Infant patient transfer device with heart rate sensor

• US 9,504,616 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2014
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Belsinger, Harry Edward Jr., Falk, Steven Mitchell, Underwood, Thomas Charles, Starr, Karen P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stice, Paula J
• Application Number:
  US14/483,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20160074260A1
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• Field of Search: 600/301, 600 27- 28, 600 21- 22, 600/523, 565/5, 604/174, 34053911-53912
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/045 Newborns, e.g. premature baby monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0245 by using sensing means generating electric signals, i.e. ECG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/282 Holders for multiple electrodes for introduction into the body A61B5/287
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/339 Displays specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/352 Detecting R peaks, e.g. for synchronising diagnostic apparatus; Estimating R-R interval
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6892 Mats
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/702 Posture restraints
• 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 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: A61B 7/04 Electric stethoscopes microphones, acoustic transducers therefor H04R
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/02 Measuring pulse or heart rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/06 Measuring blood flow measuring volume flow in general G01F, e.g. G01F1/66, G01F1/72; measuring speed of fluids in general G01P5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4227 characterised by straps, belts, cuffs or braces
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5223 for extracting a diagnostic or physiological parameter from medical diagnostic data for algorithms to analyse biomedical images G06T7/0012
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 1/00 Stretchers
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 1/04 Parts, details or accessories, e.g. head-, foot-, or like rests specially adapted for stretchers
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 1/048 : Handles
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 11/00 : Baby-incubators; Couveuses
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2200/14 : Children
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2200/327 : supine
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/30 : characterised by sensor means
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/46 : for temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 : for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment

Abstract

A patient transfer device is utilized to transport infant patients between locations within a hospital environment. The patient transfer device includes a center, support section and a pair of side sections that can be moved into contact with each other to surround the infant patient. The first and second side sections each include a handle that can be brought into close proximity to each other and can be grasped by a single hand of a clinician. The patient transfer device includes a heart rate sensor positioned to provide a heart rate measurement of the patient when the patient is received on the patient transfer device. The patient heart rate can be displayed on either an integrated display or wirelessly transmitted to an external display device. In this manner, the heart rate of the infant can be continuously monitored during transport.

Claims

1. A transfer device configured to support an infant patient during transfer of the infant patient, comprising:

a center support section configured to be postioned beneath the infant patient;

a stiffening device positioned within the center support section and configured to provide support for the infant patient during transfer of the infant patient;

a first side section connected to the center support section;

a second side section connected to the center support section, wherein the first and second side sections are sized to surround the infant patient when the first and second side sections are folded toward each other when the infant patient is on the center support section;

a heart rate sensor within the center section and configured to continuously monitor the infant patient'"'"'s heart rate during transfer; and

a display integrated into the transfer device, wherein the display is in communication with the heart rate sensor to display the infant patient'"'"'s heart rate.

2. The transfer device of claim 1 wherein the heart rate sensor is in communication with a control unit contained in the transfer device, wherein the control unit calculates the infant patient'"'"'s heart rate based upon a sensed signal from the heart rate sensor.

3. The transfer device of claim 1 wherein the display is configured to communicate a visual alert when the infant patient'"'"'s heart rate falls outside of a predefined range.

4. The transfer device of claim 1 further comprising a wireless transmitter operatively connected to the heart rate sensor.

5. The transfer device of claim 1 wherein the display is integrated into one of the first and second side sections.

6. A transfer device configured to support an infant patient during transfer of the infant patient, comprising:

a center support section configured to be positioned beneath the infant patient;

a first side section connected to the center support section and including a first handle;

a second side section connected to the center support section and including a second handle, wherein the first and second side sections are movable toward each other such that the first and second handles are located adjacent to each other and the first and second side sections surround the infant patient;

a heart rate sensor within the center section and configured to continuously monitor the infant patient'"'"'s heart rate during transfer; and

a display integrated into the transfer device, wherein the display is in communication with the heart rate sensor to display the infant patient'"'"'s heart rate.

7. The transfer device of claims 6 wherein the heart rate sensor is in communication with a control unit contained in the transfer device, wherein the control unit calculates the infant patient'"'"'s heart rate based upon a signal from the heart rate sensor.

8. The transfer device of claim 7 wherein the heart rate sensor comprises at least one electrical pad comprising a plurality of ECG leads, wherein the electrical pad is positioned to monitor electrocardiograph signals from the infant patient.

9. The transfer device of claim 7 wherein the heart rate sensor comprises a microphone positioned to monitor acoustic signals from the infant patient.

10. The transfer device of claim 7 wherein the heart rate sensor comprises a vibration sensor positioned to monitor vibrations created by the infant patient.

11. The transfer device of claim 6 wherein the display is configured to communicate an alert when the infant patient'"'"'s heart rate falls outside a predefined range.

12. The transfer device of claim 6 wherein the heart rate sensor is positioned within the center support section.