Patient monitoring apparatus
First Claim
1. A portable patient monitoring apparatus adapted to permit, under control of the operator, selective detection and radio transmission of either a source of blood pressure related sounds or a source of other biologic sounds, comprising:
- (a) a receiver unit having a housing adapted for support on an operator'"'"'s belt, pocket, or the like, and enclosing a tunable receiving circuit, power supply and a speaker, an antenna associated with said receiving circuit, and an earpiece and tubing between said speaker and earpiece for transmission of audible sounds from said speaker to said earpiece in response to transmitted signals received by said antenna;
(b) a blood pressure cuff assembly mountable on a limb of the patient and including a blood pressure cuff, a first associated acoustic pickup piece for receiving and transmitting through associated tubing audible blood pressure related sounds developed when said cuff is inflated and inflating means for said cuff;
(c) a second acoustic pickup piece suitable for positioning on said patient for receiving and transmitting through associated tubing other audible related body sounds; and
(d) a transmitter unit having a housing adapted for support proximate the patient being monitored and enclosing a tunable radio transmitting circuit having a power supply and a microphone connected to said circuit for receiving sounds to be transmitted, an antenna associated with said transmitting circuit and a pressure controllable valve enclosed by said housing, said first and second acoustic pickup pieces being interconnected with said microphone by means of tubes which pass through said valve, said blood pressure cuff and said inflating means being interconnected by means of tubes which also pass through said valve and said valve being capable of closing off the audible sound interconnection between said microphone and first acoustic pickup piece upon inflation of said blood pressure cuff thereby enabling said operator to selectively control reception of sound by said microphones from either of said pickup pieces and thereby control selective transmission and reception by said transmitter and receiver units of either said blood pressure related or said other body sounds.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A patient monitoring apparatus employs transmitter and receiver units. The transmitter unit is typically mounted on the patient and is equipped with an inflatable blood pressure cuff having an associated acoustic stethoscope pickup piece for detecting the systolic and diastolic pressure related sounds which may be selectively and pneumatically coupled to the transmitter unit for radio broadcast to the receiver unit. The transmitter unit may also be selectively coupled to conventional stethoscope ear pieces and sound pickup pieces which can be either chest, esophagus, or otherwise mounted on the patient to detect the sounds generated by and/or associated with respiratory and cardiac functions. Thus, sounds related to either blood pressure determination or cardiorespirtory ausculation can be detected by the transmitter unit and broadcast to the receiver unit. The receiver unit is typically belt or pocket mounted on the attending anesthetist. Two switching systems are illustrated, either of which may be utilized to enable the anesthetist to automatically select which sound, i.e., blood pressure or cardiorespiratory, to monitor. On-off transmitter control as well as battery tests and channel confirmation functions are provided.
103 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A portable patient monitoring apparatus adapted to permit, under control of the operator, selective detection and radio transmission of either a source of blood pressure related sounds or a source of other biologic sounds, comprising:
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(a) a receiver unit having a housing adapted for support on an operator'"'"'s belt, pocket, or the like, and enclosing a tunable receiving circuit, power supply and a speaker, an antenna associated with said receiving circuit, and an earpiece and tubing between said speaker and earpiece for transmission of audible sounds from said speaker to said earpiece in response to transmitted signals received by said antenna; (b) a blood pressure cuff assembly mountable on a limb of the patient and including a blood pressure cuff, a first associated acoustic pickup piece for receiving and transmitting through associated tubing audible blood pressure related sounds developed when said cuff is inflated and inflating means for said cuff; (c) a second acoustic pickup piece suitable for positioning on said patient for receiving and transmitting through associated tubing other audible related body sounds; and (d) a transmitter unit having a housing adapted for support proximate the patient being monitored and enclosing a tunable radio transmitting circuit having a power supply and a microphone connected to said circuit for receiving sounds to be transmitted, an antenna associated with said transmitting circuit and a pressure controllable valve enclosed by said housing, said first and second acoustic pickup pieces being interconnected with said microphone by means of tubes which pass through said valve, said blood pressure cuff and said inflating means being interconnected by means of tubes which also pass through said valve and said valve being capable of closing off the audible sound interconnection between said microphone and first acoustic pickup piece upon inflation of said blood pressure cuff thereby enabling said operator to selectively control reception of sound by said microphones from either of said pickup pieces and thereby control selective transmission and reception by said transmitter and receiver units of either said blood pressure related or said other body sounds. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A portable patient monitoring apparatus adapted to permit, under control of the operator, selective detection and radio transmission of either a source of blood pressure related sounds or a source of other biologic sounds, comprising:
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(a) a receiver unit having a housing adapted for support on an operator'"'"'s belt, pocket, or the like, and enclosing a tunable receiving circuit, power supply and a speaker, an antenna associated with said receiving circuit, and an earpiece and tubing between said speaker and earpiece for transmission of audible sounds from said speaker to said earpiece in response to transmitted signals received by said antenna; (b) a blood cuff assembly mountable on a limb of the patient and including a blood pressure cuff, a first associated acoustic pickup piece for receiving and transmitting through associated tubing audible blood pressure related sounds developed when said cuff is inflated and inflating means for said cuff; (c) a second acoustic pickup piece suitable for positioning on said patient for receiving and transmitting through associated tubing other audible related body sounds; and (d) a transmitter unit having a housing adapted for support proximate the patient being monitored and enclosing a tunable radio transmitter circuit having a power supply and first and second microphones connected in a manner enabling either to receive audible sounds to be transmitted, an antenna associated with said transmitter circuit, said first microphone having an air path connection through tubing to said first pickup piece and said second microphone having an air path connection through tubing to said first pickup piece and said second microphone having an air path connection through tubing to said second pickup piece, and pressure actuated switch means enclosed by said housing and capable of establishing a connection between said first microphone and said transmitter circuit upon inflation of said blood pressure cuff and being capable of disconnecting the circuit between said first microphone and said transmitter circuit when said blood pressure cuff is deflated and simultaneously establishing a connection between said second microphone and said transmitter circuit thereby enabling said operator to selectively control reception of sound by said first and second microphones and thereby control selective transmission and reception by said transmitter and receiver units of either said blood pressure related or said other body sounds. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A portable patient monitoring apparatus adapted to permit, under control of the operator, selective detection and radio transmission of either a source of blood pressure related sounds or a source of other biologic sounds, comprising:
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(a) a receiver unit having a housing adapted for support on an operator'"'"'s belt, pocket, or the like, and enclosing a tunable receiving circuit, power supply and a speaker, an antenna associated with said receiving circuit, and an earpiece and tubing between said speaker and earpiece for transmission of audible sounds from said speaker to said earpiece in response to transmitted signals received by said antenna; (b) a blood pressure cuff assembly mountable on a limb of the patient and including a blood pressure cuff, a first associated acoustic pickup piece for receiving and transmitting through associated tubing audible blood pressure related sounds developed when said cuff is inflated and inflating means for said cuff; (c) a second acoustic pickup piece suitable for positioning on said patient for receiving and transmitting through associated tubing other audible related body sounds; and (d) a transmitter unit having a housing adapted for support proximate the patient being monitored and enclosing a tunable radio transmitter circuit having a power supply and microphone means for receiving sounds to be transmitted, an antenna associated with said transmitting circuit and pressure dependent operator means enclosed within said transmitter housing, said acoustic pickup pieces being sound connected with said microphone means by means of tubes which extend between said pickup pieces and said microphone means, said blood pressure cuff and said inflating means being interconnected by means of tubing which also passes at least partially through said housing and connects to said operator means, said operator means being capable of allowing the transfer of audible sounds from said first pickup piece through said microphone means to said transmitting circuit upon inflation of said pressure cuff and being capable of blocking such transmission upon deflation of said blood pressure cuff. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. A patient monitoring apparatus adapted to permit, under control of the operator, selective detection and radio transmission of a source of blood pressure related sounds, comprising:
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(a) a receiver unit having a tunable receiving circuit, power supply, an antenna and speaker, said speaker being adapted to produce audible sounds in response to transmitted signals received by said antenna; (b) a blood pressure cuff assembly mountable on a limb of the patient and including a blood pressure cuff, an associated acoustic pickup piece for receiving and transmitting through associated tubing audible blood pressure related sounds developed when said cuff is inflated and inflating means for said cuff; and (c) a transmitter unit adapted for support proximate the patient being monitored and having a tunable radio transmitter circuit having a power supply and microphone means for receiving sounds to be transmitted, an antenna associated with said transmitting circuit and pressure dependent operator means, said acoustic pickup piece being sound connected with said microphone means by means of tubing extending between said pickup piece and said microphone means, said blood pressure cuff and said inflating means being interconnected by means of tubing which also connects to said operator means, said operator means being capable of allowing the transfer of audible sounds from said pickup piece through said microphone means to said transmitting circuit upon inflation of said pressure cuff and being capable of blocking such transmission upon deflation of said blood pressure cuff. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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Specification