Telemetry sensing system for infant care apparatus

• US 20050085687A1
• Filed: 10/21/2003
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lynn E. Lynam, Michael H. Mackin
• Original Assignee: Lynn E. Lynam, Michael H. Mackin
• Inventors: Mackin, Michael H., Lynam, Lynn E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,364,539 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/22
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/06 Children, e.g. for attention deficit diagnosis
• 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 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0008 Temperature signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6887 mounted on external non-worn devices, e.g. non-medical devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 11/00 Baby-incubators; Couveuses
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 11/002 height-adjustable patient support
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 11/003 height-adjustable heater

Abstract

An infant warming apparatus for supporting an infant upon an infant bed. The apparatus has a sensor that is affixed to the skin of the infant to detect one or more physiological functions of the infant. A transmitter is located within the enclosure of the sensor and which transmit the information detected by the physiological sensor to a receiver that is located on the infant care apparatus and which can then convert that information into a recognizable or usable medium. An alternative embodiment includes the transmitter located proximate to the infant within an infant scale located beneath the infant. The sensor is hardwired to the transmitter in the infant scale and signals relating to weight and/or a condition of the infant are transmitted by wireless telemetry to a monitor or other display device to display that information to the caregiver.

Claims

1. A patient care apparatus, said patient care apparatus comprising a base having a patient platform on which a patient is adapted to be positioned, at least one patient sensor adapted to be affixed to or located in close proximity to a patient to sense data related to the patient and to produce signals representative of that data, a wireless transmitter located in close proximity to a patient and adapted to receive the signals from the at least one patient sensor and to transmit those signals by a wireless means, a receiver affixed to said patient care apparatus adapted to receive the signals from said transmitter and to convert said signals into a form recognizable by a caregiver as indicative of the sensed data of a patient.

2. The patient care apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said at least one patient sensor comprises an enclosure and said wireless transmitter is located within said enclosure.

3. The patient care apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said patient care apparatus is an infant apparatus for treating an infant.

4. The patient care apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said at least one sensor comprises a sensing element adapted to detect at least one of ECG, SPO₂, patient weight, patient temperature, EEG and a security system signal.

5. The patient care apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said at least one sensing element comprises a plurality of sensing elements adapted to sense at least two physiological properties of an infant.

6. The patient care apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said at least one sensing element comprises an enclosure having one side thereof adapted to contact the skin of an infant and said enclosure contains an EKG sensing element and a temperature sensing element.

7. The patient care apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the form recognizable by a caregiver is a visual display.

8. The patient care apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said visual display is integrated into the infant apparatus.

9. The patient care apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said visual display is affixed to the infant apparatus.

10. The patient care apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said receiver is connected to a secondary transmitter for further transmitting the signals received from said transmitter to a remote receiver.

11. A sensor for sensing at least one physiological characteristic of a patient, said sensor comprising an enclosure, said enclosure containing at least one sensing element for sensing the at least one physiological characteristic, and a transmitter for transmitting by wireless means information detected by said at least one sensing element to a remote location.

12. The sensor as defined in claim 11 wherein said at least one sensor comprise a temperature sensing element and an ECG sensing element.

13. The sensor as defined in claim 11 wherein said sensor has a contacting surface adapted to be affixed to the skin of a patient.

14. The sensor as defined in claim 11 wherein said sensor has a reflecting foil to protect said sensor from the effects of heat.

15. The sensor as defined in claim 11 wherein said sensor includes a low power transmitter having a power source having a limited life.

16. A method of an infant warming apparatus, said method comprising the steps of:

providing an infant warming apparatus having a heater and a housing having a visual display;

providing a sensor that is adapted to be affixed to the skin of an infant positioned within the infant warming apparatus;

using the sensor to detect at least one physiological property of the infant; and

transmitting the information detected by the sensor by a wireless system to the visual display located on the infant warming apparatus to provide that information to a caregiver.

17. A method as defined in claim 16 wherein the step of providing a sensor comprises providing a sensor adapted to detect ECG and skin temperature of infant.

18. A method as defined in claim 16 wherein the method further comprises the step of using the skin temperature detected by the sensor to control the amount of heat emitted by the heater.

19. A patient care apparatus, said patient care apparatus comprising a base having a patient bed on which a patient is adapted to be positioned, a scale located beneath the patient bed to measure the weight of a patient resting on the patient bed, at least one patient sensor adapted to be affixed to or located in close proximity to a patient to sense data related to the patient and to produce signals representative of that data, a wireless transmitter located in close proximity to a patient and adapted to receive the signals from the at least one patient sensor and to transmit those signals by a wireless means, a receiver affixed to said patient care apparatus adapted to receive the signals from said transmitter and to convert said signals into a form recognizable by a caregiver as indicative of the sensed data of a patient.

20. The patient care apparatus as defined in claim 19 wherein said wireless transmitter is located in said scale.

21. The patient care apparatus as defined in claim 19 wherein said at least one patient sensor transmits signals to said transmitter by means of hard wires.

22. The patient care apparatus as defined in claim 19 wherein said patient care apparatus is an infant warming apparatus.