Wireless patient monitoring system and method

• US 9,883,800 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2016
• Issued: 02/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Pekander, Otto Valtteri
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US15/041,220
• Publication Number:
  US 20170231494A1
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0015 characterised by features of the telemetry system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• 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 5/02 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse, heart rate, blood pressure or blood flow; Combined pulse/heart-rate/blood pressure determination; Evaluating a cardiovascular condition not otherwise provided for, e.g. using combinations of techniques provided for in this group with electrocardiography or electroauscultation; Heart catheters for measuring blood pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/145 Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissuemeasuring of blood pressure or blood flow A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/25 Bioelectric electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 9/00 Arrangements for interconnection not involving centralised switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/43 using wireless personal area networks [WPAN], e.g. 802.15, 802.15.1, 802.15.4, Bluetooth or ZigBee
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A method of monitoring a patient includes operating each of one or more wireless sensing devices to measure a physiological parameter from a patient and wirelessly transmit a parameter dataset, and receiving the one or more parameter datasets from the one or more wireless sensing devices. The method further includes calculating a patient condition index based on the one or more parameter datasets, wherein the patient condition index is an indicator of stability of the one or more physiological parameters. A measurement interval is then assigned for each wireless sensing device based on the patient condition index, and each wireless sensing device is operated according to the respective measurement interval.

Claims

1. A patient monitoring system comprising:

at least two wireless sensing devices, each wireless sensing device configured to measure a different one of at least two physiological parameters from a patient and wirelessly transmit a parameter dataset;

a receiver that receives the parameter dataset from each of the two wireless sensing devices;

a processor;

a monitoring regulation module executable on the processor to;

access a minimum measurement interval for each of the two wireless sensing devices;

calculate a patient condition index based on the parameter datasets from the two wireless sensing devices, wherein the patient condition index is an indicator of stability of the at least two physiological parameters;

wherein the monitoring regulation module calculates the patient condition index by assigning higher weight to one or more key parameters of the at least two physiological parameters;

assign a measurement interval for each of the two wireless sensing devices based on the patient condition index, wherein the measurement interval is not less than the minimum measurement interval for the respective wireless sensing device; and

instruct each of the two wireless sensing devices to operate at the respective measurement interval.

2. The patient monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring regulation module is further executable on the processor to power down each of the one or more wireless sensing devices for a period of time based on the measurement interval.

3. The patient monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring regulation module selects the one or more key parameters based on a diagnosis, a medical history, and/or previous parameter datasets for the patient.

4. The patient monitoring system of claim 1, further comprising a hub device in data communication with each of the one or more wireless sensing devices, the hub device containing the receiver, processor, and monitoring regulation module.

5. The patient monitoring system of claim 1, further comprising a host network in data communication with each of the one or more wireless sensing devices, the host network including the receiver, processor, and monitoring regulation module.

6. The patient monitoring system of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more wireless sensing devices operates on at least one of a wireless medical telemetry service (WMTS) network, a Wi-Fi network, or a body area network to wirelessly transmit the parameter dataset.

7. A method of monitoring a patient, the method comprising:

operating each of at least two wireless sensing devices to measure at least two different physiological parameters from a patient and wirelessly transmit at least two parameter datasets;

receiving the two parameter datasets at a receiver from the two wireless sensing devices;

calculating a patient condition index with a processor based on the at least two parameter datasets, wherein the patient condition index is an indicator of stability of the at least two different physiological parameters;

wherein the patient condition index assigns higher weight to the parameter dataset associated with a key parameter of the at least two physiological parameters;

assigning a measurement interval for each wireless sensing device with the processor based on the patient condition index; and

operating each of the wireless sensing devices according to the respective measurement interval.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising accessing a minimum measurement interval for each of the wireless sensing devices, wherein the measurement interval assigned for each wireless sensing device is not less than the minimum measurement interval for that wireless sensing device.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising powering down each of the wireless sensing devices for a period of time based on the measurement interval.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising identifying the key parameter based on a diagnosis, a medical history, and/or previous parameter datasets for the patient.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining that at least one of the parameter datasets is not within a threshold range for that physiological parameter, and assigning an increased measurement interval to the wireless sensing device associated with that parameter dataset.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising calculating a parameter-specific index for each physiological parameter based on the respective parameter data, and calculating the patient condition index based on each parameter-specific index.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining whether each parameter-specific index is within a threshold range, and assigning an increased measurement interval to the one or more monitoring devices associated with the parameter-specific index that is not within the threshold range.

14. A method of monitoring a patient, the method comprising:

operating at least a first wireless sensing device to measure a first physiological parameter and transmit a first parameter dataset and at least a second wireless sensing device to measure a second physiological parameter and transmit a second parameter dataset, wherein the first physiological parameter and the second physiological parameter are different physiological parameters;

receiving the first parameter dataset and the second parameter dataset at a receiver from the one or more wireless sensing devices;

calculating a patient condition index with a processor based on at least the first parameter dataset, wherein the patient condition index is an indicator of stability of at least the first physiological parameter and the second physiological parameter;

assigning a measurement interval for each of the first wireless sensing device and the second wireless sensing device with the processor based on the patient condition index, wherein a different measurement interval is assigned to the second wireless sensing device than the first wireless sensing device; and

operating each of the first and second wireless sensing devices according to the respective measurement interval.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining that the patient is stable based on the patient condition index, and then determining a secondary indicia of the second physiological parameter based on the first parameter dataset instead of operating the second wireless sensing device.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising calculating the patient condition index based on the first parameter dataset and the second parameter dataset when the second wireless sensing device is operating, and determining the patient condition index based on the first parameter dataset and the secondary indicia of the second physiological parameter when the second wireless sensing device is not operating.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first physiological parameter is a key parameter, and wherein the patient condition index assigns higher weight to the first parameter dataset than the second parameter dataset or the secondary indicia of the second physiological parameter.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising operating the second wireless sensing device if at least one of the first parameter dataset is not within a threshold range, the secondary indicia is not within a threshold range, and the patient condition index is not within a threshold range.

19. A patient monitoring system comprising:

at least two wireless sensing devices, each wireless sensing device configured to measure a different one of at least two physiological parameters from a patient and wirelessly transmit a parameter dataset;

a receiver that receives the parameter dataset from each of the two wireless sensing devices;

a processor;

a monitoring regulation module executable on the processor to;

access a minimum measurement interval for each of the two wireless sensing devices;

calculate a patient condition index based on the parameter datasets from the two wireless sensing devices, wherein the patient condition index is an indicator of stability of the at least two physiological parameters;

wherein the monitoring regulation module calculates the patient condition index by assigning higher weight to one or more key parameters of the at least two physiological parameters;

wherein the patient condition index is based equally on the at least two parameter datasets;

assign a measurement interval for each of the two wireless sensing devices based on the patient condition index, wherein the measurement interval is not less than the minimum measurement interval for the respective wireless sensing device; and

instruct each of the two wireless sensing devices to operate at the respective measurement interval.

20. A method of monitoring a patient, the method comprising:

operating each of at least two wireless sensing devices to measure at least two different physiological parameters from a patient and wirelessly transmit at least two parameter datasets;

receiving the two parameter datasets at a receiver from the two wireless sensing devices;

calculating a patient condition index with a processor based on the at least two parameter datasets, wherein the patient condition index is an indicator of stability of the at least two different physiological parameters;

wherein the patient condition index is based equally on the at least two parameter datasets;

assigning a measurement interval for each wireless sensing device with the processor based on the patient condition index; and

operating each of the wireless sensing devices according to the respective measurement interval.