Method and system for powering a patient monitoring system

• US 20070176493A1
• Filed: 09/22/2005
• Published: 08/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Gray, James, Schieble, David, Koski, Roy, Clapp, Alan, Lindquist, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,638,897 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/11
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/001 Hot plugging or unplugging of load or power modules to or from power distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/10 Parallel operation of dc sources
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0024 Parallel/serial switching of connection of batteries to charge or load circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0063 with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery

Abstract

The present invention is a method and system for powering a patient monitoring system. The present invention is a modular patient monitoring system utilizing a bi-directional power bus to efficiently couple a multi-parameter acquisition device, a display and any number of expansion modules. Each coupled device includes a battery, enabling each device to send or receive power through the bi-directional bus. The method and system of the present invention utilizes power from any single battery or from any number of the batteries in the system, as charge is not transferred from one battery to another. The present invention allows for the batteries to charge when it is operated from AC mains derived power.

Claims

1. A system for powering a modular patient monitoring system during transport, the system comprising:

a) a display;

b) an acquisition module;

c) a bi-directional power bus, wherein the bi-directional power bus is configured to couple the display and the acquisition module, and further wherein the bi-directional power bus is configured to transfer power bi-directionally between the display and the acquisition module; and

d) a plurality of batteries, wherein the plurality of batteries are configured in each of the display and the acquisition module, and further wherein the system is powered by all of the plurality of batteries having a highest voltage level.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one expansion module coupled to the acquisition module through the bi-directional power bus, wherein the expansion module includes one of the plurality of batteries.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the expansion module is a physiological module.

4. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the expansion module is a power module.

5. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the bi-directional power bus is configured to transfer power bi-directionally between the acquisition module, the expansion module, and the display.

6. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the acquisition module, the at least one expansion module and the display remain powered when the display is disconnected from the acquisition module.

7. The system as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a wireless option wherein when the display is disconnected from the acquisition module and the wireless option is enabled, a patient monitoring will continue until the plurality of batteries are discharged.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an AC power supply coupled to the system, wherein the AC power supply is configured to inherently or automatically power the system, and further wherein the AC power supply is configured to recharge the plurality of batteries.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the system is initially powered, the acquisition module remotely turns on the display and vice-versa.

10. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the acquisition module can remotely enable the at least one expansion module between a stand by mode, a normal mode and off.

11. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein each of the display, the acquisition module and the at least one expansion module monitors its own local powerbus and issues a system powerdown.

12. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of batteries are charged in one of in parallel or in a controlled sequential manner to provide charge balancing.

13. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein each of the display, the acquisition module and the at least one expansion module is configured to isolate its battery from a charger to minimize in-rush and leakage currents.

14. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein when any of the display, the acquisition module and the at least one expansion module are connected to an unpowered device, the unpowered device will automatically be turned on.

15. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the acquisition module and the display have a Power On function, a Power Off function and a Standby function, each of the said functions being able to be implemented in any combination of hardware, software, local, and remote.

16. A method of powering a modular patient monitoring system during transport, the method comprising:

a) coupling a display and an acquisition module with a bi-directional powerbus;

b) configuring a plurality of batteries in each of the display and the acquisition module; and

c) transferring power bi-directionally between the display and the acquisition module,

wherein the system is powered by all of the plurality of batteries having a highest voltage level.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising coupling at least one expansion module to the acquisition module through the bi-directional powerbus.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the expansion module is a physiological module.

19. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the expansion module is a power module.

20. The method as claimed in claim 17, further comprising transferring power bi-directionally between the acquisition module and the expansion module.

21. The method as claimed in claim 17 wherein the acquisition module, the at least one expansion module and the display remain powered when the display is disconnected from the acquisition module.

22. The method as claimed in claim 21, further comprising enabling a wireless option, wherein when the display is disconnected from the acquisition module, patient monitoring will continue until the plurality of batteries are discharged.

23. The method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising automatically powering the system with an AC power supply, wherein the AC power supply is configured to recharge the plurality of batteries.

24. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein when the system is initially powered, the acquisition module remotely turns on the display and vice-versa.