ALARM SUSPEND SYSTEM

• US 20150042466A1
• Filed: 08/26/2014
• Published: 02/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Masimo Corporation
• Original Assignee: Masimo Corporation
• Inventors: Kiani, Massi Joe E., Cebada, Steve L., Olsen, Gregory A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,153,121 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/527
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0276 Determining malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6826 Finger
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6838 Clamps or clips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/746 Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms alarms per se G08B
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/001 Alarm cancelling procedures or alarm forwarding decisions, e.g. based on absence of alarm confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/01 characterised by the transmission medium
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/22 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission

Abstract

An alarm suspend system utilizes an alarm trigger responsive to physiological parameters and corresponding limits on those parameters. The parameters are associated with both fast and slow treatment times corresponding to length of time it takes for a person to respond to medical treatment for out-of-limit parameter measurements. Audible and visual alarms respond to the alarm trigger. An alarm silence button is pressed to silence the audible alarm for a predetermined suspend time. The audible alarm is activated after the suspend time has lapsed. Longer suspend times are associated with slow treatment parameters and shorter suspend times are associated with fast treatment parameters.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A physiological measurement system comprising:

a physiological sensor including;

a plurality of light emitting diodes configured to transmit wavelengths of light onto a tissue site of a patient; and

at least one detector configured to measure an indication of the wavelengths of light after attenuation by tissue of the patient and output a signal responsive of the attenuated light; and

one or more processors in communication with the physiological sensor, the one or more processors configured to;

determine a measurement of a physiological parameter based on the signal;

activate an alarm in response to determining an alarm activation threshold has been satisfied by the physiological parameter measurement;

receive an indication of a parameter-specific alarm suspension period of time; and

suspend the alarm for the indicated parameter-specific alarm suspension period of time.

3. The physiological measurement system of claim 2, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

provide a range of parameter-specific alarm suspension periods of time.

4. The physiological measurement system of claim 3, wherein the range of parameter-specific periods of time is associated with the physiological parameter.

5. The physiological measurement system of claim 4, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

construct a pop-up window for a display; and

display the range of parameter-specific alarm suspension periods of time in the pop-up window.

6. The physiological measurement system of claim 5, wherein the displayed range of parameter-specific alarm suspension periods of time includes user-selectable elements configured to allow a user to select a specific one of the range of parameter-specific alarm suspension periods of time.

7. The physiological measurement system of claim 6, wherein the indicated parameter-specific alarm suspension period of time is selected from the range of parameter-specific alarm suspension periods of time.

8. The physiological measurement system of claim 2, wherein the parameter-specific period of time is associated with the physiological parameter.

9. The physiological measurement system of claim 8, wherein the parameter-specific period of time is stored in a memory device in communication with the one or more processors.

10. The physiological measurement system of claim 2, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

determine a second physiological parameter measurement based on the signal;

activate a second alarm in response to determining a second alarm activation threshold has been satisfied by the second physiological parameter measurement;

receive a second indication of a second parameter-specific alarm suspension period of time; and

suspend the second alarm for the indicated second parameter-specific alarm suspension period of time.

11. The physiological measurement system of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

provide a first range of parameter-specific alarm suspension periods of time; and

provide a second range of parameter-specific alarm suspension periods of time.

12. The physiological measurement system of claim 11, wherein the first range of parameter-specific periods of time is associated with the physiological parameter and the second range of parameter-specific periods of time is associated with the second physiological parameter.

13. The physiological measurement system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

construct a pop-up window for a display; and

display both the first and second ranges of parameter-specific alarm suspension periods of time in the pop-up window.

14. The physiological measurement system of claim 13, wherein the indicated parameter-specific alarm suspension period of time is selected from the first range of parameter-specific alarm suspension periods of time and the indicated second parameter-specific alarm suspension period of time is selected from the second range of parameter-specific alarm suspension periods of time.

15. The physiological measurement system of claim 14, wherein the first range of parameter-specific alarm suspension periods of time is different from the second range of parameter-specific alarm suspension periods of time.

16. An method comprising:

measuring a physiological parameter using a patient monitoring device, the patient monitoring device including a processor and a memory device configured to store a parameter-specific alarm suspension period of time;

activating an alarm in response to determining an alarm activation threshold has been satisfied by the physiological parameter measurement;

receiving an indication of a parameter-specific alarm suspension period of time; and

suspending the alarm for the indicated parameter-specific alarm suspension period of time.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the alarm includes an audible component and a visual component, and wherein suspending the alarm comprises suspending the audible component and not suspending the visual component.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

providing a range of parameter-specific alarm suspension periods of time.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the range of parameter-specific periods of time is associated with the physiological parameter.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

constructing a pop-up window for a display; and

displaying the range of parameter-specific alarm suspension periods of time in the pop-up window.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the indicated parameter-specific alarm suspension period of time is selected from the range of parameter-specific alarm suspension periods of time.

22. A physiological measurement system comprising:

a physiological sensor means for outputting a signal responsive to a noninvasive measurement of attenuated light transmitted through a tissue site of a patient; and

a processing means in communication with the physiological sensor means and configured to;

determine a measurement of a physiological parameter based on the signal;

activate an alarm in response to determining an alarm activation threshold has been satisfied by the physiological parameter measurement;

receive an indication of a parameter-specific alarm suspension period of time; and

suspend the alarm for the indicated parameter-specific alarm suspension period of time.

23. The physiological measurement system of claim 22, wherein the processing means is further configured to:

determine a second physiological parameter measurement based on the signal;

activate a second alarm in response to determining a second alarm activation threshold has been satisfied by the second physiological parameter measurement;

receive a second indication of a second parameter-specific alarm suspension period of time; and

suspend the second alarm for the indicated second parameter-specific alarm suspension period of time.

24. The physiological measurement system of claim 23, wherein the processing means is further configured to:

provide a first range of parameter-specific alarm suspension periods of time; and

provide a second range of parameter-specific alarm suspension periods of time.

25. The physiological measurement system of claim 24, wherein the first range of parameter-specific periods of time is associated with the physiological parameter and the second range of parameter-specific periods of time is associated with the second physiological parameter.

26. The physiological measurement system of claim 25, wherein the indicated parameter-specific alarm suspension period of time is selected from the first range of parameter-specific alarm suspension periods of time and the indicated second parameter-specific alarm suspension period of time is selected from the second range of parameter-specific alarm suspension periods of time.

27. The physiological measurement system of claim 26, wherein the first range of parameter-specific alarm suspension periods of time is different from the second range of parameter-specific alarm suspension periods of time.