Continuous monitoring using a predictive instrument

• US 5,724,983 A
• Filed: 03/25/1996
• Issued: 03/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: New England Medical Center Hospitals, Inc.
• Original Assignee: New England Medical Center Hospitals, Inc.
• Inventors: Selker, Harry P., Griffith, John L.
• Primary Examiner(s): GETZOW, SCOTT M
• Application Number:
  US08/621,246
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 128/696, 128/700, 128/702, 364/413.06, 364/113.03
• US Class Current: 600/301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/349 Detecting specific parameters of the electrocardiograph cycle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/412 Detecting or monitoring sepsis
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A method for continuously monitoring the medical condition of a patient, the method including the steps of continuously monitoring one or more clinical features of the patient; periodically computing a probability of a medical outcome or diagnosis based upon the continuously monitored one or more clinical features; from the periodically computed probability of a medical outcome or diagnosis, computing a change-of-condition measure; periodically comparing the change-in-condition measure to a threshold value; and if any computed change-in-condition measure exceeds the threshold value, generating an alarm notification.

Claims

1. An apparatus for continuously monitoring the medical condition of a patient, said apparatus comprising:

a medical instrument which during use monitors one or more clinical features of the patient;

a predictive instrument receiving output from the medical instrument, said predictive instrument programmed to complete a monitoring cycle in which it uses the output from the medical instrument to compute a probability of a medical outcome or diagnosis based on the monitored one or more clinical features; and

a control module causing said predictive instrument to periodically repeat the monitoring cycle;

a detector module receiving the computed probabilities resulting from the repeated monitoring cycles and computing therefrom a change-of-condition measure,

said detector module further configured to compare during each monitoring cycle the computed change-of-condition measure for that monitoring cycle to a threshold value and if in excess of said threshold value to generate an alarm notification.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said change-of-condition measure reflects a change in a computed probability for a current monitoring cycle as compared to a previous monitoring cycle.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the predictive instrument and the detector module are implemented remotely from each other.

4. A method for continuously monitoring the medical condition of a patient, said method comprising:

continuously monitoring one or more clinical features of the patient;

periodically computing a probability of a medical outcome or diagnosis based upon the continuously monitored one or more clinical features;

from the periodically computed probability of a medical outcome or diagnosis, computing a change-of-condition measure;

periodically comparing the change-in-condition measure to a threshold value; and

if any computed change-in-condition measure exceeds said threshold value, generating an alarm notification.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said change-of-condition measure represents a change in a computed probability for a current monitoring cycle relative to a previous monitoring cycle.