Personal status physiologic monitor system and architecture and related monitoring methods

• US 7,382,247 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2005
• Issued: 06/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Inventors: Sampath, Anand, Welch, James P., Williams, Daniel L., Baker, Steven D., Guilak, Farzin G.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUNG T
• Application Number:
  US11/031,736
• Publication Number:
  US 20050206518A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.12, 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.13, 340/539.19, 340/539.26, 340/573.1, 340/825.36, 340/825.49, 340/825.69, 600/300, 600/301, 600/903, 600/920, 128/903, 128/920
• US Class Current: 340/539.12
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2505/01 Emergency care
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0209 adapted for power saving
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0024 for multiple sensor units attached to the patient, e.g. using a body or personal area network
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1113 Local tracking of patients, e.g. in a hospital or private home
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/113 occurring during breathing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/145 Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissuemeasuring of blood pressure or blood flow A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• 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: A61B 5/332 Portable devices specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7232 involving compression of the physiological signal, e.g. to extend the signal recording period
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/04 responsive to non-activity, e.g. of elderly persons G08B21/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0446 worn on the body to detect changes of posture, e.g. a fall, inclination, acceleration, gait
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0453 worn on the body to detect health condition by physiological monitoring, e.g. electrocardiogram, temperature, breathing detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/65 stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A system for actively monitoring a patient includes at least one body-worn monitoring device that has at least one sensor capable of measuring at least one physiologic parameter and detecting at least one predetermined event. At least one intermediary device is, linked to the body-worn monitoring device by means of a first wireless network and at least one respondent device is linked to said at least one intermediary device by a second wireless network wherein the respondent device is programmed to perform a specified function automatically when the at least one predetermined event is realized. The monitoring device operates to periodically transmit patient status data to the intermediary device but the system predominantly operates in a quiet state, providing very low power consumption.

Claims

1. A system for actively monitoring a patient, said system comprising:

at least one body-worn monitoring device, said at least one body-worn monitoring device including at least one sensor that continuously measures at least one physiologic parameter, said at least one body-worn monitoring device being capable of detecting at least one predetermined event and in which said at least one body-worn device stores said continuously measured parameter data;

at least one intermediary device linked to said at least one body-worn monitoring device by a first wireless network wherein said at least one body-worn monitoring device is programmed to transmit a beacon for maintaining periodic connectivity over said first wireless network with said at least one intermediary device and in which said network is in an “

off”

state with the exception of said periodic beacon until the detection of said predetermined event; and

at least one respondent device linked to said at least one intermediary device through a second wireless network, said at least one of said body-worn monitoring device, said at least one intermediary device and said at least one respondent device being programmed to perform a specified function automatically when said at least one predetermined event is detected, wherein said at least one body-worn monitoring device does not transmit continuously measured physiologic parameter data, including stored parameter data, to said at least one intermediary device over said first wireless network until the occurrence of said at least one predetermined event and wherein continuously measured physiologic parameter data, including said stored data, is automatically transmitted over at least said first wireless network when said at least one predetermined event is detected by said at least one body-worn monitoring device.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one respondent device is a personal digital assistant (PDA).

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one respondent device is a cellular phone.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one intermediary device is a PAN to TCP/UDP translator.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one intermediary device is a PDA.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one intermediary device is a cellular phone.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one intermediary device is at least one computer.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one intermediary device is capable of being patient-worn.

9. A system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one computer linked to said at least one intermediary device by at least one network.

10. A system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one sensor includes an ECG electrode assembly.

11. A system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one sensor is a pulse oximeter.

12. A system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one sensor is a thermometer for measuring body temperature.

13. A system according to claim 1, wherein said first wireless network and said second wireless network are the same network.

14. A system according to claim 1, wherein said first wireless network and said second wireless network are separate networks.

15. A system according to claim 1, wherein said wireless first network is a local personal area wireless network and said second wireless network is a wide area network.

16. A system according to claim 1, wherein said second wireless network is a Wi-LAN.

17. A system according to claim 1, wherein patient related data is transmitted in a data packet embedded in said beacon.

18. A system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one intermediary device is programmed to periodically transmit a beacon in order to maintain connectivity with said at least one respondent device over said second wireless network.

19. A system according to claim 18, wherein each of said at least one respondent device and said at least one intermediary device are in bi-directional communication with one another within said second wireless network.

20. A system according to claim 18, wherein the periodic rate of said beacon can be varied based on the physiologic parameter that is being measured by said at least one sensor.

21. A system according to claim 1, wherein each of said at least one intermediary device and said at least one respondent device are in bidirectional communication with one another.

22. A system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one body-worn monitoring device includes sensors for measuring more than one physiologic parameter.

23. A system according to claim 22, wherein said at least one of said at least one body-worn monitoring device and said at least one intermediary device include means for multiplexing a measured signal.

24. A system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one intermediary device includes a display.

25. A system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one intermediary device includes a user interface.

26. A system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said body-worn monitoring device and said at least one intermediary device includes means for determining patient location.

27. A system according to claim 26, wherein said patient location determining means includes a periodic transmission beacon.

28. A system according to claim 27, wherein said periodic transmission beacon includes a transmission data packet containing only a portion of a physiologic data signal from a patient.

29. A system according to claim 1, wherein the periodic rate of said transmitted beacon can be varied based on the physiologic parameter that is being measured by said at least one sensor.

30. A system according to claim 1, including a plurality of respondent devices, said system including means for communicating with at least one other respondent device if a first respondent device cannot receive the signal indicating the predetermined event has occurred.

31. A system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one respondent device is programmed to automatically contact emergency services upon receipt of said signal indicative of said at least one predetermined event.

32. A system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one body-worn monitoring device includes a unique patient identifier, said unique patient identifier being transmitted with said physiologic data to said at least one intermediary device.

33. A system according to claim 32, wherein said at least one body-worn monitoring device includes means for obtaining said unique patient identifier, said patient identifier being appended to the physiologic signal.

34. A system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one respondent device can selectively request physiologic data monitored by said at least one sensor from said at least one body-worn monitoring device.

35. A system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one body-worn monitoring device transmits data continuously monitored by said at least one sensor to said at least one intermediary device when said at least one predetermined event has been detected by said at least one body-worn monitoring device, said at least one intermediary device including processing means for determining from said physiologic data whether said predetermined event has actually occurred.

36. A system according to claim 35, wherein said processing means of said at least one intermediary device discriminates said physiologic data and transmits said physiologic data over said second wireless network only if said processing means determines said predetermined event has occurred.

37. A system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one body-worn monitoring device includes means for detecting patient movement.

38. A system according to claim 37, wherein said patient movement detecting means includes at least one accelerometer.

39. A system according to claim 37, wherein said patient movement means includes means for detecting respiration through chest wall movements.

40. A system according to claim 37, wherein said patient movement means includes means for detecting heart rate through chest wall movement.

41. A system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one physiologic sensor includes audio transducer means for detecting respiratory and heart sounds of said patient.

42. A system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said at least one intermediary device and said body-worn monitoring device includes at least one rechargeable battery for powering said device.

43. A system according to claim 42, wherein at least one of said at least one intermediary device and said at least one body-worn monitoring device includes means for recharging said at least one battery.

44. A system according to claim 1, wherein one of said at least one intermediary device and said at least one body-worn monitoring device includes an indicator to indicate when said at least one predetermined event has occurred.

45. A system according to claim 44, wherein said indicator includes at least one audio annunciator.

46. A system according to claim 44, wherein said indicator includes at least one LED or LCD.

47. A system for actively monitoring a patient, said system comprising:

at least one body-worn monitoring device, said at least one body-worn monitoring device including at least one sensor that continuously measures at least one physiologic parameter, said at least one body-worn monitoring device being able to detect at least one predetermined event and in which said at least one body-worn monitoring device stores said continuously monitored data;

at least one intermediary device linked to said at least one body-worn monitoring device by a first wireless network;

at least one computer linked to at least one intermediary device by a second wireless network; and

at least one respondent device linked to said at least one computer, said at least one body-worn monitoring device, being programmed to periodically maintain network connectivity with said at least one intermediary device by transmitting a periodic beacon and to automatically transmit continuously measured physiologic data, including stored physiologic data, from said at least one sensor to said at least one intermediary device over said first wireless network only when said predetermined event is detected, each of said first and second wireless networks being in an “

off”

state other than the transmission of said periodic beacon until the predetermined event is detected.

48. A system according to claim 47, wherein each of said first and second wireless networks are different wireless networks.

49. A system according to claim 47, wherein said first wireless network is a personal area network and said second wireless network is at least one of a wide area network and a Wi-LAN.

50. A system for actively monitoring a patient, said system comprising:

at least one body-worn monitoring device, said at least one body-worn monitoring device including at least one sensor that is powered in order to continuously measure at least one physiologic parameter, said body-worn monitoring device having means for detecting at least one predetermined event and means for storing continuously measured data;

at least one intermediary device linked to said at least one body-worn monitoring device by a first wireless network;

at least one respondent device linked to said at least one intermediary device by a second wireless network, wherein said at least one of said at least one body-worn monitoring device is programmed to automatically transmit continuously measured physiologic data, including stored data, to said at least one said intermediary device only after said predetermined event is detected by said at least one body-worn monitoring device and in which said at least one body-worn monitoring device is programmed to transmit a periodic beacon to maintain connectivity between said at least one intermediary device and said body-worn monitoring device, thereby maintaining said system in a powered but dormant state.

51. A system for actively monitoring a patient, said system comprising:

at least one body-worn monitoring device, said at least one body-worn monitoring device including at least one sensor that is powered to continually monitor at least one physiologic parameter, said body-worn monitoring device including means for storing continuously monitored physiologic parameter data and means for detecting at least one predetermined event;

at least one intermediary device linked to said at least one body-worn monitoring device by a first wireless network;

at least one computer linked to said at least one intermediary device by a second wireless network; and

at least one respondent device linked to said at least one computer by said second wireless network wherein said at least one body-worn monitoring device, is programmed to automatically transmit continuously monitored physiologic data, including said stored data, over said first wireless network to said at least one body-worn monitoring device said at least one body-worn monitoring device being programmed to transmit a wireless beacon to maintain connectivity between said at least one computer, said a least one intermediary device and said body-worn monitoring device, thereby enabling each of said first and second wireless networks in a powered but “

off”

state.

52. A system according to claim 51, wherein each of said first and second wireless networks are different wireless networks.

53. A system according to claim 51, wherein said first wireless network is a personal area network and said second wireless network is at least one of a wide area network and a Wi-LAN.

54. A system for communicating data, said system comprising:

at least one monitoring device, said at least one monitoring device having at least one sensor that continuously measures at least one physiologic parameter of a patient, storage means for storing continuously measured parameter data and is capable of detecting at least one predetermined event;

at least one network linking said at least one monitoring device to at least one respondent device wherein said network is normally operatively in a first state where the network is off except when periodic data, including stored data, is transmitted over said at least one network to enable network connectivity only, said network having a second state in which continuously monitored physiologic parameter data, including stored data, is automatically transmitted only upon said at least one predetermined event having been detected by said at least one monitoring device.

55. A system according to claim 54, wherein said periodic transmitted data includes patient status and sensor status, but does not include continuously monitored physiologic data.

56. A system according to claim 54, wherein the duty cycle of transmission of data changes based upon the state of said at least one network.