Medical instrument with remaining visits indicator

• US 9,990,468 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2016
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• 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, III, Kenneth V., Garrant, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Holmes, Rex R
• Application Number:
  US15/390,177
• Publication Number:
  US 20170109489A1
• Time in Patent Office: 529 Days
• 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 method of operating a mobile medical instrument, the method comprising:

determining a quantity of charge stored in one or more energy storage devices;

determining historical patient visit charge consumption through;

detecting a start of a patient visit;

determining a starting charge stored in the one or more energy storage devices;

detecting an end of the patient visit;

determining an ending charge stored in the one or more energy storage devices; and

computing a difference between the starting charge and the ending charge;

computing an estimated number of remaining patient visits until the stored charge is depleted; and

generating a remaining visits indicator identifying the estimated number of remaining patient visits.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a quantity of charge stored in one or more energy storage devices comprises:

determining a capacity of the one or more energy storage devices;

determining a percentage of charge remaining in the one or more energy storage devices; and

computing the quantity of charge stored.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining historical patient visit charge consumption comprises computing an average charge consumption across a predetermined set of prior patient visits.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the difference as a charge consumption value; and

using two or more charge consumption values of two or more patient visits to determine an average charge consumption per patient visit.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein computing a remaining number of patient visits until the stored charge is depleted comprises:

retrieving a stored charge value;

retrieving an average charge consumption value; and

dividing the stored charge value by the average charge consumption value.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the start of the patient visit comprises receiving a caregiver input to the mobile medical instrument indicative of the start of the patient visit.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the end of the patient visit comprises receiving a caregiver input to the mobile medical instrument indicative of the end of the patient visit.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the end of the patient visit comprises determining that a predetermined time has passed from the start of the patient visit.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the end of the patient visit comprises detecting movement of the mobile medical instrument.

10. A method of operating a mobile medical instrument, the method comprising:

determining a quantity of charge stored in one or more energy storage devices;

determining historical patient visit charge consumption through;

detecting a start of a patient visit;

determining a set of functions performed during the patient visit; and

detecting an end of the patient visit;

computing an estimated number of remaining patient visits until the stored charge is depleted; and

generating a remaining visits indicator identifying the estimated number of remaining patient visits.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining a typical set of functions performed from the historical patient visits, and computing an average charge consumption based on the typical set of functions performed.

12. A method of operating a mobile medical instrument, the method comprising:

determining a quantity of charge stored in one or more energy storage devices;

storing a history of patient visit charge consumption for a plurality of patient visits;

determining an average charge consumption per patient visit based on the stored history of patient visit charge consumption; and

generating a remaining visits indicator based on the average charge consumption, the remaining visits indicator identifying an estimated number of additional patient visits that can be completed before the energy stored in the one or more energy storage devices is depleted.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the mobile medical instrument is a multi-function physiological measuring platform device configured to perform more than one function selected from a temperature measurement, a heart rate measurement, a blood pressure measurement, and a blood oxygen level measurement.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the multi-function physiological measuring platform device includes peripheral components including a thermometer, a blood pressure cuff, and a pulse oximeter.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the mobile medical instrument further comprises a 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 mobile measuring device in an elevated position during the patient visits.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the average charge consumption per patient visit is determined based on a predetermined set size of patients.

17. The method of claim 12, 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.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the patient visit charge consumption is determined based on a predetermined set of physiological measurements performed on patients during the plurality of patient visits, wherein each physiological measurement of the predetermined set corresponds to a charge consumption value.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the estimated number of additional patient visits is calculated by dividing the quantity of charge stored in the one or more energy storage devices by the average charge consumption per patient visit.