Method and apparatus for controlling an alarm while monitoring

• US 20040236187A1
• Filed: 05/19/2003
• Published: 11/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Medical Systems Information Technologies Incorporated (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: GE Medical Systems Information Technologies Incorporated (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hutchinson, George M., Sitzman, David A., Bock, Elizabeth A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,079,035 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02405 Determining heart rate variability
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02455 provided with high/low alarm devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/746 Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms alarms per se G08B
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A method for monitoring a subject can include acquiring data from the subject, and dynamically adjusting an alarm limit based on the data. The method can also comprise determining a first value that is typical for the subject for the characteristic being monitored, determining a second value for the characteristic being monitored, and generating a comparison based on the two values. The method could also comprise setting a threshold for a characteristic being monitored, and decreasing the alarm limit if the data crosses the threshold. The method could also include setting an extremity limit. The following methods can be applied to the monitoring of a healthcare patient, or other subjects of interest. Also, the values used in the monitoring of the subject can be configured to be transferable from one monitor to another.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring of a patient, comprising:

acquiring data from the patient; and

dynamically adjusting an alarm criteria based on the data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the alarm criteria includes an alarm limit; and

the alarm limit is dynamically adjusted based on the data.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating an alarm based on whether the data meets the alarm criteria.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a value that is typical for the patient for the characteristic being monitored.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining the typical value comprises calculating the typical value based on a plurality of acquired data points.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the alarm criteria comprises

an alarm limit whose value is set based on a value that is typical for a characteristic being monitored; and

an alarm limit that represents a value that is extreme for the characteristic being monitored; and

the alarm limit based on the typical value is dynamically adjusted based on the data.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising sending an alarm if the data crosses the extreme alarm limit or if the data crosses the alarm limit based on the typical value.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting a threshold.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the alarm criteria includes an alarm limit and the alarm limit is configured to tighten if the data crosses the tracking threshold.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the alarm criteria is set based on when the data crosses the tracking threshold.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the alarm criteria is set based on the value of the tracking threshold.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining a value that represents a typical for the patient for the characteristic being monitored, wherein the threshold is set based on the typical value.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the alarm criteria based on a tolerance factor.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a first value that is typical for the patient for the characteristic being monitored;

determining a second value for the characteristic being monitored; and

generating a comparison based on the first value and the second value.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising sending an alarm based on the comparison.

16. A method for sending an alarm in a medical monitoring device, comprising:

setting a threshold for a characteristic being monitored;

acquiring data from a patient for the characteristic being monitored; and

setting an alarm limit exceeding the threshold if the data crosses the threshold, the alarm limit having a duration shorter than a duration of the tracking threshold.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the alarm limit tightens with time.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the alarm limit dynamically tightens with time.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the rate at which the alarm limit dynamically tightens is based on a tolerance factor.

20. A method for controlling an alarm in a medical monitoring device, comprising:

setting a threshold for a characteristic being monitored;

acquiring data from a patient for the characteristic being monitored; and

tightening an alarm criteria if the data crosses the threshold.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising dynamically tightening the alarm criteria if the data crosses the threshold.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein:

the alarm criteria includes an alarm limit; and

tightening the alarm criteria comprises tightening the alarm limit.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising generating an alarm based on whether the data meets the alarm criteria.

24. A monitoring system for monitoring a characteristic of a subject, comprising:

a data acquisition device configured to acquire data from a subject of interest; and

a processor configured to dynamically adjust an alarm criteria based on the data acquired from the subject.

25. The monitoring system of claim 24, wherein the processor is can dynamically adjust the alarm criteria by dynamically adjusting an alarm limit.

26. The monitoring system of claim 24, further comprising an alarm sending device configured to send an alarm based on whether the data acquired from the patient meets the alarm criteria.

27. The monitoring system of claim 24, further comprising a network interface that facilitates transfer of data across a network.

28. The monitoring system of claim 27, wherein the network interface facilitates wireless access to the network.

29. The monitoring system of claim 27, wherein the data that can be transferred includes data selected from a group consisting of information for a billing record, results of monitoring, and an alarm related signal.

30. The monitoring system of claim 27, wherein the data that can be transferred includes historical data of a patient.

31. The monitoring system of claim 27, wherein the data that can be transferred includes values used to monitor the subject.

32. The monitoring system of claim 24, further comprising an identification device configured to identify the subject.

33. The monitoring system of claim 24, further comprising a bill generator configured to generate a billing record based on use of the monitor.

34. The monitor of claim 24, wherein the processor is configured to set a tracking threshold and is configured to tighten the alarm criteria when the data acquired from the subject crosses the tracking threshold.

35. The monitoring system of claim 24, wherein the processor is configured to set an extremity limit.

36. A monitor for monitoring a characteristic of a subject, comprising:

a data acquisition device configured to acquire data from a subject; and

a processor configured to set a tracking threshold and configured to tighten an alarm criteria when the data acquired from the subject crosses the tracking threshold.

37. The monitor of claim 36, wherein the processor is configured to set an extremity limit.

38. The monitor of claim 36, further comprising a network interface that facilitates transfer of data across a network.

39. The monitor of claim 38, wherein the data that can be transferred includes values used to monitor the subject.

40. The monitor of claim 36, further comprising an identification device configured to identify the subject.

41. The monitor of claim 36, further comprising a bill generator configured to generate a billing record based on use of the monitor.

42. The monitor of claim 36, further comprising a control feature configured to allow a user to select a tolerance factor.

43. A method for sending an alarm using a medical monitor that is monitoring a patient, comprising:

acquiring first data from a patient;

acquiring second data from a patient; and

generating a comparison of the first data to the second data, wherein the monitor is configured to generate an alarm based on the comparison.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein generating the comparison of the first data and the second data comprises comparing a first value calculated based on the first data and a second value calculated based on the second data.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein comparing the first value and the second value comprises calculating a rate of change between the first value and the second value.

46. The method of claim 44, wherein the first and second values are each calculated based on a plurality of data acquired from a patient.

47. The method of claim 43, wherein the first data and the second data are separated in time by at least ten minutes.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the first data and the second data are separated in time by at least thirty minutes.

49. The method of claim 43, wherein the first data and the second data are acquired within 24 hours of each other.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein the first and second data are acquired within four hours of each other.

51. The method of claim 49, wherein the first and second data are separated in time by at least ten minutes.

52. The method of claim 43, further comprising measuring a slope based on first and second data with respect to time.

53. The method of claim 52, further comprising obtaining a plurality of additional data, and determining a slope of a value of the data with respect to time based on the additional data.

54. The method of claim 52, further comprising determining a plurality of slopes of data value with respect to time and determining the degree of correlation of the slopes.

55. The method of claim 54, wherein determining the degree of correlation of the slopes comprises determining a mean slope value and a standard deviation of the slope values.

56. The method of claim 55, further comprising sending an alarm if the mean slope value exceeds a threshold.

57. The method of claim 56, wherein the alarm that is sent if the mean slope exceeds a threshold is only sent if the standard deviation of the slope values also exceeds a threshold.

58. A method for use in monitoring a subject, comprising:

acquiring data to generate a profile for a characteristic of the subject that is being monitored where the profile changes over time; and

dynamically adjusting an alarm limit based on the profile.

59. A method for monitoring a subject, comprising:

setting a threshold;

acquiring data from the subject; and

tightening an alarm limit based on when the acquired data crosses the threshold.

60. The method of claim 59, further comprising generating an alarm if the acquired data from the patient crosses the alarm limit.

61. The method of claim 59, wherein tightening the alarm limit comprises dynamically tightening the alarm limit.

62. A method of patient physiologic monitoring comprising:

receiving a real-time physiologic data stream from a patient;

calculating a representative value using the real-time physiologic data stream;

calculating at least one threshold based on the representative value;

monitoring the real-time physiologic data stream to determine if it has crossed the at least one threshold; and

calculating an alarm limit when the real-time physiologic data stream crosses the at least one threshold, the alarm limit based on the representative value.

63. The method of claim 62, further comprising generating an alarm when the physiologic data stream crosses the alarm threshold.

64. A method as described in claim 62, wherein calculating a representative value comprises incrementing the representative value when the real-time physiologic data stream rises above the representative value.

65. A method as described in claim 62, wherein calculating a representative value comprises decrementing the representative value when the real-time physiologic data stream drops below the representative value.

66. A method as described in claim 62, wherein calculating at least one threshold comprises calculating the at least one threshold as a percentage of the representative value.

67. A method as described in claim 62, further comprising:

continuously comparing the real-time physiologic data stream to at least one extremity limit; and

generating an alarm if the physiologic data stream crosses the at least one extremity limit.

68. A method as described in claim 62, further comprising networking the representative value such that a patient can be moved to any of a plurality of networked monitors, which monitors can use the same representative value.

69. The method of claim 62, wherein calculating the alarm limit comprises calculating the alarm limit based on an excursion value and a decay rate.

70. A method for monitoring of a patient, comprising:

acquiring data from the patient; and

dynamically adjusting a threshold based on the data.

71. The method of claim 70, further comprising:

setting an alarm limit; and

generating an alarm based on whether the data crosses the alarm limit.

72. The method of claim 71, wherein a value of the alarm limit is set based on a value of the tracking threshold.

73. The method of claim 70, further comprising determining a value that is typical for the patient for the characteristic being monitored.

74. A method for monitoring of a patient, comprising:

calculating a threshold that is used to bracket a value that represents a typical value for the patient for a characteristic being monitored; and

processing the threshold or the value to set an alarm limit.

75. The method of claim 74, further comprising:

acquiring data from the patient for the characteristic being monitored; and

sending an alarm based on whether the data crosses the alarm limit.