagnose heart attacks, arrhythmia, myocardial ischemia, or innate or acquired cardiac defects. A standard ECG examination is performed at rest. Electrodes conducting electric signal are attached to patient's chest, and upper and lower limbs. The recording of heart muscle electrical activity usually lasts up to a few minutes. The, the record is analyzed by the doctor in order to identify irregularities in the heart muscle function .

In some instances, when there is no possibility to obtain reliable test results during one electrocardiograph session, Holter ECG monitoring is prescribed. Holter ECG monitoring is a modification of rest ECG monitoring. The time of monitoring is the essential difference. Holter monitoring may last from one day up to a few or a dozen of days. The object of this examination is to monitor the heart function during patient's daily, usual activity, both at rest, during effort, and during sleep. Besides diagnosing standard conditions connected with heart activity, offered by stationary ECG devices, the Holter device also enables evaluation of anti-arrhythmia drug treatment, or the evaluation of the installed pacer efficiency .

Telemedicine systems have become more and more popular in the recent years. Such systems enable bidirectional communication between the medical facility and the patient, including transmission of monitoring and analysis thereof, running remote medical interview, request for contact from the patient. The medical facility collaborating with the system is able to run videoconferences with the patient, to send guidelines and medical information, diagnose, and even educational and prophylactic programs. Continuous care provided by qualified medical personnel allows for taking relevant action, should it be needed - from raising the patient's psychical comfort due to direct communication, through supervising the correct course of therapy, to taking life-saving actions. Telemedicine apparatus designed for carrying long-time Holter ECG monitoring have found a particular place. It is the detection of heart function disorders and taking immediate rescue action that allows to save the patient's life multiple times.

Patent application No. WO1994013198 discloses a transportable modular patient monitor. The medical monitor referred to comprises a portable module acquiring and displaying electrical signals transmitted from sensors placed over the patient's body. Thus it allows for detection of the patient's various vital functions, including ECG signals detection. The transportable medical apparatus includes a battery placed in a separate housing, which is detachably coupled to the monitor. Furthermore, the apparatus comprises an additional, integrated internal battery which supports the operation of the apparatus during the external battery module replacement. In the solution being analyzed, battery charging takes place in a special docking station. The memory of the device, storing, among others, the collected electrocardiograms, is in the form of a card installed in the data acquisition module. The apparatus referred to comprises the following separate "modules": battery, data acquisition, analysis and display, and memory. Battery charging requires additional, dedicated docking station, while data transfer requires removing the memory card from the device and inserting it in a special slot on the computer. For elderly people, performing multiple actions in order to charge the battery and to transfer the data is cumbersome due to the increased number of operations and the necessity to manipulate small components, e.g. the memory card. Additionally, the device, although portable, is large enough to prevent continuous carrying and by the same continuous long term heart disease diagnostics.

US5678562A proposes, on the other hand, an apparatus for monitoring patient's vital functions, equipped with a removable disk and a Wi-Fi modem. The device is of modular construction, wherein a separate battery module is coupled to the chassis of the device. The apparatus is also equipped with a miniature magnetic disk where the examination results are stored. The analysis of the results requires removing the disk and connecting it to a special computer port or via an appropriate adapter to the computer. In order to continue the examination upon filling the memory or discharging of the battery, the apparatus in question requires performing two operations: removal of the battery module and connecting it to the charger, and removal of the miniature magnetic disk and connecting it to the computer. For elderly people, with movement disorders, performing a larger number of operations becomes cumbersome. Additionally, removal of the disk may create additional problems due to fairly complicated procedure and fragile housing of the miniature magnetic disk. Patent application US20120190969 relates to an implantable cardiac device. Tight, biologically neutral housing is implanted into the patient's body. The housing comprises heart rhythm and circulation detection circuits, and cardiac therapy circuits providing therapeutic signals (defibrillation signals) . The housing also comprises devices detecting the patient's body orientation (vertical, horizontal) . The device also comprises sensors analyzing the ECG signal and detecting all heart action irregularities. The apparatus also comprises a memory card storing the software to operate the apparatus as well as the data acquired from the sensors. Additionally, the housing can comprise a number of external housings to store power supply sources, e.g. the primary battery is located in one housing, and the second, rechargeable, battery in another (replaceable) housing. The battery charging must not be performed on the patient in order to avoid possible electric shock. The memory can be located in a separate housing, whereas upload of the measurement data to the computer requires taking off the complete apparatus and by the same - interruption of the monitoring and/or therapy. The technical problem requiring solution is proposing such a construction of an ECG monitoring telemedicine device that would protect the patient against electric shock during charging the device, would have fast communication link, will enable unattended and concurrent replacement of the battery module and the memory module without the necessity to engage qualified technical staff, will have protection preventing charging when the device is directly on the patient, will provide uninterrupted operation of the apparatus for long-term diagnosis, and will also reduce the requirements on the chargers, concerning galvanic isolation. Unexpectedly, the technical problems mentioned above have been solved by the present invention. The object of the invention is a modular telemedicine apparatus comprising: a battery power source, data carrier, battery charging and protection system, USB interface system, and data analysis and control module, characterized in that the battery power source, data carrier, battery charging and protection system, and the USB interface system are interconnected and constitute separate power supply and data module replaced at the same time upon battery drain and/or filling the data carrier up. In a preferred embodiment, the modular telemedicine apparatus comprises a panel covering the data communication and battery charging ports when the power and data, and data analysis and control modules are connected. In another embodiment, locking the power and data module is implemented by means of a lock comprising a switch module identifying the moment of decoupling the power and data module.

Modular telemedicine apparatus of the invention, due to the integration of the battery power source, the data carrier, the battery charging and protection system, and the USB interface system in one power and data module, coupled by means of a lock to the data analysis and control mudule, enables fast replacement of the power source and the data carrier in one operation upon battery drain and/or filling the data carrier up, without the assistance of qualified personnel. The panel covering the data communication and battery charging ports while the modules are locked and the device is mounted on the patient prevents connecting the device to the computer and/or charger, which eliminates the electric shock hazard. Separation of the module and preventing connection of the device mounted on the patient will also reduce the requirements for chargers in terms of galvanic isolation, and enables installation of a USB interface with data transfer rate of 480 Mbps . Locating the switching system in the lock fixing and protecting the power and data module enables, in turn, identification of the instance of decoupling the battery and by the same stopping the operation of the device in a secure and stable state before the power voltage disappears.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention have been presented in the drawings, wherein fig. 1 represents the front view of the data analysis and control module, fig. 2 represents the front view of the power module, fig. 3 represents the front view of coupling the data analysis and control module with the power module, fig. 4 represents the front view of the data analysis and control module coupled to the power module, fig. 5 represents the top view of the data analysis and control module, fig. 6 represents the bottom view of the power module, fig. 7 represents the side view of coupling the data analysis and control module with the power module, fig. 8 represents the view of the locking mechanism with the switch.

Example

Fig. 1 and fig. 5 show, respectively, the views: front and top of the data analysis and control module. Additionally, fig. 1 shows the view of the panel covering data communication 6 and charging 4 ports 2, also ports 1 are visible which additional accessories are connected to, e.g. ECG signal detection modules. Fig. 2 and fig. 6 show the power module in views: front and bottom. Additionally, fig. 2 shows the location of charging ports 4 and USB communications port 6, and fig. 6 shows the location of the lock system 5 provided for coupling the modules. Furthermore, fig. 3 and fig. 7 illustrate the modules coupling method in side views. After assembly, both modules (the data analysis and control one and the power and data one) form a tight and closed shape illustrated in the front view in fig. 4, provided that the ports are plugged either with an accessory plug 7 or a cap 8. Assembly of the modules results in the power 4 and data 6 ports being covered with panel 1, and it is not physically possible to connect the apparatus with the power supply unit and/or data cable without actually decoupling the modules. The modules locking method (coupling and lock) is based on two latches 3 and the lock 5 rotatable within the 90° angle, as illustrated in figs. 2, 6, 7 and 8. Additionally, correct lock engagement is signaled by proximity switch 9, which, in case of decoupling signal, can initiate the appropriate program provided, e.g., for stopping the whole telemedicine device in a stable state, and, in case of a coupling signal, can initiate the appropriate program provided, e.g., for resuming the earlier interrupted monitoring. Fig. 8 is a cross section drawing representing the environment of the locking mechanism, including switch 9. The tip of the lock 5 has a wedge profile, which provides a stronger contact of both halves of the housing in the last locking ph3. S Θ _f 3. S presented in fig. 7. Reliable locking is not only the prerequisite for watertight structure, but also for reliable electrical connection between the power and data module, and the data analysis and control module. Due to its construction, the telemedicine apparatus presented in the exemplary embodiment, and in particular its panel 2 covering the communication 6 and charging 4 ports, prevents charging the device when it is mounted on the patient. Charging of the device is possible only after taking the telemedicine apparatus off, decoupling the data analysis and control module from the power module, which results in exposing the charging port 4. Thus, the electric shock hazard to the patient during charging the telemedicine device has been eliminated. Such construction of the apparatus also reduced the requirements for the chargers concerning galvanic isolation, due to the necessity to take the device off the patient for charging. Similarly, due to the necessity to take the device off the patient and decoupling it in order to expose data ports 6, USB communication port in the example, it was possible to implement an interface with the data transmission rate of 480 Mbps, which is not possible for galvanically isolated interfaces. The replacement of the battery module is effected by means of the lock 5 situated on the back surface of the power module, and consists in turning the lock by 90° to the open position. Additionally, lock 5 is also equipped with switch 9 identifying the moment of decoupling and coupling the device, in order to stop the operation of the telemedicine apparatus in a secure and stable state or to resume the examination, thanks to which the replacement of the module is easy to perform and safe for the patients, and does not require engagement of specialized personnel.