CONFIGURABLE HEALTH-CARE EQUIPMENT APPARATUS

• US 20110022748A1
• Filed: 07/23/2010
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Inventors: Salvati, Jon R., Wood, Robert J., Wawro, Thaddeus J., Edwards, Ian K., Lia, Raymond A., Vivenzio, Robert L., Martin, Scott A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,214,566 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/63
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00105 characterised by modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00148 using anchoring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/227 for ears, i.e. otoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/267 for the respiratory tract, e.g. laryngoscopes, bronchoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0431 Portable apparatus, e.g. comprising a handle or case
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0437 Trolley or cart-type apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0443 Modular apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0456 Apparatus provided with a docking unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0462 Apparatus with built-in sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/1208 Multiple lens hand-held instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/18 Arrangement of plural eye-testing or -examining apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/00 Measuring for diagnostic purposes radiation diagnosis A61B6/00; diagnosis by ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves A61B8/00; Identification of persons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02141 Details of apparatus construction, e.g. pump units or housings therefor, cuff pressurising systems, arrangements of fluid conduits or circuits A61B5/02233, A61B5/0235 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/022 by applying pressure to close blood vessels, e.g. against the skin; Ophthalmodynamometers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/12 Audiometering
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6891 : Furniture
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/10 : Furniture specially adapted for surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/13 : Trolleys, e.g. carts
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/20 : Clinical contact thermometers for use with humans or animals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 : for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/409 : Mechanical coupling back panels H05K7/1438
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4221 : being an input/output bus, e.g. ISA bus, EISA bus, PCI bus, SCSI bus

Abstract

An apparatus, system and method for providing health-care equipment in a plurality of customizable configurations. A configuration includes a selection and arrangement of health-care equipment modules that each provide specialized support for the provision of health care, including the measurement of physiological parameters. Various types of configurations include those adapted to be mounted upon a desk top or a wall surface, or adapted for wheel mounting or hand-carriable mobile configurations.

Claims

1. A frame for integrating a plurality of health-care equipment modules, the frame comprising:

a supporting structure providing a mechanical interface for supporting each of a plurality of modules at one time, each of the plurality of modules including an embedded component; and

an electrical interface providing a data transfer mechanism between a computing component and the embedded component,

wherein the computing component is configured for providing a software interface enabling a software connection between the computing component and the embedded component, the software interface configured to establish interoperation between the computing component and the embedded component, and

wherein at least one of electrical power and data is configured to be transferred between the computing component and the embedded component via at least one of the electrical interface and the software interface.

2. The frame of claim 1 wherein the data transfer mechanism includes a universal serial bus (USB), a universal serial bus (USB) host and a universal serial bus (USB) hub, and a universal serial bus (USB) module end-point connection.

3. The frame of claim 1 wherein the module is configured to input information from a sensory device.

4. The frame of claim 3 wherein the sensory device is configured for measurement of a physiological parameter.

5. The frame of claim 3 wherein the sensory device is a hand-held device.

6. The frame of claim 5 wherein the hand-held device is a medical diagnostic instrument.

7. The frame of claim 2, wherein the universal serial bus (USB) module end-point connection is for connection to the embedded component.

8. The frame of claim 7 wherein a universal serial bus (USB) cable provides the universal serial bus (USB) module end point connection, the universal serial bus (USB) cables having a first end electrically attached to the universal serial bus (USB) host via the universal serial bus (USB) hub and a second end electrically attached to the universal serial bus (USB) module end-point connection.

9. The frame of claim 2 wherein the universal serial bus (USB) module end-point connection supplies voltage within universal serial bus (USB) standards while supplying current substantially in excess of universal serial bus (USB) standards.

10. The frame of claim 2 wherein the computing component is electrically attached to a non-module universal serial bus (USB) hub connection accessible from an exterior of the frame and from an exterior of a module mechanically attached to the frame via the supporting structure.

11. The frame of claim 10 wherein the non-module universal serial bus (USB) hub connection supplies voltage and current within universal serial bus (USB) standards and wherein the universal serial bus (USB) module end-point connection supplies voltage within universal serial bus (USB) standards while simultaneously supplying current substantially in excess of universal serial bus (USB) standards.

12. The frame of claim 11 wherein the computing component transmits a command at least through one of a non-module universal serial bus (USB) host to an external component or the universal serial bus (USB) to the embedded component, to transition to a sleep mode.

13. The frame of claim 11 wherein the universal serial bus (USB) module end-point connection supplies voltage at about 4.75 volts to about 5.25 volts and supplies current at about 0.1 amperes to about 1.5 amperes.

14. The frame of claim 2 wherein the software interface executes a protocol communicating at least one of a vendor-identification value and product-identification value from the embedded component to the computing component via the universal serial bus (USB) module end point connection.

15. The frame of claim 2 wherein the computing component and the universal serial bus (USB) end-point module connection is isolated via a five-volt to five-volt isolation transformer.

16. The frame of claim 1 wherein the frame is further configured to be one of a desktop configuration, a wall configuration, a mobile configuration, a hand-carriable configuration, or a bed configuration.

17. The frame of claim 16 wherein each of the desktop configuration, the wall configuration, the mobile configuration, the hand-carriable configuration, and the bed configuration interoperate with equipment modules without modification to the mechanical interface, the electrical interface, or the software interface of the module.

18. The frame of claim 16 wherein the module is configured to be attached and detached from any one of the desktop configuration, the wall configuration, the mobile configuration, the hand-carriable configuration, and the bed configuration.

19. The frame of claim 1 further comprising an enclosure for the module, the enclosure having a discrete width corresponding to an integer number of multiple units of width, the discrete width corresponding to a width of the module.

20. The frame of claim 1 wherein the module is configured as a docking station for a hand-held device.

21. The frame of claim 20 wherein the module is a docking station for at least one of an otoscope, an ophthalmoscope, a rhinoscope, a laryngnoscope, an anoscope, a audiometer, a tympanometric instrument, a thermometer, and a vaginoscope.

22. The frame of claim 1 wherein the module is at least one of a blood pressure measuring module and a pulse oximetry measurement module.

23. The frame of claim 1 wherein the electrical interface is provided as a feature of a commercially available computer, whereby the computer can function as the computing component.

24. A module, the module comprising:

an enclosure including an interior cavity, an embedded component disposed therein, and a mechanical interface enabling attachment relative to a supporting structure,

wherein the interior cavity is dimensioned to surround the embedded component,

wherein the embedded component is configured for electrical interoperation with a computing component located external to the enclosure,

wherein the enclosure includes a data connection providing an electrical interface enabling an electrical attachment between the computing component and the embedded component,

wherein the embedded component being configured for software interoperation with the computing component, and

wherein the embedded component includes software providing a software interface enabling a software connection between the computing component and the embedded component; and

at least one of electrical power and data configured to be transferred between the computing component and the embedded component via at least one of the electrical interface and the software interface.

25. A method for providing health-care equipment in a plurality of customizable configurations, including the steps of:

providing at least one enclosure including an embedded component configured for measurement of a physiological parameter, the enclosure including a mechanical interface and including an electrical interface,

providing a supporting structure providing physical support for the at least one enclosure via the mechanical interface, and

providing a computing component configured for providing a software interface enabling a software connection between the computing component and the embedded component, the software interface configured to establish interoperation between the computing component and the embedded component via the electrical interface,

wherein at least one of electrical power and data is configured to be transferred between the computing component and the embedded component via at least one of the electrical interface and the software interface, and

wherein the supporting structure is configured to be incorporated into a desktop configuration, a wall configuration, a mobile configuration, a hand-carriable configuration, or a bed configuration.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the electrical interface is provided as a standard feature of a commercially available computer and wherein the computer functions as the computing component.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein the software interface establishes interoperation upon successful execution of a protocol communicating at least one of a vendor-identification value and product-identification value from the embedded component to the computing component.