System and method for using multiple medical monitors

• US 20030146847A1
• Filed: 02/05/2002
• Published: 08/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Invivo Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.), Medical Data Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Viasys Healthcare Incorporated (Cardinal Health, Inc.)
• Inventors: Carr, Roy Seizo, Swetlik, Donald Edward, Paul, Richard Brian, Decastro, Celso Ochoa Jr., Zednik, Gary Michael, Edstrom, Gary Bruce, Whitten, Robert Edward
• Granted Patent: US 7,091,879 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.15
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0271 using a remote monitoring unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0276 Determining malfunction
• 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: H04M 11/002 with telemetering systems telemetering in general G08C
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/903 Radio telemetry

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and method for simultaneously using and configuring one or more disposable transmitters. The system includes at least one single or multiple use disposable transmitter, a central station, and a receiver module. The transmitter is connected to a patient to gather and measure biomedical information. The transmitter transmits the biomedical information through the receiver module to the central station for processing, storage and display. Prior to use, each transmitter must be configured to work with the central station and the receiver module. This allows the users to configure the disposable transmitters relatively quickly and easily without needing advanced technical information. The inventive configuration also enables the operator to map a location on a monitor in the central station to a specific disposable transmitter and ultimately to a specific patient or location in the coverage area that is covered by the system.

Claims

1. A medical telemetry system comprising:

a patient monitor;

a first communications element in communication with the patient monitor;

a central station in communication with the first communications element;

a second communications element in communication with the first communications element and the central station; and

a programming station in communication with the central station, the programming station having a user interface including a predetermined portion of a display assigned to a communications channel.

2. The medical telemetry system of claim 1, wherein the programming station further comprises instructions for receiving patient information, storing the patient information to electronic media, and taking further acts with respect to the patient information.

3. The medical telemetry system of claim 2, wherein the patient information includes patient identification information.

4. The medical telemetry system of claim 2, wherein the patient information includes medical data.

5. The medical telemetry system of claim 2, wherein the patient information includes use history of the patient monitor.

6. The medical telemetry system of claim 2, wherein the instructions for taking further acts include instructions for assigning the patient monitor to the communications channel.

7. The medical telemetry system of claim 2, wherein the instructions for taking further acts include instructions for prompting a user to label the patient monitor with a patient identifier.

8. The medical telemetry system of claim 7, wherein the label is manually placed on the patient monitor.

9. The medical telemetry system of claim 2, wherein the programming station further comprises instructions to prompt a user to enter patient information.

10. The medical telemetry system of claim 2, wherein the instructions for taking further acts include instructions for confirming the patient monitor is assigned to a specific patient.

11. The medical telemetry system of claim 2, wherein the instructions for taking further acts include instructions for disabling the patient monitor.

12. The medical telemetry system of claim 2, wherein the user interface is a touch screen.

13. A computer driven system for processing biomedical data from at least one patient, comprising:

one or more monitoring devices that are each connected to one patient to obtain biomedical data from the patient;

a central station for processing, storing and displaying the biomedical data on a display, wherein the display includes several regions and each region is associated with one monitoring device;

a transmitter for transmitting the biomedical information from the one or more monitoring devices to the central station; and

a configuration device for configuring each monitoring device to a channel and for configuring the channel to a region on the display, such that each region on the display is mapped to a specific monitoring device.

14. A computer driven system for processing biomedical data from at least one patient, comprising:

one or more disposable transmitters that are each connected to one patient to obtain biomedical data from the patient;

one or more receiver modules for transmitting biomedical data from the disposable transmitters to a central station, the central station processes, stores and displays the biomedical data; and

a configuration device for configuring each disposable transmitter to work with one receiver module and the central station prior to connecting the disposable transmitter to the patient.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising at least one wireless channel that is configured for use by one disposable transmitter and mapped to one receiver module and the central station, wherein the disposable transmitter sends information to the receiver module via the wireless channel.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein each disposable transmitter comprises:

a connection for obtaining biomedical data from a patient;

one or more processing components for processing biomedical data from the patient; and

one or more transmitters for transmitting the biomedical data to the receiver module.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the disposable transmitter operates on a power source.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the disposable transmitter is configured via a programming port.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the disposable transmitter includes disposal instructions for deactivating and disposing of the disposable transmitter after use.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the disposable transmitter deactivates itself after being disconnected from the patient for a predetermined period of time.

21. The system of claim 14, where electronics from the disposable transmitter is recycled after use.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein the disposable transmitter is included in a prepackaged kit for easier management and maintenance.

23. The system of claim 14, wherein the central station comprises:

a software component for operating the central station;

a processing base for processing and storing incoming data; and

a display that is operated by the processing base, the display is used for displaying biomedical and instructional data.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the processing base communicates with a transmitter programming interface for programming and configuring disposable transmitters, and output generating means for generating outputs of biomedical data.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the processing base connects the central station to one or more receiver modules via a wired system backbone.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the display comprises:

a plurality of patient tiles, wherein each patient tile is associated with a disposable transmitter and each patient tile displays data transmitted from an associated disposable transmitter for the connected patient, thereby enabling the system to associate a patient tile with a specific disposable transmitter;

one or more instruction regions; and

one or more input/output regions for presenting and gathering information from an operator.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein each patient tile is associated with a specific radio frequency on a channel that a receiver associated with the tile is tuned into.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein each patient tile appears in its previous location each time the system is started up and during normal operations, such that an operator may map a location on the display with a specific transmitter and patient.

29. The system of claim 23, wherein the software component comprises:

a plurality of virtual patient objects that maintain patient tiles on the display, wherein each virtual patient object is mapped to one patient tile in the display;

a plurality of receiver objects, wherein each receiver object maintains control of a receiver and retains all information that is necessary to configure the receiver to a fixed channel; and

means for mapping each receiver object with one virtual patient object.

30. The system of claim 14, wherein the receiver module comprises:

a plurality of wireless receiver boards which are connected to an interface board, wherein, each receiver board comprises one or more frequency synthesized receivers for tuning in data from a specific disposable transmitter; and

the interface board for formatting data for transmission to the central station.

31. A computer driven system for processing biomedical data from at least one patient, comprising:

one or more disposable transmitters that are each connected to one patient to obtain biomedical data from the patient, wherein each disposable transmitter comprises;

a connection for obtaining biomedical data from a patient, one or more processing component for processing biomedical data from the patient, and one or more transmitters for transmitting the biomedical data;

one or more receiving components for receiving biomedical data from the disposable transmitters; and

a central station for processing, storing and displaying the biomedical data, the central station comprises a configuration component for configuring each disposable transmitter prior to use and for associating biomedical data from each disposable transmitter with a specific region on a display in the central station.

32. The computer driven system of claim 31, wherein the central station comprises at least one remote station.

33. The computer driven system of claim 31, wherein the central station is duplicated for redundancy.

34. A method for processing biomedical data from at least one patient, comprising:

configuring at least one disposable transmitter;

connecting a patient to a configured disposable transmitter;

obtaining biomedical data from the patient through the configured disposable transmitter;

processing biomedical data from the patient in at least one processing component in the configured biomedical transmitter;

transmitting the biomedical data from the configured disposable transmitter to a receiving component;

obtaining the biomedical data from the receiving component and processing, storing and displaying the biomedical data on a central station; and

associating the biomedical data from the disposable transmitter with a specific region on a display in the central station.

35. A software component for processing biomedical data obtained from a patient in order to display the biomedical data on a computer screen, comprising

a plurality of virtual patient objects that maintain patient tiles on the computer screen, wherein each virtual patient object is mapped to one patient tile on the computer screen;

and

a plurality of receiver objects, wherein each receiver object maintains control of a receiver, on a fixed channel, that obtains information from a disposable transmitter connected to the patient, the disposable transmitter obtains biomedical information from the connected patient, and each receiver object retains all information that is necessary to configure the receiver to the fixed channel; and

means for mapping each receiver object with one virtual patient object; and

means in the virtual patient object for mapping information from the receiver object with the patient tile.

36. A method for configuring a disposable transmitter in a patient monitoring system, comprising:

connecting a programming port of the disposable transmitter into a programming device;

detecting, in the programming device, the presence of the disposable transmitter;

instructing an operator to select a patient tile that is to be associated with the disposable transmitter; and

programming the disposable transmitter and related components to a frequency associated with the patient tile.

37. A method for recycling electronics in a disposable transmitter that is used in a telemetry system, comprising:

shipping at least one disposable transmitter with a pre-addressed stamped envelop;

using the disposable transmitter;

returning the disposable transmitter after use;

crediting a sender for the returned disposable transmitter; and

removing components from the disposable transmitter and inserting them into a new disposable transmitter.