Patient monitoring and alarm processing system and user interface

• US 20030092974A1
• Filed: 08/19/2002
• Published: 05/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dragerwerk AG & Company KGaA (FPS Vermögensverwaltung GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Draeger Medical Systems Incorporated (Dragerwerk AG)
• Inventors: Huang, Johnnie W., Santoso, Nugroho Iwan, Kelly, Clifford Mark
• Granted Patent: US 7,224,281 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0271 using a remote monitoring unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0215 by means inserted into the body catheters A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/92 Computer assisted medical diagnostics
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 706/924 Medical

Abstract

Some embodiments of the invention provide a system to monitor a patient. In some aspects, a signal representing a value of a physiological parameter is received from a monitoring device. The received value is a value that caused the monitoring device to trigger an alarm associated with the psychological parameter. A notification is determined based on the received signal and on a second signal that represents a value of a second physiological parameter. The notification is then presented to an operator.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a patient, comprising:

receiving a signal representing a value of a physiological parameter, the value having triggered an alarm associated with the psychological parameter;

determining a notification based at least on the received signal and on a second signal representing a value of a second physiological parameter; and

presenting the notification to an operator.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining a second notification based at least on the received signal.

3. A method according to claim 2, further comprising determining a probability associated with each of the notification and the second notification;

and

presenting each of the notification and the second notification in conjunction with a respective associated probability.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an instruction to suppress the notification;

determining the notification based at least on a third received signal; and

determining that the notification should not be presented based on the received instruction.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the notification is determined using a probabilistic network.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the probabilistic network is a Bayesian network.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein the probabilistic network is a predictive network.

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

issuing an instruction to suppress the alarm.

9. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an instruction to suppress the notification;

determining a second notification based at least on a third received signal and on an assumption that the notification is not indicative of the patient'"'"'s condition.

10. A method for managing patient monitoring alarms, comprising:

receiving an instruction to suppress a particular notification;

receiving a signal representing a value of a physiological parameter of a patient, the value having triggered an alarm associated with the psychological parameter;

determining a notification based at least on the received signal, on a second signal representing a value of a second physiological parameter, and on the instruction to suppress the particular notification; and

presenting the determined notification to an operator.

11. A method according to claim 10, further comprising:

receiving an instruction to discontinue suppression of the particular notification;

receiving a second signal representing a second value of the physiological parameter, the value having triggered an alarm associated with the psychological parameter;

determining the particular notification based at least on the received second signal; and

presenting the particular notification to an operator.

12. A method according to claim 10, further comprising:

issuing an instruction to suppress the alarm.

13. A method according to claim 10, wherein the determining step comprises:

determining the notification based at least on an assumption that the particular notification is not indicative of the patient'"'"'s condition.

14. A system for monitoring a patient, comprising:

a plurality of monitoring devices, each of the plurality of monitoring devices for monitoring values of one or more respective physiological parameters, for determining that a value of one of the one or more respective physiological parameters violates an associated alarm threshold, and for issuing an alarm indicating that the value violates the associated alarm threshold; and

a notification system for receiving a signal representing the value and one or more signals representing other monitored values, for determining a notification based at least on the received signal and on the one or more signals, and for presenting the notification to an operator.

15. A system according to claim 14, wherein the notification system further comprises:

an input device for receiving an instruction to suppress a particular notification.

16. A system according to claim 15, the notification system for determining the notification based at least on an assumption that the particular notification is not indicative of the patient'"'"'s condition.

17. A system according to claim 14, the notification system for issuing an instruction to suppress the alarm.

18. A medical alarm system for processing information from a plurality of patient monitoring sources to generate an alert message, comprising:

a communication interface for receiving patient physiological parameter values from a plurality of patient monitoring devices for a particular patient;

a prediction unit for providing data representing an extrapolated patient condition based on the parameter values;

a decision processor for applying a decision rule to said extrapolated patient condition to identify an alert condition; and

an alert generator for generating an alert indication in response to said identified alert condition.

19. A system according to claim 18, wherein

said prediction unit uses patient record information for a particular patient in extrapolating patient condition.

20. A medical alarm system for processing information from a plurality of patient monitoring sources to generate an alert message, comprising:

a communication interface for receiving patient physiological parameters from a plurality of patient monitoring devices for a particular patient;

a prediction unit for providing data representing an extrapolated patient condition based on acquired patient medical parameters; and

a generator for providing at least one of, (a) diagnostic and (b) treatment suggestions based on said extrapolated patient condition.

21. A system according to claim 20, wherein

said generator provides user-selectable suggestion information of different degrees of detail concerning said extrapolated condition.

22. A system according to claim 21, wherein

said generator associates different reliability weighting to corresponding suggestion information of different degrees of detail.

23. A user interface comprising:

a displayed image area to present a notification based at least on a signal representing a value of a physiological parameter, the value having triggered an alarm associated with the psychological parameter, and on a second signal representing a value of a second physiological parameter.

24. A user interface according to claim 23, further comprising:

a displayed image area to present a probability associated with the presented notification.

25. A user interface according to claim 24, further comprising:

a displayed image area to present a second notification and a second probability associated with the second notification.

26. The user interface of claim 23, further comprising:

an interface to receive an instruction to suppress the notification.

27. The user interface of claim 26, wherein the displayed image area presents a second notification based at least on the received signal, on the second signal, and on the instruction to suppress the particular notification.

28. The user interface of claim 27, further comprising:

a displayed image area to present a probability associated with the second notification.