Extensibility for Manipulation of Medical Data

• US 20170339211A1
• Filed: 04/26/2017
• Published: 11/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Inventors: Irwin, John H., Magee, Marshall W., Pingel, Mark E., Arnold, Gary L., Gamble, David D., Rynkiewicz, David E., Hoch, Michael D., Robinson, James M., Bobowski, Matthew J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,404,776 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44526 Plug-ins; Add-ons
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

A method for extending a functionality of a computing device programmed to obtain physiological measurements from a patient includes: registering, at the computing device, a plug-in module, the plug-in module providing additional functionality for the computing device; using the plug-in module to communicate with a medical device; commanding the medical device to obtain physiological information from a patient; receiving data associated with the physiological information from the medical device; and transferring the data to a central repository.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A method for extending a functionality of a vitals monitoring workstation programmed to obtain physiological data from a patient, the method comprising:

providing, at the vitals monitoring workstation, a plug-in module;

extending the functionality of the vitals monitoring workstation to communicate with a medical device through the plug-in module, wherein the vitals monitoring workstation is not configured to communicate with the medical device; and

receiving, at the vitals monitoring workstation, the physiological data associated with the patient from the medical device.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

manipulating the physiological data at the vitals monitoring workstation; and

transferring the data to a central repository.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising providing a trend of the physiological data.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising displaying the physiological data.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising incorporating the physiological data in a report.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising incorporating the physiological data in a report template defined by the plug-in module.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the plug-in module is a vitals plug-in, the vitals plug-in facilitating vitals measurement acquisition.

28. The method of claim 21, further comprising operating within a workflow.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprises operating within a monitoring workflow, wherein the monitoring workflow includes obtaining a series of measurements of one or more physiological parameters of the patient.

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising operating within a non-monitoring workflow.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising operating within a spot check workflow or a triage workflow.