METHOD OF INTERFACING A DETACHABLE DISPLAY SYSTEM TO A BASE UNIT FOR USE IN MRI

• US 20100036236A1
• Filed: 05/10/2007
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Invivo Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Harwell, Robert A., Fisher, Stephen Douglas, Kilden-Pedersen, Jorgen, Van Arsdel, Kenneth, Weeks, Arthur R. JR.
• Granted Patent: US 8,121,667 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/411
• 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 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• 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 5/7203 for noise prevention, reduction or removal
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3718 Monitoring of or protection against external electromagnetic fields or currents
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/28 Details of apparatus provided for in groups G01R33/44 - G01R33/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/23 The load being a medical device, a medical implant, or a life supporting device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices

Abstract

A base unit operable with a wireless patient monitoring unit used to acquire physiological data during an MRI examination is constructed to have a detachable display unit. The detachable display unit wirelessly communicates with the base unit when in a roving mode. The detachable display unit may also have a magnetically-hardened power supply that does not saturate during an MRI examination. Such a magnetically-hardened power supply allows the display unit to operate when proximate or in the magnetic field generated by an MRI machine during an MRI examination.

Claims

1. A base station for an MRI compatible patient monitor device, the base station positionable outside the bore of the magnet during an MRI examination and comprising:

a monitor unit configured to receive wireless transmissions of data from a patient sensor that acquires physiological signals from a patient; and

a display unit positionable remotely from the monitor unit and capable of wireless communication with the monitor unit to display information associated with the data received from the patient sensor by the monitor unit.

2. The base station of claim 1 wherein the monitor unit is configured to receive the wireless transmissions of data from the patient sensor on radio waves implementing a first channel and is further configured to transmit data to the display unit on radio waves implementing a second channel different from the first channel.

3. The base station of claim 1 further comprising a stanchion, and wherein the display unit may be mounted to the stanchion when desired.

4. The base station of claim 3 wherein the stanchion has a hot shoe and the display unit has a hot shoe socket configured to interface with the hot shoe when the display unit is mounted to the stanchion

5. The base station of claim 4 wherein the hot shoe comprises a first set of contacts and the hot shoe socket comprises a second set of contacts, and wherein the sets of contacts facilitate the transference of power from the stanchion to the display unit when the display unit is mounted to the stanchion.

6. The base station of claim 5 wherein the display unit comprises a rechargeable battery that provides power to the display unit when the display unit is remote from the stanchion, and wherein the stanchion provides charging current to the rechargeable battery when the display unit is mounted to the stanchion.

7. The base station of claim 6 wherein the display unit further comprises a magnetically hardened power supply to manage the rechargeable battery and that is operative, without saturation, during an MRI examination.

8. The base station of claim 7 wherein the magnetically hardened power supply is operative, without saturation, in high-flux magnetic fields up to approximately 15,000 Gauss.

9. The base station of claim 4 wherein the hot shoe includes a first data connector and the hot shoe socket includes a second data connector, and wherein the monitor unit transmits data to the display unit through the data connector when the display unit is mounted to the stanchion.

10. The base station of claim 9 wherein the monitor unit is further configured to automatically suspend wireless transmission of data to the display unit when the display unit is connected to the stanchion.

11. A base station for an MRI compatible patient monitor device, the base station positionable outside the bore of the magnet during and MRI examination and comprising:

a dock;

a monitor unit connected to the dock and configured to receive physiological information from a patient during an MRI examination; and

a display unit connectable to the dock when desired and configured to wirelessly receive data from the monitor unit during the MRI examination when remote from the dock.

12. The base station of claim 11 wherein the dock includes a first data connector and the display unit includes a second data connector configured to connect to the first data connector when the display unit is connected to the dock.

13. The base station of claim 12 wherein the monitor unit is configured to automatically suspend wireless transmission of data to the display unit when the display unit is connected to the dock.

14. The base station of claim 11 wherein the dock includes a hot shoe and the display unit includes a hot shoe socket configured to receive the hot shoe when the display unit is connected to the dock.

15. The base station of claim 14 wherein the hot shoe includes a first set of electrical contacts and the hot shoe socket includes a second set of electrical contacts, and wherein the sets of electrical contacts facilitate power transfer from the dock to the display unit when the display unit is connected to the dock.

16. The base station of claim 14 wherein the hot shoe includes a switch operator that is depressed by the hot shoe socket when the hot shoe socket is engaged with the hot shoe, and wherein the switch operator, when depressed, closes a switch to allow power delivery from the dock to the display unit.

17. The base station of claim 11 wherein the display unit further comprises a magnetically hardened power supply that is operative, without saturation, during an MRI examination.

18. The base station of claim 17 wherein the magnetically hardened power supply is operative, without saturation, in high-flux magnetic fields up to approximately 15,000 Gauss.

19. A display unit operable to display information acquired from a patient during an MRI examination, comprising:

a display unit housing enclosing electronic components and having a quick-connect connector for repeated connection to and disconnection from a dock;

a screen configured to graphically display data associated with information received from a patient during an MRI examination;

a battery; and

a magnetically-hardened power supply that manages the battery to deliver power to the electronic components when the display unit is detached from the dock, and wherein the magnetically-hardened power supply is operative, without saturation, during an MRI examination.

20. The display unit of claim 19 wherein the electronic components include a receiver for wirelessly receiving data associated with the information received from the patient during the MRI examination, wherein the data is wirelessly received from a remote transmitter.

21. The display unit of claim 19 further comprising a set of electrical contacts that mate with corresponding electrical contacts of a dock when the display unit housing is connected to the dock, the electrical contacts designed to facilitate the transfer of power from the dock to the at least one of the electronic components and the battery.

22. The display unit of claim 21 wherein the battery is a rechargeable battery.