Medical monitor data collection system and method

• US 8,610,769 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2011
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Buxton, Kip, Orian, David, Rawlins, Robert, Wilmering, Tom
• Primary Examiner(s): Ustaris, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): VOLENTINE, REBECCA A
• Application Number:
  US13/036,472
• Publication Number:
  US 20120218404A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,023 Days
• Field of Search: 348/121, 358/474
• US Class Current: 348/121
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A system and method for generating results indicative of physiological parameters of a patient and for capturing the results. The capture of the results may include recordation of the results through the use of a camera, while the physiological parameters may be generated through monitoring of a patient or by simulating such monitoring.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a monitor adapted to;

receive a first simulated pulse oximetry input signal and a subsequent second simulated pulse oximetry input signal from a simulator;

generate a first result and a subsequent second result based on the first simulated pulse oximetry input signal and the second simulated pulse oximetry input signal, respectively; and

display the first result as a first image and, subsequently, the second result as a second image;

a camera adapted to capture the first image and to subsequently capture the second image of the display; and

a workstation adapted to receive the first image and the second image of the display from the camera, wherein the workstation is adapted to convert the first image and the second image of the display into displayable data, and wherein the workstation is configured to transmit a first activation signal and a subsequent second activation signal to the camera based at least in part upon the first simulated pulse oximetry input signal and the second simulated pulse oximetry input signal, respectively, to coordinate the capture of the first image and the second image, respectively.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the workstation is adapted to identify at least one portion of each of the first image and the second image as including an alphanumeric character and generate a corresponding result character based on the respective alphanumeric character as the displayable data.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the workstation comprises a workstation display, wherein the workstation is adapted to display the displayable data on the workstation display.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the simulator comprises a pulse oximetry sensor simulator adapted to generate the first simulated pulse oximetry input signal and the second simulated pulse oximetry input signal and transmit the first input simulated pulse oximetry signal and the second simulated pulse oximetry input signal to the monitor.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitor comprises a pulse oximetry monitor.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein the first simulated pulse oximetry input signal comprises an error signal, and wherein the first result comprises an error indication.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the workstation is adapted to calibrate the camera by focusing the camera on one or more portions of the display, capturing a third image, determining if an optical character is present in the third image, and adjusting a focus of the camera in response to determining that an optical character is not present in the third image.

6. A kit, comprising:

a simulator adapted to generate a first simulated pulse oximetry signal and a subsequent second simulated pulse oximetry signal;

a camera adapted to capture a first image and to subsequently capture a second image generated on a first display in response to the first simulated pulse oximetry signal and the second simulated pulse oximetry signal, respectively; and

machine readable code loadable into a non-transitory tangible computer readable storage, wherein the machine readable code operates to direct a processor to transmit a first activation signal and a subsequent second activation signal to the camera based on the first simulated pulse oximetry signal and the second simulated pulse oximetry signal, respectively, to coordinate the capture of the first image and the second image, respectively, and wherein the machine readable code operates to direct the processor to convert at least a portion of the first image and the second image into result data for display on a second display.

7. The kit of claim 6, wherein the machine readable code operates to direct the camera to focus on a particular portion of the first display.

8. The kit of claim 6, wherein the machine readable code operates to direct the processor to identify at least one portion of each of the first image and the second image as including an alphanumeric character and generate a corresponding result character as the result data.

9. The kit of claim 6, wherein the machine readable code operates to direct the camera to capture a still image.

10. The kit of claim 6, the machine readable code operates to direct the camera to capture a video image.

11. A method comprising:

generating in a simulator a first simulated pulse oximetry signal and a subsequent second simulated pulse oximetry signal;

transmitting, via the simulator, the first simulated pulse oximetry signal and subsequently transmitting, via the simulator, the second simulated pulse oximetry signal to a pulse oximetry monitor;

generating in the pulse oximetry monitor a first result and a subsequent second result based at least in part upon the first simulated pulse oximetry signal and the second simulated pulse oximetry signal, respectively;

displaying the first result as a first image and, subsequently, the second result as a second image on a display of the pulse oximetry monitor;

transmitting, via a processor, a first activation signal and a subsequent second activation signal to a camera based at least in part upon the first and the second simulated pulse oximetry signal, respectively; and

capturing, via the camera, the first image and, subsequently, the second image of the display in response to the first activation signal and the second activation signal, respectively.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising calibrating the camera by focusing the camera on one or more portions of the display, capturing a third image, and determining if an optical character is present in the third image.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first result is indicative of at least one of a pulse rate, a saturation pattern detection index, or an oxygen saturation level based on the signal, and wherein the first image comprises an indication of at least one of the pulse rate, the saturation pattern detection index, or the oxygen saturation level.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein capturing the first image comprises capturing a still image of at least one of the pulse rate, the saturation pattern detection index, or the oxygen saturation level on the display of the pulse oximetry monitor.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein capturing the first image comprises capturing a video image of at least one of the pulse rate, the saturation pattern detection index, or the oxygen saturation level on the display of the pulse oximetry monitor.

16. The method of claim 11, comprising converting the first image and the second into result data.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein converting the first image and the second image comprises identifying at least one portion of each of the first image and the second image as including an alphanumeric character and generating a corresponding result character based on the alphanumeric character as the result data.

18. The method of claim 16, comprising displaying the result data on a second display.