SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MITIGATING TISSUE BREAKDOWN

• US 20160338591A1
• Filed: 05/09/2016
• Published: 11/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Lachenbruch, Charles A., Williamson, Rachel L.
• Application Number:
  US15/149,438
• Publication Number:
  US 20160338591A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0059 using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence A61B5/0093, A61B5/1455, A61B5/02416 and A61B5/0261 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0075 by spectroscopy, i.e. measuring spectra, e.g. Raman spectroscopy, infrared absorption spectroscopy A61B5/0071 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/445 Evaluating skin irritation or skin trauma, e.g. rash, eczema, wound, bed sore
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/447 specially adapted for aiding the prevention of ulcer or pressure sore development, i.e. before the ulcer or sore has developed
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4839 combined with drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7405 using sound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7455 characterised by tactile indication, e.g. vibration or electrical stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/08 Detecting organic movements or changes, e.g. tumours, cysts, swellings A61B8/02 - A61B8/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• 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 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

A method for tracking a change in tissue status includes receiving at least some demographic information regarding an individual being monitored, receiving information regarding a first tissue status for the individual, comparing the received information with a threshold tissue status selected at least in part based on the at least some demographic information regarding the individual, and providing an alert indicative of a change in tissue status in response to determining that the received information exceeds the threshold tissue status. A system for implementing the methods of various embodiments are also provided.

Claims

1. A method for tracking a change in tissue status comprising:

receiving at least some demographic information regarding an individual being monitored;

receiving, from a sensor, information regarding a first tissue status for the individual;

comparing the received information with a threshold tissue status selected at least in part based on the at least some demographic information regarding the individual;

providing an alert indicative of a change in tissue status in response to determining that the received information exceeds the threshold tissue status.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least some demographic information regarding the individual being monitored comprises at least one of an age of the individual, a medical condition of the individual, a sex of the individual, a weight of the individual, a medication provided to the individual, a smoking status of the individual, a mobility level of the individual, a medical device utilized by the individual, and an indication that the individual has previously had a tissue condition.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information regarding the first tissue status for the individual comprises a temperature of the tissue, a moisture level of the tissue, mechanical energy dissipation through the tissue, ultrasound or other high frequency information, light frequency information, or a biomarker in the tissue.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the alert indicative of the change in tissue status comprises providing an alert to a caregiver via a computing device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the received information regarding the first tissue status and the at least some information regarding an individual being monitored in a database;

receiving, from the sensor, information regarding at least one subsequent tissue status for the individual; and

updating the database with the at least one subsequent tissue status for the individual.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

adjusting the threshold based on at least some of the information in the database.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising providing a graphical history of tissue status over time based on the first tissue status and the at least one subsequent tissue status for the individual.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising updating the database with an outcome for the individual.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising making an adjustment to a person support apparatus upon which the individual is disposed.

10. A system comprising:

at least one sensor for sensing information regarding a tissue status for an individual;

a server communicatively coupled to the at least one sensor for receiving the information regarding the tissue status for the individual from the at least one sensor, the server comprising a processor and a memory storing computer readable and executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the server to compare the information regarding the tissue status to a threshold tissue status and provide at least one output based on the comparison; and

at least one computing device communicatively coupled to the server for receiving the at least one output from the server.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the sensor comprises a light source and an optical detector.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the information regarding the tissue status for the individual comprises information regarding a change in light intensity at a predetermined wavelength.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one output comprises an instruction to make an adjustment to a person support apparatus upon which the individual is disposed, a notification to a caregiver, or an instruction to provide medication.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the instruction to make the adjustment to the person support apparatus comprises an instruction to alter an angle of the person support apparatus, an instruction to reduce a pressure associated with the person support apparatus, or an instruction to alter a temperature of the person support apparatus.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one computing device is associated with a person support apparatus upon which the individual is disposed.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the server receives at least some information regarding the individual, and the threshold tissue status depends at least in part on the at least some information regarding the individual.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the server updates the threshold tissue status based on the information regarding the tissue status for the individual.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the server updates the threshold tissue status based on an outcome for the individual.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least some information regarding the individual comprises at least one of an age of the individual, a medical condition of the individual, a sex of the individual, a weight of the individual, a medication provided to the individual, a smoking status of the individual, a mobility level of the individual, a medical device utilized by the individual, and an indication that the individual has previously had a tissue condition.

20. The system of claim 10, wherein the information regarding the tissue status comprises information regarding a moisture level of the tissue, mechanical energy dissipation through the tissue, ultrasound or other high frequency information, light frequency information, or a biomarker in the tissue.