Telemetry System With out of Range Notification Features

• US 20080275307A1
• Filed: 01/28/2005
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Poschmann, Susanne M.
• Application Number:
  US10/597,567
• Publication Number:
  US 20080275307A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• 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 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1113 Local tracking of patients, e.g. in a hospital or private home
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1127 using markers
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0211 Combination with medical sensor, e.g. for measuring heart rate, temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/025 System arrangements wherein the alarm criteria uses absence of reply signal after an elapsed time
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/028 Communication between parent and child units via remote transmission means, e.g. satellite network
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons

Abstract

An apparatus and method for notifying users of a telemetry device as they move out of the coverage area are provided. As the user of the telemetry device has moved out of the coverage area, the device notifies the user after attempting to establish a connection with the network for a predetermined time period, by transmitting an audio signal and/or displaying a visual signal.

Claims

1. A telemetry apparatus for notifying a user of moving out of a coverage area, comprising:

means for establishing a connection with a network in communication with a central monitoring station; and

means for transmitting an audio signal as the user moves out of the coverage area of the network.

2. The telemetry apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for collecting patient data of the user.

3. The telemetry apparatus of claim 2, further comprising means for processing the patient data for a subsequent transmission to the central monitoring station.

4. The telemetry apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for displaying a visual signal as the user moves out of the coverage area of the network.

5. The telemetry apparatus of claim 4, wherein the visual signal is transmitted after a predetermined time period has expired.

6. The telemetry apparatus of claim 4, wherein the visual signal is transmitted after a predetermined number of attempts to reconnect to the network has failed.

7. The telemetry apparatus of claim 1, wherein the audio signal is transmitted after a predetermined time period has expired.

8. The telemetry apparatus of claim 1, wherein the audio signal is transmitted after a predetermined number of attempts to reconnect to the network has failed.

9. A system for notifying a user of moving out of a coverage area, comprising:

a central monitoring station wirelessly communicating with a plurality of telemetry devices for processing patient data;

wherein, said telemetry device includes;

means for establishing a connection with the central monitoring station; and

means for transmitting an audio or visual signal as the user moves out of the coverage area of the network.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising means for collecting the patient data of the user.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the audio or visual signal is transmitted after a predetermined time period has expired.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the audio or visual signal is transmitted after a predetermined number of attempts to reconnect to the network has failed.

13. A method for notifying a user of moving out of a coverage area, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a central monitoring station in communication with a plurality of telemetry devices in a network;

continuously collecting patient data from the respective telemetry devices to the central monitoring station;

detecting when at least one of the telemetry devices moves out of the coverage area of the network; and

,

transmitting an audio or visual signal when the user moves out of the coverage area of the network.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the detecting step further comprises the step of detecting whether at least one of the telemetry devices loses the connection with the central monitoring station for more than a predetermined time period.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the audio or visual signal is transmitted after a predetermined number of attempts to reconnect to the network has failed.

16. A device for wirelessly transmitting patient information to a central monitoring station comprising:

a sensory circuit for receiving patient data from a monitoring device;

a transmitter for transmitting the patient data to the central monitoring station, wherein the patient data from the monitoring device, to the sensory circuit, to the transmitter, to the central monitoring station defines a patient data transmission chain; and

a device for producing a signal when the patient data transmission chain is disrupted for a predetermined threshold.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the predetermined threshold is a predetermined time period.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the predetermined threshold is a predetermined number of attempts to reestablish the patient data transmission chain.

19. The device of claim 16, wherein the signal is audio, visual, or a combination thereof.

20. The device of claim 16, wherein the signal is transmitted to a separate device.