Method for transferring patient information from a source monitor to a destination monitor

• US 7,076,435 B1
• Filed: 05/20/1994
• Issued: 07/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Spacelabs Healthcare LLC (OSI Systems Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Datex-Ohmeda Incorporated (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Finch, David P., McKeag, Gregory A., Wade, Kenneth S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomas, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Porter, R. L.
• Application Number:
  US08/247,024
• Time in Patent Office: 4,435 Days
• Field of Search: 364/413.02, 364/413.01, 364/413.03, 128/710, 705/2, 705/3, 600/300, 707/102
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A method and system for transferring patient information from a source patient monitor having a source patient database to a destination patient monitor having a destination patient database. In a preferred embodiment, a transport module is connectable to a source patient monitor and a destination patient monitor. The transport module is also connectable to a patient for receiving patient information. The transport module contains a transport database for storing patient information. The transport module is connected to the patient. The transport module is then connected to the source patient monitor. Upon receiving a request to move the patient, patient information is uploaded from the source patient database to the transport database. The transport module is then disconnected from the source patient monitor. The patient is then moved. The transport module is then connected to the destination patient monitor and patient information is downloaded from the transport database to the destination patient database. In a preferred embodiment, the uploading and downloading of patient information occur concurrently with read/write access to the destination and source patient databases by a central monitor or data collection module.

Claims

1. A method for transferring patient information from a source patient monitor having a source patient database to a destination patient monitor having a destination patient database through a transport module, the transport module being connectable to the source patient monitor and destination patient monitor, the transport module having sensors that are connectable to a patient for receiving patient information, the transport module having a transport database for storing patient information, the method comprising the steps of:

connecting the transport module to the patient;

connecting the transport module to the source patient monitor;

receiving an indication that the patient is to be transported;

in response to receiving the indication that the patient is to be transported, uploading patient information from the source patient database to the transport database of the connected transport module;

disconnecting the transport module from the source patient monitor;

transporting the transport module to the destination patient monitor while the transport module is still connected to the patient;

connecting the transport module to the destination patient monitor; and

downloading the patient information from the transport database of the connected transport module to thee destination patient database.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the transport module is disconnected from the source patient monitor and the transport module is connected to the destination patient monitor without disconnecting the transport module from the patient.

3. The method of claim 1 includes the steps of:

determining a period of time between start of uploading and start of downloading of the patient information; and

downloading the determined period of time to the destination patient monitor.

4. The method of claim 3 including the step of downloading a time indicative of the start of the uploading of patient information from the transport module to the destination patient monitor.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the patient information includes a plurality of information streams, each information stream having a plurality of time-ordered entries and wherein the step of uploading includes the steps of:

selecting an information stream with an entry that has not been uploaded to the transport database and that has the most-recent time-ordering; and

transferring information from the selected information stream to the transport database.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of uploading includes the step of transferring context data for an information stream to the transport database before transferring information from the information stream to the transport module.

7. The method of claim 6 including the steps of timing an elapsed time period from the uploading of the patient information to the downloading of the patient information and transferring the elapsed time period to the destination patient monitor.

8. The method of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 wherein the steps of uploading and downloading patient information include the step of allowing concurrent read/write access to the database.

9. A method for downloading patient information stored in a transport patient database on a transport module to a destination patient monitor having a destination patient database, the transport patient database having patient information uploaded from a source patient monitor, the destination patient database having a time history list for tracking adjustments of time and a next entry number for tracking entries added to the destination patient database, the method comprising the steps of:

connecting the transport module to the destination patient monitor, the transport module being continuously connected to patient during transport of a patient from the source patient monitor to the destination patient monitor;

sending from the transport module to the destination patient monitor a signal indicative of time since start of upload from the patient source monitor;

updating the time history list based on the sent signal;

sending from the transport module to the destination patient monitor a next entry number;

collecting patient information and storing the collected patient information in the destination patient database identified based on the sent next entry number; and

transferring patient information from the transport patient database to the destination patient monitor and storing the transferred patient information in the destination patient database.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of transferring patient information from the transport patient database to the destination patient monitor transfers the patient information in the same order as the patient information was uploaded from the source patient monitor.

11. The method of claims 9 or 10 wherein the steps of collecting patient information and transferring patient information occur concurrently.

12. A method of collecting patient information after connecting a transport module containing uploaded patient information to a destination patient monitor having a destination patient database, the method comprising the steps of:

connecting the transport module uploaded with patient information to the destination patient monitor, the transport module being continuously connected to a patient during transport of the patient from a source patient monitor to the destination patient monitor;

allocating a temporary patient database in the destination patient monitor;

collecting patient information;

storing the collected patient information in the temporary patient database; and

further comprising;

electing to download the patient information from the transport module to the destination patient monitor;

replacing the destination patient database of the destination patient monitor with the patient information from the transport module; and

merging the temporary patient database with the destination patient database of the destination patient monitor.

13. A method of collecting patient information after connecting a transport module containing uploaded patient information to a destination patient monitor having a destination patient database, the method comprising the steps of:

connecting the transport module uploaded with patient information to the destination patient monitor;

allocating a temporary patient database in the destination patient monitor;

collecting patient information;

storing the collected patient information in the temporary patient database; and

electing to discard the patient information of the transport module; and

merging the temporary patient database with the destination patient database of the destination patient monitor.