Physical-information detecting system

• US 5,586,552 A
• Filed: 11/16/1994
• Issued: 12/24/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Omron Healthcare Company Limited (Omron Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Colin Corporation (Fukuda Denshi Company Limited)
• Inventors: Sakai, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Sykes, Angela D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nasser, Robert L.
• Application Number:
  US08/341,989
• Time in Patent Office: 769 Days
• Field of Search: 128/630, 128/632, 128/633, 128/668, 128/672, 128/675, 128/680-3, 128/677, 128/687, 128/691, 128/670, 128/671, 128/695, 128/700, 128/701, 128/716, 128/736, 128/748 , 128/903, 128/904
• US Class Current: 600/493
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/903 Radio telemetry

Abstract

A physical-information detecting system including a first detector which detects a first physical information of a first living subject and generates a first physical-information (PI) signal representing the detected first physical information; a second detector which detects a second physical information of a second living subject and generates a second PI signal representing the detected second physical information; a first transmitter which transmits the first PI signal and a first identification (ID) signal identifying the first detector; a second transmitter which transmits the second PI signal and a second ID signal identifying the second detector; a physical-information output device which receives the first and second PI signals and said first and second ID signals from the first and second transmitters and outputs the detected first and second physical information represented by the first and second PI signals; a determining device for determining a characteristic of change of each of the first and second PI signals; and a judging device for judging whether the first and second living subjects are identical with each other, based on the respective determined characteristics of the first and second PI signals, the judging device providing a positive judgment when the respective determined characteristics are substantially identical with each other.

Claims

1. A physical-information detecting system comprising:

a first detector which detects a first physical information of a living subject and generates a first physical-information signal representing the detected first physical information;

a second detector which detects a second physical information of said living subject and generates a second physical-information signal representing the detected second physical information;

a first transmitter which transmits said first physical-information signal, and a first identification signal identifying said first detector;

a second transmitter which transmits said second physical-information signal, and a second identification signal identifying said second detector;

a physical-information output device which receives said first and second physical-information signals and said first and second identification signals, from said first and second transmitters, and outputs said detected first physical information represented by said first physical-information signal and said detected second physical information represented by said second physical-information signal;

determining means for determining a characteristic of change of each of said first and second physical-information signals; and

judging means for judging whether said first and second detectors are located on the same living subject based on the respective determined characteristics of said first and second physical-information signals, said judging means providing a positive judgment when said respective determined characteristics are substantially identical with each other.

2. A detecting system according to claim 1, wherein said first and second detectors comprise one of an electrocardiograph, a blood pressure measuring device, and a blood oxygen saturation measuring device.

3. A detecting system according to claim 1, wherein said determining means comprises means for determining, as said characteristic of change of said each of said first and second physical-information signals, a period of pulsation of said each physical-information signal that is equal to a period of heartbeat of said living subject,

said judging means providing said positive judgment when the respective determined pulsation periods of said first and second physical-information signals are substantially equal to each other.

4. A detecting system according to claim 1, wherein said first detector detects, as said first physical information, a first sort of physical information of said living subject, and said second detector detects, as said second physical information, a second sort of physical information of said living subject, said first and second sorts being different from each other.

5. A detecting system according to claim 4, further comprising:

a third detector which detects a third sort of physical information of said living subject and generates a third physical-information signal representing the detected third physical information, said third sort being different from said first and second sorts; and

a third transmitter which transmits said third physical-information signal, and a third identification signal identifying said third detector,

said physical-information output device receiving said third physical-information signal and said third identification signal from said third transmitter and outputs said detected third physical information represented by said third physical-information signal,

said determining means determining a characteristic of change of said third physical-information signal,

said judging means judging whether said first, second, and third detectors are located on the same living subject, based on the respective determined characteristics of said first, second, and third physical-information signals, said judging means providing a positive judgment when said respective determined characteristics of said first, second, and third physical-information signals are substantially identical with one another.

6. A detecting system according to claim 5, wherein said first, second, and third detectors comprise a first, a second, and a third one of an electrocardiograph, a blood pressure measuring device, and a blood oxygen saturation measuring device, respectively.

7. A detecting system according to claim 5, wherein said judging means comprises means for judging that each of said first, second, and third detectors is located on a different living subject, different from said living subject, when a corresponding one of said respective determined characteristics of said first, second, and third physical-information signals is different from the other determined characteristics.

8. A detecting system according to claim 7, further comprising an informing device which informs an operator of which one of said first, second, and third detectors is judged as being located on said different living subject.

9. A detecting system according to claim 7, further comprising a control device which controls said physical-information output device to stop outputting one of said first, second, and third physical information which corresponds to said each of said first, second and third detectors judged as being located on said different living subject.

10. A detecting system according to claim 4, further comprising:

a third detector which detects a third sort of physical information of said living subject and generates a third physical-information signal representing the detected third physical information, said third sort being the same as said first sort and different from said second sort;

a fourth detector which detects a fourth sort of physical information of said living subject and generates a fourth physical-information signal representing the detected fourth physical information, said fourth sort being different from said first sort and the same as said second sort;

a third transmitter which transmits said third physical-information signal, and a third identification signal identifying said third detector; and

a fourth transmitter which transmits said fourth physical-information signal, and a fourth identification signal identifying said fourth detector,

said physical-information output device receiving said third and fourth physical-information signals and said third and fourth identification signals, from said third and fourth transmitters, and outputting, separately from a first group of said detected first and second physical information represented by said first and second physical-information signals, a second group of said detected third physical information represented by said third physical-information signal and said detected fourth physical information represented by said fourth physical-information signal based on said first, second, third, and fourth identification signals,

said determining means determining a characteristic of change of each of said third and fourth physical-information signals,

said judging means judging whether said third and fourth detectors are located on the same living subject, based on the respective determined characteristics of said third and fourth physical-information signals, said judging means providing a positive judgment when said respective determined characteristics of said third and fourth physical-information signals are substantially identical with each other.

11. A detecting system according to claim 10, further comprising a memory which stores said first group of said detected first and second physical information, and said second group of said detected third and fourth physical information, separately from each other.

12. A detecting system according to claim 1, further comprising an alarm output device which outputs, when said judging means makes a negative judgment, an alarm indicating that said first and second detectors are worn on said living subject and a different living subject respectively.

13. A detecting system according to claim 12, wherein said alarm output device comprises a sound output device which outputs a sound as said alarm.

14. A detecting system according to claim 12, wherein said alarm output device comprises a display which displays a message as said alarm.

15. A detecting system according to claim 1, further comprising a control device which controls, when said judging means makes a negative judgment, said physical-information output device to stop outputting said detected first and second physical information.

16. A detecting system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a selecting device which is operable for selecting one of said living subject and a different living subject; and

a first signal receiver which receives one of said first and second physical-information signals from a corresponding one of said first and second transmitters corresponding to said first and second detectors, respectively, and supplies, to said physical-information output device, the received one physical-information signal and a subject and detector identification signal identifying the selected one living subject and one of said first and second detectors which corresponds to said received one physical-information signal,

said physical-information output device receiving said one physical-information signal via said signal receiver from said corresponding one transmitter, and said subject and detector identification signal from said first signal receiver,

said physical information output device additionally receiving, from the other of said first and second transmitters which corresponds to the other of said first and second detectors, the other of said first and second physical information signals and one of said first and second identification signals which corresponds to said other physical-information signal,

said determining means determining the characteristic of change of said one physical-information signal supplied from said corresponding one transmitter via said first signal receiver, and additionally determining the characteristic of change of said other physical-information signal transmitted from said other transmitter,

said judging means providing a positive judgment that said first and second detectors as said one and other detectors are located on the same living subject as said selected one living subject when the respective determined characteristics of said one and other physical-information signals are substantially identical with each other.

17. A detecting system according to claim 16, further comprising an alarm output device which outputs, when said judging means provides a negative judgment, an alarm indicating that said first and second detectors are worn on said living subject and said different living subject, respectively.

18. A detecting system according to claim 1, wherein said physical-information output device comprises at least one of (a) a display which displays said detected first and second physical information represented by said first and second physical-information signals and (b) a recorder which records, on a recording medium, said detected first and second physical information.

19. A detecting system according to claim 1, wherein said first and second transmitters transmit, by radio, said first and second physical-information signals and said first and second identification signals, and said physical-information output device comprises a second signal receiver which receives, by radio, said first and second physical-information signals and said first and second identification signals from said first and second transmitters.