BREATHING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR USER INTERACTION THEREWITH

• US 20150160845A1
• Filed: 06/03/2012
• Published: 06/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maquet Critical Care
• Original Assignee: Maquet Critical Care AB (Getinge AB)
• Inventors: Lahtivuori, Madlene, Sunna, Anette, Stone, Helena
• Granted Patent: US 10,845,973 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/08 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for evaluating the respiratory organs A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0051 with alarm devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

A breathing apparatus has one or more electronic processors and a touch screen communicatively coupled to at least one of the processors. The processor is configured to provide a user interface on the touch screen for modification of at least one operational parameter of the breathing apparatus. The user interface includes at least two touch sensitive display areas on the display area of the touch screen for modification of the operational parameter by an operator of the breathing apparatus. Each of the two touch sensitive display areas is dedicated for different types of user interaction, i.e. different user interaction modes are provided for by each of the two different display areas.

Claims

1. A breathing apparatus comprising:

at least one processor and a touch screen communicatively coupled to said processor;

said processor being configured to provide a user interface on said touch screen for modification of at least one operational parameter of said breathing apparatus; and

said user interface comprising a display including at least two touch sensitive display areas for user modification of said operational parameter in different user interaction modes for each display area.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a first interaction mode is a touch based stepwise modification mode, and a first display area of said interface comprises first input elements for stepwise modification of said operational parameter upon user touch within said first display area.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein a second display area of said interface comprises a scale for interaction.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein a second interaction mode is a touch based gradual modification mode, and a second display area of said interface comprises second input elements for gradual modification of said operational parameter or selection of a particular value from a range of said operational parameter upon user touch within said second display area.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said second input elements comprise a slider bar for a range of said operational parameter, said slider bar optionally including one or more visual indications of:

a current value of said operational parameter before modification, such as by means of an arrow and/or a numeric value at a position of said slider bar;

a range between a lower and an upper limit of said operational parameter, such as by means of a color coded portion of said slider bar;

a threshold value on said slider bar for indication of a clinically unusual value, such as a number with a different color or shade than other numbers displayed along said range, or a number with a background color box, a line in a different color or shade than other parts of said range along said slide bar; and

when said threshold value is passed upon user input, on said slider bar a sub-range adjacent said clinically unusual value in a different color or shade than other parts of said range.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said user interface comprises a display area adjacent said second display area for providing information related to sub-ranges or limits of said operational parameter.

7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said user interface comprises a display area with a toggle input element for toggling between different graphical representations of said second input elements upon user touch of said toggle input element.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said different ranges comprise an expanded range and a sub-range thereof illustrated in said expanded range in a different color or shade for reversible magnification thereof upon said user touch of said toggle input element.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said processing unit is configured to expand or reduce a range shown on said display upon a pinch gesture at a display area of said display where said range is shown.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein at least one of said limits is user selectable.

11. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said second display area comprises a continuous graph of a range of values for said operational parameter, wherein said continuous graph has a non-linear scale.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said user interface comprising a display area for information data elements related to said operational parameter based on letters and/or symbols, such as a headline of said operational parameter and/or a warning text related thereto.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said processor is configured to provide said modification only after said user has touched one of said touch sensitive display areas for a predefined time, when a threshold value of at least one operational parameter has passed a threshold value, and/or said processor is configured to trigger an acoustic warning when said threshold value is passed.

14. The breathing apparatus of claim 1, wherein said processor is operable to interact with a computer-readable storage medium

in order to perform operations for providing user communication via said touch screen, said operations comprising:

receiving, while a current view is displayed on said touch screen, a first user touch input requesting that a user interface is displayed for modification of said operational parameter;

displaying said user interface, said display areas thereof including;

a first display area for modification of said operational parameter in a first touch based manner,

a second display area for modification of said operational parameter in a second touch based manner, different from said first touch based manner,

receiving, while the user interface is displayed, a second touch based user input requesting that said operational parameter be modified;

modifying, in response to the second user input, said operational parameter to a modified operational parameter by touching said first or second display area.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said display areas of said user interface comprise a third display area for acknowledging a modified operational parameter, and a fourth display area for cancelling said modified operational parameter;

said operations comprising;

confirming said modified operational parameter for continued operation of said breathing apparatus by touching said third display area, or aborting said modification without changing said operational parameter, such as by touching said fourth display area or in absence of a confirmation after a pre-determined time.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 comprising:

a fifth display area for a numeric value of said operational parameter, wherein said numeric value is of said modified operational parameter, wherein said numeric value or and/or a background thereof is visually coded in dependency of said value within a range of said operational parameter; and

/or

said operations comprising displaying a numeric value of said operational parameter before modification, particularly in said second display area.

27. The apparatus of claim 7, comprising selecting said graphical representations from the group consisting of ranges and sizes of said second input elements.

17. A method of providing user communication in a breathing apparatus, said method comprising:

providing an on-demand user interface on a touch screen of said breathing apparatus for modification of an operational parameter of said breathing apparatus, and

providing at least two touch sensitive display areas on said user interface for user modification of said operational parameter in different user interaction modes for each display area, effecting modification of said operational parameter upon touching at least one of said display areas by a user.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said method is performed without ventilating a patient, in standby mode of said apparatus.

19. The method of claim 17, comprising:

receiving, while a current view is displayed on said touch screen, a first user touch input requesting that a user interface is displayed for modification of said operational parameter;

displaying said user interface, said display areas thereof including;

a first display area for modification of said operational parameter in a first touch based manner,

a second display area for modification of said operational parameter in a second touch based manner, different from said first touch based manner,

receiving, while the user interface is displayed, a second touch based user input requesting that said operational parameter be modified; and

modifying, in response to the second user input, said operational parameter to a modified operational parameter by touching said first or second display area.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that when executed by one or more processors perform operations for providing user communication via a touch screen of a breathing apparatus, said instructions comprising:

receiving, while a current view is displayed on said touch screen, a first user touch input requesting that a user interface is displayed for modification of said operational parameter;

displaying said user interface, said display areas thereof including;

a first display area for modification of said operational parameter in a first touch based manner;

a second display area for modification of said operational parameter in a second touch based manner, different from said first touch based manner;

receiving, while the user interface is displayed, a second touch based user input requesting that said operational parameter be modified; and

modifying, in response to the second user input, said operational parameter to a modified operational parameter by touching said first or second display area.

21. A breathing apparatus having a touch screen, said touch screen having a touch sensitive display area for displaying a user interface for modification of at least one operational parameter of said breathing apparatus;

said user interface having an input element for modification, such as gradual modification, of said operational parameter or selection of a particular value from a range of said operational parameter upon user touch within said display area; and

a tactile element arranged on or at said touch screen at a position related to said input element of said user interface.

22. The breathing apparatus of claim 21, wherein said tactile element is an element on or at said touch screen that is recognizable and distinguishable from other screen areas by tactile sensing, such as a protrusion, a recess, or an area with a different surface roughness.

24. The breathing apparatus of claim 21 wherein said user interface comprises at least first and second touch sensitive display areas for user modification of said operational parameter in different user interaction modes for each of said first and second display areas, and wherein said tactile element is arranged at said second display area.

25. The breathing apparatus of claim 21, wherein said tactile element comprises an active feedback element.

23. (canceled)

26. A breathing apparatus having at least one processor and a touch screen communicatively coupled to said processor, wherein said processor is configured to provide a user interface on said touch screen for modification of at least one operational parameter of said breathing apparatus, and

said user interface including a display area with a toggle input element for toggling between different graphical representations, such as ranges or sizes, of touch based input elements, and/or

wherein said processing unit is configured to expand or reduce a range shown on said display upon a pinch gesture at a display area of said display where said range is shown.