SYSTEM AND METHOD OF REDUCING RISK AND/OR SEVERITY OF PRESSURE ULCERS

• US 20100268122A1
• Filed: 04/15/2010
• Published: 10/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walgreen Health Solutions, LLC
• Original Assignee: Dm Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Southard, Daniel William, Drennan, Denis Burke
• Granted Patent: US 8,535,246 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/587
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/103 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for testing the shape, pattern, colour, size or movement of the body or parts thereof, for diagnostic purposes A61B5/08 takes precedence; measuring aids for tailors A41H1/00; measuring instruments specially adapted for dentistry A61C19/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/447 specially adapted for aiding the prevention of ulcer or pressure sore development, i.e. before the ulcer or sore has developed
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6892 Mats
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/34 for pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/057 Arrangements for preventing bed-sores or for supporting patients with burns, e.g. mattresses specially adapted therefor ventilation openings in mattresses A47C21/042; pneumatic or hydraulic mattresses A47C27/08

Abstract

A pressure monitoring method and system for warning a patient or caregiver that soft tissue pressure has exceeded some predetermined level that over time would necessitate moving the patient to minimize or prevent soft tissue damage. The method and system entail the use of a pressure-sensitive pad assembly adapted to be applied to a surface of the patient'"'"'s body and generate electrical outputs corresponding to soft tissue pressure sensed at the surface. The system monitors the electrical outputs over a preselected time period and generates a cumulative output signal based on the electrical outputs and corresponding to whether or not the soft tissue pressure has exceeded a predetermined pressure level during the preselected time period. The system generates audible and visual warnings if the cumulative output signal exceeds a predetermined cumulative threshold until the soft tissue pressure drops below the predetermined pressure level.

Claims

1. A pressure monitoring system for providing a warning to a patient or caregiver that the patient should be moved to at least minimize soft tissue damage to the patient, the system comprising:

a pressure-sensitive pad assembly adapted to be applied to a surface of the patient'"'"'s body that is susceptible to damage from soft tissue pressure, the pressure-sensitive pad assembly generating electrical outputs corresponding to soft tissue pressure sensed by the pressure-sensitive pad assembly at the surface of the patient'"'"'s body;

means for monitoring a plurality of the electrical outputs generated by the pressure-sensitive pad assembly over a preselected time period;

means for generating a cumulative output signal based on the plurality of the electrical outputs over the preselected time period and corresponding to whether the soft tissue pressure has exceeded a predetermined pressure level during the preselected time period and whether the soft tissue pressure has not exceeded the predetermined pressure level during the preselected time period; and

means for continuously generating a warning if the cumulative output signal exceeds a predetermined cumulative threshold until the soft tissue pressure sensed by the pressure-sensitive pad assembly drops below the predetermined pressure level.

2. The pressure monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the cumulative output signal generating means causes the cumulative output signal to increase in value if during the preselected time period the soft tissue pressure exceeds the predetermined pressure level.

3. The pressure monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the cumulative output signal generating means causes the cumulative output signal to decrease in value if during the preselected time period the soft tissue pressure does not exceed the predetermined pressure level.

4. The pressure monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the pressure-sensitive pad assembly is adapted to generate the electrical outputs only if the soft tissue pressure exceeds the predetermined pressure level.

5. The pressure monitoring system according to claim 4, wherein the pressure-sensitive pad assembly generates the electrical outputs at an identical output levels regardless of how much the soft tissue pressure exceeds the predetermined pressure level.

6. The pressure monitoring system according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined pressure level is within a range of about 4000 to about 4500 Pa.

7. The pressure monitoring system according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined pressure level is about 4000 Pa.

8. The pressure monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the pressure-sensitive pad assembly comprises an electrically-conductive dome and conductive traces that are electrically shorted by the dome if the predetermined pressure level is exceeded.

9. The pressure monitoring system according to claim 8, wherein the dome is adapted to collapse and electrically short the conductive traces if subjected to a collapsing force of at least forty grams.

10. The pressure monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the pressure-sensitive pad assembly is physically coupled to the monitoring means with an electrical connector and means for locking the electrical connector to the monitoring means.

11. The pressure monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the continuously-generated warning comprises an audible warning and a visual warning.

12. A pressure monitoring method using the pressure monitoring system according to claim 1 to warn the patient or the caregiver that the patient should be moved to at least minimize soft tissue damage to the patient, the method comprising:

monitoring the plurality of the electrical outputs generated by the pressure-sensitive pad assembly over the preselected time period; and

generating the warning if the cumulative output signal exceeds the predetermined cumulative threshold until the soft tissue pressure sensed by the pressure-sensitive pad assembly drops below the predetermined pressure level.

13. A method of monitoring pressure and providing a warning to a patient or caregiver that the patient should be moved to at least minimize soft tissue damage to the patient, the method comprising:

applying a pressure-sensitive pad assembly to a surface of the patient'"'"'s body that is susceptible to damage from soft tissue pressure, the pressure-sensitive pad assembly generating electrical outputs corresponding to soft tissue pressure sensed by the pressure-sensitive pad assembly at the surface of the patient'"'"'s body;

monitoring a plurality of the electrical outputs generated by the pressure-sensitive pad assembly over a preselected time period;

generating a cumulative output signal based on the plurality of the electrical outputs over the preselected time period and corresponding to whether the soft tissue pressure has exceeded a predetermined pressure level during the preselected time period and whether the soft tissue pressure has dropped below the predetermined pressure level during the preselected time period; and

continuously generating audible and visual warnings if the cumulative output signal exceeds a predetermined cumulative threshold until the soft tissue pressure sensed by the pressure-sensitive pad assembly drops below the predetermined pressure level.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the cumulative output signal increases in value if during the preselected time period the soft tissue pressure exceeds the predetermined pressure level.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the cumulative output signal decreases in value at a ratio less than 1:

1 relative to actual elapsed time if during the preselected time period the soft tissue pressure does not exceed the predetermined pressure level.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the electrical outputs of the pressure-sensitive pad assembly are produced only if the soft tissue pressure exceeds the predetermined pressure level.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the electrical outputs of the pressure-sensitive pad assembly are at an identical output level regardless of how much the soft tissue pressure exceeds the predetermined pressure level.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the predetermined pressure level is within a range of about 4000 to about 4500 Pa.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein the predetermined pressure level is about 4000 Pa.

20. The method according to claim 13, wherein the audible and visual warnings alert the patient to move in order to relieve the soft tissue pressure from the surface of the patient'"'"'s body.

21. The method according to claim 13, wherein the audible and visual warnings alert the caregiver to move the patient in order to relieve the soft tissue pressure from the surface of the patient'"'"'s body.