Microprocessor based bed patient monitor
First Claim
1. A bed patient monitor comprising:
- (a) a loudspeaker, said speaker for producing at least one alarm sound therefrom; and
, (b) a processor in electronic communication with said loudspeaker, said processor (1) for receiving electronic signals from a sensor indicative of the presence thereon and absence therefrom of a patient, (2) for activating said patient monitor to an alarm mode in response to said electronic signals, (3) for synthesizing at least one alarm sound under software control, and, (4) for transmitting to said loudspeaker said synthesized alarm sound.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
This invention relates generally to monitoring systems and more particularly concerns devices and systems used to monitor patients the presence and absence of a patient from a bed, chair, etc. The preferred environment in which the instant invention would be used would be a hospital or other care giving facility, wherein patients who are at risk of falling might left unattended while they are seated or lying. According to a first aspect of the instant invention, a microprocessor-based patient monitor is disclosed which includes a loudspeaker that emits alarms synthesized by the microprocessor. The microprocessor synthesizes any one of multiple alarm sounds under software control and activates and deactivates the alarm in response to the electronic signals received from an attached sensor and a user interface.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A bed patient monitor comprising:
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(a) a loudspeaker, said speaker for producing at least one alarm sound therefrom; and
,(b) a processor in electronic communication with said loudspeaker, said processor (1) for receiving electronic signals from a sensor indicative of the presence thereon and absence therefrom of a patient, (2) for activating said patient monitor to an alarm mode in response to said electronic signals, (3) for synthesizing at least one alarm sound under software control, and, (4) for transmitting to said loudspeaker said synthesized alarm sound. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A patient monitor, comprising:
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(a) a patient sensor, said patient sensor positionable to be proximate to a patient, (1) said patient sensor for detecting at least one state of the patient, (2) said patient sensor being responsive to a change in the detected at least one state of the patient, and, (3) said patient sensor responding electrically to said change in the detected at least one state of the patient;
(b) a loudspeaker, said speaker for producing audible alarms; and
,(c) a processor in electronic communication with said loudspeaker and said patient sensor, said processor containing therein at least a portion of a computer program, said computer program containing instructions at least for;
(1) selecting an alarm sound in response to said electrical change in said patient sensor, (2) accessing at least one data item representative of said selected alarm sound, (3) synthesizing an alarm sound from said at least one data item representative of said selected alarm sound, and, (4) transmitting said synthesized alarm sound to said loud speaker to create an audible alarm. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. A reprogrammable patient monitor for use with a binary switch, said binary switch at least for detecting a presence or an absence of a patient, comprising:
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(a) a processor for synthesizing at least one sound under software control, said processor (a1) being positionable so as to be in electronic communication with said binary switch, and, (a2) responding to said binary switch when placed into electronic communication therewith, (b) modifiable nonvolatile RAM accessible by said processor, (b1) said modifiable nonvolatile RAM containing at least a plurality of modifiable computer instructions utilizable by said processor, and, (b2) said modifiable computer instructions defining at least a portion of said response of said processor to said binary switch; and
,(c) a loudspeaker in electronic communication with said processor and responsive thereto, said loudspeaker for sounding for sounding said at least one synthesized sound. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification