Patient monitoring systems and methods

• US 9,445,719 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2014
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Monitoring, Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Monitoring, Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Libbus, Imad, Amurthur, Badri, Manicka, Yatheendhar D., Mazar, Scott T., Merkert, Matt, Landrum, Brett A.
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, VERNAL U
• Application Number:
  US14/340,418
• Publication Number:
  US 20150015417A1
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: 340/6.1, 340/12.5, 340/5.61
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• 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 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• 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 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0537 Measuring body composition by impedance, e.g. tissue hydration or fat content
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/085 Measuring impedance of respiratory organs or lung elasticity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1115 Monitoring leaving of a patient support, e.g. a bed or a wheelchair
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1117 Fall detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/282 Holders for multiple electrodes for introduction into the body A61B5/287
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4818 Sleep apnoea
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6833 Adhesive patches
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/903 Radio telemetry

Abstract

An adherent patient device is configured to adhere to the skin of the patient and measure electrocardiogram data, impedance data, accelerometer data, blood oxygen data and temperature data. The adherent device can communicate wirelessly with gateways and a local processor system, such that the patient can wander about the hospital and update the monitoring station with the patient data when the patient is ambulatory. The local processor system can be configured to customize alerts for the patient, for example to notify automatically a specialist in response to a special condition of the patient. The adherent device may comprise a unique adherent device identifier such that the customized alert can be sent based on the unique device identifier. Each of the gateways can be carried and may comprise a unique gateway identifier, such that the unique device identifier and the unique gateway identifier can be used to locate the ambulatory patient.

Claims

1. A system to monitor a plurality of patients, the system comprising:

a plurality of patient devices, each patient device comprising identifying information and wireless communication circuitry, said each device configured to measure patient data and to transmit the patient data via the wireless communication circuitry;

a local processor system comprising a tangible medium and at least one display disposed at a monitoring station, the local processor system configured to receive the patient data and display the patient data to a user at the monitoring station; and

a plurality of gateways configured to receive the patient data from the wireless communication circuitry and transmit the patient data to the local processor system, wherein each of the plurality of gateways includes an approved device list that identifies those patient devices allowed to communicate with each of the plurality of gateways, wherein patient devices are paired with one or more gateways by communicating identifying information that is compared with the approved device list by gateways within range of the patient device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the identifying information provided by a patient device includes a device serial number and wherein the approved patient device list includes a list of device serial numbers.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the identifying information includes a device identification number, and wherein the approved patient device list includes a range of device identification numbers.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the approved patient device list is dynamically updated by the local processor system to add and/or remove approved patient devices from the list.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the approved patient device list is updated in response to a new patient device being attached or otherwise associated to the patient.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of gateways are configured to establish a mesh network with one another, wherein communication between a patient device and the local processor system includes communication hops between two or more gateway devices.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of gateways include device identifiers and wherein the approved patient device list includes approved gateway device identifiers to maintain integrity of the mesh network.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of gateways are mobile gateways that are affixed and/or attached to a patient.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the patient device includes a global positioning system (GPS) device that allows position information to be affixed to patient data communicated to the local processor system.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of patient devices provide data transmission hops from on adherent device to a neighboring or intermediate patient device before being provided to the local processor system via one or more of the plurality of gateways.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein unique identifying information associated with each patient device is appended to the patient data to allow location information of the patient to be determined.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the local processor system utilizes unique identifying information associated with the patient device, any intermediate patient devices, and gateways used to communicate patient data to the local processor system to determine location of the patient.

13. A method of monitoring plurality of patients, the method comprising:

adhering one or more patient devices comprising wireless communication circuitry to a patient to measure patient data, wherein each patient device includes unique identifying information;

modifying an approved device list that identifies those patient devices allowed to communicate patient information to a local processor system;

communicating the modified approved device list to one or more gateway devices; and

receiving at the gateway a pairing request from the one or more patient device, wherein the gateway compares identifying information received from the patient device to the modified approved device list to determine whether communications from the patient device should be accepted and communicated to the local processor system.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the unique identifying information is a device serial number and wherein the approved patient device list is modified to include device serial numbers associated with those provided to the patient.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the unique identifying information is a device identification number, and wherein the approved patient device list is modified to include a range of device identification numbers associated with a plurality of patient devices provided to a patient for use over an extended period of time.

16. The method of claim 13, further including communicating patient data from the patient device to the local processor system via the paired gateway.

17. the method of claim 16, wherein the patient device is configured to dynamically change the route the patient data takes to the local processor system as the patient location changes by creating a pairing with one or more other gateways.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein unique identifying information associated with the patient device and the paired gateway is appended to the patient data, wherein the local processor system determines location of the patient based on the appended identifying information.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the paired gateway is attached or otherwise affixed to the patient to allow the paired gateway to move with the patient.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the paired gateway communicates indirectly with the local processor system via one or more intermediate gateways.