Abstract: A device includes a patient-portable remote monitoring unit to monitor one or more physiological characteristics of an individual and convey information characterizing the one or more physiological characteristics to a remote station. The monitoring unit includes a transmitter system capable to employ a selected one of three or more different communications channels to convey the information to the remote station, and a selection unit to select from among the three or more different communications channels for conveying the information to the remote station.

Abstract: A medical monitoring system has a sensor system including a sensor associated with a patient and a remote monitoring unit. The remote monitoring unit includes a microprocessor in communication with the sensor system, and a portable-monitoring unit transceiver system in communication with the microprocessor. The portable-monitoring unit transceiver system has a land-line telephone transceiver and/or a cellular telephone transceiver, and a third-network transceiver such as a paging-network transceiver. A full data set is transmitted over the land-line telephone transceiver or the cellular telephone transceiver when communications links over these transceivers are available, and a reduced data set is transmitted over the third-network transceiver when communications links over the land-line telephone transceiver and the cellular telephone transceiver are not available.

Abstract: Access to a medical monitoring system, which includes a patient-portable monitoring device and an associated monitoring service at a central unit, is controlled by inputting a set of identification data elements into a medical monitoring device, which then establishes a communication link with a central unit and communicates the set of identification data elements to the central unit. The medical monitoring device and the central unit cooperatively determine whether the medical monitoring device may be activated for rendering medical monitoring device service, by evaluating the set of identification data elements as to whether they meet a set of basic structural requirements, and obtaining financial or other authorization from a third-party source. In the event that the identification data elements meet the set of basic structural requirements and the authorization is obtained, the central unit issues an activation signal to the medical monitoring device over the communication link.

Abstract: A medical monitoring system has a sensor system including a sensor associated with a patient and a remote monitoring unit. The remote monitoring unit includes a microprocessor in communication with the sensor system, and a portable-monitoring unit transceiver system in communication with the microprocessor. The portable-monitoring unit transceiver system has a land-line telephone transceiver and/or a cellular telephone transceiver, and a third-network transceiver such as a paging-network transceiver. A full data set is transmitted over the land-line telephone transceiver or the cellular telephone transceiver when communications links over these transceivers are available, and a reduced data set is transmitted over the third-network transceiver when communications links over the land-line telephone transceiver and the cellular telephone transceiver are not available.

Abstract: Access to a medical monitoring system, which includes a patient-portable monitoring device and an associated monitoring service at a central unit, is controlled by inputting a set of identification data elements into a medical monitoring device, which then establishes a communication link with a central unit and communicates the set of identification data elements to the central unit. The medical monitoring device and the central unit cooperatively determine whether the medical monitoring device may be activated for rendering medical monitoring device service, by evaluating the set of identification data elements as to whether they meet a set of basic structural requirements, and obtaining financial or other authorization from a third-party source. In the event that the identification data elements meet the set of basic structural requirements and the authorization is obtained, the central unit issues an activation signal to the medical monitoring device over the communication link.

Abstract: A medical monitoring system has a sensor system including a sensor associated with a patient and a remote monitoring unit. The remote monitoring unit includes a microprocessor in communication with the sensor system, and a portable-monitoring-unit transceiver system in communication with the microprocessor. The portable-monitoring-unit transceiver system has a land-line telephone transceiver and/or a cellular telephone transceiver, and a third-network transceiver such as a paging-network transceiver. A full data set is transmitted over the land-line telephone transceiver or the cellular telephone transceiver when communications links over these transceivers are available, and a reduced data set is transmitted over the third-network transceiver when communications links over the land-line telephone transceiver and the cellular telephone transceiver are not available.

Abstract: Access to medical monitoring device service is controlled by inputting a set of identification data elements into a medical monitoring device system, which then establishes a communication link with a central unit and communicating the set of identification data elements to the central unit. The medical monitoring device system and the central unit cooperatively determining whether the medical monitoring device may be activated for rendering medical monitoring device service, by evaluating the set of identification data elements as to whether they meet a set of basic structural requirements, and obtaining financial or other authorization from a third-party source. In the event that the identification data elements meet the set of basic structural requirements and the authorization is obtained, the central, unit issues an activation signal to the medical monitoring device system over the communication link.

Abstract: A medical monitoring system has a sensor system including a sensor associated with a patient and a remote monitoring unit. The remote monitoring unit includes a microprocessor in communication with the sensor system, and a portable-monitoring-unit transceiver system in communication with the microprocessor. The portable-monitoring-unit transceiver system has a land-line telephone transceiver and/or a cellular telephone transceiver, and a third-network transceiver such as a paging-network transceiver. A full data set is transmitted over the land-line telephone transceiver or the cellular telephone transceiver when communications links over these transceivers are available, and a reduced data set is transmitted over the third-network transceiver when communications links over the land-line telephone transceiver and the cellular telephone transceiver are not available.