Patient monitoring systems with goal indicators

• US 8,852,115 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2011
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Muir, Randall
• Primary Examiner(s): Mallari, Patricia
• Assistant Examiner(s): WESTON, TIFFANY C
• Application Number:
  US13/174,446
• Publication Number:
  US 20130006129A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,195 Days
• Field of Search: 600310-344, 600500-507
• US Class Current: 600/500
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02455 provided with high/low alarm devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7275 Determining trends in physiological measurement data; Predicting development of a medical condition based on physiological measurements, e.g. determining a risk factor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7282 Event detection, e.g. detecting unique waveforms indicative of a medical condition A61B5/4094, A61B5/4818, A61B5/349, A61B5/0823 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/746 Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms alarms per se G08B

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to patient monitors designed to display goal indicators showing progress toward achieving patient monitoring goals. The goal indicators may be displayed on a main monitoring screen of the patient monitors, allowing caretakers to easily evaluate how effective they have been in managing the patient'"'"'s condition. According to certain embodiments, the goal indicators may display a numerical value indicating the percentage of time that a physiological parameter, such as SpO₂ or pulse rate, was within predetermined goal limits. The patient monitors further may include user interfaces that enable a clinician to adjust parameters of the goal indicators, such as the goal limits and/or the goal time frame.

Claims

1. A patient monitor, comprising:

a medical device interface suitable for operable connection to a sensor;

a display configured to display patient physiological data based on input received from the sensor and configured to display a goal indicator comprising a numerical value that indicates a percentage of time that the physiological data was within predetermined goal limits during a goal time frame, wherein the goal indicator comprises a graphical representation of goal posts, and wherein the numerical value is displayed between the goal posts; and

a processor configured to analyze the patient physiological data to determine the percentage of time that the patient physiological data was within the predetermined goal limits over the goal time frame, to compare the percentage of time to a goal threshold for a minimum percentage of time that the physiological data was within the predetermined goal limits during the goal time frame, to trigger a goal alarm based on the comparison if the percentage of time is below the goal threshold, and to cause the display to display the patient physiological data and the goal indicator.

2. The patient monitor of claim 1, wherein the patient physiological data comprises SpO₂ data or pulse rate data.

3. The patient monitor of claim 1, wherein the goal indicator comprises a graphical symbol representing which physiological parameter is analyzed over the goal time frame.

4. The patient monitor of claim 3, wherein the physiological parameter comprises a pulse rate, and wherein the graphical symbol comprises a heart symbol.

5. The patient monitor of claim 1, wherein the goal indicator comprises a fill level representing the percentage of time that the physiological data was within the predetermined goal limits.

6. The patient monitor of claim 1, wherein the goal time frame comprises a rolling period, and wherein the processor is configured to identify the patient physiological data that corresponds to the rolling period.

7. The patient monitor of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to analyze the patient physiological data to identify excursion events where the patient physiological data is outside of the predetermined goal limits and to determine the percentage of time that the physiological data was within predetermined goal limits during the goal time frame based at least in part upon a summation of a duration for each identified excursion event.

8. The patient monitor of claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether the majority of the excursion events are above or below the predetermined goal limits, and wherein the goal indicator comprises a non-numerical graphical indicator that indicates whether the majority of the excursion events during the goal time frame were above or below the predetermined goal limits.

9. A pulse oximeter, comprising:

a medical device interface suitable for operable connection to a sensor;

a display configured to display oxygen saturation levels based on input received from the sensor and configured to display a goal indicator comprising a value that indicates the percentage of time that the oxygen saturation levels were within predetermined goal limits during a goal time frame; and

a processor configured to analyze the oxygen saturation levels to determine the value, to compare the value to a goal threshold, to trigger a goal alarm in response to detecting that the value is below the goal threshold, and to cause the display to display the oxygen saturation levels and the goal indicator.

10. The pulse oximeter of claim 9, wherein the predetermined goal limits comprise an upper limit, or a lower limit, or a combination thereof.

11. The pulse oximeter of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to trigger an oxygen saturation alarm in response to determining that one or more of the oxygen saturation levels is outside of an oxygen saturation limit, and wherein the goal alarm is triggered independently from the oxygen saturation alarm.

12. The pulse oximeter of claim 9, wherein the goal indicator comprises the predetermined goal limits and the goal threshold both displayed adjacent to the value.

13. The pulse oximeter of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to update the value in response to receiving new input from the sensor.

14. The pulse oximeter of claim 9, wherein the pulse oximeter comprises a graphical user interface configured to receive a user input that alters the goal time frame, or the predetermined goal limits, or a combination thereof.

15. A method, comprising:

determining, via a patient monitor, oxygen saturation levels based on data received from a physiological sensor;

comparing, via the patient monitor, the oxygen saturation levels to one or more alarm limits;

providing, via the patient monitor, an alarm indication based at least in part on the oxygen saturation levels being outside of the one or more alarm limits;

comparing, via the patient monitor, the oxygen saturation levels to one or more goal limits to identify excursion events where the oxygen saturation levels are outside of the one or more goal limits;

calculating, via the patient monitor, based on the excursion events and a goal time frame, a percentage of time that the oxygen saturation levels were within the goal limits;

providing, via the patient monitor, a goal alarm indication based at least in part on a determination that the percentage of time that the oxygen saturation levels were within the goal limits over the goal time frame is less than a goal threshold; and

displaying the percentage on a patient monitor.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein comparing the oxygen saturation levels to one or more goal limits comprises determining whether the oxygen saturation levels are greater than an upper goal limit and determining whether the oxygen saturation levels are less than a lower goal limit.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein calculating a percentage of time comprises determining a total duration of the excursion events.

18. The method of claim 15, comprising setting, via the patient monitor, the goal time frame to a trend time frame of a historical trend displayed on the patient monitor.

19. The method of claim 15, comprising storing, via the patient monitor, the one or more goal limits or the value, or a combination thereof, on a memory of the physiological sensor.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein a lower goal limit of the one or more goal limits is greater than a lower alarm limit of the one or more alarm limits.