Patient monitoring system

• US 20060030759A1
• Filed: 10/06/2005
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Original Assignee: 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 7,390,299 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• 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 wireless patient monitor is adapted to communicate with any one of plural medical telemetry networks, each having one or more central stations, where each network is configured to communicate via wireless communications using one of multiple different communications settings. The monitor includes one or more sensor inputs for receiving vital signs data from a patient, a wireless transceiver, and a controller coupled to receive the vital signs data via the one or more sensor inputs and to communicate with a network via the transceiver. The monitor also includes a display device and is controllable by the controller to automatically display a notification to a user of the monitor upon establishing communications with the at least one central station. There is also a method of monitoring a patient and a wireless medical telemetry system.

Claims

1. A medical monitoring system, comprising:

at least one central station configured to receive vital signs data concerning a plurality of patients; 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 at least one central station and communicate the collected vital signs data to the at least one central station via one or more wireless transmitter/receivers,

said at least one central station being adapted to store the identity of the particular patient and, in the event that communication between the at least one central station and a said at least one patient monitor is 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 was continuously monitoring the particular patient during the time communication was lost between said at least one central station and said at least one patient monitor.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one patient monitor is adapted to operate in a network mode and a stand-alone mode and further including a microprocessor having memory for storing vital signs data from the particular patient.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said at least one patient monitor automatically converts to stand-alone mode when a loss of communications with said at least one central station is detected.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein collected vital signs data is stored in memory of said at least one patient monitor during said stand-alone mode.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein vital signs data is automatically transmitted to said at least one central station in said network mode when communications are restored between said at least one patient monitor and said at least one central station.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one central station is configured to determine the amount of time that said at least one patient monitor was not in communication with said at least one central station if no confirmation is received that the at least one patient monitor was continuously monitoring the particular patient during the time communications was lost between the at least one patient monitor and the at least one central station.

7. The system of claim 1, where the at least one 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.

8. The system of claim 1, where the at least one patient monitor is adapted to detect the disconnection of the particular patient from the at least one patient monitor, and where the at least one patient monitor is adapted to inform the at least one central station if the particular patient was disconnected from the at least one patient monitor during the period of time the communications were lost.

9. The system of claim 8, where the at least one central station is configured to transmit a request to the at least one patient monitor for the identity of the patient being monitored by said at least one patient monitor if the at least one central station does not determine that the at least one patient monitor is still connected to the particular patient.

10. A method for monitoring a patient, comprising the steps of:

identifying, at a patient monitor, a particular patient;

establishing communications between the patient monitor and at least one central station via a transmitter/receiver associated with the at least one central station;

communicating the identity of the particular patient to at least one central station;

continuously collecting vital signs data from the particular patient;

communicating the vital signs data to the at least one central station such that the particular patient is associated with the collected vital signs data;

transmitting a request from the at least one central station to the patient monitor for a confirmation that the patient monitor was continuously monitoring the particular patient during a time communication was lost between said at least one central station and said patient monitor.

11. The method of claim 10, including the additional step of determining the amount of time communication was lost between said at least one central station and said patient monitor if no confirmation is received from the patient monitor that the particular patient was continuously monitored during the time communication was lost and if the amount of time was less than a predetermined amount of time, then associating any vital signs data received from said patient monitor with the particular patient without requiring a separate reidentification thereof.

12. The method of claim 10, including the additional step of associating any vital signs data received from the patient monitor following the resumption of communications with the particular patient without requiring a separate reidentification thereof if a confirmation is received that the particular patient was continuously monitored during the time communication was lost.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said patient monitor operates in a stand-alone mode and a network mode, said method including the step of storing vital signs data into memory of the patient monitor during the time communications is lost between said patient monitor and said at least one central station.

14. The method of claim 13, including the additional step of automatically transmitting stored vital signs data to said at least one central station if the amount of time communication was lost is less than the predetermined amount and following the reestablishing of communication between said at least one central station and said patient monitor.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein said patient monitor operates in a stand-alone mode and a network mode, said method including the step of storing vital signs data into memory of the patient monitor during the time communications is lost between said patient monitor and said at least one central station.

16. The method of claim 15, including the additional step of automatically transmitting stored vital signs data to said at least one central station following the receipt of said confirmation and following the reestablishing of communications between the at least one central station and said patient monitor.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

communicating a list of a plurality of patients from the at least one central station to the patient monitor; and

displaying the list to a user of the monitor.

18. The method of claim 10, where the step of establishing communications between the patient monitor and the at least one central stations involves wireless communication.