Emergency-reporting system for rescue operations

• US 5,874,897 A
• Filed: 12/26/1996
• Issued: 02/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dragerwerk AG
• Original Assignee: Dragerwerk AG
• Inventors: Rochlitzer, Frank, Klempau, Hans Jurgen
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C.
• Application Number:
  US08/773,971
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573, 340/539, 340/825.36, 340/825.49, 340/825.45, 340/988, 128/903, 128/904, 128/630, 128/632, 128/633, 128/637, 128/667, 604/890.1, 604/891.1, 604/19
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• 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: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/903 Radio telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/904 Telephone telemetry

Abstract

A personal emergency-reporting system for recognizing the site of an emergency with simultaneous warning of the nearest emergency physician/medical personnel. A portable patient data unit is provided which contains a satellite-supported global positioning system, which communicates with a patient data acquisition and evaluation unit via a computer and control unit, wherein the latter is connected to an emergency call transmitter. The transmitter sends patient data and the patient'"'"'s position to an emergency call receiver in the case of an emergency. An automatic emergency-reporting system is provided by the present invention in order to make possible a rapid and specific rescue operation to a person whose health is acutely at risk.

Claims

1. A personal emergency-reporting system for a patient comprising in combination:

a portable patient data unit including

a housing carriable by a body of the patient,

a satellite-supported Global Positioning System receiver means,

a computer and control unit,

a patient data acquisition and evaluation unit connected to said Global Positioning System receiver means via said computer and control unit,

an emergency call transmitter connected to said computer and control unit for transmitting patient data and positions in the case of an emergency; and

an emergency call receiver, said receiver means, said patient data acquisition and evaluation unit, said computer and control unit, and said emergency call transmitter are arranged in said housing;

data storage means connected to said computer and control unit for recording said patient data when said emergency is present, said storage means also including personal history and previous treatment information of the patient, said storage means includes a reading and writing device for magnetic or optical data storage media which is connected to said computer and control unit and also includes means for being read and written to by a rescue unit and hospital equipment.

2. A personal emergency-reporting system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said data storage medium with the patient data is used to record the emergency event for later clinical treatment or medical evaluation.

3. A personal emergency-reporting system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said patient data unit additionally includes acoustic and/or optical signal transmitters, which are activated in the case of an emergency.

4. A process for personal emergency-reporting, the process comprising the steps of:

providing an individual with a portable patient data unit including a satellite-supported Global Positioning System receiver means, a computer and control unit, a patient data acquisition and evaluation unit connection to said Global Positioning System receiver means via said computer and control unit, and an emergency call transmitter connected to said computer and control unit for transmitting patient data and positions in the case of an emergency;

storing personal history and previous treatment information of the patient in a storage means;

monitoring patient parameters with said patient data acquisition and evaluation unit at predetermined time intervals;

recording said patient parameters in said storage means when said emergency is present;

determining if an emergency situation is occurring based on an evaluation of said patient parameters with said computer and control unit;

providing at least one emergency call receiver; and

transmitting patient parameter data and patient position data from said potable patient data unit to said emergency call receiver upon said computer and control unit determining that an emergency situation is occurring;

reading and writing to said storage means by rescue and hospital equipment.

5. A personal emergency-reporting process in accordance with claim 4, wherein said patient data unit additionally includes acoustic and/or optical signal transmitters, which are activated in the case of an emergency.

6. A personal emergency-reporting process in accordance with claim 4, wherein a plurality of emergency call receivers are provided defining emergency call receiving cells distributed over a geographic region whereby the nearest cell receives the emergency call.

7. A personal emergency-reporting process in accordance with claim 4, wherein said receiver means, said patient data acquisition and evaluation unit, said computer and control unit, and said emergency call transmitter are arranged in a portable patient data unit housing.

8. A personal emergency-reporting process in accordance with claim 7, wherein said patient data unit has a reading and writing device for magnetic or optical data storage media, which is connected to said computer and control unit.

9. A personal emergency-reporting process in accordance with claim 4, wherein said patient data unit has a reading and writing device for magnetic or optical data storage media, which is connected to said computer and control unit.

10. A personal emergency-reporting process in accordance with claim 9, wherein said data storage medium with the patient data is used to record the emergency event for latter clinical treatment or medical evaluation.

11. A personal emergency-reporting system for a patient, the system comprising:

a portable patient data unit including a housing carriable on a body of the patient;

a satellite-supported Global Positioning System receiver means connected to said data unit and for receiving position data from a Global Positioning System;

a patient data acquisition and evaluation means positioned in said housing for determining medical parameters of the patient;

a computer and control unit positioned in said housing of said data unit, said computer and control unit being connected to said receiver means and said acquisition and evaluation means, said computer and control unit determining if an emergency situation is present based on said medical parameters;

an emergency call transmitter connected to said computer and control unit for receiving said medical parameters and said position data from said computer and control unit when said emergency situation is present, said transmitter transmitting an emergency signal when said emergency situation is present, said emergency signal including said medical parameters and said position data;

an emergency call receiver spaced from said data unit, said emergency call receiver receiving said emergency signal from said data unit, said emergency call receiver providing an indication of said emergency situation and providing said medical parameters and position data to a user of said emergency call receiver with said indication of said emergency situation;

a data storage means connected to said computer and control unit for recording said medical parameters when said emergency situation is present, said storage means also including personal history and previous treatment information of the patient, said storage means includes means for being read and written to by a rescue unit and hospital equipment.

12. A personal emergency-reporting system in accordance with claim 11, wherein said patient data unit has a reading and writing device for magnetic or optical data storage media, which is connected to said computer and control unit.

13. A personal emergency-reporting system in accordance with claim 11, wherein said patient data unit additionally includes acoustic and/or optical signal transmitters, which are activated in the case of an emergency.

14. A system in accordance with claim 11, wherein:

a personal emergency switch is connected to said housing for the patient to create an emergency situation;

said acquisition and evaluation means determines heart rate, blood pressure, and cardiac arrhythmias.

15. A personal emergency-reporting system in accordance with claim 11, wherein said receiver means, said patient data acquisition and evaluation unit, said computer and control unit, and said emergency call transmitter are arranged in said housing of said data unit.

16. A personal emergency-reporting system in accordance with claim 15, wherein said patient data has a reading and writing device for magnetic or optical data storage media, which is connected to said computer and control unit.

17. A personal emergency-reporting system in accordance with claim 16, wherein said data storage medium with the patient data is used to record the emergency event for later clinical treatment or medical evaluation.