THREE-DIMENSIONAL WAVEFORM DISPLAY FOR A BREATHING ASSISTANCE SYSTEM

• US 20100282259A1
• Filed: 07/23/2010
• Published: 11/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Nellcor Puritan Bennett Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Davis, Michael K., Upham, Gail Frances, Seetharaman, Mahesh K., Figueiredo, David Luis
• Granted Patent: US 8,453,645 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/204.23
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/024 including calculation means, e.g. using a processor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/505 Touch-screens; Virtual keyboard or keypads; Virtual buttons; Soft keys; Mouse touches
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

An apparatus configured to display a three-dimensional representation of a waveform for a breathing assistance system may include a processor and a display device. The processor may be configured to receive signals from one or more sensors over a plurality of time periods and generate multiple instances of a waveform based on the received signals, each instance corresponding to one of the plurality of time periods. The display device may be configured to cooperate with the processor to display a graphical three-dimensional representation of the waveform over time. The three-dimensional representation may include graphical representations of the multiple instances of the waveform displayed simultaneously.

Claims

1-26. -26. (canceled)

27. A system for displaying respiratory data, comprising:

a processor that generates multiple instances of a two-dimensional waveform based on respiratory data obtained from a patient, each instance representing one or more of a plurality of breaths of the patient; and

a display device that displays graphical representations of the multiple instances of the two-dimensional waveform, the multiple instances of the two-dimensional waveform being simultaneously displayed and graphically offset from each other to create a three-dimensional representation of the multiple waveform instances over time.

28. A system according to claim 27, wherein each instance of the two-dimensional waveform indicates at least one characteristic of gas delivered by a breathing assistance apparatus.

29. A system according to claim 27, wherein the three-dimensional representation provides a graphical indication of changes in the two-dimensional waveform over time.

30. A system according to claim 27, wherein each instance of the two-dimensional waveform corresponds to one breath.

31. A system according to claim 27, further comprising a user interface allowing a user to select the number of instances of the waveform to include in the three-dimensional representation of the waveform.

32. A system according to claim 27, wherein:

each instance of the two-dimensional waveform corresponds to a breath, each breath including an inspiratory phase and an expiratory phase, each instance of the two-dimensional waveform including an inspiratory portion corresponding to the inspiratory phase of the breath and an expiratory portion corresponding to the expiratory phase of the breath; and

for at least one displayed instance of the two-dimensional waveform, the inspiratory portion is displayed using a different display characteristic than expiratory portion such that the inspiratory portion is visually distinct from the expiratory portion.

33. A system according to claim 27, wherein the three-dimensional representation of the waveform is automatically updated such that newer instances of the two-dimensional waveform replace older instances of the two-dimensional waveform in the three-dimensional representation.

34. A system according to claim 27, wherein the respiratory data are obtained from the patient via at least one breathing assistance apparatus.

35. A system according to claim 34, wherein the display device is remote from breathing assistance apparatus.

36. A system according to claim 34, wherein the processor is remote from breathing assistance apparatus.

37. A system according to claim 27, wherein the respiratory data are stored in memory accessible to the processor.

38. A medical ventilator comprising:

a display device configured to display a graphical three-dimensional representation of multiple instances of two-dimensional waveforms, wherein the multiple instances of the two-dimensional waveform are generated based on signals from one or more sensors over a plurality of breaths, each instance corresponding to one of the plurality of breaths.

39. A medical ventilator of claim 38, wherein at least one of the one or more sensors is a sensor in the ventilator.

40. A medical ventilator of claim 38, wherein at least one of the one or more sensors is a sensor remote from the ventilator and wherein the signal from the at least one remote sensor is transmitted to the ventilator.

41. A medical ventilator of claim 38, wherein at least one of the one or more sensors is selected from a pressure sensor, a flow meter, a transducer, an oxygen sensor, a CO2 sensor, a nitrogen sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor and a valve position sensor.

42. A medical device comprising:

a processor;

one or more sensors; and

means for displaying a graphical three-dimensional representation of multiple instances of two-dimensional waveforms, wherein the multiple instances of the two-dimensional waveform are generated based on signals from the one or more sensors over a plurality of breaths of a patient, each instance corresponding to one of the plurality of breaths.