System and Method of Infant Care Control and Workflow

• US 20150335510A1
• Filed: 08/05/2015
• Published: 11/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Cipriano, James P., Ten Eyck, Lawrence G., Starr, Karen P.
• Granted Patent: US 9,861,545 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 11/003 height-adjustable heater
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 11/004 height-adjustable light source
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 11/009 with hand insertion windows, e.g. in the walls
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/16 Touchpads
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/20 Displays or monitors
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/30 characterised by sensor means
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/46 for temperature
• 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

An infant care system creates a microenvironment about an infant patient. An environmental control device is operable to change an environmental condition within the microenvironment. An auxiliary sensor is operable to intermittently obtain auxiliary data. A processor operates the environmental control device based upon at least the intermittently obtained auxiliary data.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A method of caring for an infant, the method comprising:

providing a microenvironment for the infant with an infant care station;

sensing environmental data from at least one environmental sensor disposed within the microenvironment;

controlling the microenvironment based upon the sensed environmental data;

obtaining auxiliary data with an auxiliary sensor; and

controlling the microenvironment based upon the obtained auxiliary data.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the at least one environmental sensor is an internal environmental sensor and the environmental data is internal environmental data, and the auxiliary sensor is an external environmental sensor disposed external to the microenvironment and the auxiliary data is external environmental data.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein controlling the microenvironment based upon the obtained auxiliary data comprises controlling the microenvironment based upon the internal environmental data and the external environmental data.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the external environmental sensor comprises at least one of an ambient light sensor, a draft sensor, and an external temperature sensor.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the auxiliary data is intermittently obtained.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising selectively connecting the auxiliary sensor to the infant care station.

27. The method of claim 21 wherein the auxiliary sensor comprises at least one of a physiological sensor and an anatomical sensor and the auxiliary data comprises at least one of physiological data and anatomical data.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

continuously obtaining physiological data from the infant, with a physiological sensor in the microenvironment provided by the infant care station; and

presenting a trend graph of at least one of the environmental data and the physiological data in conjunction with the obtained auxiliary data.

29. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

sensing physiological data from the infant in the microenvironment provided by the infant care station; and

presenting the physiological data on the graphical display.

30. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

storing the obtained auxiliary data in an electronic medical record (EMR) of the infant patient.

31. A method of caring for an infant, the method comprising:

providing an infant care station comprising;

an environmental control device operable to change an environmental condition within a microenvironment;

at least one internal environmental sensor disposed within the microenvironment;

an auxiliary sensor;

a processor communicatively connected to the auxiliary sensor, the at least one internal environmental sensor, and the environmental control device;

providing the microenvironment for the infant with the infant care station;

sensing internal environmental data from the at least one internal environmental sensor disposed within the microenvironment;

changing the environmental condition within the microenvironment based upon the sensed internal environmental data;

obtaining auxiliary data with the auxiliary sensor; and

changing the environmental condition within the microenvironment with the environmental control device based upon the auxiliary data.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the microenvironment is defined about the infant patient by a generally horizontal surface configured to support the infant patient, a canopy positioned above the generally horizontal surface, and at least one wall.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the auxiliary sensor is an external environmental sensor located exterior of the microenvironment and the auxiliary data is external environmental data, further comprising:

obtaining external environmental data from outside of the microenvironment.

34. The method claim 33, wherein the external environmental sensor comprises a light sensor located on an exterior surface of the infant care station.

35. The method claim 33, wherein the external environmental sensor is a draft sensor located on an exterior surface of the infant care station.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein the external environmental sensor is a temperature sensor.

37. An infant care comprising:

a microenvironment configured within which to receive an infant patient, the microenvironment defined by at least a generally horizontal surface configured to support the infant patient, a canopy positioned above the generally horizontal surface, and at least one wall;

an internal environmental sensor located within the microenvironment, the internal environmental sensor operable to obtain internal environmental data from within the microenvironment;

an environmental control device operable to change an environmental condition within the microenvironment based upon the internal environmental data, the environmental condition comprising at least one of oxygen concentration, temperature, humidity, and light intensity; and

an external environmental sensor located external the microenvironment, the external environmental sensor operable to obtain external environmental data from exterior the microenvironment.

38. The infant care station of claim 37, wherein the external environmental sensor comprises at least one of a light sensor, a draft sensor, and a temperature sensor located on an exterior surface of the infant care station.

39. The infant care station of claim 38, wherein the external environmental sensor is a light sensor located on an exterior surface of the canopy.

40. The infant care station of claim 38, wherein the external environmental sensor is a draft sensor located on an exterior surface of the canopy.