Patient-need prediction system

• US 10,172,522 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2017
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Ribble, David L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, Jr., John A
• Application Number:
  US15/705,876
• Publication Number:
  US 20180020924A1
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• Field of Search: 3405735
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0077 Devices for viewing the surface of the body, e.g. camera, magnifying lens
• 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 5/1032 Determining colour for diagnostic purposes measuring colour in general G01J3/46
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1113 Local tracking of patients, e.g. in a hospital or private home
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1128 using image analysis A61B5/1127 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6892 Mats
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7275 Determining trends in physiological measurement data; Predicting development of a medical condition based on physiological measurements, e.g. determining a risk factor
• 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 5/7405 using sound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7465 Arrangements for interactive communication between patient and care services, e.g. by using a telephone network telemetry of measured physiological signal A61B5/0002
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0524 characterised by integrated accessories, e.g. bed control means, nurse call or reading lights
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0453 worn on the body to detect health condition by physiological monitoring, e.g. electrocardiogram, temperature, breathing detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• 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 40/60 for the operation of medical equipment or devices
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 : Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A patient support apparatus includes a control system operable to gather physiological information about a patient supported on the patient support apparatus. The information may be gathered from sensors, a user interface, or a hospital information system. The control system uses the data gathered to predict whether a patient is likely to be in need of care from a caregiver.

Claims

1. A method for predicting patient needs comprising:

detecting electromagnetic radiation from a field of view and providing a signal indicative of a characteristic of a patient in the field of view, the signal being based on the electromagnetic radiation; and

processing the signal to produce a value related to a stress condition experienced by the patient located in the field of view to determine whether a patient need is indicated by the value related to a stress condition experienced by the patient and to perform a predetermined action if the patient need is predicted.

4. The method for predicting patient needs of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation is visual light and the sensor unit detects the visual light over time.

5. The method for predicting patient needs of claim 4, wherein the field of view is limited to a face of the patient in the field of view and the characteristic of the patient in the field of view is a change in a facial expression of the patient that is indicative of the stress condition.

6. The method for predicting patient needs of claim 4, wherein the characteristic of the patient in the field of view is a change in color of a patient'"'"'s skin indicative of the stress condition.

7. The method for predicting patient needs of claim 4, wherein the characteristic of the patient in the field of view is a change in position of the patient in the field of view indicative of the stress condition.

8. The method for predicting patient needs of claim 7, wherein the stress condition is at least one of a need to urinate and defecate by the patient.

9. The method for predicting patient needs of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation is infrared light.

10. The method for predicting patient needs of claim 9, wherein the characteristic of the patient in the field of view is a patient'"'"'s skin temperature as measured by the infrared light.

11. The method for predicting patient needs of claim 10, wherein the stress condition is at least one of a need to urinate and defecate by the patient.

12. The method for predicting patient needs of claim 11, wherein the sensor unit is a camera located in spaced-apart relation to the patient in the field of view.

13. The method for predicting patient needs of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing a bed-sensor signal indicative of a status of equipment included in a patient support apparatus supporting the patient.

14. The method for predicting patient needs of claim 13, further comprising the step of processing the bed-sensor signal and the patient sensor signal to produce the value related to the stress condition experience by the patient located in the field of view as detected by the sensor unit.

15. The method for predicting patient needs of claim 14, wherein the patient support apparatus includes a support frame, a support surface supported by the support frame, and a moveable side rail coupled to the support frame to move relative to the support frame between a raised position and a lowered position and the bed-sensor signal is indicative of the position of the movable side rail.

16. The method for predicting patient needs of claim 14, wherein the patient support apparatus includes a support frame and a support surface supported by the support frame, and the bed-sensor signal is indicative of a pressure exerted on the support surface when the patient is resting on the support surface.

17. The method for predicting patient needs of claim 1, further comprising the step of communicating with a hospital information system.

18. The method for predicting patient needs of claim 17, wherein the predetermined action includes requesting via the communication link for a caregiver to come to the patient within a predetermined time period.

19. The method for predicting patient needs of claim 17, further comprising the step of providing a communication via the user interface to the patient that a caregiver has been requested to come to the patient within the predetermined time period.

20. The method for predicting patient needs of claim 18, wherein the communication is visual and displayed on a display included in the user interface.

21. The method for predicting patient needs of claim 19, wherein the communication is auditory and emitted through a speaker included in the user interface.

22. The method for predicting patient needs of claim 1, wherein the predetermined action includes commanding the light to emit light.

2. A method for predicting patient needs comprising:

detecting electromagnetic radiation from a field of view and providing a signal indicative of a characteristic of a patient in the field of view, the signal being based on the electromagnetic radiation;

detecting a status of equipment included in a patient support apparatus supporting the patient; and

processing the signal to produce a value related to a stress condition experienced by the patient located in the field of view to determine whether a patient need is indicated by the value related to a stress condition experienced by the patient and to perform a predetermined action if the patient need is predicted.

3. A method for predicting patient needs comprising:

detecting electromagnetic radiation from a field of view and providing a patient signal indicative of a characteristic of a patient in the field of view, the signal being based on the electromagnetic radiation;

detecting a status of a component of a patient support apparatus; and

processing the signal to produce a value related to a stress condition experienced by the patient located in the field of view to determine whether the value has exceeded a predetermined limit and to perform a predetermined action if the value has exceeded the predetermined limit.