Blood pressure and pulse oximeter monitor
First Claim
1. An apparatus for producing an audible alarm in a patient monitoring system which includes a blood pressure module having a cuff and a pulse oximeter locatable on the same limb of the patient, said apparatus comprising:
- first plethysmograph means for measuring oscillations of the pressure in said cuff on said patient and producing an output having a logic level value equal to zero when said measurements are in the range between a first minimum level Pmin and a threshold level Pthr less than the patient'"'"'s systolic pressure and producing an output having a logic level value equal to one when said measurements are outside of said range;
second plethysmograph means connected to said pulse oximeter for measuring the pulse and oxygen saturation level (SpO2) of said patient and producing an output indicative thereof; and
,gate means having inputs connected to the outputs of said first and second plethysmograph means respectively and an output producing an audible alarm,wherein when said first plethysmograph means logic level is equal to zero, the output from said gate means does not produce said audible alarm.
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Abstract
A patient monitoring system includes a pulse oximeter sensor and an audible alarm which is not produced when a blood pressure module is taking measurements, but only during that portion of the cycle that affects the pulse oximeter reading. During such measurements, the pulses detected by the oximeter decrease below a threshold Toxim. An audible alarm is caused to receive a logic level of zero by an AND gate through the detection of measurements exceeding a minimum pressure Pmin on the blood pressure module. The audible alarm continues to receive such a logic level until the measurements exceed a threshold Pthr. After that time, the audible alarm AND gate logic level is reset to one, so as to permit reporting of pulses missing at the oximeter. None of the other alarms, such as the actual SPO2 reading, are affected by the AND gate. Accordingly, the present invention does not affect the taking of important SpO2 readings during cuff inflation/deflation and, moreover, only prevents a pulse missing audible alarm from being heard for a short period of time.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. An apparatus for producing an audible alarm in a patient monitoring system which includes a blood pressure module having a cuff and a pulse oximeter locatable on the same limb of the patient, said apparatus comprising:
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first plethysmograph means for measuring oscillations of the pressure in said cuff on said patient and producing an output having a logic level value equal to zero when said measurements are in the range between a first minimum level Pmin and a threshold level Pthr less than the patient'"'"'s systolic pressure and producing an output having a logic level value equal to one when said measurements are outside of said range; second plethysmograph means connected to said pulse oximeter for measuring the pulse and oxygen saturation level (SpO2) of said patient and producing an output indicative thereof; and
,gate means having inputs connected to the outputs of said first and second plethysmograph means respectively and an output producing an audible alarm, wherein when said first plethysmograph means logic level is equal to zero, the output from said gate means does not produce said audible alarm.
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2. An apparatus for producing an audible alarm in a patient monitoring system which includes a blood pressure module having a cuff and a pulse oximeter locatable on the same limb of the patient, said apparatus comprising:
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first plethysmograph means for measuring oscillations of the pressure in said cuff on said patient and producing an output having a logic level value equal to zero when said measurements are in the range between a first minimum level Pmin and a threshold level Pthr and producing an output having a logic level value equal to one when said measurements are outside of said range; second plethysmograph means connected to said pulse oximeter for measuring the pulse and oxygen saturation level (SpO2) of said patient and producing an output indicative thereof; and
,gate means having inputs connected to the outputs of said first and second plethysmograph means respectively and an output producing an audible alarm, wherein when said first plethysmograph means logic level is equal to zero, the output from said gate means does not produce said audible alarm; first timer means for resetting said logic level value to one if said pressure Pthr is not reached within a predetermined period of time T1 after said cuff oscillation pressure of Pmin is reached, wherein T1 is approximately 20 seconds. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A patient monitoring system which includes a blood pressure cuff and a pulse oximeter locatable on the same limb of a patient and an activatable audible alarm, said system comprising:
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first plethysmograph means for measuring oscillations of the pressure in said cuff on said patient and producing an output having a first logic level when said measurements are in a range between a first minimum level Pmin and a threshold level Pthr less than the patient'"'"'s systolic pressure and producing an output having a second logic level when said measurements are outside of said range; second plethysmograph means connected to said pulse oximeter for measuring the pulse and oxygen saturation level (SpO2) of said patient and producing an output indicative thereof; and
,gate means having inputs connected to the outputs of said first and second plethysmograph means respectively and an output connected to said audible alarm, wherein when the output from said first plethysmograph means is initially at said first logic level said gate means does not actuate said alarm.
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9. A patient monitoring system which includes a blood pressure cuff and a pulse oximeter locatable on the same limb of a patient and an activatable audible alarm, said system comprising:
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first plethysmograph means for measuring oscillations of the pressure in said cuff on said patient and producing an output having a first logic level when said measurements are in a range between a first minimum level Pmin and a threshold level Pthr and producing an output having a second logic level when said measurements are outside of said range; second plethysmograph means connected to said pulse oximeter for measuring the pulse and oxygen saturation level (SpO2) of said patient and producing an output indicative thereof; and
,gate means having inputs connected to the outputs of said first and second plethysmograph means respectively and an output connected to said audible alarm, wherein when the output from said first plethysmograph means is initially at said first logic level said gate means does not actuate said alarm, first timer means for resetting the output of said first plethysmograph means to said second logic level if said pressure Pthr is not reached within a predetermined period of time T1 after said cuff oscillation pressure of Pmin is reached. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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Specification