Patient monitoring system

• US 10,548,476 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2017
• Issued: 02/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Inventors: Lane, John A., Baker, Steven D., Williamson, Rachel
• Primary Examiner(s): Dietrich, Joseph M
• Application Number:
  US15/679,570
• Publication Number:
  US 20190053707A1
• Time in Patent Office: 901 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0507 using microwaves or terahertz waves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1115 Monitoring leaving of a patient support, e.g. a bed or a wheelchair
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1116 Determining posture transitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6891 Furniture
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7282 Event detection, e.g. detecting unique waveforms indicative of a medical condition A61B5/4094, A61B5/4818, A61B5/349, A61B5/0823 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/746 Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms alarms per se G08B
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/05 Parts, details or accessories of beds devices for prevention against falling out A47C21/08, A47D7/00 ; mattresses A47C27/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

A subject monitoring system operates to detect a current status of a subject in a subject arrangement area, such as on a bed, and predict an upcoming status of the subject. The system includes a subject status detection device that may use a radar signal. A radar signal is transmitted toward the subject and is used to detect a subject status, such as a subject position, a subject incontinence condition, and a physiological condition of the subject. One example of the radar signal includes a millimeter wave.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring a subject status, the system comprising:

a subject arrangement area for arranging a subject thereon;

a signal transmitter configured to transmit a radar signal toward the subject arranged on the subject arrangement area;

a signal receiver configured to receive the radar signal; and

a signal analysis device configured to detect a temporal variation of the radar signal and determine a subject status based on the temporal variation, wherein the subject status includes a subject position, and wherein the signal analysis device is further configured to predict an upcoming position of the subject based on the temporal variation.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal analysis device is configured to identify at least one body portion of the subject based on the received radar signal.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal analysis device is further configured to generate an outline of the subject using the received radar signal.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the subject status includes a subject incontinence condition.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the subject status includes a physiological condition of the subject.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a reflector associated with the subject and configured to reflect the radar signal from the signal transmitter.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the radar signal has a band of spectrum between 30 GHz and 300 GHz.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the radar signal has a wavelength ranging between 10 mm to 1 mm.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the subject arrangement area includes a patient bed.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal transmitter and the signal receiver are integrally configured as a signal transceiver.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal analysis device is configured to generate a notification of the subject status to a healthcare practitioner.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the subject position is determined by detecting a first set of body points at a first time, the first set of body points detected from reflected radar signals received from different directions.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the signal analysis device is further configured to determine a motion of the subject by detecting a second set of body points at a second time, and tracking changes between the first set of body points and the second set of body points.

14. A method for monitoring a subject status, the method comprising:

arranging a subject in a subject arrangement area;

transmitting a radar signal toward the subject;

receiving the radar signal;

monitoring a temporal variation of the radar signal; and

determining a subject status based on the temporal variation, wherein the subject status includes a subject position, and determining the subject status includes predicting an upcoming status of the subject based on the temporal variation.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

identifying at least one body portion of the subject based on the received radar signal.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the subject status includes a subject incontinence condition.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein determining a subject status includes:

determining a moisture in the subject arrangement area.

18. A system for monitoring a subject status, the system comprising:

a processing device configured to control operation of the system;

a signal transmitter configured to transmit a radar signal having a band of spectrum between 30 GHz and 300 GHz;

a signal receiver configured to receive the radar signal; and

a computer readable storage medium storing software instructions that, when executed by the processing device, cause the system to;

transmit the radar signal toward a subject using the signal transmitter;

receive the radar signal using the signal receiver;

identify at least one body portion of the subject based on the received radar signal;

monitor a temporal variation of the radar signal;

predict an upcoming status of the subject based on the temporal variation, wherein the upcoming status includes a subject position; and

determine a wet spot around the subject based on the temporal variation.