Nuisance alarm reduction method for therapeutic parameters
First Claim
1. A method for reducing nuisance alarms implemented on a ventilator having a processor and a memory, the method comprising:
- receiving one or more alarm conditions, wherein the one or more alarm conditions include a parameter threshold and an integral threshold;
monitoring at least one non-physiological parameter;
detecting a first breach of the parameter threshold;
calculating an integral of the first breach;
when the integral of the first breach is not greater than the integral threshold, applying a weighted constant to the integral of the first breach to incrementally reduce the integral of the first breach;
calculating an integral of a second breach; and
generating an alarm when the integral of the second breach plus the incrementally reduced integral of the first breach is greater than the integral threshold.
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Accused Products
Abstract
This disclosure describes systems and methods for reducing nuisance alarms associated with monitoring non-physiological parameters in a ventilatory system. Non-physiological parameters may include, but are not limited to, parameters that are internally monitored by the ventilator based on pre-configured ranges dictated by the manufacturer, by an applicable protocol, or by the clinician. Embodiments described herein seek to mitigate nuisance alarms by basing alarm conditions, at least in part, on an integral threshold such that an alarm is not generated when a monitored parameter briefly falls outside an acceptable range by a slight degree, but such that an alarm is generated when a monitored parameter falls outside an acceptable range by a more significant magnitude and/or duration.
233 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method for reducing nuisance alarms implemented on a ventilator having a processor and a memory, the method comprising:
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receiving one or more alarm conditions, wherein the one or more alarm conditions include a parameter threshold and an integral threshold; monitoring at least one non-physiological parameter; detecting a first breach of the parameter threshold; calculating an integral of the first breach; when the integral of the first breach is not greater than the integral threshold, applying a weighted constant to the integral of the first breach to incrementally reduce the integral of the first breach; calculating an integral of a second breach; and generating an alarm when the integral of the second breach plus the incrementally reduced integral of the first breach is greater than the integral threshold. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A ventilator, comprising:
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at least one processor; and at least one memory, communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and containing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the ventilator system to; receive one or more alarm conditions, wherein the one or more alarm conditions include a parameter threshold and an integral threshold; monitor at least one non-physiological parameter; detect a first breach of the parameter threshold; calculate an integral of the first breach; when the integral of the first breach is not greater than the integral threshold, apply a weighted constant to the integral of the first breach to incrementally reduce the integral of the first breach; calculate an integral of a second breach; and generate an alarm when the integral of the second breach plus the incrementally reduced integral of the first breach is greater than the integral threshold. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A ventilator, comprising:
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at least one processor; and at least one memory, communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and containing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the ventilator system to; receive one or more alarm conditions, wherein the one or more alarm conditions include a parameter threshold and an integral threshold; monitor at least one non-physiological parameter; detect a first breach of the parameter threshold; calculate an integral of the first breach; detect a second breach of the parameter threshold when the integral of the first breach is not greater than the integral threshold; calculate an integral of the second breach; apply a weighted constant to the integral of the first breach to incrementally reduce the integral of the first breach; add the incrementally reduced integral of the first breach to the integral of the second breach; and generate an alarm when the sum of the incrementally reduced integral of the first breach and the integral of the second breach is greater than the integral threshold. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification