Patient monitoring system
First Claim
1. A wireless patient monitor adapted to communicate with any one of plural medical telemetry networks, each having one or more central stations, where each network is configured to communicate via wireless communications using one of multiple different communications settings, the monitor comprising:
- one or more sensor inputs for receiving vital signs data from a patient;
a wireless transceiver configured to transmit and receive wireless communications; and
a controller coupled to receive the vital signs data via the one or more sensor inputs and to communicate with a network via the transceiver;
where the controller is configured, upon initial power-up, to automatically transmit a signal to a local one of the plural networks via the transceiver to request the communications settings used by the local network, and to establish communications with at least one of the central stations on the local network using the communications settings received from the local network without intervention from a user of the patient monitor.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A wireless patient monitor is adapted to communicate with any one of plural medical telemetry networks, each having one or more central stations, where each network is configured to communicate via wireless communications using one of multiple different communications settings. The monitor includes one or more sensor inputs for receiving vital signs data from a patient, a wireless transceiver; and a controller coupled to receive the vital signs data via the one or more sensor inputs and to communicate with a network via the transceiver. The monitor also includes a display device and is controllable by the controller to automatically display a notification to a user of the monitor upon establishing communications with the at least one central station. There is also a method of monitoring a patient and a wireless medical telemetry system.
432 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A wireless patient monitor adapted to communicate with any one of plural medical telemetry networks, each having one or more central stations, where each network is configured to communicate via wireless communications using one of multiple different communications settings, the monitor comprising:
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one or more sensor inputs for receiving vital signs data from a patient;
a wireless transceiver configured to transmit and receive wireless communications; and
a controller coupled to receive the vital signs data via the one or more sensor inputs and to communicate with a network via the transceiver;
where the controller is configured, upon initial power-up, to automatically transmit a signal to a local one of the plural networks via the transceiver to request the communications settings used by the local network, and to establish communications with at least one of the central stations on the local network using the communications settings received from the local network without intervention from a user of the patient monitor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A wireless, patient vital signs monitor adapted to communicate with a medical telemetry network having at least one central station, the monitor comprising:
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one or more sensor input ports for receiving patient vital signs data;
a controller coupled to receive the vital signs data via the one or more input ports;
a wireless transceiver controllable by the controller to communicate with the at least one central station;
where the controller is configured, when not in communication with the at least one central station, to repeatedly attempt to establish communications with the at least one central station via the wireless transceiver; and
a display device controllable by the controller to automatically display a notification to a user of the monitor upon establishing communications with the at least one central station. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A wireless, patient vital signs monitor adapted to communicate with a central station, comprising:
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a wireless transceiver;
a controller coupled to the wireless transceiver and configured to establish communications with the central station via the wireless transceiver; and
one or more sensor input ports for receiving patient vital signs data;
where the controller is coupled to receive the vital signs data via the one or more input ports and communicate the vital signs data to the central station via the wireless transceiver;
where the controller includes a data storage buffer for storage of the vital signs data, and where the controller is configured to automatically detect a loss of communications with the central station, and to store, in the data storage buffer, at least a portion of the vital signs data received while out of communications with the central station; and
where the controller is configured to communicate the stored vital signs data to the central station via the wireless transceiver if communications with the central station are restored. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for monitoring a patient, comprising:
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establishing wireless communications between a patient monitor and a central station;
collecting vital signs data from a patient at the patient monitor;
communicating the vital signs data from the patient monitor to the central station;
detecting a loss of communications between the patient monitor and the central station;
storing at least a portion of the vital signs data at the patient monitor while the patient monitor is out of communications with the central station;
restoring wireless communications between the patient monitor and the central station; and
communicating at least a portion of the stored vital signs data from the patient monitor to the central station. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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18. A wireless, patient vital signs monitor adapted to communicate with a medical telemetry network having at least one central station, the monitor comprising:
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one or more sensor input ports for receiving patient vital signs data;
a wireless transceiver; and
a controller coupled to receive the vital signs data via the one or more input ports, and configured to control the wireless transceiver to establish and maintain communications with the at least one central station;
where the controller is configured to detect a loss of communications with the at least one central station, and if a loss of communications is detected, to automatically switch from a first operating mode in which the controller transmits the received vital signs data to the at least one central station, to a second operating mode in which the controller does not transmit the received vital signs data to the at least one central station. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A wireless, patient vital signs monitor adapted to communicate with at least one central station connected to receive vital signs data via a communications network, where the communications network includes one or more hard-wired ports and one or more network transceivers, the monitor comprising:
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one or more sensor input ports for receiving patient vital signs data;
an output port connectable to a hard-wired port on the network;
a wireless transceiver adapted to transmit information to, and receive information from, at least one of the one or more network transceivers; and
a controller coupled to receive the vital signs data via the one or more input ports, and configured to communicate the vital signs data to the at least one central station via a selected one of the output port or the wireless transceiver. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
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28. A method for monitoring a patient, comprising:
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providing a medical telemetry network having at least one central station connected to one or more wireless transceivers and to one or more hard-wired ports;
collecting vital signs data from a patient at a patient monitor;
automatically detecting whether the patient monitor is connected to one of the one or more hard-wired ports;
communicating the vital signs data to the central station via the wireless transceiver if the patient monitor is not connected to one of the one or more hard-wired ports. - View Dependent Claims (29)
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30. A wireless medical telemetry system, comprising:
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a central station adapted to receive vital signs data associated with a plurality of patients; and
at least one wireless patient monitor including a controller and a wireless transceiver, where the patient monitor also includes control software executable by the controller to monitor a particular one of the plurality of patients by collecting vital signs data from the particular patient, and transmit the collected vital signs data to the central station via the wireless transceiver;
where the controller is adapted to receive new control software via the wireless transceiver, and to update the control software with new control software. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification