Medical alarm system

• US 6,445,304 B1
• Filed: 08/11/2000
• Issued: 09/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: John J. Iii Bandeian, John J. Jr. Bandeian
• Original Assignee: John J. Iii Bandeian, John J. Jr. Bandeian
• Inventors: Bandeian, John J. Jr., Bandeian, John J. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Lefkowitz, Edward
• Application Number:
  US09/636,376
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 340/604, 128/638, 304/605, 600/307, 600/371, 600/547
• US Class Current: 340/604
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02042 Determining blood loss or bleeding, e.g. during a surgical procedure

Abstract

A monitoring and alarm system for detecting excessive bleeding from medical patients and for alerting medical attendant(s) thereof, the system comprises a relatively thick sheet-like base of electrically non-conductive, blood porous material having a proximal side adapted for mounting directly on a patients skin or on a porous protective gauze or bandage or the like thereon at a site on the patients body where heavy bleeding can occur due to inadvertent opening of a wound or incision, or due to inadvertent extraction of a syringe, I.V. tube, catheter or the like, the base has a distal side, a normally open electrical circuit positioned adjacent the distal side and spaced from the proximal side a predesigned distance, electrically actuable visual, sound or physical alarm electrically connected into the circuit, and electrical switching for the circuit responsive to contact with blood to close the circuit and actuate the alarm to alert the medical attendant(s) to the excessive bleeding.

Claims

1. A monitoring and alarm system for detecting excessive bleeding from medical patients and for alerting medical attendant(s) thereof, said system comprising a relatively thick sheet-like base means of electrically non-conductive, blood porous material having a proximal side adapted for mounting directly on a patients skin or on a porous protective gauze or bandage thereon at a site on the patients body where heavy bleeding can occur due to inadvertent opening of a wound or incision or due to inadvertent extraction of a syringe, I.V. tube, catheter or other invasive medical implement, said base means having a distal, a normally open electrical circuit means positioned adjacent said distal side and spaced from said proximal side a predesigned distance, electrically actuable visual, sound or physical alarm means electrically connected into said circuit means, and electrical switching means for said circuit means responsive to contact with blood to close said circuit means and actuate said alarm means to alert said medical attendant(s) to said excessive bleeding.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said circuit means comprises at least two spaced apart electrical conductors positioned adjacent said distal side of said base means, wherein one conductor is connected to a power lead and the other conductor is connected to a ground lead of a power source, and wherein said switching means comprises at least one gap between contact portions of said spaced conductors and adapted to be bridged by electrolytic blood to electrically connect said contact portions.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said power source is selected from the group selected from battery power, house, clinic or hospital power, or generator power.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein said conductors are mounted on or imbedded in a non-conductive support means having a high capacity for blood absorption and migration.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said support means is affixed to said distal side of said base means, and wherein said base means is comprised of a flexible netting type structure having a thickness of from about {fraction (1/32)} to about {fraction (3/16)} in., and having from about 6 to about 20 pores per square inch, wherein said pores average in area from about 0.002 to about 0.02 in².

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the material of said netting is comprised substantially of a material of the group consisting of polyolefin, PVC, polyester, polyurethane, or natural or synthetic rubber or elastomers.

7. The system of claim 4 wherein the material of said support means comprises a mat of natural fibers.

8. The system of claim 4 wherein the material of said support means comprises a mat of felt.

9. The system of claim 4 wherein the material of said support means comprises a mat of blood absorptive paper.

10. The system of claim 4 wherein the material of said support means comprises a mat of blotter paper.

11. The system of claim 4 wherein said support means is physically attached to said base means by electrically non-conductive connector means.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the material of said base means is substantially blood non-absorptive.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein wrap means is provided on said support means for making quick and stable attachment of said system to a patients body.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the material of said base means is substantially blood non-absorptive.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein a layer of blood absorbing medical gauze is affixed to the proximal side of said base means to thereby provide a unitary bandaging and bleeding alarm unit.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein wrap means is provided on said support means for making quick and stable attachment of said system to a patients body.