Trending display of patient wellness

• US 20060200009A1
• Filed: 03/01/2006
• Published: 09/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spacelabs Healthcare LLC (OSI Systems Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Spacelabs Medical Incorporated (OSI Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wekell, William, Bevins, Ken, Koenig, Robert Boyer
• Granted Patent: US 8,690,771 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• 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 5/0059 using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence A61B5/0093, A61B5/1455, A61B5/02416 and A61B5/0261 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse, heart rate, blood pressure or blood flow; Combined pulse/heart-rate/blood pressure determination; Evaluating a cardiovascular condition not otherwise provided for, e.g. using combinations of techniques provided for in this group with electrocardiography or electroauscultation; Heart catheters for measuring blood pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/145 Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissuemeasuring of blood pressure or blood flow A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/33 specially adapted for cooperation with other devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7275 Determining trends in physiological measurement data; Predicting development of a medical condition based on physiological measurements, e.g. determining a risk factor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

The present invention is a novel method of generating and representing the status of various physiological parameters that are monitored for patients during hospitalization. The system of present invention allows healthcare providers to easily view, at a glance, the status of a plurality of patients as well as any changes in the parameter values.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring a physiological condition of an individual, comprising:

(a) at least one sensor for measuring at least one physiological parameter and providing data on said physiological parameter;

(b) a display unit coupled to the at least one sensor and configured for displaying in real-time the physiological parameter data provided by said sensor unit; and

(c) an inference engine coupled to said display unit and the at least one sensor for combining a plurality of said physiological parameter data to generate an indicator of the individual'"'"'s general health, not limited to a single physiological parameter, and transmit said indicator to the display unit.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a central monitoring unit remote from said display unit and adapted for receiving said indicator of the individual'"'"'s general health and physiological parameter data from said display unit.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said physiological parameters comprise at least one of pulse rate, ECG, blood oxygen saturation level (SpO2), respiratory rate, blood glucose level, blood pressure and body temperature.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the physiological parameters are visually represented by a plurality of colors and shapes.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the colors and shapes visually appear as light bars.

6. The light bars of claim 5, wherein the light bar acts as a link to detailed parameter trending information.

7. The light bars of claim 5, wherein the light bar is employed to interrogate an electronic patient record.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the inference engine operates using rules and said rules are based on custom defined factors including upper and lower limits of physiological parameters, baseline of physiological parameters, slope, time and calculations.

9. A method for monitoring the physiological condition of an individual comprising the steps of:

(a) measuring at least one physiological parameter with a sensor unit;

(b) providing data on said physiological parameter;

(c) displaying in real-time the physiological parameter data provided by the sensor on a display unit;

(d) combining a plurality of said physiological parameter data to generate an indicator of the individual'"'"'s general health, not limited to a single parameter; and

(e) transmitting said indicator to the display unit.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of receiving said indicator of the individual'"'"'s general health and physiological parameter data from said display unit at a central monitoring station.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said physiological parameters comprise at least one of pulse rate, ECG, blood oxygen saturation level (SpO2), respiratory rate, blood glucose level, blood pressure and body temperature.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the physiological parameters are visually represented by a plurality of colors and shapes.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of combining a plurality of said physiological parameter data to generate an indicator of the individual'"'"'s general health, is achieved via an inference engine.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the inference engine operates using rules and said rules are based on custom defined factors including upper and lower limits of physiological parameters, baseline of physiological parameters, slope, time and calculations.

15. A system for monitoring the physiological condition of an individual, comprising:

(a) at least one sensor for measuring at least one physiological parameter and providing data on said physiological parameter;

(b) a display unit coupled to the at least one sensor and configured for displaying in real-time the physiological parameter data provided by said sensor unit;

(c) an inference engine coupled to said display unit and the at least one sensor for combining a plurality of said physiological parameter data to generate an indicator of the individual'"'"'s future health, not limited to a single physiological parameter, and transmit said indicator to the display unit; and

(d) a central monitoring unit remote from said display unit and adapted for receiving said indicator of the individual'"'"'s future health and physiological parameter data from said display unit.

16. A system for monitoring a physiological condition of an individual, comprising:

(a) at least one sensor for measuring at least one physiological parameter and providing data on said physiological parameter;

(b) a display unit coupled to the at least one sensor and configured for displaying in real-time the physiological parameter data provided by said sensor unit;

(c) an inference engine coupled to said display unit and the at least one sensor for combining a plurality of said physiological parameter data to generate an indicator of the individual'"'"'s general health, not limited to a single physiological parameter, and transmit said indicator to the display unit; and

(d) a central monitoring unit remote from said display unit and adapted for receiving said indicator of the individual'"'"'s general health and physiological parameter data from said display unit;

wherein said display unit and said central monitoring unit are configured to display parameter data using colors and shapes representing the status of parameters, and wherein said colors and shapes are always visible.

17. A method for monitoring the physiological condition of an individual comprising the steps of:

(a) measuring at least one physiological parameter with a sensor unit;

(b) providing data on said physiological parameter;

(c) displaying in real-time the physiological parameter data provided by the sensor on a display unit;

(d) combining a plurality of said physiological parameter data to generate an indicator of the individual'"'"'s general health, not limited to a single parameter;

(e) transmitting said indicator to the display unit; and

(f) receiving said indicator of the individual'"'"'s general health and physiological parameter data from said display unit at a central monitoring station;

wherein parameter data is displayed using colors and shapes representing the status of parameters, and wherein said colors and shapes are always visible.

18. A system for monitoring a physiological condition of an individual, comprising:

(a) at least one sensor for measuring at least one physiological parameter and providing data on said physiological parameter;

(b) a display unit coupled to the at least one sensor and configured for displaying in real-time the physiological parameter data provided by said sensor unit;

(c) an inference engine coupled to said display unit and the at least one sensor for combining a plurality of said physiological parameter data to generate an indicator of the individual'"'"'s general health, not limited to a single physiological parameter, and transmit said indicator to the display unit; and

(d) a central monitoring unit remote from said display unit and adapted for receiving said indicator of the individual'"'"'s general health and physiological parameter data from said display unit;

wherein said display unit and said central monitoring unit are configured to display overall individual status using a trend bar representing the combined status of parameters and an icon representing a prediction of the future combined status of parameters.

19. A system for monitoring a physiological condition of an individual, comprising:

(a) at least one sensor for measuring at least one physiological parameter and providing data on said physiological parameter;

(b) a display unit coupled to the at least one sensor and configured for displaying in real-time the physiological parameter data provided by said sensor unit; and

(c) an inference engine coupled to said display unit and the at least one sensor for combining a plurality of said physiological parameter data to generate an indicator of the individual'"'"'s general health, not limited to a single physiological parameter, and transmit said indicator to the display unit; and

(d) a central monitoring unit remote from said display unit and adapted for receiving said indicator of the individual'"'"'s general health and physiological parameter data from said display unit.

20. A method for monitoring the physiological condition of an individual comprising the steps of:

(a) measuring at least one physiological parameter with a sensor unit;

(b) providing data on said physiological parameter;

(c) displaying in real-time the physiological parameter data provided by the sensor on a display unit;

(d) combining a plurality of said physiological parameter data to generate an indicator of the individual'"'"'s general health, not limited to a single parameter;

(e) transmitting said indicator to the display unit; and

(f) receiving said indicator of the individual'"'"'s general health and physiological parameter data from said display unit at a central monitoring station.