Patient monitoring system

• US 20030206116A1
• Filed: 05/18/2001
• Published: 11/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Welch Allyn Protocol Incorporated (Welch Allyn Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Welch Allyn Protocol Incorporated (Welch Allyn Incorporated)
• Inventors: Petersen, Eric G., Weiner, Herbert S., West, Kenneth G., Moon, James B., Howell, William H., Colquitt, Nhedti L.
• Granted Patent: US 6,988,989 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.28
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0209 adapted for power saving
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0271 using a remote monitoring unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/04 Constructional details of apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0431 Portable apparatus, e.g. comprising a handle or case
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0475 Special features of memory means, e.g. removable memory cards
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0015 characterised by features of the telemetry system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0836 Measuring rate of CO2 production
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1113 Local tracking of patients, e.g. in a hospital or private home
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/117 Identification of persons methods or arrangements for recognising patterns, e.g. fingerprints, G06F18/00, G06V40/00; identification of persons by analysing their voice or speech G10L17/00
• 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: A61B 5/339 Displays specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6843 Monitoring or controlling sensor contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/743 Displaying an image simultaneously with additional graphical information, e.g. symbols, charts, function plots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7435 Displaying user selection data, e.g. icons in a graphical user interface
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7445 Display arrangements, e.g. multiple display units
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 : for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 : for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 : for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 : Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 : Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 : detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 : Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 : Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 : Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/903 : Radio telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/904 : Telephone telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/92 : Computer assisted medical diagnostics

Abstract

A medical monitoring system includes a central station adapted to receive vital signs data concerning a plurality of patients, and one or more transmitter/receivers associated with the central station. At least one patient monitor is configured to monitor a particular one of the plurality of patients by collecting vital signs data from the particular patient, and configured to establish communications with the central station and communicate the collected vital signs data to the central station via the one or more transmitter/receivers. The at least one patient monitor is operable by a user to identify the particular patient from the plurality of patients, and to inform the central station of the identity of the particular patient. The central station is configured to associate the vital signs data received from the at least one patient monitor with the particular patient. The system, transmitter/receivers and at least one patient monitor may be wireless or wired. There is also a method for monitoring a patient.

Claims

1. A medical monitoring system, comprising:

a central station adapted to receive vital signs data concerning a plurality of patients;

one or more transmitter/receivers associated with the central station; and

at least one patient monitor configured to monitor a particular one of the plurality of patients by collecting vital signs data from the particular patient, and configured to establish communications with the central station and communicate the collected vital signs data to the central station via the one or more transmitter/receivers;

where the at least one patient monitor is operable by a user to identify the particular patient from the plurality of patients, and to inform the central station of the identity of the particular patient; and

where the central station is configured to associate the vital signs data received from the at least one patient monitor with the particular patient.

2. The system of claim 1, where the central station is configured to transmit a list of the plurality of patients to the at least one patient monitor, and where the at least one patient monitor includes a display device adapted to display the list to the user.

3. The system of claim 2, where the central station is adapted to store the identity of the particular patient and, in the event that the communications with the central station are lost and then restored, to transmit a request to the at least one patient monitor for a confirmation that the at least one patient monitor is still configured to monitor the particular patient.

4. The system of claim 1, where the system, the one or more transmitter/receivers, and the at least one patient monitor is wireless.

5. The system of claim 4, where the central station is configured to transmit a list of the plurality of patients to the at least one patient monitor, and where the at least one patient monitor includes a display device adapted to display the list to the user.

6. The system of claim 5, where the central station is adapted to store the identity of the particular patient and, in the event that t he communications with the central station are lost and then restored, to transmit a request to the at least one patient monitor for a confirmation that the at least one patient monitor is still configured to monitor the particular patient.

7. A method for monitoring a patient, comprising:

establishing communications between a patient monitor and a central station via a transmitter/receiver associated with the central station, where the central station is adapted to receive vital signs data from a plurality of patients;

configuring the patient monitor to collect vital signs data from a particular one of the plural patients;

identifying, at the patient monitor, the particular patient;

communicating the identity of the particular patient to the central station;

communicating the vital signs data to the central station; and

associating, at the central station, the vital signs data with the particular patient.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

communicating a list of the plural patients from the central station to the patient monitor; and

displaying the list to a user of the monitor.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising,

if the communications between the patient monitor and the central station are lost, then:

restoring the communications between the patient monitor and the central station;

communicating a request for confirmation from the central station to the patient monitor that the patient monitor is still configured to monitor the particular patient; and

communicating the confirmation from the patient monitor to the central station.

10. The method of claim 7, where the step of establishing communications is between a wireless patient monitor and a central station via a wireless transmitter/receiver associated with the central station, where the central station is adapted to receive vital signs data from a plurality of patients.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

communicating a list of the plural patients from the central station to the patient monitor; and

displaying the list to a user of the monitor.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising,

if the communications between the patient monitor and the central station are lost, then:

restoring the communications between the patient monitor and the central station;

communicating a request for confirmation from the central station to the patient monitor that the patient monitor is still configured to monitor the particular patient; and

communicating the confirmation from the patient monitor to the central station.

13. A medical monitoring system, comprising:

a central station associated with one or more transmitter/receivers, and adapted to receive vital signs data concerning a plurality of patients; and

a patient monitor having a transmitter/receiver, the patient monitor being adapted to establish communications with the central station and transmit an identity of a particular one of the plural patients, and adapted to collect vital signs data from the particular patient when connected to the particular patient and to transmit the vital signs data to the central station;

where the central station is configured to receive the identity of the particular patient and the vital signs data, and to associate the vital signs data with the particular patient when the communications are established; and

where, in the event that the communications between the patient monitor and central station are lost for a period of time and then restored, the central station is configured to automatically determine whether the patient monitor is still connected to the particular patient, and to associate the vital signs data with the particular patient if the patient monitor is still connected to the particular patient.

14. The system of claim 13, where the central station is configured to determine whether the patient monitor is still connected to the particular patient by measuring the period of time the communications are lost, and associating the vital signs data with the particular patient if the period of time is less than a predetermined length of time.

15. The system of claim 13, where the patient monitor is adapted to detect the disconnection of the particular patient from the patient monitor, and where the patient monitor is adapted to inform the central station if the particular patient was disconnected from the patient monitor during the period of time the communications were lost.

16. The system of claim 13, where the central station is configured to transmit a request to the patient monitor for a patient identity if the central station does not determine that the patient monitor is still connected to the particular patient.

17. The system of claim 13, where the system and the one or more transmitter/receivers are wireless.

18. The system of claim 17, where the central station is configured to determine whether the patient monitor is still connected to the particular patient by measuring the period of time the communications are lost, and associating the vital signs data with the particular patient if the period of time is less than a predetermined length of time.

19. The system of claim 17, where the patient monitor is adapted to detect the disconnection of the particular patient from the patient monitor, and where the patient monitor is adapted to inform the central station if the particular patient was disconnected from the patient monitor during the period of time the communications were lost.

20. The system of claim 17, where the central station is configured to transmit a request to the patient monitor for a patient identity if the central station does not determine that the patient monitor is still connected to the particular patient.

21. A method for monitoring a patient from a central station configured to monitor a plurality of patients, where each of the plural patients has an identity, the method comprising:

establishing communications between a patient monitor connected to a particular one of the plural patients and the central station;

communicating the identity of the particular patient from the patient monitor to the central station;

collecting vital signs data from the particular patient at the patient monitor;

communicating the vital signs data to the central station;

associating, at the central station, the vital signs data with the particular patient; and

in the event communications between the patient monitor and the central station are lost for a period of time;

reestablishing the communications between the patient monitor and the central station,

automatically determining, at the central station, whether the patient monitor is still connected to the particular patient, and

if the patient monitor is still connected to the particular patient, then associating the vital signs data with the particular patient.

22. The method of claim 21, where the step of determining includes determining that the patient monitor is still connected to the particular patient if the period of time when the communications between the patient monitor and the central station were lost was less than a predetermined length of time.

23. The method of claim 21, where the step of determining includes

detecting, at the patient monitor, if the particular patient was disconnected from the patient monitor during the period of time when the communications between the patient monitor and the central station were lost;

and

informing the central station whether the particular patient was disconnected from the patient monitor during the period of time when the communications between the patient monitor and the central station were lost.

24. The method of claim 21, where the step of establishing communications involves wireless communications between a patient monitor connected to a particular one of the plural patients and the central station.

25. The method of claim 24, where the step of determining includes determining that the patient monitor is still connected to the particular patient if the period of time when the communications between the patient monitor and the central station were lost was less than a predetermined length of time.

26. The method of claim 24, where the step of determining includes

detecting, at the patient monitor, if the particular patient was disconnected from the patient monitor during the period of time when the communications between the patient monitor and the central station were lost;

and

informing the central station whether the particular patient was disconnected from the patient monitor during the period of time when the communications between the patient monitor and the central station were lost.

27. A method for monitoring a patient, comprising:

collecting, by a patient monitor, vital signs data from the patient;

establishing communications between the patient monitor and a central station;

communicating the vital signs data from the patient monitor to the central station;

analyzing the vital signs data to detect an alarm condition;

indicating the alarm condition at both the patient monitor and the central station;

receiving, at the patient monitor, an acknowledgement from a user of the patient monitor;

communicating the acknowledgement from the patient monitor to the central station; and

terminating the indication of the alarm condition at the central station in response to the acknowledgement.

28. The method of claim 27, where the step of indicating includes indicating the alarm condition at the patient monitor, and further comprising terminating the indication of the alarm condition at the patient monitor in response to the acknowledgement.

29. The method of claim 27, where the step of indicating includes producing an audible signal at the central station, and where the step of terminating includes terminating the audible signal.

30. The method of claim 27, where the step of indicating includes producing a visible signal at the central station, and where the step of terminating includes terminating the visible signal.

31. The method of claim 27, where the step of analyzing is performed by the central station.

32. The method of claim 27, where the step of analyzing is performed by the patient monitor.

33. The method of claim 27, where the step of establishing communications involves wireless communications between the patient monitor and a central station.

34. The method of claim 33, where the step of indicating includes indicating the alarm condition at the patient monitor, and further comprising terminating the indication of the alarm condition at the patient monitor in response to the acknowledgement.

35. The method of claim 33, where the step of indicating includes producing an audible signal at the central station, and where the step of terminating includes terminating the audible signal.

36. The method of claim 33, where the step of indicating includes producing a visible signal at the central station, and where the step of terminating includes terminating the visible signal.

37. The method of claim 33, where the step of analyzing is performed by the central station.

38. The method of claim 33, where the step of analyzing is performed by the patient monitor.

39. A medical monitoring system, comprising:

at least one patient monitor adapted to collect vital signs data from a patient; and

a central station adapted to communicate with the at least one patient monitor via transmissions;

where the at least one patient monitor includes a controller configured to analyze the vital signs data based on one or more variable parameter values; and

where the central station is configured to communicate an instruction to the at least one patient monitor to change the value of at least one of the one or more variables to a new value, and where the controller is configured to analyze the vital signs data based on the new value in response to the instruction.

40. The system of claim 39, where the one or more variable parameter values includes a nominal data range, and where the controller is configured to analyze the vital signs data to determine whether the vital signs data is within the nominal data range and to indicate an alarm condition to a user if the vital signs data is outside the nominal data range.

41. The system of claim 40, where the vital signs data includes data indicating a heart-rate of the patient, and where the one or more variable parameter values includes a nominal range of heart-rate data.

42. The system of claim 40, where the vital signs data includes data chosen from the group consisting of the oxygen saturation of the patient'"'"'s arterial blood, the patient'"'"'s blood pressure, and the amount of carbon dioxide in the patient'"'"'s breath, and where the one or more variable parameter values is respectively chosen from the group consisting of a nominal range of oxygen saturation data, blood pressure data, and carbon dioxide data.

43. The system of claim 39, where the system and the at least one patient monitor are wireless, and the central station is adapted to communicate with the at least one patient monitor via wireless transmissions.

44. The system of claim 43, where the one or more variable parameter values includes a nominal data range, and where the controller is configured to analyze the vital signs data to determine whether the vital signs data is within the nominal data range and to indicate an alarm condition to a user if the vital signs data is outside the nominal data range.

45. The system of claim 44, where the vital signs data includes data indicating a heart-rate of the patient, and where the one or more variable parameter values includes a nominal range of heart-rate data.

46. The system of claim 44, where the vital signs data includes data chosen from the group consisting of the oxygen saturation of the patient'"'"'s arterial blood, the patient'"'"'s blood pressure, and the amount of carbon dioxide in the patient'"'"'s breath, and where the one or more variable parameter values is respectively chosen from the group consisting of a nominal range of oxygen saturation data, blood pressure data, and carbon dioxide data.

47. A medical monitoring system, comprising:

a central station adapted to receive vital signs data concerning a plurality of patients;

one or more transmitter/receivers associated with the central station; and

at least one patient monitor configured to monitor a particular one of the plurality of patients by collecting vital signs data from the particular patient, and configured to establish communications with the central station and communicate the collected vital signs data to the central station via the one or more transmitter/receivers;

where the system is operable by plural users to identify the particular patient from the plurality of patients, and to inform the user of the identity of the particular patient; and

where the system is configured to associate the vital signs data received from the at least one patient monitor with the particular patient.

48. The system of claim 47, where the central station is operable by a first user to identify the particular patient from the plurality of patients, and to inform a second user of the identity of the particular patient.

49. The system of claim 47, where the at least one patient monitor is operable by the second user to identify the particular patient from the plurality of patients, and to inform a second user of the identity of the particular patient.

50. The system of claim 48, where the central station is configured to maintain a list of the plurality of patients being monitored by the system.

51. The system of claim 48, where the central station is configured to transmit a list of the plurality of patients to the at least one patient monitor, and where the at least one patient monitor includes a display device adapted to display the list to the second user.

52. The system of claim 51, where the central station is adapted to store the identity of the particular patient and, in the event that the communications with the central station are lost and then restored, to transmit a request to the at least one patient monitor for a confirmation that the at least one patient monitor is still configured to monitor the particular patient.

53. A medical monitoring system, comprising:

a central station associated with one or more transmitter/receivers, and adapted to receive vital signs data concerning a plurality of patients; and

a patient monitor having a transmitter/receiver, the patient monitor being adapted to establish communications with the central station and adapted to collect vital signs data from a particular one of the plural patients when connected to the particular patient and to transmit the vital signs data to the central station;

where the central station is configured to receive the vital signs data, and to associate the vital signs data with the particular patient when the communications are established; and

where, in the event that the communications between the patient monitor and central station are lost for a period of time and then restored, the central station is configured to automatically determine whether the patient monitor is still connected to the particular patient, and to associate the vital signs data with the particular patient if the patient monitor is still connected to the particular patient.

54. The system of claim 53, where the central station is configured to determine whether the patient monitor is still connected to the particular patient by measuring the period of time the communications are lost, and associating the vital signs data with the particular patient if the period of time is less than a predetermined length of time.

55. The system of claim 53, where the patient monitor is adapted to detect the disconnection of the particular patient from the patient monitor, and where the patient monitor is adapted to send a patient-disconnection signal to the central station if the particular patient was disconnected from the patient monitor during the period of time the communications were lost.

56. The system of claim 55, wherein the patient monitor is adapted to detect the identity of the particular patient and inform the central station of the identity.

57. The system of claim 53, where the central station is configured to transmit a request to the patient monitor for a patient identity if the central station does not determine that the patient monitor is still connected to the particular patient.

58. The system of claim 53, where the system and the one or more transmitter/receivers are wireless.

59. The system of claim 58, where the central station is configured to determine whether the patient monitor is still connected to the particular patient by measuring the period of time the communications are lost, and associating the vital signs data with the particular patient if the period of time is less than a predetermined length of time.

60. The system of claim 58, where the patient monitor is adapted to detect the disconnection of the particular patient from the patient monitor, and where the patient monitor is adapted to send a patient-disconnection signal to the central station if the particular patient was disconnected from the patient monitor during the period of time the communications were lost.

61. The system of claim 60, wherein the patient monitor is adapted to detect the identity of the particular patient and inform the central station of the identity.