Data logger for transportable life support system

• US 6,234,176 B1
• Filed: 04/02/1999
• Issued: 05/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Integrated Medical Systems Incorporated (Eli Lilly and Company)
• Original Assignee: Integrated Medical Systems Incorporated (Eli Lilly and Company)
• Inventors: Domae, Terrance Paul, Hanks, Donald, Jenks, Stephen Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Michael A.
• Application Number:
  US09/286,111
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: 128/845, 128/846, 128/869, 128/870, 128/897, 562/4, 562/5, 562/8, 361/50, 600/21, 600/22
• US Class Current: 128/897
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 1/00 Stretchers
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 1/04 Parts, details or accessories, e.g. head-, foot-, or like rests specially adapted for stretchers
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 10/023 Rooms for the treatment of patients at over- or under-pressure or at a variable pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/46 for temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2210/30 for intensive care
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/021 operated by electrical means A61M16/202 – A61M16/205 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A method for logging information representative of the operation of medical devices such as those of a transportable life support system includes communicating information from a plurality of medical devices to a storage device via at least one isolation circuit. The isolation circuit (s) mitigate interference with the medical devices so as to facilitate such data logging without adversely affecting the operation of the medical devices.

Claims

1. A method for logging information representative of operation of medical devices, the method comprising the steps of:

a) providing a storage device for logging information representative of operation of medical devices; and

b) communicating information from a plurality of medical devices to the storage device via at least one isolation circuit, the isolation circuit(s) mitigating interference with the medical devices so as to facilitate logging without adversely affecting operation of the medical devices.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of communicating information from a plurality of medical devices to the storage device via at least one isolation circuit comprises communicating information from a plurality of medical devices to the storage device via at least one of an optical isolator and an output port.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of communicating information from a plurality of medical devices comprises communicating information from a plurality of medical devices disposed upon a transportable life support system.

4. A method for logging information representative of operation of medical devices, the method comprising the steps of:

a) providing a first signal representative of a state of a discrete parameter of a medical device to a storage device, the step of providing a first signal representative of a state of a discrete parameter of a medical device to a storage device comprising the steps of;

i) providing the discrete parameter to an optical isolator so as to cause the optical isolator to define the first signal;

ii) communicating the first signal to the storage device;

b) providing a second signal representative of at least one logic output of the medical device, the step of providing a second signal representative of at least one logic output of the medical device comprising the steps of;

i) providing the logic signal to an output port of the medical device so as to cause the output port to define the second signal;

ii) communicating the second signal to the storage device; and

c) storing the first and second signals in the storage device;

d) wherein the steps of providing the discrete parameter to an optical isolator and providing the logic signal to an output port facilitate monitoring of the medical devices in a manner which mitigates interference with operation of the medical devices so as to maintain a reliability and effectiveness thereof.

5. The method as recited in claim 4 wherein the step of providing at least one first signal representative of a state of a discrete parameter comprises providing at least one first signal representative of an application of power to a medical device.

6. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the step of providing the logic signal to an output port comprises providing the output signal to an RS-232 port.

7. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the step of providing a second signal further comprises the steps of providing an output of the output port to an optical isolator so as to define the second signal.

8. A data logger for storing information representative of operation of medical devices, the data logger comprising:

a) a storage device for storing information representative of operation of medical devices; and

b) at least one isolation circuit for communicating information from a plurality of medical devices to the storage device, the isolation circuit(s) configured to mitigate interference with the medical devices so as to facilitate logging without adversely affecting operation of the medical devices.

9. The data logger as recited in claim 8, wherein the isolation circuit(s) comprise at least one of an optical isolator and an output port.

10. The data logger as recited in claim 8, wherein the medical devices are disposed upon a transportable life support system.

11. A data logger for storing information representative of operation of medical devices, the data logger comprising:

a) a first circuit for providing to a storage device a first signal representative of a state of a discrete parameter of a medical device, the first circuit comprising a first optical isolator and;

b) a second circuit for providing to the storage device a second signal representative of at least one logic output of the medical device, the second circuit comprising an output port of the medical device;

c) wherein providing the discrete parameter to an optical isolator and providing the logic signal to an output port facilitate monitoring of the medical devices in a manner which mitigates interference with operation of the medical devices so as to maintain a reliability and effectiveness thereof.

12. The data logger as recited in claim 11, wherein the first circuit is configured to provide a first signal representative of an application of power to a medical device.

13. The data logger as recited in claim 11, wherein the second circuit comprises an RS-232 port.

14. The data logger as recited in claim 11, wherein the second circuit is configured to provide an output of the output port to an optical isolator so as to define the second signal.