Patient monitoring system

• US 9,301,689 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2014
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Vanderpohl, Irvin J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sung, Christine
• Application Number:
  US14/562,024
• Publication Number:
  US 20150141838A1
• Time in Patent Office: 487 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0252 using ambient temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/043 in a linear array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0077 Devices for viewing the surface of the body, e.g. camera, magnifying lens
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1115 Monitoring leaving of a patient support, e.g. a bed or a wheelchair
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1116 Determining posture transitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1126 using a particular sensing technique
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/113 occurring during breathing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6891 Furniture
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7278 Artificial waveform generation or derivation, e.g. synthesising signals from measured signals A61B5/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/36 Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/42 for inclination
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/00 Beds specially adapted for nursing; Devices for lifting patients or disabled persons stretchers with facilities for picking up patients or disabled persons A61G1/003
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/02 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/20 using resistors, thermistors or semiconductors sensitive to radiation, e.g. photoconductive devices

Abstract

A patient support apparatus includes a monitoring system having a first detector and a controller. The first detector detects electromagnetic radiation from a first field of view of the first detector and providing a signal indicative of characteristics of the electromagnetic radiation. The controller includes a processor coupled to the first detector and a memory device including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to processes the signal from the first detector, translate the signal into an array of data, and evaluate the data in the array to determine characteristics of a patient positioned in the first field of view.

Claims

1. A patient support apparatus comprising

a monitoring system including a first detector detecting electromagnetic radiation from a first field of view of the first detector and providing a signal indicative of characteristics of the electromagnetic radiation, and

a controller including a processor coupled to the first detector and a memory device including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to process the signal from the first detector, translate the signal into an array of data, and evaluate the data in the array to determine a reference point associated with a position of the patient,

wherein the memory device includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to evaluate the reference point associated with a position of the patient at a first time and evaluate the reference point associated with a position of the patient at a second time, wherein the reference point associated with the position of the patient at the second time is compared to the reference point associated with the position of the patient at the first time to determine the movement of the patient,

wherein the controller generates an alarm signal if the movement of the patient exceeds a predetermined threshold, and

wherein the memory device includes further instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to compare the location of the reference point to a static boundary in the field of view and, if the reference point is positioned outside of the static boundary, activate an alarm.

2. The patient support apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory device includes further instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to determine the boundary of a body in the field of view.

3. The patient support apparatus of claim 2, wherein the memory device includes further instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to monitor the boundary of the body to determine if the boundary changes sufficiently to indicate movement of the body.

4. The patient support apparatus of claim 3, wherein reference point is a centroid of the boundary.

5. The patient support apparatus of claim 4, wherein the patient support apparatus further comprises a second detector detecting electromagnetic radiation from at least a portion of the first field of view, the second detector providing a signal indicative of characteristics of the electromagnetic radiation detected by the second detector.

6. The patient support apparatus of claim 5, wherein the second detector comprises a detector that detects infrared radiation.

7. The patient support apparatus of claim 6, wherein the memory device includes further instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to utilize the signal from the first detector and the signal from the second detector to determine the boundary.

8. The patient support apparatus of claim 7, wherein the body is supported on a support plane that intersects an image plane of at least one of the first and second detectors, the controller corrects the data signal from at least one of the first and second detectors to compensate for variations in the relationship between the support plane and the image plane, and the patient support apparatus further includes an angle sensor that provides a signal to the controller indicative of the relationship between the support plane and the image plane.

9. The patient support apparatus of claim 7, wherein a data array from the first detector is used to target a boundary in the first field of view, the boundary in the first field of view being used to determine a target area for the collection of data from the second detector.

10. The patient support apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory device includes further instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to determine a velocity of the reference point.

11. The patient support apparatus of claim 10, wherein the memory device includes further instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to determine if the velocity of the reference point exceeds a threshold, and, if the velocity exceeds the threshold, activate an alarm.

12. The patient support apparatus of claim 11, wherein the threshold is variable.

13. The patient support apparatus of claim 12, wherein the patient support apparatus further comprises a second detector detecting electromagnetic radiation from at least a portion of the first field of view, the second detector providing a signal indicative of characteristics of the electromagnetic radiation detected by the second detector.

14. The patient support apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first detector comprises an infrared detector.

15. The patient support apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first detector comprises a detector capable of detecting visible light.