Abstract: The present invention is to a method and apparatus to allow a portable patient data monitor to obtain an electrocardiogram (ECG) for transmission, such as over the Internet. A small electrical conductive patch is added to a sensor which is currently placed in the ear. This patch is used as a “dry” electrode to sense one side of the electrocardiogram signal generated within the subject. A second electrical conductive patch is added to the enclosure of the patient data monitor or other instrumentation package attached or located in an area near the waist of the patient. Wires or wireless interconnections are used to connect these two patches to an electrocardiogram amplifier.

Abstract: A small sensor and instrument interface communication module provides the data acquisition circuitry required to gather various signals from sensors for a variety data, such as physiologic data from the human body or data from remote non-medical monitoring instrumentation, using analog, serial, and parallel digital inputs. The microprocessor and memory of the module are employed to condition those signals for interface to a variety of possible digital cellular phone or other wireless communication modules which are used to transmit these data into the digital cellular network for distribution on the Internet.