MULTIPLE PATIENT INFANT WARMING DEVICE, MANAGER AND METHOD

• US 20150182406A1
• Filed: 12/31/2013
• Published: 07/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Falk, Steven Mitchell, Ten Eyck, Lawrence Guy, Starr, Karen P., McCue, Marjorie Chappelle
• Granted Patent: US 9,872,807 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0086 with a thermostat
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0088 Radiating heat
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0093 programmed
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0096 with a thermometer
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/10 Cooling bags, e.g. ice-bags
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 11/00 Baby-incubators; Couveuses
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/20 Displays or monitors
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/44 for weight
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/46 for temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1934 each space being provided with one sensor acting on one or more control means
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A multiple patient infant warming management system comprises at least one temperature sensor for sensing at least one temperature of an infant warming device and a controller. The controller processes first signals for different temperature ranges of different temperature zones assigned to different patients to be concurrently warmed the infant warming device, receives second signals from the at least one temperature sensor indicating at least one temperature of the infant warming device and outputs adjustments based on the first signals and the second signals.

Claims

1. A multiple patient infant warming device comprising:

a computer processor;

an input device operatively connected to the computer processor; and

a plurality of temperature sensors operatively connected to the computer processor;

wherein the computer processor is configured to calculate and maintain a dedicated temperature zone for each of the multiple patients based on data from one of said input device and said plurality of temperature sensors.

2. The multiple patient infant warming device of claim 1, wherein the computer processor is configured to calculate a dedicated temperature zone for each patient based on data from said input device comprising a patient weight for each of the multiple patients.

3. The multiple patient infant warming device of claim 1, wherein the computer processor is configured to calculate a dedicated temperature zone for each patient based on data from said input device comprising a patient age for each of the multiple patients.

4. The multiple patient infant warming device of claim 1, wherein the computer processor is configured to maintain the dedicated temperature zone for each patient based on feedback from the plurality of temperature sensors.

5. The multiple patient infant warming device of claim 1, wherein the computer processor is configured to identify any patient incompatibility based on data from the input device.

6. The multiple patient infant warming device of claim 5, wherein the computer processor is configured to generate an alarm based on an identified patient incompatibility.

7. The multiple patient infant warming device of claim 6, further comprising a display operatively connected to the computer processor.

8. The multiple patient infant warming device of claim 7, wherein the computer processor is configured to generate a user recommendation based on an identified patient incompatibility, and wherein the display is configured to communicate the user recommendation.

9. A multiple patient infant warming management system comprising:

at least one temperature sensor for sensing at least one temperature of an infant warming device;

a controller operatively connected to the at least one temperature sensor, the controller to;

process first signals for different temperature ranges of different temperature zones assigned to different patients to be concurrently warmed the infant warming device;

receive second signals from the at least one temperature sensor indicating at least one temperature of the infant warming device; and

output adjustments based on the first signals and the second signals.

10. The multiple patient infant warming management system of claim 9, wherein the at least one temperature sensor comprises at least one temperature sensor for each of the different patients to be warmed by the infant warming device.

11. The multiple patient infant warming management system of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the different temperature ranges of the different temperature zones and to generate the first signals.

12. The multiple patient infant warming management system of claim 11, wherein the determining of the different temperature ranges of the different temperature zones is based on a parameter selected from a group of parameters consisting of:

a patient weight for each of the multiple patients;

a temperature of each of the different patients;

a patient age for each of the multiple patients; and

an oxygen concentration of each of the different patients.

13. The multiple patient infant warming management system of claim 11, wherein the determining of the different temperature ranges of the different temperature zones is based on the second signals.

14. The multiple patient infant warming management system of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to operate in one of a plurality of care person selectable modes comprising:

a dedicated temperature zone maintenance mode in which the controller generates control signals to maintain the different temperature ranges of the different assigned temperature zones for the different patients;

a compatible temperature zone maintenance mode in which the controller (a) determines a compatible temperature range compatible to a plurality of different temperature ranges of the different temperature zones and (b) generates control signals to maintain the different temperature zones at the compatible temperature range; and

a compatibility notification mode in which the controller (a) identifies incompatibility between the different temperature ranges of the different temperature zones assigned to the different patients and (b) outputs a message based upon the identified incompatibility.

15. The multiple patient infant warming management system of claim 9 wherein the output of adjustments based on the first signals in the second signals is selected from a group of adjustments consisting of:

(1) generating control signals to maintain the different temperature ranges of the different assigned temperature zones for the different patients;

(2) determining a compatible temperature range compatible to a plurality of different temperature ranges of the different temperature zones and generating control signals to maintain the different temperature zones at the compatible temperature range; and

(3) identifying incompatibility between the different temperature ranges of the different temperature zones assigned to the different patients and outputting a message based upon the identified incompatibility.

16. The multiple patient infant warming management system of claim 9, wherein the at least one temperature sensor comprises at least one temperature sensor for each of the different patients and wherein the output of adjustments comprises generating control signals to maintain the different temperature ranges of the different temperature zones assigned to the different patients based on feedback from the at least one temperature sensor for each of the different patients.

17. The multiple patient infant warming management system of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a compatible temperature range compatible to the plurality of different temperature ranges of the different temperature zones and wherein the output of adjustments generating control signals to maintain the different temperature zones at the compatible temperature range.

18. The multiple patient infant warming management system of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to identify incompatibility between the different temperature ranges of the different temperature zones assigned to the different patients and wherein the output of adjustments comprises outputting a message based upon the identified incompatibility.

19. The multiple patient infant warming management system of claim 18, wherein the message comprises an alarm based on the identified patient incompatibility.

20. The multiple patient infant warming management system of claim 18, wherein the message comprises a user recommendation based on the identified patient incompatibility.

21. The multiple patient infant warming management system of claim 9 further comprising a presence sensor to output signals to facilitate a determination by the controller of a number of patients to be concurrently warmed by the warming device.

22. The multiple patient infant warming management system of claim 21, wherein the presence sensor comprises at least one load sensor.

23. The multiple patient infant warming management system of claim 21, wherein the presence sensor comprises at least one optical sensor.

24. The multiple patient infant warming management system of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to receive third signals for different temperature zones assigned to different patients to be concurrently warmed by one or more other infant warming devices and wherein the controller is configured to output a recommended location amongst the infant warming device and the one or more other infant warming devices based upon the first signals and the third signals.

25. The multiple patient infant warming management system of claim 25, wherein the controller is configured to determine and output a schedule of patient placements amongst the infant warming device in the one or more other infant warming devices based upon estimated arrival times of new infants.

26. A multiple patient infant warming management system comprising:

a sensor to produce output signals; and

a controller to receive the output signals and to determine a number of patients within an infant warming device based upon the output signals, wherein the controller is further configured to output adjustments based on the determined number of patients.

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39. A multiple patient infant warming management system comprising:

a display;

a controller in communication with the display and configured to;

receive signals from a plurality of infant warming devices;

determine an allocation and assignment of infants amongst the plurality of infant warming devices based upon the signals; and

output the allocation and assignment of infants on the display.

40. The multiple patient infant warming management system of claim 39, wherein the signals comprise temperature ranges assigned to different infants.

41. The multiple patient infant warming management system of claim 39, wherein the signals comprise different health conditions of different patients.

42. The multiple patient infant warming management system of claim 39, wherein the allocation is based upon an estimated arrival of an infant.

43. A multiple patient infant warming management system comprising:

at least one presence sensor for sensing a number of patients residing in a warming chamber of an infant warming device;

a controller operatively connected to the at least one presence sensor, the controller to determine, based upon the sense number of patients residing in the warming chamber, at least one temperature zone within the warming chamber and having an assigned temperature range.

44. The multiple patient infant warming management system of claim 43, wherein the at least one presence sensor comprises at least one load sensor.

45. The multiple patient infant warming management system of claim 43, wherein the at least one presence sensor comprises at least one optical sensor.

46. The multiple patient infant warming management system of claim 43, wherein the controller is to partition an interior of the warming chamber into a determined number of temperature zones having a determined size based upon the sensed number of patients residing in the warming chamber.

47. The multiple patient infant warming management system of claim 43, wherein the controller is to generate control signals differently adjusting at least one of heating and cooling of different portions of the warming chamber based upon the sensed number of patients residing in the warming chamber.