METHOD FOR MONITORING SENSOR DEGRADATION, PATIENT MONITOR, PATIENT MONITOR SYSTEM, PHYSIOLOGICAL SENSOR, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR A PATIENT MONITOR

• US 20140005491A1
• Filed: 06/28/2012
• Published: 01/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Huiku, Matti, Joensuu, Heikki
• Granted Patent: US 9,375,183 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0276 Determining malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7221 Determining signal validity, reliability or quality A61B5/7207 and A61B5/7217 take precedence

Abstract

A method for monitoring degradation a physiological sensor connected to a patient monitor is disclosed. A patient monitor, a patient monitor system, a physiological sensor, and a computer program product are also disclosed. In order to get an early warning of an imminent breakage or wear out of a physiological sensor and to increase the life time of the sensor without compromising patient safety, history data is collected for at least one sensor feature parameter into a predetermined memory location, wherein the collected history data is indicative of past characteristics of the sensor. The history data is retrieved from the predetermined memory location when the physiological sensor is connected to a patient monitor and a degradation measure indicative of the degree of degradation of the physiological sensor is determined for the physiological sensor based on the history data.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring degradation of a physiological sensor, the method comprising:

collecting history data for at least one sensor feature parameter into a predetermined memory location, wherein the collected history data is indicative of past characteristics of a physiological sensor;

retrieving the history data from the predetermined memory location when the physiological sensor is connected to a patient monitor, wherein the retrieving is performed by the patient monitor; and

determining, based on the history data, a degradation measure for the physiological sensor, wherein the degradation measure is indicative of a degree of degradation of the physiological sensor and wherein the determining is carried out in the patient monitor.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising defining at least one current value respectively for the least one sensor feature parameter and updating the history data by the at least one current value, wherein the defining and updating are performed by the patient monitor.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising

deriving a degradation status from the degradation measure, wherein the degradation status discloses the sensor'"'"'s condition in plain language;

and

informing a user of the patient monitor of the degradation status, wherein the deriving and informing are performed by the patient monitor.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising deciding on acceptance of the physiological sensor, wherein the deciding is performed based on one of the degradation measure and the degradation status.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the collecting comprises collecting the history data into the predetermined memory location, in which the predetermined memory location is in a memory of the physiological sensor.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the collecting comprises collecting the history data, in which the history data includes sensor degradation reference data determined prior to use of the physiological sensor.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining life expectancy of the physiological sensor and informing a user of the patient monitor of the life expectancy determined.

8. A patient monitor for monitoring a subject, the patient monitor comprising:

a data retrieval unit configured to retrieve history data of at least one sensor feature parameter from a predetermined memory location, wherein the history data is indicative of past characteristics of a physiological sensor connected to the patient monitor; and

a degradation determination unit configured to determine, based on the history data, a degradation measure for the physiological sensor, wherein the degradation measure is indicative of a degree of degradation of the physiological sensor connected to the patient monitor.

9. The patient monitor according to claim 8, further comprising

a sensor feature determination unit configured to define at least one current value respectively for the at least one sensor feature parameter;

and

an update unit configured to update the history data by the at least one current value.

10. The patient monitor according to claim 8, wherein the degradation determination unit is further configured to

derive a degradation status from the degradation measure, wherein the degradation status discloses the sensor'"'"'s condition in plain language;

and

inform a user of the degradation status.

11. The patient monitor according to claim 10, further comprising a decision-making unit configured to decide, based on one of the degradation measure and the degradation measure, on acceptance of the physiological sensor.

12. The patient monitor according to claim 8, wherein the patient monitor is further configured to

determine life expectancy of the physiological sensor based on the degradation measure;

and

inform a user of the patient monitor of the life expectancy.

13. The patient monitor according to claim 12, the patient monitor comprises a predefined model configured to predict the life expectancy.

14. A patient monitor system for monitoring a subject, the monitor system comprising:

a memory storing history data for at least one sensor feature parameter, wherein the history data is indicative of past characteristics of a physiological sensor;

a data retrieval unit configured to retrieve the history data from the memory when the physiological sensor is connected to a patient monitor; and

a degradation determination unit configured to determine, based on the history data, a degradation measure for the physiological sensor, wherein the degradation measure is indicative of a degree of degradation of the physiological sensor.

15. The patient monitor system according to claim 14, further comprising

a sensor feature determination unit configured to define at least one current value respectively for the at least one sensor feature parameter of the physiological sensor;

and

an update unit configured to update the history data by the at least one current value of the at least one sensor feature parameter.

16. A physiological sensor attachable to a subject for acquiring a physiological measurement signal from the subject, the physiological sensor comprising:

a sensor element unit configured to output an electrophysiological signal;

a sensor memory storing history data for at least one sensor feature parameter, wherein the history data is indicative of past characteristics of a physiological sensor; and

a memory access interface for enabling a patient monitor operably connected to the sensor to retrieve the history data for determination of a degradation measure for the physiological sensor, wherein the degradation measure is indicative of degree of degradation of the physiological sensor.

17. The physiological sensor according to claim 16, wherein the sensor memory further stores life expectancy data indicative of remaining life time of the physiological sensor.

18. The physiological sensor according to claim 16, wherein the history data includes at least one statistical variable derived from previous value distribution of the at least one sensor feature parameter.

19. A computer program product for monitoring degradation of a physiological sensor connected to a patient monitor, the computer program product comprising:

a first program product portion configured to retrieve history data of at least one sensor feature parameter from a predetermined memory location, wherein the history data is indicative of past characteristics of a physiological sensor connected to the patient monitor; and

a second program product portion configured to determine, based on the history data, a degradation measure for the physiological sensor, wherein the degradation measure is indicative of degree of degradation of the physiological sensor.

20. The computer program product according to claim 19, further comprising a third program product portion configured to define at least one current value respectively for the at least one sensor feature parameter and update the history data by the at least one current value.