Patient monitoring and alarm processing system and user interface

• US 7,224,281 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2002
• Issued: 05/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dragerwerk AG & Company KGaA (FPS Vermögensverwaltung GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Draeger Medical Systems Incorporated (Dragerwerk AG)
• Inventors: Huang, Johnnie W., Santoso, Nugroho Iwan, Kelly, Clifford Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hunnings; Travis R.
• Application Number:
  US10/223,311
• Publication Number:
  US 20030092974A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,744 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/522, 702/181, 600/323, 600/508, 600/300, 600/301, 600322- 24, 600/326, 600/336, 600/481, 600/500, 600/515
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0271 using a remote monitoring unit
• 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 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0215 by means inserted into the body catheters A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/92 Computer assisted medical diagnostics
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 706/924 Medical

Abstract

Some embodiments of the invention provide a system to monitor a patient. In some aspects, a signal representing a value of a physiological parameter is received from a monitoring device. The received value is a value that caused the monitoring device to trigger an alarm associated with the psychological parameter. A notification is determined based on the received signal and on a second signal that represents a value of a second physiological parameter. The notification is then presented to an operator.

Claims

1. A method for processing physiological parameters acquired from a particular patient using one or more patient monitoring devices for monitoring a patient, comprising the activities of:

receiving a signal including data representing a value of a physiological parameter of the particular patient, the value having triggered an alarm associated with the physiological parameter;

determining a notification indicative of a medical condition of the particular patient based at least on the received signal triggering an alarm and on a second signal representing a value of a second physiological parameter of the particular patient;

determining a probability associated with the notification, the probability expressing a likelihood that the notification is accurate;

suppressing a notification determined solely responsive to said triggered alarm in the absence of receiving said second signal representing the second physiological parameter of the particular patient; and

presenting data representing the notification and the probability to an operator.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the activity of determining a probability associated with the notification includes the activity of:

determining a probability associated with the notification in response to characteristics associated with at least one of said received and said second signals.

3. A method according to claim 2, further comprising the activities of

determining a second notification based at least on the received signal

determining a probability associated with the second notification;

and

presenting the second notification in conjunction with the respective probability with the second notification.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the activities of:

receiving an instruction to suppress the notification;

determining the notification based at least on a third received signal; and

determining that the notification should not be presented based on the received instruction.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the notification is determined using a probabilistic network.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the probabilistic network is a Bayesian network.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein the probabilistic network is a predictive network.

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the activity of:

issuing an instruction to suppress the alarm.

9. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the activities of:

receiving an instruction to suppress the notification;

determining a second notification based at least on a third received signal and on an assumption that the notification is not indicative of the particular patient'"'"'s condition.

10. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the activity of:

suppressing the notification when the probability associated with the notification is below a threshold value.

11. A method for managing patient monitoring alarms based on physiological parameters acquired from a particular patient using one or more patient monitoring devices, comprising the activities of:

receiving an instruction to suppress a particular notification;

receiving a signal including data representing a value of a physiological parameter of the particular patient, the value having triggered an alarm associated with the physiological parameter;

determining a notification indicative of a medical condition of the particular patient based at least on the received signal, on a second signal representing a value of a second physiological parameter of the particular patient, and on the instruction to suppress the particular notification;

determining a probability associated with the notification, the probability expressing a likelihood that the notification is accurate; and

presenting data representing the determined notification and probability to an operator.

12. A method according to claim 11, further comprising the activities of:

receiving an instruction to discontinue suppression of the particular notification;

receiving a second signal representing a second value of the physiological parameter of the particular patient, the value having triggered an alarm associated with the physiological parameter;

determining the particular data representing the notification based at least on the received second signal; and

presenting the particular data representing the notification and probability to an operator.

13. A method according to claim 11, further comprising the activity of:

issuing an instruction to suppress the alarm.

14. A method according to claim 11, wherein the determining step comprises the activity of:

determining the notification based at least on an assumption that the particular notification is not indicative of the patient'"'"'s condition.

15. A system for processing physiological parameters acquired from a particular patient and monitoring the particular patient, comprising:

a plurality of monitoring devices, each of the plurality of monitoring devices for monitoring values of one or more respective physiological parameters of the particular patient, for determining that a value of one of the one or more respective physiological parameters violates an associated alarm threshold, and for issuing an alarm indicating that the value violates the associated alarm threshold; and

a notification system for receiving a signal representing the value that violates the associated alarm threshold and one or more signals representing other monitored values, for determining a notification indicative of a medical condition of the particular patient based at least on the received signal violating the alarm threshold and on the one or more signals, for determining a probability associated with the notification, the probability expressing a likelihood that the notification is accurate; and

for presenting data representing the notification and probability to an operator and for suppressing a notification solely responsive to the triggered alarm in the absence of receiving the one or more signals representing other monitored values.

16. A system according to claim 15, wherein the notification system further comprises:

an input device for receiving an instruction to suppress a particular notification.

17. A system according to claim 16, the notification system for determining the notification based at least on an assumption that the particular notification is not indicative of the particular patient'"'"'s condition.

18. A system according to claim 15, the notification system for issuing an instruction to suppress the alarm.

19. A user interface employed in processing physiological parameters acquired from a particular patient using one or more patient monitoring devices, comprising:

a display image area to present a notification indicative of a medical condition of a particular patient based at least on a signal including data representing a value of a physiological parameter of the particular patient, the value having triggered an alarm associated with the physiological parameter, and on a second signal representing a value of a second physiological parameter of the particular patient and to present a probability associated with the notification, said probability expressing a likelihood that the notification is accurate, and suppressing any notification solely responsive to said triggered alarm, absent said second signal representing the second physiological parameter of the particular patient.

20. A user interface according to claim 19, further comprising:

a displayed image area to present a second notification and a second probability associated with the second notification.

21. The user interface of claim 19, further comprising:

an interface to receive an instruction to suppress the notification.

22. The user interface of claim 21, wherein the displayed image area presents a second notification based at least on the received signal, on the second signal, and on the instruction to suppress the particular notification.

23. The user interface of claim 22, further comprising:

a displayed image area to present a probability associated with the second notification.