Medical instrument with remaining visits indicator

• US 9,560,976 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2013
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Inventors: Lane, John A., Meyerson, Craig M., Fallat, David M., Nguyen, Vuong B., St. Pierre, Shawn C., Coon, Kenneth V. III, Garrant, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Holmes, Rex R
• Application Number:
  US14/079,388
• Publication Number:
  US 20150133742A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,182 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0204 of power management
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0437 Trolley or cart-type apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/022 by applying pressure to close blood vessels, e.g. against the skin; Ophthalmodynamometers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades

Abstract

A medical instrument includes a remaining visits indicator. The remaining visits indicator visually identifies a number of patient visits that can be completed before recharging the medical instrument.

Claims

1. A mobile medical instrument configured for use by a caregiver during patient visits, the mobile medical instrument comprising:

a measuring device configured to perform physiological measurements on patients during the patient visits;

one or more energy storage devices configured to store energy therein to power the measuring device when performing the physiological measurements, the stored energy depleted by performance of the physiological measurements during patient visits comprising patient visit charge consumption;

a memory storage device configured to store a history of patient visit charge consumption;

a processing device configured to determine an average charge consumption per patient visit based on the stored history of patient visit charge consumption; and

a display device configured to generate a remaining visits indicator based on the average charge consumption, the remaining visits indicator displaying a numeric value indicating an estimated number of patient visits that can be completed by the instrument before the energy stored in the one or more energy storage devices is depleted.

2. The mobile medical instrument of claim 1, wherein the measuring device is a physiological measuring platform device.

3. The mobile medical instrument of claim 2, wherein the physiological measuring platform device is a multi-function device configured to perform more than one function.

4. The mobile medical instrument of claim 3, wherein the more than one functions are selected from a temperature measurement, a heart rate measurement, a blood pressure measurement, and a blood oxygen level measurement.

5. The mobile medical instrument of claim 1, wherein the measuring device includes peripheral components.

6. The mobile medical instrument of claim 5, wherein the peripheral components include a thermometer, a blood pressure cuff, and a pulse oximeter.

7. The mobile medical instrument of claim 1, wherein the display device is part of the measuring device.

8. The mobile medical instrument of claim 1, further comprising mobile stand, and wherein the display device is part of a mobile stand.

9. The mobile medical instrument of claim 1, wherein the display device comprises electronic paper.

10. The mobile medical instrument of claim 1, further comprising a mobile stand, the mobile stand comprising:

a wheeled base including a plurality of wheels; and

a support structure supported on the wheeled base, wherein the support structure is configured to support the measuring device in an elevated position.

11. The mobile medical instrument of claim 10, wherein the mobile stand further comprises:

energy storage devices housed in the support structure; and

power supply electronics electrically coupled to the energy storage devices, wherein the power supply electronics include the processing device, the processing device configured to communicate with the measuring device.

12. The mobile medical instrument of claim 1, wherein the display device is separate from the measuring device, and further comprising an input device, wherein the display device is operable to generate the remaining visits indicator after receipt of an input through the input device independent of whether the measuring device is turned on or off.

13. The mobile medical instrument of claim 1, wherein the average charge consumption per patient visit is determined based on a predetermined set size of patients.

14. The mobile medical instrument of claim 1, wherein the patient visit charge consumption is determined based on a difference in charge between a stored charge value at the start of a patient visit and a stored charge value at the end of the patient visit.

15. The mobile medical instrument of claim 14, wherein the start of a patient visit is indicated by a caregiver first input to the mobile medical instrument.

16. The mobile medical instrument of claim 14, wherein the end of a patient visit is indicated by an elapsed amount of time from the start of the patient visit.

17. The mobile medical instrument of claim 14, wherein the end of a patient visit is indicated by a caregiver second input to the mobile medical instrument.

18. The mobile medical instrument of claim 14, wherein the end of a patient visit is indicated by movement of the mobile medical instrument.

19. The mobile medical instrument of claim 18, further comprising an accelerometer and wherein the movement of the mobile medical instrument is detected by the accelerometer.

20. The mobile medical instrument of claim 1, wherein the patient visit charge consumption is determined based on predetermined set of the physiological measurements performed on patients during the patient visits, wherein each physiological measurement of the predetermined set corresponds to a charge consumption value.

21. The mobile medical instrument of claim 1, wherein the numeric value of the average charge consumption-based remaining visits indicator is calculated by the processing device by dividing a current stored charge value of the one or more energy storage devices by the average charge consumption per patient visit.