Method for establishing a telecommunications system for patient monitoring

• US 20090105566A1
• Filed: 10/19/2007
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smiths Medical ASD, Inc. (Smiths Group International Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Smiths Medical MD Incorporated
• Inventors: Ellis, Matthew E., Oswald, Matthew T., Smith, Guy A., Brown, Matthew L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,949,641 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/323
• 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 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0211 Combination with medical sensor, e.g. for measuring heart rate, temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A wireless network having an architecture that resembles a peer-to-peer network has two types of nodes, a first sender type node and a second receiver/relay type node. The network may be used in a medical instrumentation environment whereby the first type node may be wireless devices that could monitor physical parameters of a patient such as for example wireless oximeters. The second type node are mobile wireless communicators that are adapted to receive the data from the wireless devices if they are within the transmission range of the wireless devices. After an aggregation process involving the received data, each of the node communicators broadcasts or disseminates its most up to date data onto the network. Any other relay communicator node in the network that is within the broadcast range of a broadcasting communicator node would receive the up to date data. This makes it possible for communicators that are out of the transmitting range of a wireless device to be apprized of the condition of the patient being monitored by the wireless device. Each communicator in the network is capable of receiving and displaying data from a plurality of wireless devices.

Claims

1. A method of disseminating information relating to physical attributes of patients, comprising the steps of:

a) associating with a patient at least one patient monitoring device having sensor means working cooperatively with at least a transmitter;

b) detecting at least one physical attribute from the patient using the sensor means;

c) transmitting patient data corresponding to the one detected physical attribute out to a device transmission area;

d) providing a plurality of communicators each having a transceiver adapted to receive data transmitted from said patient monitoring device and to broadcast data out to a communicator transceiver area;

e) locating one of said plurality of communicators within the device transmission area of said one patient monitoring device to receive the patient data; and

f) broadcasting from said one communicator the received patient data to its communicator transceiver area so that other communicators that are not located within the device transmission area but are located within the transceiver area of said one communicator are able to receive the patient data transmitted from said one patient monitoring device.

2. Method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

broadcasting the patient data transmitted by said one patient monitoring device from each of the communicators that has received said patient data so that said patient data is propagated to all communicators that are interconnected to some other communicator that is either in direct communications link with said one patient monitoring device, or is in indirect communications link with said one patient monitoring device.

3. Method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

providing a memory in each of said communicators;

storing in the memory in each of said communicators the patient data said each communicator has received; and

updating the patient data stored the memory of said each communicator with patient data said each communicator has most recently received provided that the most recently received patient data is more up to date than the patient data, if any, already stored in the memory of said each communicator.

4. Method of claim 1, wherein said patient monitoring device comprises an oximeter having a transceiver including said transmitter;

and wherein said step (a) comprises the patient wearing the oximeter.

5. Method of claim 1, wherein each of said communicators comprises an oximeter having a radio transceiver adapted to both receive and transmit signals within its transceiving area, said each communicator including at least one memory for storing the patient data;

and wherein said step (e) comprises moving said one communicator from outside to within the device transmission area.

6. Method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

assigning to said one patient monitoring device and each of said plurality of communicators respective synchronized time slots for reception and transmission operations so that time scheduled communications without interference are effected among said patient monitoring device and the plurality of communicators.

7. A method for communicating information relating to physical attributes of patients, comprising:

a) providing multiple patient monitoring devices each having sensor means for detecting at least one physical attribute from a patient and a transmitter for transmitting the detected physical attribute;

b) associating the multiple patient monitoring devices with corresponding patients;

c) providing a plurality of communicators each having a transceiver adapted to receive patient data transmitted from any of the patient monitoring devices and to communicate with other communicators;

d) locating any one of said communicators to the transmission area of one of said patient monitoring devices being used to detect the physical attribute of its associated patient;

e) effecting said one communicator to receive the transmitted patient data from said one patient monitoring device; and

f) effecting said one communicator to broadcast the received patient data out to its communicator transceiving area.

8. Method of claim 7, further comprising the step of:

effecting other communicators located within the communicator transceiving area of said one communicator to receive the patient data broadcasted by said one communicator and to thereafter broadcast the received patient data out to their respective transceiving areas.

9. Method of claim 7, further comprising the step of:

sending the patient data of the patient associated with said one patient monitoring device to a remote communicator that is located out of the range of the device transmission area of said one patient monitoring device by ensuring that said remote communicator is within the transceiving area of a given communicator located within the device transmission area of said one patient monitoring device and is in receipt of the patient data from said any one patient monitoring device, or is telecommunicatively linked to said given communicator indirectly via at least an other communicator so that a telecommunications path is established between said given communicator and said remote communicator.

10. Method of claim 7, further comprising the step of:

updating the patient data, if any, stored in said one communicator with the received patient data, provided that the received patient data is more up to date than the previously stored patient data; and

broadcasting the updated patient data to its transceiving area.

11. Method of claim 7, wherein each of said multiple patient monitoring devices comprises an oximeter having a transceiver including said transmitter;

and wherein said step (a) comprises said each oximeter being worn by its associated patient.

12. Method of claim 7, wherein each of said communicators comprises an oximeter having a transceiver adapted to both receive and transmit signals within its transceiving area, said each communicator including a memory for storing the patient data;

further comprising the steps of;

storing patient data in the memory of said one communicator;

updating the stored patient data with the received patient data; and

storing the updated patient data in the memory.

13. Method of claim 7, further comprising the step of:

time synchronizing each of said multiple patient monitoring devices and each of said plurality of communicators with a communications schedule for the transmission, reception and/or broadcasting of signals and/or data.

14. A method for disseminating information relating to physical attributes of patients remotely, comprising:

a) associating with a patient at least one oximeter having sensor means for detecting at least SPO2 of the patient, said oximeter including a transceiver to at least transmit patient data corresponding to the detected SPO2 away from said device;

b) providing a plurality of communicators, each of said communicators having a transceiver adapted to receive data transmitted from said patient oximeter when located within the transmission range of said patient oximeter, said each communicator further adapted to communicate with other communicators;

c) locating one of said communicators within the transmission range of said patient oximeter so that said one communicator receives the patient data from said patient oximeter; and

d) broadcasting from said one communicator the received patient data to other communicators that are located within the transmission range of said one communicator.

15. Method of claim 14, wherein each of said communicators comprises an oximeter having means to display at least the received patient data, the method further comprising the step of:

displaying the received patient data at said each communicator.

16. Method of claim 14, wherein each of said communicators comprises a memory for storing patient data, the method further comprising the step of:

updating the patient data relating to the patient stored in the memory when new patient data of the patient is received.

17. Method of claim 14, further comprising the step of:

locating another communicator out of the transmission range of said patient oximeter to within the broadcast range of said one communicator so that said another communicator is able to receive the patient data broadcast by said one communicator.

18. Method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

assigning said patient oximeter and the plurality of communicators respective synchronized time slots for the reception, transmission and/or broadcasting of signals and/or data therefor; and

effecting time scheduled communications among said patient oximeter and the plurality of communicators per the synchronized time slots.

19. Method of claim 14, wherein said step c comprises the step of:

maintaining said communicator at a fixed location relative to the patient.

20. Method of claim 14, wherein said step a comprises the step of:

attaching said oximeter to the patient.