Patient tracking system for hospital emergency facility

• US 5,760,704 A
• Filed: 04/03/1992
• Issued: 06/02/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Expeditor Systems
• Original Assignee: Expeditor Systems
• Inventors: Barton, Giles L., Pope, D. Phillip
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILSON JR, WILLIAM HALL
• Application Number:
  US07/863,216
• Time in Patent Office: 2,251 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.49, 340/573, 340/286.07, 379/38, 705/2, 705/3, 345/168, 345/44, 345/902
• US Class Current: 340/286.07
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

An electronic patient tracking system for use in a hospital, particularly a hospital emergency room facility. A plurality of patient tracking modules are provided, each of which includes a multi-character display for indicating patient name and patient complaint as well as an indicator of attending physician and nurse. Illuminated color coded switches are used to indicate the placement of orders for work to be done. The system provides automatic timeouts if the order is not completed, as evidenced by subsequent operation of the switch, within a predetermined period of time and changes the lamp status to an alarm condition, such as flashing with a particular cadence. The system allows local entry of data and setting of order indicators as well as the control of these elements from a host computer system of the hospital in which the device is used. It also provides for a complete transfer of identification information and order status among patient modules when a patient is moved between rooms associated with particular modules.

Claims

1. A hospital patient tracking system comprising in combination:

a plurality of clusters of patient tracking modules, each said patient tracking module comprising;

(a) a predetermined number of coded selectively operable keys each corresponding to a predetermined physician order,

(b) a predetermined number of selectively operable visual indicators associated on a one-to-one basis with said coded selectively operable keys, and

(c) a multi-character display;

a plurality of keyboard cluster controllers, each said keyboard cluster controller being connected to said coded selectively operable keys and said selectively operable visual indicators and all of said patient tracking modules within associated cluster;

a like plurality of visual indicator cluster controllers, each said visual indicator cluster controller being connected to said coded selectively operable keys and said selectively operable visual indicators in all of said patient tracking modules within an associated cluster;

a like plurality of multi-character display cluster controllers, each said multicharacter display cluster controller being connected to said multi-character display in all of said patient tracking modules within an associated cluster;

at least one console keyboard and an associated console keyboard controller in each said cluster; and

a central controller in each said cluster connected to each one of said keyboard and visual indicator cluster controllers, each one of said multi-character display cluster controllers, and said console keyboard controller for providing data to, and receiving data from said cluster controllers and said console keyboard controller said central controller including a memory for storing a plurality of patient identifiers and for associating each particular one of said patient identifiers with a particular one of said patient tracking modules within a particular one of said plurality of clusters;

wherein said keyboard and visual indicator cluster controllers are responsive to operation of a particular one of said coded selectively operable keys to buffer and store a key activation packet that is passed on to said controller in response to a polling request from said central controller to the particular said keyboard and visual indicator cluster controller to which said particular one of said coded selectively operable keys is connected,

wherein said central controller is responsive to receipt of said key activation packet to generate an indicator control packet that is sent to said particular keyboard and visual indicator cluster controller, and

wherein said particular keyboard and visual indicator cluster controller is responsive to said indicator control packet to cause the particular selectively operable visual indicator associated with said particular one of said coded selectively operable keys to change states.

2. A hospital patient tracking system as recited in claim 1 wherein:

said central controller further comprises timing means for detecting the passage of a predetermined period of time since a last state change for said particular selectively operable visual indicator and said central controller is responsive to said timing means detecting said passage of said predetermined period of time to place said particular selectively operable visual indicator in an alarm state.

3. A hospital patient tracking system comprising in combination:

a plurality of clusters of patient tracking modules, each said cluster comprising a rectilinear array of said patient tracking modules, each said patient tracking module comprising;

(a) a predetermined number of coded selectively operable keys arranged in a row,

(b) a predetermined number of selectively operable visual indicators being associated with and physically juxtaposed on a one-to-one basis with said coded selectively operable keys,

(c) a multi-character display disposed by said row;

a like plurality of cluster controllers, each said cluster controller being connected to said coded selectively operable keys and said selectively operable visual indicators and said multi-character display in all of said patient tracking modules within an associated cluster;

at least one console keyboard and an associated console keyboard controller connected thereto;

a central controller connected to each one of said cluster controllers, and said console keyboard controller for providing data to, and receiving data from said cluster controllers and said console keyboard controller, said central controller including a memory for storing a plurality of patient identifiers and for associating each particular one of said patient identifiers with a particular one of said patient tracking modules within a particular one of said plurality of clusters.

4. A hospital patient tracking system as recited in claim 3 wherein said predetermined number is a first predetermined number and wherein each said patient tracking module further comprises:

a second predetermined number of function keys connected to a particular one of said plurality of cluster controllers associated with the cluster of which said patient tracking module is a member.