SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SELECTING PARAMETERS USED IN A PORTABLE PATIENT MONITOR

• US 20110047298A1
• Filed: 08/21/2009
• Published: 02/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co., Ltd. (Excelsior Union Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Mindray DS USA Incorporated (Excelsior Union Ltd.)
• Inventors: Balji, Jack, Eaton, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 8,266,349 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/8
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0456 Apparatus provided with a docking unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

A patient monitoring system includes a patient monitor and a plurality of docking stations. Each docking station is associated with a set of patient monitor configurations. Interfacing the patient monitor with a particular docking station allows a user to select one or more of the set of patient monitor configurations associated with the particular docking station for use in the patient monitor.

Claims

1. A patient monitor system, comprising:

a plurality of docking stations, each docking station associated with a respective patient monitoring location;

a portable patient monitor configured to be selectively coupled with and selectively decoupled from the respective docking stations as a user transports the patient monitor among the patient monitoring locations, the patient monitor comprising;

a patient data acquisition unit for receiving patient data signals from one or more sensors attached to a patient; and

a processor for processing the patient data signals, the processor configured to;

detect a coupling of the patient monitor to a first docking station of the plurality of docking stations, the first docking station being associated with a first patient monitor location;

in response to a predetermined condition, prompt the user to select one or more first default configuration settings associated with the first patient monitor location; and

in response to a user selection, load the selected one or more first default configuration settings into the patient monitor.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined condition comprises a determination by the processor that the first patient monitor location is a non-transient hospital ward.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to:

detect a coupling of the patient monitor to a second docking station of the plurality of docking stations, the second docking station being associated with a second patient monitor location;

determine that the second patient monitor location is a transient location; and

in response to the determination of the transient location, maintain a current set of configuration settings in disregard to one or more second default settings, if any, associated with the second patient monitor location.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined condition comprises a determination by the processor that a current set of configuration settings is different than the one or more first default configuration settings.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined condition comprises a determination by the processor that the one or more first default configuration settings are optional settings.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined condition comprises a determination by the processor that the patient monitor includes an unprotected setting that conflicts with the one or more first default settings.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first docking station comprises:

a power interface to provide power to the patient monitor while coupled thereto; and

a memory device for storing the one or more first default configuration settings corresponding to the first patient monitoring location.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to load the selected one or more first default configuration settings into the patient monitor directly from the memory device in the first docking station.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first docking station comprises:

a power interface to provide power to the patient monitor while coupled thereto; and

a network interface to provide communication between the patient monitor and a network server.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to:

upon detection of the coupling of the patient monitor to the first docking station, determine a unique identification number associated with the first docking station;

communicate the unique identification number to the network server through the network interface; and

receive the one or more first default configuration settings from the network server through the network interface.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the unique identification number is stored in a memory device within the first docking station.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the unique identification number is a media access control (MAC) address associated with network interface.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the patient monitor receives the unique identification number from the first docking station through a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to prompt the user by allowing the user to selectively choose any number of the one or more first default configuration settings for loading into the patient monitor.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the patient monitor further comprises a user control for associating a current set of configuration settings with a coupled docking station.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein a user selection of the user control stores the current set of configuration settings into a memory device within the coupled docking station.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein a user selection of the user control stores the current set of configuration settings in a network server and associates the coupled docking station with the stored settings.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein at least one setting in the current set of configuration settings is protected such that a sufficient authorization level is required to change or ignore the protected setting.

19. A method for use by a patient monitor system including a portable patient monitor and a plurality of docking stations, the method comprising:

associating each of the plurality of docking stations with a respective patient monitoring location;

receiving patient data signals into the patient monitor from one or more sensors attached to a patient;

processing the patient data signals for display on the patient monitor;

detecting a coupling of the patient monitor to a first docking station of the plurality of docking stations, the first docking station being associated with a first patient monitor location;

in response to a predetermined condition, prompting the user to select one or more first default configuration settings associated with the first patient monitor location; and

in response to a user selection, loading the selected one or more first default configuration settings into the patient monitor.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the predetermined condition comprises determining that the first patient monitor location is a non-transient hospital ward.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

detecting a coupling of the patient monitor to a second docking station of the plurality of docking stations, the second docking station being associated with a second patient monitor location;

determining that the second patient monitor location is a transient location; and

in response to the determination of the transient location, maintaining a current set of configuration settings in disregard to one or more second default settings, if any, associated with the second patient monitor location.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the predetermined condition comprises determining that a current set of configuration settings is different than the one or more first default configuration settings.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the predetermined condition comprises determining that the one or more first default configuration settings are optional settings.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the predetermined condition comprises determining that the patient monitor includes an unprotected setting that conflicts with the one or more first default settings.

25. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

provide power from the first docking station to the patient monitor while coupled thereto; and

storing, in the first docking station, the one or more first default configuration settings corresponding to the first patient monitoring location.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising loading the selected one or more first default configuration settings into the patient monitor directly from a memory device in the first docking station.

27. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

upon detection of the coupling of the patient monitor to the first docking station, determining a unique identification number associated with the first docking station;

communicating the unique identification number to a network server through a network interface in the first docking station; and

receiving the one or more first default configuration settings from the network server through the network interface.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the unique identification number is stored in a memory device within the first docking station.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the unique identification number is a media access control (MAC) address associated with network interface.

30. The method of claim 27, further comprising receiving the unique identification number at the patient monitor from the first docking station through a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.

31. The method of claim 19, further comprising prompting the user by allowing the user to selectively choose any number of the one or more first default configuration settings for loading into the patient monitor.

32. A patient monitor system including a portable patient monitor and a plurality of docking stations, the system comprising:

means for associating each of the plurality of docking stations with a respective patient monitoring location;

means for receiving patient data signals into the patient monitor from one or more sensors attached to a patient;

means for processing the patient data signals for display on the patient monitor;

means for detecting a coupling of the patient monitor to a first docking station of the plurality of docking stations, the first docking station being associated with a first patient monitor location;

means for prompting, in response to a predetermined condition, the user to select one or more first default configuration settings associated with the first patient monitor location; and

means for loading, in response to a user selection, the selected one or more first default configuration settings into the patient monitor.