Physiological measurement communications adapter

• US 20070173701A1
• Filed: 05/03/2006
• Published: 07/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Masimo Corporation
• Original Assignee: Masimo Corporation
• Inventors: Al-Ali, Ammar
• Granted Patent: US 7,844,315 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0214 of power generation or supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/222 Electrical cables or leads therefor, e.g. coaxial cables or ribbon cables
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/227 Sensors with electrical connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0004 characterised by the type of physiological signal transmitted
• 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 5/0024 for multiple sensor units attached to the patient, e.g. using a body or personal area network
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0026 characterised by the transmission medium
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02427 Details of sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/30 Input circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/332 Portable devices specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6824 Arm or wrist
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6826 : Finger
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 : Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6838 : Clamps or clips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/72 : Signal processing specially adapted for physiological signals or for diagnostic purposes character recognition, recognising digital ink, document-oriented image-based pattern recognition G06V30/00; recognition or understanding of postal images G06V30/424
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7228 : Signal modulation applied to the input signal sent to patient or subject; demodulation to recover the physiological signal modulation H03C
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7271 : Specific aspects of physiological measurement analysis A61B5/316, A61B5/349 and A61B5/374 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 : using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7425 : Displaying combinations of multiple images regardless of image source, e.g. displaying a reference anatomical image with a live image geometric transforms for image registration G06T3/14; enhancement using image fusion G06T5/50; algorithms for registration of images G06T7/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7445 : Display arrangements, e.g. multiple display units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 : User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0453 : worn on the body to detect health condition by physiological monitoring, e.g. electrocardiogram, temperature, breathing detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 : Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/903 : Radio telemetry

Abstract

A sensor signal is input at a patient location and a physiological waveform responsive to the sensor signal is generated. The physiological waveform is wirelessly communicated from the patient location to a monitor location. The physiological waveform is adapted to a particular patient monitor at the monitor location. The adapted physiological waveform is output to a sensor port of the patient monitor. Accordingly, the patient monitor derives physiological measurements from the adapted physiological waveform that are generally equivalent to measurements derivable from the physiological waveform by a monitor compatible with the sensor signal.

Claims

1. A communications adapter configured to wirelessly communicate a physiological waveform from a patient site to a remote site and to adapt the physiological waveform to a particular patient monitor at the remote site, the communications adapter comprising:

a first processor configured to generate a physiological waveform responsive to a sensor signal received from a noninvasive sensor attached to a tissue portion of a patient;

a communications link configured to wirelessly transmit the physiological waveform from a first site proximate the patient and to receive the physiological waveform at a second site; and

a second processor that adapts the physiological waveform to a particular patient monitor at the second site so that the particular patient monitor derives physiological measurements from the adapted physiological waveform that are generally equivalent to measurements derivable from the physiological waveform by a monitor compatible with the noninvasive sensor.

2. The communications adapter according to claim 1 further comprising:

a physiological measurement made at the first site and transmitted to the second site; and

a characterization corresponding to the particular patient monitor that relates predetermined physiological waveform aspects to predetermined physiological measurement values,

wherein the physiological waveform is adapted to the particular patient monitor according to the physiological measurement and the characterization.

3. The communications adapter according to claim 2 further comprising:

a monitor module housing at least a portion of the communications link and the second processor, the monitor module configured to communicate with a sensor port of the monitor; and

a memory associated with the monitor module configured to store data corresponding to the characterization.

4. The communications adapter according to claim 2 further comprising:

a monitor module housing at least a portion of the communications link and the second processor;

a cable configured to provide wired communications between the monitor module and a sensor port of the patient monitor; and

a memory associated with the cable and configured to store data corresponding to the characterization.

5. The communications adapter according to claim 2 wherein a physiological measurement comprising at least one of oxygen saturation, blood pressure, EKG, respiration rate, body temperature and blood glucose can be derived from the adapted physiological waveform.

6. The communications adapter according to claim 2 wherein a plurality of physiological measurements comprising at least two of oxygen saturation, blood pressure, EKG, respiration rate, body temperature and blood glucose can be derived from the adapted physiological waveform.

7. The communications adapter according to claim 5 wherein the physiological measurement is oxygen saturation and the physiological waveform is a plethysmograph responsive to at least one of red and IR wavelengths emitted by the noninvasive sensor.

8. A physiological measurement method comprising:

inputting a sensor signal at a patient location;

generating a physiological waveform responsive to the sensor signal;

reducing the sample rate of the physiological waveform;

wirelessly communicating the reduced sample rate physiological waveform from the patient location to a monitor location;

adapting the reduced sample rate physiological waveform to a particular patient monitor at the monitor location; and

outputting the adapted physiological waveform to a sensor port of the patient monitor so that the patient monitor derives physiological measurements from the adapted physiological waveform that are generally equivalent to measurements derivable from the physiological waveform by a monitor compatible with the sensor signal.

9. The physiological measurement method according to claim 8 further comprising:

measuring a physiological parameter responsive to the sensor signal; and

wirelessly communicating the physiological parameter from the patient location to the monitor location.

10. The physiological measurement method according to claim 9 further comprising characterizing the particular patient monitor according to the physiological parameter and the adapted physiological waveform.

11. The physiological measurement method according to claim 10 wherein adapting comprises modifying the physiological waveform according to the physiological parameter and the characterization.

12. The physiological measurement method according to claim 11 wherein generating comprises deriving a plethysmograph responsive to at least one of an IR wavelength portion and a red wavelength portion of the sensor signal.

13. The physiological measurement method according to claim 12 wherein characterizing comprises storing a plurality of red/IR values and corresponding plurality of oxygen saturation values in a memory according to the particular patient monitor.

14. The physiological measurement method according to claim 13 wherein adapting comprises relatively scaling an IR plethysmograph corresponding to the IR wavelength sensor signal portion and a red plethysmograph corresponding to the red wavelength sensor signal portion.

15. The physiological measurement method according to claim 14 wherein outputting comprises communicating the scaled red and IR plethysmographs to the sensor port of the patient monitor.

16. A communications adapter comprising:

a sensor interface means for inputting a sensor signal from a noninvasive sensor attached to a patient tissue site;

a first processor means for generating a physiological waveform responsive to the sensor signal;

a wireless communications means for communicating the physiological waveform from a patient location to a monitor location;

a second processor means for adapting the physiological waveform to a particular monitor at the monitor location; and

a monitor interface means for outputting the adapted physiological waveform to a sensor port of the monitor.

17. The communications adapter according to claim 16 further comprising:

a characterization means for relating the adapted physiological waveform and physiological parameter measurements according to the particular monitor.

18. The communications adapter according to claim 17 further comprising a third processor means for reducing the sampling rate of the physiological waveform prior to the wireless communications of the physiological waveform to the monitor location.