Safety Features for Medical Devices Requiring Assistance and Supervision

• US 20160306938A1
• Filed: 06/22/2016
• Published: 10/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nxstage Medical Incorporated (Fresenius Medical Care AG)
• Original Assignee: Nxstage Medical Incorporated (Fresenius Medical Care AG)
• Inventors: BURBANK, Jeffrey H., TREU, Dennis M., BRUGGER, James M.
• Application Number:
  US15/189,532
• Publication Number:
  US 20160306938A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0077 Devices for viewing the surface of the body, e.g. camera, magnifying lens
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/015 By temperature mapping of body part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/117 Identification of persons methods or arrangements for recognising patterns, e.g. fingerprints, G06F18/00, G06V40/00; identification of persons by analysing their voice or speech G10L17/00
• 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: A61B 5/7475 User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/14 Dialysis systems; Artificial kidneys; Blood oxygenators semi-permeable membranes characterised by the material, manufacturing processes therefor B01D71/00 ; Reciprocating systems for treatment of body fluids, e.g. single needle systems for hemofiltration or pheresis
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/36 Other treatment of blood in a by-pass of the natural circulatory system, e.g. temperature adaptation, irradiation ; Extra-corporeal blood circuits
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/367 Circuit parts not covered by the preceding subgroups of group A61M1/3621
• 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 2205/6009 for matching patient with his treatment, e.g. to improve transfusion security
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 1/01 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 9/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/00 ICT specially adapted for therapies or health-improving plans, e.g. for handling prescriptions, for steering therapy or for monitoring patient compliance
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 : Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

An automatic locking system for a medical treatment device helps to ensure that an assistant is present during treatment of a patient. Among the features disclosed biometric authentication to verify that a trained assistant is present, a presence detector to ensure the assistant is continuously present during treatment, and warning and recovery processes that allow intermittent lapses in the continuous presence of the assistant.

Claims

1. A medical device, comprising:

a medical treatment component;

a monitoring system configured to receive data from sensors to confirm the status of a patient or a helper, where the patient receiving treatment by the medical treatment component and the helper is a different person from the patient;

the monitoring system including a video camera positioned to view a scene containing a helper or a patient; and

a controller programmed to implement an image classification engine to process video images from the video camera during a time when the medical treatment component is operative to deliver therapy to a patient;

the controller being programmed to classify said processed video images to identify specific conditions and generate a signal indicative of an abnormal condition in response thereto.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein one of the specific conditions includes a presence or non-presence of a helper.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein one of the specific conditions includes a pattern of presences or non-presences of a helper over a period of time.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein one of the specific conditions includes a predetermined body temperature profile pattern.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein one of the specific conditions includes a patient breathing rate.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein one of the specific conditions includes a pathological condition of a patient.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein one of the specific conditions includes a helper falling asleep.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to create a cell phone message in response to said signal.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to an alarm in response to said signal.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to recognize a face of the helper.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the controller is programmed to prevent use of the medical treatment component responsively to failing to recognize a face of a helper.

12. The device of claim 3, wherein the pattern of presences is determined by a stored schedule based on time of day.