Graphical patient movement monitor

• US 7,973,666 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2009
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Sleva, Michael Z., Petrosenko, Robert, Janoff, Karen, Lokhorst, David, Skinner, Andrew F., Mueller, Jonathan H., Stacy, Richard B., Bobey, John A., Yermaneni, Mayur, Jacques, William L. II
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg; George A
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAI, ANNE VIET NGA
• Application Number:
  US12/496,983
• Publication Number:
  US 20090270770A1
• Time in Patent Office: 733 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/573.7, 340665-667, 600/300, 600/534, 600/587, 600/595, 482/8, 560/0
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1126 using a particular sensing technique
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6887 mounted on external non-worn devices, e.g. non-medical devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6892 Mats
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/743 Displaying an image simultaneously with additional graphical information, e.g. symbols, charts, function plots
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/32 for force
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/34 for pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/42 for inclination
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/008 tiltable around longitudinal axis, e.g. for rolling
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/05769 with inflatable chambers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

A lack of patient movement monitor and method. The monitor and method patient support includes a plurality of sensors located beneath a patient support to determine movement of a patient. An alarm is activated when patient movement over time is determined to be lacking.

Claims

1. A motion monitor for monitoring an amount of movement over time by a patient positioned on a patient support, the motion monitor comprising:

a control unit configured to receive sensor signals from at least one sensor positioned to monitor an amount of movement of a patient on a patient support, generate an indicator of the amount of patient movement on the patient support occurring over a time period and compare the indicator to a minimum threshold level of patient movement, and

a display operably coupled to the control unit, the display comprising a first graphical indicator representative of the minimum threshold level of patient movement, a second graphical indicator representative of the amount of patient movement on the patient support over the time period, a third graphical indicator having a visual representation indicative of a lack of patient movement on the patient support over the time period, and a fourth graphical indicator representative of a monitoring period during which patient movement is monitored, wherein the fourth graphical indicator has a visual characteristic that visually encompasses the monitoring period during which patient movement is monitored.

2. The motion monitor of claim 1, wherein the second graphical indicator has a first dimension indicative of an amount of patient movement on the patient support and a second dimension indicative of the time period.

3. The motion monitor of claim 2, wherein the first dimension of the second graphical indicator increases if the amount of patient movement on the patient support increases and the first dimension of the second graphical indicator decreases if the amount of patient movement on the patient support decreases.

4. The motion monitor of claim 3, wherein the first dimension is a height of the second graphical indicator and the second dimension is a width of the second graphical indicator.

5. The motion monitor of claim 1, wherein the second graphical indicator has a visual characteristic that changes if the amount of patient movement is greater than or equal to the minimum threshold level of patient movement.

6. The motion monitor of claim 1, comprising a fifth graphical indicator representative of an alert period configurable to generate an alert based on an amount of patient movement on the patient support relative to the minimum threshold level of patient movement.

7. The motion monitor of claim 1, comprising a graphical selector actuatable by a user to select the minimum threshold level of patient movement.

8. The motion monitor of claim 1, wherein the second graphical indicator has a first visual characteristic if the amount of patient movement is indicative of an absence of a patient positioned on the patient support, a second visual characteristic if the amount of patient movement is indicative of an immobile patient positioned on the patient support, and a third visual characteristic if the amount of patient movement is indicative of a mobile patient positioned on the patient support.

9. A motion monitor for monitoring an amount of movement over time by a patient positioned on a patient support, the motion monitor comprising:

a control unit configured to receive sensor signals from a first sensor positioned to monitor an amount of movement of a patient relative to a first section of a patient support, the first section of the patient support being movable relative to the remainder of the patient support, and to receive sensor signals from a second sensor positioned to monitor an amount of movement of a patient relative to a second section of a patient support spaced from the first section of the patient support, the control unit being configured to process the sensor signals from the first and second sensors, generate an indicator of the amount of patient movement relative to the patient support occurring over a period of time based on the sensor signals, and compare the indicator to a minimum threshold level of patient movement,

a display operably coupled to the control unit, the display comprising a motion indicator representative of the amount of patient movement on the patient support over the period of time, the motion indicator comprising a first visual characteristic representative of the amount of patient movement, a second visual characteristic representative of a time period, and a third visual characteristic representative of a status of at least one of the patient and the patient support, and

wherein the third visual characteristic has a first visual representation if the amount of patient movement is indicative of no patient being positioned on the patient support, a second visual representation if the amount of patient movement is indicative of an immobile patient positioned on the patient support, and a third visual representation if the amount of patient movement is indicative of a mobile patient positioned on the patient support.

10. The motion monitor of claim 9, wherein the display displays a plurality of motion indicators over time.

11. The motion monitor of claim 10, wherein the first and third visual characteristics change as the amount of patient movement changes over time.

12. The motion monitor of claim 9, wherein at least one of the minimum threshold level of patient movement and the time period is adjustable by a user via a graphical element of the display.

13. A motion monitor for monitoring an amount of movement over time by a patient positioned on a patient support, the motion monitor comprising:

a patient support comprising at least a first section and a second section spaced from the first section, the first section being pivotable relative to the second section,

a plurality of sensors configured to detect movement of a patient relative to the patient support, including at least one first sensor configured to detect movement of the patient relative to the first section of the patient support and at least one second sensor configured to detect movement of the patient relative to the second section of the patient support,

a control unit configured to receive sensor signals from the sensors, process the sensor signals, generate an indicator of the amount of patient movement relative to the patient support occurring over a time period based on the sensor signals, compare the indicator to a minimum threshold level of patient movement, and adjust the patient support based on the comparison of the indicator to the minimum threshold level of patient movement,

a display operably coupled to the control unit, the display comprising a motion indicator representative of the amount of patient movement relative to the patient support over the period of time, the motion indicator comprising a first visual characteristic representative of the amount of patient movement, a second visual characteristic representative of the time period, and a third visual characteristic representative of a status of at least one of the patient and the patient support, and

wherein the third visual characteristic has a first visual representation if the amount of patient movement is indicative of no patient being positioned on the patient support, a second visual representation if the amount of patient movement is indicative of an immobile patient positioned on the patient support, and a third visual representation if the amount of patient movement is indicative of a mobile patient positioned on the patient support.

14. The motion monitor of claim 13, wherein the patient support comprises at least one inflatable bladder and the control unit is configured to adjust pressure in the at least one inflatable bladder based on the comparison of the indicator to the minimum threshold level of patient movement.

15. The motion monitor of claim 14, wherein the control unit generates the indicator of the amount of patient movement relative to the patient support occurring over a time period by sampling the sensor signals at a sampling rate, filtering the sampled signals, computing a motion metric as a function of the sampled signals, and determining an activity metric by comparing the motion metric to the minimum threshold level of patient movement.

16. The motion monitor of claim 14, wherein the display comprises a first display portion including the motion indicator and a second display portion adjacent the first display portion, and the second display portion includes a plurality of user controls.

17. The motion monitor of claim 16, wherein the display comprises a third display portion adjacent the second display portion, the second display portion includes a user control actuatable by a user to adjust the time period and the third display portion includes a user control actuatable by a user to adjust the minimum threshold level of patient movement.

18. The motion monitor of claim 13, wherein the first visual characteristic of the motion indicator changes if the comparison of the indicator to the minimum threshold level of patient movement indicates that the minimum threshold level has been exceeded.

19. The motion monitor of claim 13, wherein the patient support comprises a plurality of vertically oriented inflatable bladders, at least one of the sensors comprises a light responsive device disposed in a compressible medium, the control unit is configured to generate an alert based on the comparison of the indicator to the minimum threshold level of patient movement, and the display is configured to display an alert notification if an alert is generated.