PATIENT CARE SYSTEM WITH CONDITIONAL ALARM FORWARDING

• US 20150317891A1
• Filed: 04/30/2015
• Published: 11/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ICU Medical Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ICU Medical Incorporated
• Inventors: Lindo, Steve Joseph, Cousineau, Robert, Kremliovsky, Michael, Ramachandra, Sumant, Belkin, Anatoly S., Day, William Kenneth, Foryt, Paul John, Schmidt, Justin Joseph, Mills, Gary
• Granted Patent: US 9,764,082 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/18 with alarm
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3553 remote, e.g. between patient's home and doctor's office
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3584 using modem, internet or bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3592 using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/142 Pressure infusion, e.g. using pumps
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0461 integrated or attached to an item closely associated with the person but not worn by the person, e.g. chair, walking stick, bed sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/17 delivered via infusion or injection
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/70 for mining of medical data, e.g. analysing previous cases of other patients

Abstract

A patient care system is disclosed that includes a medical device such as an infusion pump. The medical device generates a data message containing information such as the status of the therapy being delivered, operating data or both. An alarm generating system assesses the data message from the pump and generates an alarm message if certain conditions established by a first set of rules are met. The alarm message is assessed according to a second set of rules as to whether to suppress the alarm message. The data message contains a required input for both the first and second algorithms. A dispatching system is adapted to forward the alarm message to an alarm destination according to a third set of rules. The alarm destination expresses an alarm upon receipt of the alarm message.

Claims

1. A patient care system comprising:

at least one medical pump, each medical pump generating a data message containing a unit of information regarding pump therapy status data, pump operating point data, or both pump therapy status data and pump operating point data;

an alarm generating system receiving the data message from the medical pump, the alarm generating system adapted to;

assess the data message according to a first algorithm to fire a trigger if a condition is met;

produce, if the trigger fires, an alarm message; and

assess, if the trigger fires, the data message according to a second algorithm to suppress an escalated alarm;

a dispatching system connected to the alarm generating system, the dispatching system adapted to forward the alarm message to an alarm destination according to a third algorithm; and

an alarm destination connected to the dispatching system, the alarm destination expressing an alarm upon receipt by the alarm destination of the alarm;

wherein the unit of information is a required input for both the first and second algorithms.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an administration interface that provides an administrator of the patient care system with access to a rule editor;

wherein the rule editor modifies at least one of the first and third algorithms such that a clinical care area (CCA) of the medical pump is a determinative input.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the data message from the medical pump contains a second unit of information that includes the clinical care area (CCA) of the medical pump.

4. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

a database that is accessible to the alarm generating system;

wherein;

the data message from the medical pump contains an ID associated with the medical pump; and

the clinical care area (CCA) of the medical pump is derived from the database using the ID associated with the medical pump.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an administration interface that provides an administrator of the patient care system with access to a rule editor;

wherein;

the unit of information regarding pump therapy information includes information regarding a type of medication being infused by the medical pump; and

the rule editor modifies at least one of the first or third algorithms such that the type of medication being infused by the medical pump is a determinative input.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an administration interface that provides an administrator of the patient care system with access to a rule editor;

wherein the rule editor modifies a protocol by which the escalated alarm is suppressed.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein:

the escalated alarm is an audible alarm at the medical pump;

and the protocol;

(i) suppresses the escalated alarm for a period of time; and

(ii) clears the escalated alarm if an alarm clearance message is received by the alarm generating system from the alarm destination.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein:

the rule editor allows the administrator to specify a second protocol by which the escalated alarm is suppressed; and

the first or second protocol is applied by the alarm generating system based on a type of medication being infused by the medical pump.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein:

the rule editor allows the administrator to specify a second protocol by which the escalated alarm is suppressed; and

the first or second protocol is selected and applied by the alarm generating system based on a clinical care area (CCA) in which the medical pump is located.

10. In a patient care system having:

at least one medical pump generating a data message;

an alarm generating system receiving the data message from the medical pump;

a dispatching system connected to the alarm generating system; and

an alarm destination connected to the dispatching system, the alarm destination expressing an alarm upon receipt by the alarm destination of an alarm message, a method of monitoring and controlling alarms in the patient care system comprising the steps of;

assessing the data message according to a first algorithm to fire a trigger if a condition is met;

producing, if the trigger fires, an alarm message;

assessing if the trigger fires, the data message according to a second algorithm to suppress an escalated alarm; and

forwarding the alarm message to the alarm destination according to a third algorithm;

wherein;

the data message includes a unit of information regarding pump therapy status data, pump operating point data, or both pump therapy status data and pump operating point data; and

the unit of information is a required input for both the first and second algorithms.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the alarm message is forwarded by the dispatching system to a first alarm destination; and

the escalated alarm involves a second alarm forwarded by the dispatching system to a second alarm destination.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the method of monitoring and controlling alarms further comprises:

receiving a response from the alarm destination to the alarm message; and

clearing the escalated alarm after receiving the response.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the response is chosen from a group consisting of:

an acknowledgement that an alarm condition notice was received at the alarm destination,

a confirmation that the alarm message was successfully forwarded to the alarm destination,

a local alarm clearance input at the medical pump;

a configuration input at the medical pump,

a first change, in the dispatching system, to the first algorithm; and

a second change, in the dispatching system, to the second algorithm.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the third algorithm maps the alarm message to a set of disparate alarm destinations based on the unit of information.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer as part of a patient care system to monitor and control alarms in the patient care system, the patient care system having:

at least one medical pump generating a data message;

an alarm generating system receiving the data message from the medical pump;

a dispatching system connected to the alarm generating system; and

an alarm destination connected to the dispatching system, the alarm destination expressing an alarm upon receipt by the alarm destination of an alarm message, the monitor and control process comprising;

assessing the data message according to a first algorithm to fire a trigger if a condition is met;

producing, if the trigger fires, an alarm message;

assessing if the trigger fires, the data message according to a second algorithm to suppress an escalated alarm; and

forwarding the alarm message to the alarm destination according to a third algorithm;

wherein;

the data message includes a unit of information regarding pump therapy status data, pump operating point data, or both pump therapy status data and pump operating point data; and

the unit of information is a required input for both the first and second algorithms.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein:

the alarm message is forwarded by the dispatching system to a first alarm destination; and

the escalated alarm involves a second alarm forwarded by the dispatching system to a second alarm destination.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the monitor and control process further comprises:

receiving a response from the alarm destination to the alarm message; and

clearing the escalated alarm after receiving the response.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the response is chosen from a group consisting of:

an acknowledgement that an alarm condition notice was received at the alarm destination,

a confirmation that the alarm message was successfully forwarded to the alarm destination,

a local alarm clearance input at the medical pump;

a configuration input at the medical pump,

a first change, in the dispatching system, to the first algorithm; and

a second change, in the dispatching system, to the second algorithm.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the third algorithm maps the alarm message to a set of disparate alarm destinations based on the unit of information.