Patient monitoring unit for surgical use
First Claim
1. A patient monitoring unit for use during surgical procedures comprising weighing means incorporated into an operating table for continuously measuring the weight of a patient, computer means having input/output means and processing and storage means, said computer means responsive to said weighing means to enable said computer output means to display changes in the patient'"'"'s weight as they occur during the course of the surgical procedure, intravenous pump means responsive to said changes in said patient'"'"'s weight and selectively operable to provide a supply of intravenous fluids to said patient in proportion to said weight change, alarm means connected to said computer means for signaling sudden excessive patient weight changes, said computer means including means for automatically correcting the patient'"'"'s weight to account for additions to the patient in excess of a predetermined amount during the course of a surgical procedure.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A patient monitoring unit is used to follow the actual changes in a patient'"'"'s weight during the course of a surgical procedure. A patients'"'"' fluid inventory is vital to the patients'"'"' well being and any significant additions to or losses in body fluids are very significant in the proper management of the patient during surgery. Real time changes in a patient'"'"'s weight are monitored throughout the surgical procedure. A weighing system utilizing strain gauges or other transducers is built into the operating platform and the output from the transducers is communicated into a computer controller. Angle sensors are provided to measure the tilt at which the operating table may be placed thereby causing an apparent change in weight. The apparent weight change is corrected to the true weight. In the event various portions of the operating table are individually articulated, separate weighing systems and angle sensors are provided for each articulated portion. Weight changes caused by the addition or removal of equipment, supplies, dressings, fluids, etc., to the surgical operating table are factored out, and the system is tared to zero so that only changes in patient weight caused by gain or loss of body fluids are recorded and displayed during the course of the surgery. Any excess gain or loss of body fluids will set off an alarm to alert the surgical team. The pumping rate of an intravenous pump can be adjusted from the computer controller to increase or decrease the rate of infusion of fluids into the patient to compensate for any gain or loss over or below the patient'"'"'s initial weight.
81 Citations
12 Claims
- 1. A patient monitoring unit for use during surgical procedures comprising weighing means incorporated into an operating table for continuously measuring the weight of a patient, computer means having input/output means and processing and storage means, said computer means responsive to said weighing means to enable said computer output means to display changes in the patient'"'"'s weight as they occur during the course of the surgical procedure, intravenous pump means responsive to said changes in said patient'"'"'s weight and selectively operable to provide a supply of intravenous fluids to said patient in proportion to said weight change, alarm means connected to said computer means for signaling sudden excessive patient weight changes, said computer means including means for automatically correcting the patient'"'"'s weight to account for additions to the patient in excess of a predetermined amount during the course of a surgical procedure.
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9. A method for assisting a surgical team during the course of a surgical procedure on a patient, comprising the steps of
(a) establishing the patient'"'"'s weight at the outset of the surgical procedure; -
(b) monitoring continually changes in the said patient'"'"'s weight caused by fluid loss or gain including evaporative loss or gain during the entire surgical procedure; (c) providing means for displaying said patient'"'"'s weight so that said changes which may be outside safe limits are brought to the attention of said surgical team; (d) correcting automatically the patient'"'"'s weight for additions to the patient in excess of a predetermined amount during the course of the surgical procedure; (e) providing means to correct the patient'"'"'s weight for removals from the patient in excess of a predetermined amount during the course of the surgical procedure; and providing selective means for infusing automatically intravenous fluid in response to said monitored changes in said patient weight. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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Specification