System for Monitoring Caregivers and Equipment

• US 20140320290A1
• Filed: 06/30/2014
• Published: 10/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Reeder, Ryan A., Kramer, Kenneth L., Jacques, William L., Riley, Carl William, Schuman, Richard J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,230,421 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0242 adapted to measure environmental factors, e.g. temperature, pollution
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0443 Modular apparatus
• 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: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1113 Local tracking of patients, e.g. in a hospital or private home
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 11/00 Baby-incubators; Couveuses
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 12/00 Accommodation for nursing, e.g. in hospitals, not covered by groups A61G1/00 - A61G11/00, e.g. trolleys for transport of medicaments or food service or tea-tables, trolleys or wagons A47B31/00; Prescription lists
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/12 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/46 for temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/80 for connecting a trolley to a device, e.g. bed or column table
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2205/10 Bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/10 Parts, details or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/018 Control or drive mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/05 Parts, details or accessories of beds devices for prevention against falling out A47C21/08, A47D7/00 ; mattresses A47C27/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0453 worn on the body to detect health condition by physiological monitoring, e.g. electrocardiogram, temperature, breathing detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/008 Alarm setting and unsetting, i.e. arming or disarming of the security system
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 : for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 : ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 : ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring

Abstract

A hospital monitoring system for monitoring hospital personnel, a plurality of patient locations for patients, and associated devices is configured to control the associated devices based on the presence of hospital personnel or alarms.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A method of monitoring a patient room, comprising

monitoring a patient room for a signal indicating presence of a caregiver in the patient room,

detecting a signal indicating presence of the caregiver in the patient room,

determining the identity of the caregiver associated with the signal, and

altering the state of at least one device associated with the patient room in response to detecting the presence of the caregiver in the patient room and determining the identity of the caregiver associated with the signal.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the at least one device associated with the patient room is located in the patient room.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the at least one device associated with the patient room is located adjacent the patient room.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the at least one device associated with the patient room comprises an environment device.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the at least one device associated with the patient room comprises an entertainment device.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the at least one device associated with the patient room comprises a radio, a television, or a light located in the patient room.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the at least one device associated with the patient room comprises a control of a patient bed in the patient room.

28. The method of claim 21, further comprising continuing to monitor the patient room to determine whether the caregiver is present in the patient room after the presence of the caregiver in the patient room has first been detected.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising retaining the altered state of the at least one device as long as the caregiver is present in the patient room.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising restoring the previous state of the at least one device if the caregiver'"'"'s presence is no longer detected in the room.

31. The method of claim 21, further comprising detecting an alarm signal associated with the patient room and responding to the alarm signal by initiating the monitoring of the patient room for presence of a caregiver in the patient room.

32. The method of claim 21, further comprising identifying the caregiver as being a certain type of caregiver, and altering the state of at least one device associated with the patient room if the caregiver is of the certain type.

33. The method of claim 21, further comprising determining the identity of a patient assigned to the patient room, determining whether the caregiver is assigned to the patient, and altering the state of at least one device associated with the patient room in response to determining that the caregiver is assigned to the patient.

34. The method of claim 21, further comprising identifying the caregiver as being a certain type of caregiver, determining the identity of a patient assigned to the patient room, determining whether the caregiver is assigned to the patient, and altering the state of at least one device associated with the patient room in response to determining that the caregiver is assigned to the patient and in response to determining that the caregiver is of the certain type.

35. The method of claim 21, further comprising detecting an alarm signal associated with the patient room and altering the state of at least one device associated with the patient room prior to detecting the presence of the caregiver in the patient room.

36. The method of claim 21, further comprising detecting an alarm signal associated with the patient room, determining a priority of the alarm signal, and altering the state of at least one device associated with the patient room according to the alarm priority.

37. The method of claim 21, further comprising detecting an alarm signal associated with the patient room, determining a type of the alarm signal, and altering the state of at least one device associated with the patient room according to the alarm type.

38. At least one computer accessible storage medium comprising instructions for executing the method of claim 21.

39. A computer configured to execute the method of claim 21.

40. A system comprising a transmitter, a receiver, and a computer arranged to execute the method of claim 21.