Telemetry sensing system for infant care apparatus

• US 7,364,539 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2003
• Issued: 04/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Mackin, Michael H., Lynam, Lynn E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilbert; Samuel G
• Application Number:
  US10/690,149
• Publication Number:
  US 20050085687A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,652 Days
• Field of Search: 600/21, 600/22, 560/0, 560/3, 128/205.26
• US Class Current: 600/22
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/06 Children, e.g. for attention deficit diagnosis
• 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 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0008 Temperature signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6887 mounted on external non-worn devices, e.g. non-medical devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 11/00 Baby-incubators; Couveuses
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 11/002 height-adjustable patient support
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 11/003 height-adjustable heater

Abstract

An infant warming apparatus for supporting an infant upon an infant bed. The apparatus has a sensor that is affixed to the skin of the infant to detect one or more physiological functions of the infant. A transmitter is located within the enclosure of the sensor and which transmit the information detected by the physiological sensor to a receiver that is located on the infant care apparatus and which can then convert that information into a recognizable or usable medium. An alternative embodiment includes the transmitter located proximate to the infant within an infant scale located beneath the infant. The sensor is hardwired to the transmitter in the infant scale and signals relating to weight and/or a condition of the infant are transmitted by wireless telemetry to a monitor or other display device to display that information to the caregiver.

Claims

1. A patient care apparatus, said patient care apparatus comprising a base having a bed on which a patient is adapted to be positioned, a scale located beneath the bed to measure the weight of a patient resting on the bed, at least one sensor adapted to be affixed to or located in close proximity to a patient to sense data related to a patient and to produce signals representative of that data, a wireless transmitter located in said scale in close proximity to a patient and adapted to receive the signals from the at least one sensor and to transmit those signals by a wireless means, the patient care apparatus having a receiver adapted to receive the signals from said transmitter and to convert said signals into a form recognizable by a caregiver as indicative of the sensed data of a patient.