CABLES FOR PATIENT MONITORING AND RELATED SYSTEMS WITH INTEGRATED FRONT END

• US 20110152628A1
• Filed: 12/22/2009
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2009
• 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, Rajagopalan, Cadathur
• Granted Patent: US 8,797,714 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/222 Electrical cables or leads therefor, e.g. coaxial cables or ribbon cables
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/227 Sensors with electrical connectors
• 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: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• 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 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02152 specially adapted for venous pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/031 Intracranial pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7225 Details of analog processing, e.g. isolation amplifier, gain or sensitivity adjustment, filtering, baseline or drift compensation A61B5/30, A61B5/316 take precedence; transformers for specific applications H01F38/00; amplifiers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence

Abstract

Patient monitoring systems can include a system for transmitting information from a patient parameter sensor to a patient monitor. The system can include an analogue-to-digital converter close to the patient parameter sensor and can transmit digital signals through a cable to the patient monitor.

Claims

1. A patient monitoring system comprising:

a patient monitor configured to display information regarding a patient, wherein the patient monitor comprises a first port;

a cable comprising a proximal end and a distal end, and further comprising a cable body that extends between the proximal and distal ends, wherein the proximal end of the cable comprises a first connector configured to electrically couple with the first port of the patient monitor;

an electrical interface configured to receive analog signals from a patient parameter sensor; and

a first circuit configured to convert analog signals received via the electrical interface into digital signals, wherein the first circuit is external to the patient monitor, and wherein the first circuit is closer to the distal end of the cable than it is to the proximal end of the cable when the system is in an assembled state and the cable is fully extended.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the cable comprises the first circuit.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first circuit is physically separate from the cable, and wherein the distal end of the cable comprises a second connector configured to couple with the first circuit.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising a second circuit configured to convert analog signals received from a patient parameter sensor into digital signals, and wherein the second connector is configured to selectively couple with either the first circuit or the second circuit.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first circuit is further from the patient monitor than is the distal end of the cable when the system is in an assembled state and the cable is fully extended.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first circuit is at a distance of no less than about 3.0 feet from the first connector when the system is in an assembled state and the cable is fully extended.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the patient monitor is configured to process digital information received via the first port in any of two or more operational modes, wherein the first circuit is configured to communicate an operational state of the first circuit to the patient monitor, and wherein the patient monitor is configured to automatically process said digital information received via the first port in an operational mode that corresponds with the communicated operational state of the first circuit.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the first circuit is configured to transition among two or more operational states, and wherein each of said operational states corresponds with an operational mode of the patient monitor.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the cable further comprises an actuator electrically coupled with the first circuit, wherein the actuator is configured to transition the first circuit among the two or more operational states.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising a display external to the patient monitor configured to provide a visually perceivable representation of a current operational state of the first circuit.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the patient monitor further comprises a second port and the first connector is configured to separately couple with either the first port or the second port, wherein the monitor is configured to process information received via the second port in any of two or more operational modes, and wherein the monitor is configured to automatically process information received via the second port in an operational mode that corresponds with an operational state of the first circuit.

12. A system configured to provide digital signals to a patient monitor, the system comprising:

a cable comprising a proximal end and a distal end, and further comprising a cable body that extends between the proximal and distal ends, wherein the proximal end of the cable comprises a first connector configured to couple with a patient monitor;

an electrical interface configured to receive analog signals from a patient parameter sensor; and

a circuit configured to communicate with the electrical interface, wherein the circuit is configured to convert analog signals received from the electrical interface into digital signals and to transmit the digital signals through a length of the cable body to the first connector.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the circuit is at or is distanced from the distal end of the cable such that the circuit is configured to transmit digital signals through a full length of the cable body.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the length of the cable body through which the circuit is configured to transmit digital signals to the first connector is no less than about 3.0 feet.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the first circuit is at a distance of no more than about 3.0 feet from the distal end of the cable when the system is in an assembled state and the cable is fully extended.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the circuit is within a housing that defines a volume of no more than about 5.0 cubic inches.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the cable comprises a second connector configured to couple with the housing.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the circuit is integral with the cable.

19. The system of claim 12, further comprising an actuator electrically coupled with the circuit, wherein the actuator is configured to transition the circuit among two or more operational states.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the actuator is closer to the distal end of the cable than it is to the proximal end of the cable when the system is in an assembled state and the cable is fully extended.

21. The system of claim 19, further comprising a display electrically coupled with the circuit, wherein actuation of the actuator is configured to alter information depicted via the display.

22. The system of claim 12, further comprising an actuator electrically coupled with the circuit, wherein actuation of the actuator is configured to effect one or more of zeroing of a patient parameter sensor when the sensor is coupled with the electrical interface, instigation of a measurement of blood pressure via a noninvasive blood pressure sensor when the sensor is coupled with the electrical interface, instigation of a diagnostic check of the cable, access of information stored in a memory portion of the circuit, alteration of information stored in a memory portion of the circuit, erasure of information stored in a memory portion of the circuit, and storage of information in a memory portion of the circuit.

23. The system of claim 12, further comprising a patient parameter sensor coupled with the electrical interface.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the actuator is distanced from the first connector by no less than about 3.0 feet when the system is in an assembled state and the cable is fully extended.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein the actuator is no further than about 3.0 feet from the distal end of the cable when the system is in an assembled state and the cable is fully extended.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein the cable comprises the circuit.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the length of the cable through which the digital signal is transmitted is greater than a distance through which the analog signal is transmitted.

24. A system configured to provide signals to a patient monitor, the system comprising:

a cable comprising a proximal end and a distal end, and further comprising a cable body that extends between the proximal and distal ends, wherein the proximal end of the cable comprises a first connector configured to couple with a patient monitor;

an electrical interface configured to receive signals from a patient parameter sensor;

a circuit in communication with the electrical interface; and

an actuator electrically coupled with the circuit, wherein the actuator is closer to the distal end of the cable than it is to the proximal end of the cable when the system is in an assembled state and the cable is fully extended.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein actuation of the actuator is configured to effect one or more of zeroing of a patient parameter sensor when the sensor is coupled with the electrical interface, instigation of a measurement of blood pressure via a noninvasive blood pressure sensor when the sensor is coupled with the electrical interface, instigation of a diagnostic check of the cable, access of information stored in a memory portion of the circuit, alteration of information stored in a memory portion of the circuit, erasure of information stored in a memory portion of the circuit, and storage of information in a memory portion of the circuit.

29. A method of communicating a signal to a patient monitor, the method comprising:

providing a cable having a proximal end coupled with the patient monitor;

obtaining an analog signal via a patient parameter sensor;

converting the analog signal to a digital signal; and

transmitting the digital signal through a length of the cable.