Portable integrated physiological monitoring system
First Claim
1. A portable, physiological monitoring system configured to monitor physiological parameters of a human subject, the system comprising:
- a) a portable personal computer including an applications program executable thereon to produce a command, and having a display, a user input, and a data storage configured to contain existing information related to the human subject;
b) at least one physiological sensor, configured to be attached to the human subject to sense a physiological parameter of the human subject and to produce a signal representing the physiological parameter; and
c) a portable electronics unit, separate from the portable personal computer, the at least one physiological sensor and the human subject, and having circuitry connected to the at least one physiological sensor and the portable personal computer, the circuitry being responsive to the command from the applications program to initiate acquisition of the signal from the at least one sensor, the circuitry being configured to manipulate the signal and send the signal to the portable personal computer; and
d) the portable personal computer being configured to display the physiological parameter on the display, and to store the physiological parameter in the data storage with the existing information related to the human subject.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A portable, integrated physiological monitoring system is described for use in clinical outpatient environments. This systems consists of a plethora of sensors and auxiliary devices, an electronics unit (100) that interfaces to the sensors and devices, and a portable personal computer (102). Electrodes (106) are provided to acquisition electrocardiographic, electroencephalographic, and neuromuscular signals. Electrodes (108) are provided to stimulate neural and muscular tissue. A finger pulse oximeter (110), an M-mode ultrasonic transducer (112), an airflow sensor (114), a temperature probe (120), a patient event switch (116), and an electronic stethoscope (118) are provided. A portable personal computer (102) interfaces to the electronics unit (100) via a standard parallel printer port interface (258) to allow communication of commands and information to/from the electronics unit (100). Control and display of the information gathered from the electronics unit (100) is accomplished via an application program executing on the portable personal computer (102). Sharing of common data acquisition hardware along with preliminary processing of information gathered is accomplished within the electronics unit (100). The entire system is battery operated and portable. This system, because of its architecture, offers significant cost advantages as well as unique modes of operation that cannot be achieved from the individual physiological parameter measurement devices alone. The system allows for the integration of acquisitioned information from the sensors into a patient'"'"'s database stored on the portable personal computer.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A portable, physiological monitoring system configured to monitor physiological parameters of a human subject, the system comprising:
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a) a portable personal computer including an applications program executable thereon to produce a command, and having a display, a user input, and a data storage configured to contain existing information related to the human subject; b) at least one physiological sensor, configured to be attached to the human subject to sense a physiological parameter of the human subject and to produce a signal representing the physiological parameter; and c) a portable electronics unit, separate from the portable personal computer, the at least one physiological sensor and the human subject, and having circuitry connected to the at least one physiological sensor and the portable personal computer, the circuitry being responsive to the command from the applications program to initiate acquisition of the signal from the at least one sensor, the circuitry being configured to manipulate the signal and send the signal to the portable personal computer; and d) the portable personal computer being configured to display the physiological parameter on the display, and to store the physiological parameter in the data storage with the existing information related to the human subject. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A portable, human subject, physiological monitoring system for clinical outpatient environments, the system comprising:
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a) at least one physiological sensor configured to be attached to the human subject, sense a physiological parameter of the human subject, and produce a signal representing the physiological parameter; b) a portable electronics unit, coupled to the at least one sensor and configured to be separate from the human subject, and having circuitry connected to the at least one sensor to acquire and process the signal from the at least one sensor; and c) a portable personal computer, separate from and coupled to the electronics unit, to control the electronics unit in real-time and to receive information from the electronics unit, the portable personal computer having an application program executable thereon to produce a command to send to the electronics unit to initiate acquisition of the signal from the at least one sensor, and having; i) a display configured to display the information from the electronics unit; ii) an interface configured to receive user input; and iii) a data storage configured to contain existing information related to the human subject and to store information acquired such that existing and new information are integrated. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for obtaining, displaying and integrating human subject physiological information from a human subject, comprising the steps of:
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a) attaching a physiological sensor to the human subject; b) disposing a portable electronics unit adjacent the human subject, but separate from the human subject, and connecting the physiological sensor to the portable electronics unit; c) connecting a portable personal computer to the electronics unit; d) operating an application program executable on the portable personal computer to send a command to the electronics unit to initiate acquisition of the physiological parameter; e) sensing the physiological parameter and producing a signal using the physiological sensor; f) manipulating the signal using the electronics unit; g) communicating the sensed parameter to the portable personal computer; and h) displaying the parameter on a display of the portable personal computer; and
storing the parameter in the data storage of the portable personal computer. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification