Incubator patient health care system

• US 7,691,048 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2004
• Issued: 04/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Carter, John Jr., Mahony, Michael Joseph, Krain, Howard Leigh, Hershey, John Erik, Sexton, Daniel White
• Primary Examiner(s): Marmor, II; Charles A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hopkins; Christine D
• Application Number:
  US10/955,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20050215845A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,014 Days
• Field of Search: 600 21- 22, 600/483, 600/529, 600/549, 128/903, 565/5
• US Class Current: 600/22
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0017 transmitting optical signals transmission by light H04B10/00
• 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 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• 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: A61G 11/00 Baby-incubators; Couveuses

Abstract

An infant monitoring system includes an incubation chamber configured to house an infant. Furthermore, the infant monitoring system includes a data reception interface configured to receive a wireless signal indicative of a vital sign. The infant monitoring system may be configured to communicate wirelessly with a LAN or a remote monitoring system.

Claims

1. An infant monitoring system, comprising:

a data sensing component, comprising;

one or more sensors configured to be placed on an infant;

a sensor unit in wireless communication with the one or more sensors, wherein

the sensor unit is configured to measure one or more physiological parameters based on signals received from the one or more sensors, the sensor unit comprising a transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit the one or more physiological parameters or data derived from the one or more physiological parameters; and

an incubator, comprising;

a data reception interface configured to wirelessly receive the one or more physiological parameters or derived data.

2. The infant monitoring system of claim 1, further comprising a display unit configured to display the one or more physiological parameters or derived data.

3. The infant monitoring system of claim 1, further comprising a data logging unit configured to log the one or more physiological parameters or derived data.

4. The infant monitoring system of claim 1, further comprising a data analyzing unit configured to analyze the one or more physiological parameters or derived data.

5. The infant monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physiological parameters comprise one of a temperature, a blood pressure, an electrocardiogram, or a blood oxygen level.

6. The infant monitoring system of claim 1, further comprising an alarm unit configured to trigger an alarm in response to the one or more physiological parameters exceeding a predetermined threshold value.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit comprises the transmitter configured to transmit one of a radio frequency signal, an infrared signal, an ultrasonic signal, an optical signal or an acoustic signal.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the incubator is configured to communicate with at least one of a remote monitoring unit or a local area network.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a remote monitoring unit configured to receive the physiological parameters or data derived from the one or more physiological parameters.

10. The infant monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the data analysis component is configured to analyze the one or more physiological parameters or derived data by at least amplifying or filtering the one or more physiological parameters.

11. The infant monitoring system of claim 1, further comprising a wired sensor unit connected to the one or more sensors by one or more lead wires eighteen inches in length or less, wherein the wired sensor unit is configured to measure one or more physiological parameters based on signals received from the one or more sensors via the lead wires.