PATIENT MONITOR CAPABLE OF MONITORING THE QUALITY OF ATTACHED PROBES AND ACCESSORIES

• US 20120319816A1
• Filed: 08/27/2012
• Published: 12/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Masimo Corporation
• Original Assignee: Masimo Corporation
• Inventors: Al-Ali, Ammar
• Granted Patent: US 9,949,676 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.8
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0276 Determining malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/028 Arrangements to prevent overuse, e.g. by counting the number of uses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0285 Apparatus for single use
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/08 Sensors provided with means for identification, e.g. barcodes or memory chips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/226 comprising means for identifying the connector, e.g. to prevent incorrect connection to socket
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/227 Sensors with electrical connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases

Abstract

A system and method to help maintain quality control and reduce cannibalization of accessories and attached probes in a highly sensitive patient monitor, such as a pulse oximetry system. One or more attached components may have information elements designed to designate what quality control mechanisms a patient monitor should look to find on that or another component or designate other components with which the one component may properly work. In a further embodiment, such information elements may also include data indicating the appropriate life of the component.

Claims

1. A method which determines if a physiological sensor is an authorized sensor to be used with a patient monitoring system, the method comprising:

communicating, using a first patient monitoring system, with a memory device of a physiological sensor and receiving identification information from the physiological sensor using a processor;

if the physiological sensor has not previously communicated with any patient monitoring system, altering the memory device to indicate communication with the first patient monitoring system has occurred;

if the physiological sensor has previously communicated with a second patient monitoring system, accessing a memory associated with the first patient monitoring system configured to store indications of physiological sensors which are approved for use with the patient monitor and determining if the physiological sensor is an approved sensor; and

receiving and using information indicative of a physiological condition from the physiological sensor only if the physiological sensor is an approved sensor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the memory associated with the first patient monitoring system includes a list of patient monitoring systems associated with the first patient monitoring system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the list of patient monitoring systems comprises patient monitoring systems associated with a site license.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the site license is associated with a hospital.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining if the physiological sensor is an approved sensor comprises determining if the second patient monitoring system is listed in the memory associated with the first patient monitoring system.

6. The method of claim 1, communicating with a memory device of a physiological sensor comprises communicating with an EPROM.

7. The method of claim 1, communicating with a memory device of a physiological sensor comprises communicating with a single wire memory device.

8. A patient monitor configured to communicate with physiological sensors of different types and receive and use information indicative of a physiological condition from the physiological sensors after verification of the sensor, the patient monitor comprising:

a memory configured to store indications of physiological sensors which are approved for use with the patient monitor, wherein the patient monitor is configured to receive and use information indicative of a physiological condition only from the approved physiological sensors; and

a processor configured to communicate with physiological sensors and to receive identification information from the physiological sensors, including identification of any previous monitoring systems in communication with the sensor, the processor further configured to access the memory to determine if the sensor is an approved sensor based on the identification of any previous monitoring systems, and wherein if the sensor identification has not communicated with any previous monitoring systems, the processor is further configured to alter the indications stored on the memory.

9. The patient monitor of claim 8, wherein the sensor is an approved sensor if the sensor has not communicated with any previous monitoring systems.

10. The patient monitor of claim 8, wherein if the sensor has communicated with a previous monitoring system, the processor is further configured to determine if the previous monitoring system is listed in the memory to determine if the sensor is an approved sensor.

11. The patient monitor of claim 10, wherein the memory includes a list of patient monitoring systems associated with a site license.

12. The patient monitor of claim 11, wherein the site license is associated with a hospital.