Method and system for customizing the display of patient physiological parameters on a medical monitor

• US 5,473,536 A
• Filed: 04/04/1994
• Issued: 12/05/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Spacelabs Healthcare LLC (OSI Systems Incorporated), Degussa AG (Rag-Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: Spacelabs Medical Incorporated (OSI Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wimmer, Myles S.
• Primary Examiner(s): McElheny, Jr., Donald E.
• Application Number:
  US08/223,420
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: 364/413.01, 364/413.02, 364/413.03, 364/400, 395/156, 395/157, 395/159
• US Class Current: 700/90
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

A method and system for customizing the display of patient physiological parameters on a medical monitor are provided. Medical sensors connected to a patient record vital signs for the patient and transmit physiological parameters to the medical monitor. The medical monitor displays selected parameters on a display screen according to instructions from a setup program provided by the present invention. The setup program monitors the output of the medical sensors and presents the user with a real-time view of the parameters mailable for display in a graphical user interface. The graphical user interface allows the user to easily select which parameters will be displayed, how the parameters will be displayed, and where the parameters will be displayed on the display screen.

Claims

1. In a medical monitor having a display device, a method for controlling the display on the display device of a plurality of physiological parameters transmitted to the medical monitor by one or more medical sensors in response to the selection by a user of a parameter indicator, an attribute indicator, and a location indicator, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying on the display device each of a plurality of parameter indicators, each of the plurality of parameter indicators conveying the identity of one of the plurality of physiological parameters being transmitted to the medical monitor by the one or more medical sensors;

displaying on the display device each of a plurality of attribute indicators while displaying the plurality of parameter indicators, each of the plurality of attribute indicators conveying the identity of an attribute available for assignment to one of the plurality of physiological parameters, whereby the assignment of an attribute to a parameter causes the parameter to be displayed according to the assigned attribute on the display device;

displaying on the display device each of a plurality of zone indicators while displaying the plurality of parameter indicators and the plurality of attribute indicators, each of the plurality of zone indicators conveying the identity of a display zone on the display device available for assignment to one of the plurality of physiological parameters, whereby the assignment of a display zone to a parameter causes the parameter to be displayed within the assigned display zone on the display device;

receiving a signal indicating that the user has selected one of the displayed plurality of parameter indicators, one of the plurality of displayed attribute indicators, and one of the plurality of displayed zone indicators; and

displaying on the display device the parameter whose identity is conveyed by the selected parameter indicator, according to the attribute whose identity is conveyed by the selected attribute indicator, within the display zone whose identity is conveyed by the selected zone indicator.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the step of displaying each of a plurality of attribute indicators includes displaying each of a plurality of color indicators, each of the plurality of color indicators conveying the identity of a color available for assignment to one of the plurality of physiological parameters, whereby the assignment of a color to a parameter causes the parameter to be displayed in assigned color on the display device;

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the step of displaying each of a plurality of attribute indicators includes displaying each of a plurality of tone indicators, each of the plurality of tone indicators conveying the identity of a tone available for assignment to one of the plurality of physiological parameters, whereby the assignment of a tone to a parameter causes the parameter to be generated in assigned tone;

2. The method according to 1 wherein the medical monitor includes a pointing device and wherein the step of receiving a signal includes the step of receiving a signal originating in the pointing device indicating that the user has selected one of the displayed plurality of parameter indicators, one of the plurality of displayed color indicators, and one of the plurality of displayed zone indicators.

3. The method according to 1 wherein the medical monitor includes a keyboard device and wherein the step of receiving a signal includes the step of receiving a signal originating in the keyboard device indicating that the user has selected one of the displayed plurality of parameter indicators, one of the plurality of displayed color indicators, and one of the plurality of displayed zone indicators.

4. The method according to 1 wherein the step of receiving a signal includes the step of receiving a signal originating in a touch-sensitive video display device indicating that the user has selected one of the displayed plurality of parameter indicators, one of the plurality of displayed color indicators, and one of the plurality of displayed zone indicators.

5. The method according to 1 wherein the step of displaying a plurality of parameter indicators includes the step of receiving a signal from each of a plurality of medical sensors connected to the computer system.

8. In a computer implemented medical monitor, a method for controlling the display of physiological parameters in response to the activation of visual icons by a user, the physiological parameters being transmitted to the medical monitor by one or more medical sensors, the method comprising the steps of:

retrieving data representing a first and a second plurality of visual icons, each of the first plurality of visual icons visually conveying the identity of one of the physiological parameters available for display on the medical monitor, and each of the second plurality of visual icons visually conveying the identity of one of the display zones available for displaying a physiological parameter on the medical monitor;

simultaneously displaying on the medical monitor each of the first and second plurality of visual icons using the retrieved data representing the first and second plurality of visual icons;

receiving a signal indicating that the user has selected a parameter by activating one of the first plurality of displayed visual icons;

receiving a signal indicating that the user has selected a display zone by activating one of the second plurality of displayed visual icons; and

transmitting an instruction to the medical monitor to display on the medical monitor the selected parameter in the selected display zone.

9. The method according to 8 further including the steps of:

retrieving data representing a third plurality of visual icons, each of the third plurality of visual icons visually conveying the identity of a color available for displaying a selected parameter on the medical monitor;

displaying each of a third plurality of visual icons using the retrieved data representing a third plurality of visual icons;

receiving a signal indicating that the user has activated one of the third plurality of displayed visual icons; and

transmitting an instruction to the medical monitor to display the selected parameter in the selected color in the selected display zone.

10. The method according to 8 further including the steps of:

retrieving data representing a third plurality of visual icons, each of the third plurality of visual icons visually conveying the identity of a sound available for notifying the user of the existence of a condition associated with the selected parameter;

displaying each of a third plurality of visual icons using the retrieved data representing a third plurality of visual icons;

receiving a signal indicating that the user has activated one of the third plurality of displayed visual icons; and

transmitting an instruction to the medical monitor to notify the user of the existence of the condition associated with the selected parameter using the selected sound.

11. In a patient monitoring network, a computer implemented medical monitor for displaying data comprising:

a unit area including a plurality of unit indicators displayed on the medical monitor, each of the plurality of unit indicators conveying the identity of a unit, one of the unit areas being selected responsive to user selection of a corresponding one of the plurality of unit indicators;

a bed area including a plurality of bed indicators displayed on the medical monitor, each of the plurality of bed indicators conveying the identity of a bed associated with a selected unit indicator, one of the bed areas being selected responsive to user selection of a corresponding one of the plurality of bed indicators;

a parameter area including a plurality of parameter indicators displayed on the medical monitor, each of the plurality of parameter indicators conveying the identity of only respective parameters associated with a selected bed indicator wherein parameters are displayed only for those parameters monitored at the selected bed area, one of the parameter areas being selected responsive to user selection of a corresponding one or more of the plurality of parameter indicators;

a color area including a plurality of color indicators displayed on the medical monitor, each of the plurality of color indicators conveying the identity of a color in which parameters identified by selected parameter indicators are displayed on the medical monitor, one of the color areas being selected responsive to user selection of a corresponding one of the color indicators for each selected parameter indicator;

a zone area including a plurality of zone indicators displayed on the medical monitor, each of the plurality of zone indicators conveying the identity of a display zone in which parameters identified by selected parameter indicators are displayed on the medical monitor, one of the display zone areas being selected responsive to user selection of a corresponding one of the zone indicators for each selected parameter indicator; and

a memory for storing a program for receiving a signal indicating that the user has selected one of the displayed plurality of unit indicators and transmitting an instruction to display the bed indicators associated with the selected unit indicator, and for receiving a signal indicating that the user has selected one of the displayed bed indicators, one of the displayed color indicators, and one of the displayed zone indicators, and transmitting an instruction to display the parameter corresponding to the selected parameter indicator in the color corresponding to the selected color indicator on an area of the medical monitor corresponding to the selected zone indicators.

12. The medical monitor of claim 11 further including an input device connected to the medical monitor for transmitting to the memory the signal indicating that the user has selected one of the plurality of unit indicators, the signal indicating that the user has selected one of the plurality of bed indicators, the signal that the user has selected one or more of the plurality of parameter indicators, the signal that the user has selected one of the plurality of color indicators, and the user has selected one of the plurality of zone indicators.

13. The medical monitor of claim 11 in which the input device is a keyboard.

14. The medical monitor of claim 11 in which the input device is a pointing device.

15. The medical monitor of claim 11 in which the input device is a touch-sensitive video display device.

16. The medical monitor of claim 11, further including an input device connected to the medical monitor for transmitting to the medical monitor a signal indicating that the user has selected one or more of the plurality of parameter indicators, one of the plurality of color indicators for each selected parameter indicator, and one of the plurality of zone indicators for each selected parameter indicator.

17. The medical monitor of claim 16 wherein the memory further transmits an instruction to display the selected parameters for the selected bed with the selected color on the selected display zone of the medical monitor.