Monitoring, predicting and treating clinical episodes

• US 8,882,684 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2013
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EarlySense Ltd.
• Inventors: Halperin, Avner, Meger, Guy
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg, Max
• Assistant Examiner(s): Foreman, Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US13/906,325
• Publication Number:
  US 20130267791A1
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• Field of Search: 600587-595, 600/300, 395/202, 340/825.36, 705/2, 6587-595
• US Class Current: 600/595
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• 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 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1115 Monitoring leaving of a patient support, e.g. a bed or a wheelchair
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6891 Furniture
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6892 Mats
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/36 for motion
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0211 Combination with medical sensor, e.g. for measuring heart rate, temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0461 integrated or attached to an item closely associated with the person but not worn by the person, e.g. chair, walking stick, bed sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/006 Alarm destination chosen according to type of event, e.g. in case of fire phone the fire service, in case of medical emergency phone the ambulance

Abstract

Apparatus and methods are described including a location sensing system that comprises a plurality of location sensors, and which is configured to identify respective locations of a plurality of clinicians, and to generate a location-sensing-system signal in response thereto. A patient-monitoring system includes a sensor, configured to measure a clinical parameter of a patient, and to generate a sensor signal in response thereto. A control unit of the patient-monitoring system includes signal analysis functionality that is configured to determine that an alert event has occurred, in response to the first sensor signal. In response to the location-sensing-system signal, the signal analysis functionality designates a first subset of the clinicians, and, in response to having determined that the alert event has occurred, the signal analysis functionality communicates the alert to the first subset of clinicians. Other applications are also described.

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising:

a location sensing system that comprises a plurality of location sensors, the location sensing system being configured to;

identify respective locations of a plurality of clinicians, and

generate a location-sensing-system signal in response thereto; and

a patient-monitoring system comprising;

a first sensor, configured to measure a clinical parameter of a patient, and to generate a first sensor signal in response thereto; and

a control unit configured;

in response to the first sensor signal, to determine that an alert event has occurred,

in response to the location-sensing-system signal, to designate a first subset of the clinicians, and

in response to having determined that the alert event has occurred, to communicate an alert to the first subset of clinicians,

wherein, in response to the location-sensing-system signal, the control unit is configured to determine whether a clinician from the first subset of clinicians is moving toward the patient, and, in response to determining that no clinician from the first subset of the clinicians is moving toward the patient within a given time period, to communicate the alert to clinicians not in the first subset of clinicians.

2. Apparatus comprising:

a location sensing system that comprises a plurality of location sensors, the location sensing system being configured to;

identify respective locations of a plurality of clinicians, and

generate a location-sensing-system signal in response thereto; and

a patient-monitoring system comprising;

a first sensor, configured to measure a clinical parameter of a patient, and to generate a first sensor signal in response thereto; and

a control unit configured;

in response to the first sensor signal, to determine that an alert event has occurred,

in response to the location-sensing-system signal, to designate a first subset of the clinicians, and

in response to having determined that the alert event has occurred, to communicate an alert to the first subset of clinicians,

wherein the apparatus is for use with a patient who has been assigned to be cared for by a second subset of the clinicians, and wherein the control unit is configured to designate the first subset of clinicians based upon the location-sensing-system signal and based upon membership of the second subset of the clinicians.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit is configured to designate the first subset of clinicians by only including, in the first subset of clinicians, clinicians who are members of the second subset of clinicians.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control unit is configured to determine whether the alert has been responded to, and, in response to the alert not having been responded to within a given period of time, to communicate the alert to clinicians not in the second subset of clinicians.

5. Apparatus comprising:

a patient-monitoring system comprising;

a display;

a first sensor configured to measure a clinical parameter of a patient, and to generate a first sensor signal in response thereto; and

a control unit; and

a location-sensing system that comprises a plurality of location sensors, the location-sensing system being configured to identify respective locations of a plurality of clinicians, and generate a location-sensing-system signal in response thereto,

wherein the control unit is configured to;

analyze the patient sensor signal and drive the display to display data in response thereto, and

receive the location-sensing-system signal and change a format of the displayed data on the display in response thereto.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein, in response to the location-sensing-system signal, the control unit is configured to identify that a clinician is moving by the display and not stopping, and is configured to change the format of the displayed data on the display in response thereto.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein, in response to the location-sensing-system signal, the control unit is configured to determine a direction in which the clinician is moving, and to change the format of the displayed data on the display in response thereto.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein, in response to the location-sensing-system signal, the control unit is configured to determine a speed at which the clinician is moving, and to change the format of the displayed data on the display in response thereto.