PATIENT MONITORING SYSTEM WITH GATEKEEPER SIGNAL

• US 20170055848A1
• Filed: 02/24/2015
• Published: 03/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ICU Medical Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ICU Medical Incorporated
• Inventors: Hughes, Timothy John, Derderian, Lina
• Granted Patent: US 10,405,757 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0023 disposable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2505/03 Intensive care
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0252 using ambient temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0266 for monitoring or limiting apparatus function
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0271 using a remote monitoring unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0276 Determining malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/028 Arrangements to prevent overuse, e.g. by counting the number of uses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0285 Apparatus for single use
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0443 Modular apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/08 Sensors provided with means for identification, e.g. barcodes or memory chips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/222 Electrical cables or leads therefor, e.g. coaxial cables or ribbon cables
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/225 Connectors or couplings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/226 comprising means for identifying the connector, e.g. to prevent incorrect connection to socket
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/227 Sensors with electrical connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02141 Details of apparatus construction, e.g. pump units or housings therefor, cuff pressurising systems, arrangements of fluid conduits or circuits A61B5/02233, A61B5/0235 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0215 by means inserted into the body catheters A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0003 having an additional lumen transmitting fluid pressure to the outside for measurement

Abstract

A gatekeeper electronic signal can be generated by a patient sensor and/or in an intermediate device, such as an electrical cable, that is separate from a patient'"'"'s physiological information electronic signal. The gatekeeper signal can be generated to indicate to a computer monitor that the sensor and/or cable is of the type that is compatible with, and/or usable with, such computer monitor, and/or that the sensor and/or cable is properly attached to the computer monitor. The gatekeeper signal can be created by an ambient temperature sensor on, or in electrical communication with, the patient monitor, and/or the gatekeeper signal can be created by a gatekeeper electronic signal generator to simulate an ambient temperature value. The gatekeeper signal can be separate from an electronic signal or plurality of signals that include patient physiological information, and the gatekeeper signal may not include any patient physiological information.

Claims

1. A disposable patient-monitoring device configured to be attached to tubing in fluid communication with a patient'"'"'s blood vessel, and configured to be attached in electrical communication with a computer processor, the patient-monitoring device comprising:

at least one pressure sensor configured to be in fluid communication with a patient'"'"'s blood vessel through a fluid-receiving region in the pressure sensor and configured to be in electrical communication with a computer processor, the pressure sensor being configured to sense a pressure wave in the patient'"'"'s vasculature and being configured to transmit at least one patient-information electrical signal to the computer processor that indicates a physiological parameter of a patient;

a signal generator that is configured to send a gatekeeper electrical signal to the computer processor that indicates or simulates an ambient temperature at the disposable patient-monitoring device, outside of the fluid region, to enable the computer processor to confirm that the cardiac-monitoring device is attached in electrical communication with the computer processor, the gatekeeper electrical signal not including diagnostic or physiological information about the patient;

wherein the information conveyed by the patient-information electrical signal is not required to be calibrated or modified by the gatekeeper electrical signal.

2. A patient-monitoring system comprising the disposable patient-monitoring device of claim 1, in combination with the computer processor.

3. The disposable patient-monitoring device of claim 1, further comprising a housing.

4. The disposable patient-monitoring device of claim 3, wherein the device is configured to measure an actual ambient temperature, and the ambient temperature is measured by a temperature sensor.

5. The disposable patient-monitoring device of claim 4, wherein the ambient temperature is measured inside of the housing.

6. The disposable patient-monitoring device of claim 4, wherein the ambient temperature is measured outside of the housing.

7. The disposable patient-monitoring device of claim 1, wherein the gatekeeper electrical signal is generated by a simulator, not an actual temperature measurement.

8. The disposable patient-monitoring device of claim 7, wherein the device does not include any temperature sensor.

9. A method of enabling cardiac monitoring comprising:

providing to a user a disposable cardiac-monitoring device comprising at least one pressure sensor configured to be in fluid communication with a patient'"'"'s blood vessel to sense a pressure wave in the patient'"'"'s blood vessel, and configured to be in electrical communication with a computer processor to transmit at least one physiologically derived electrical signal to the computer processor that indicates a cardiac parameter of a patient, and configured to generate a verification signal that indicates or simulates an ambient temperature at the disposable cardiac-monitoring device outside of the fluid region, the verification signal not being required to calibrate or otherwise modify the physiologically derived electrical signal;

instructing a user to attach the disposable cardiac-monitoring device so as to be in fluid communication with the patient'"'"'s blood vessel; and

instructing a user to attach the disposable cardiac-monitoring device so as to be in electrical communication with the computer processor.

10. A method of enabling cardiac monitoring of a patient comprising:

obtaining a disposable cardiac-monitoring device;

attaching the cardiac-monitoring device so as to be in fluid communication with a patient'"'"'s vasculature; and

attaching the cardiac-monitoring device so as to be in electrical communication with a computer processor, thereby permitting the cardiac-monitoring device to sense a pressure wave in the patient'"'"'s vasculature and transmit a pressure-wave signal to the computer processor and permitting the cardiac-monitoring device to create a second signal that indicates or simulates a temperature at the cardiac monitoring device outside of a region of the cardiac-monitoring device that contains fluid.

11. A gatekeeper signal-generating device configured to be attachable so as to be in electrical communication with a medical computer processor and a disposable patient pressure sensor having a liquid-receiving region configured to receive liquid during use, the gatekeeper signal-generating device comprising:

a signal generator configured to send a gatekeeper electrical signal to the medical computer processor that indicates or simulates an ambient temperature, outside of the liquid-receiving region, the gatekeeper electrical signal being isolated from and not configured to be used to modify or calibrate any patient-information signal;

a first electrical connector configured to attach the gatekeeper signal-generating device to the medical computer processor; and

a second electrical connector configured to attach the gatekeeper signal-generating device to the disposable patient pressure sensor.

12. The combination of the gatekeeper signal-generating device of claim 11 and the medical computer processor.

13. The combination of the gatekeeper signal-generating device of claim 11 and the disposable patient pressure sensor.

14. The gatekeeper signal-generating device of claim 11 in electrical communication with an electrical cable.

15. The gatekeeper signal-generating device of claim 14 embedded in an electrical cable.