Managing a potential choking condition with a monitoring system

• US 8,681,007 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2012
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Beck, Randall, Eichen, Jeffrey M., Hille, Dale R., Rogoyski, Jan, Williams, Jerry A.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, TOAN NGOC
• Application Number:
  US13/344,852
• Publication Number:
  US 20130176125A1
• Time in Patent Office: 809 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/572.1, 340/572.4, 340/572.8, 340/686.1, 340/686.6, 600/382, 600/529
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 27/009 with electric-shock, sound, magnetic- or radio-waves emitting devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14542 for measuring blood gases A61B5/14551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/747 in case of emergency, i.e. alerting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 15/0015 Gastrostomy feeding-tubes insertion tools or methods A61B17/34
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 15/0069 Tubes feeding directly to the intestines, e.g. to the jejunum
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 15/0076 Feeding pumps A61M1/00, A61M5/142, A61M25/1018 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 15/0088 for sensing parameters related to the device
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/60 using magnetic or electronic identifications, e.g. chips, RFID, electronic tags
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A method, system or computer usable program product for managing a potential choking condition with a monitoring system including monitoring by the monitoring system by detecting relative positions of a set of emitters disposed along an object, wherein a choking condition is indicated by the set of emitters being on close proximity to a neck portion of a body and arranged in a potentially choking configuration, and responsive to the determination of the choking condition, the monitoring system performing an action.

Claims

1. A method for managing a potential choking condition with a monitoring system comprising:

monitoring by the monitoring system by detecting relative positions of a set of emitters disposed along an object, wherein a choking condition is indicated by the set of emitters being on close proximity to a neck portion of a body and arranged in a potentially choking configuration; and

responsive to the indicated choking condition, the monitoring system performing an action.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the action is based on a state of the monitoring system.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the set of emitters comprises a first RFID tag and a second RFID tag;

wherein the object comprises a tether with a plurality of RFID tags along the tether; and

wherein the monitoring system comprises a RFID reader and a remote monitoring station.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein detecting a first tether RFID of the plurality of RFID tags in close proximity to the first RFID tag and detecting a second tether RFID of the plurality of RFID tags in close proximity to the second RFID tag generates the determination of the choking condition.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the choking condition is characterized based on a distance along the tether between the first tether RFID tag and the second tether RFID tag.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the tether further comprises a tensioner on the tether, and the action is selected from a list consisting of releasing the tensioner, tightening the tensioner, sounding an audible alarm, and not sounding the audible alarm.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the set of emitters comprises a first RFID tag and a second RFID tag;

wherein the object comprises a tether with a plurality of RFID tags along the tether and wherein the tether further comprises a tensioner on the tether;

wherein the monitoring system comprises a RFID reader and a remote monitoring station;

wherein detecting a first tether RFID of the plurality of RFID tags in close proximity to the first RFID tag and detecting a second tether RFID of the plurality of RFID tags in close proximity to the second RFID tag generates the indicated choking condition;

wherein the choking condition is characterized based on a distance along the tether between the first tether RFID tag and the second tether RFID tag; and

wherein the action is based on a state of the monitoring system and the action is selected from a list consisting of releasing the tensioner, tightening the tensioner, sounding an audible alarm, and not sounding the audible alarm.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the set of emitters comprises a first luminescent area and a second luminescent area;

wherein the object comprises a luminescent tether; and

wherein the monitoring system comprises a photosensitive detector and a remote monitoring station.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein detecting the luminescent tether in close proximity to the first luminescent area and detecting the luminescent tether in close proximity to the second luminescent area generates the indicated choking condition.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the set of emitters comprises at least one RFID reader positioned around the neck portion of the body;

wherein the object comprises a tether with a plurality of RFID tags along the tether; and

wherein the monitoring system comprises a RFID reader and a remote monitoring station.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein detecting at least one of the plurality of RFIDS in an undesirable location generates the indicated choking condition.

12. A computer usable program product comprising a computer usable storage medium including computer usable code for managing a potential choking condition by a monitoring system, the computer usable program product comprising code for performing the steps of:

monitoring by the monitoring system by detecting relative positions of a set of emitters disposed along an object, wherein a choking condition is indicated by the set of emitters being on close proximity to a neck portion of a body and arranged in a potentially choking configuration; and

responsive to the indicated choking condition, the monitoring system performing an action.

13. The computer usable program product of claim 12 wherein the set of emitters comprises a first RFID tag and a second RFID tag;

wherein the object comprises a tether with a plurality of RFID tags along the tether; and

wherein the monitoring system comprises a RFID reader and a remote monitoring station.

14. The computer usable program product of claim 13 wherein detecting a first tether RFID of the plurality of RFID tags in close proximity to the first RFID tag and detecting a second tether RFID of the plurality of RFID tags in close proximity to the second RFID tag generates the indicated choking condition.

15. The computer usable program product of claim 14 wherein the choking condition is characterized based on a distance along the tether between the first tether RFID tag and the second tether RFID tag.

16. A data processing system for managing a potential choking condition, the data processing system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing program instructions which when executed by the processor execute the steps of;

monitoring by the monitoring system by detecting relative positions of a set of emitters disposed along an object, wherein a choking condition is indicated by the set of emitters being on close proximity to a neck portion of a body and arranged in a potentially choking configuration; and

responsive to the indicated choking condition, performing an action.

17. The data processing system of claim 16 wherein the set of emitters comprises a first RFID tag and a second RFID tag;

wherein the object comprises a tether with a plurality of RFID tags along the tether; and

further comprising a monitoring system comprises a RFID reader and a remote monitoring station.

18. The data processing system of claim 17 wherein detecting a first tether RFID of the plurality of RFID tags in close proximity to the first RFID tag and detecting a second tether RFID of the plurality of RFID tags in close proximity to the second RFID tag generates the indicated choking condition.

19. The data processing system of claim 18 wherein the choking condition is characterized based on a distance along the tether between the first tether RFID tag and the second tether RFID tag.

20. The data processing system of claim 17 wherein the tether further comprises a tensioner on the tether, and the action is selected from a list consisting of releasing the tensioner, tightening the tensioner, sounding an audible alarm, and not sounding the audible alarm.