Closed loop alarm management

• US 10,573,155 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2018
• Issued: 02/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Woodward, Jonathan James
• Primary Examiner(s): Yacob, Sisay
• Application Number:
  US16/170,512
• Publication Number:
  US 20190180592A1
• Time in Patent Office: 488 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• 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: G08B 1/08 using electric transmission ; transformation of alarm signals to electrical signals from a different medium, e.g. transmission of an electric alarm signal upon detection of an audible alarm signal
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0211 Combination with medical sensor, e.g. for measuring heart rate, temperature
• 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 29/10 Monitoring of the annunciator circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices for patient monitoring are described. The method may include receiving an alarm indication associated with a default alarm threshold for a measured physiological parameter and detecting that a clinician is accessing the medical device in response to the alarm indication. After detecting that the clinician is accessing the medical device, the medical device may display an alarm message associated with the alarm indication. The method may further include storing an intervention action associated with an action of the clinician in response to the alarm indication.

Claims

1. A method for patient monitoring, comprising:

receiving, at a medical device, an alarm indication associated with a default alarm threshold for a measured physiological parameter;

detecting that a clinician is accessing the medical device in response to the alarm indication;

displaying an alarm message associated with the alarm indication based at least in part on the detecting; and

storing a plurality of intervention actions associated with an action of the clinician in response to the alarm indication;

determining a first range of values of the measured physiological parameter associated with a plurality of first intervention actions of the plurality of intervention actions, the plurality of first intervention actions indicating that the clinician performed a medical action in response to the alarm indication;

determining a second range of values of the measured physiological parameter associated with a plurality of second intervention actions of the plurality of intervention actions, the plurality of second intervention actions indicating that the clinician silenced the alarm indication and performed no medical action in response to the alarm indication; and

displaying the first range of values, the second range of values, a transition line between the first range of values and the second range of values, an indicator in the first range of values for each of the plurality of first intervention actions, and an indicator in the second range of values for each of the plurality of second intervention actions.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting that the clinician is within a proximity threshold of the medical device, wherein displaying the alarm message is based at least in part on the detection.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

aggregating the plurality of intervention actions stored in response to a plurality of alarm indications associated with the default alarm threshold of the measured physiological parameter.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining an amount of reduction of a number of instances of the plurality of second intervention actions in the second range of values based at least in part on modifying the default alarm threshold to a modified alarm threshold, the modified alarm threshold corresponding to the transition line between the first range of values and the second range of values.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining an effect of modifying the default alarm threshold to the modified alarm threshold based at least in part on determining the amount of reduction of the number of instances of the plurality of second intervention actions.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving, at the medical device, a subsequent alarm indication associated with the default alarm threshold for the measured physiological parameter; and

refraining from displaying an alarm message associated with the subsequent alarm indication based at least in part on the modified alarm threshold.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

starting a timer after detecting the subsequent alarm indication; and

alarming according to the default alarm threshold if the subsequent alarm indication is present when a duration of the timer expires.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the plurality of first intervention actions comprises an action message and the plurality of second intervention actions comprises a no action message.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the aggregated plurality of intervention actions comprises a histogram, wherein the histogram comprises the first range of values, the second range of values, the transition line, the indicator in the first range of values, the indicator in the second range of values, and information related to an alarm type.

10. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining performance information associated with the clinician based at least in part on the aggregated plurality of intervention actions.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the performance information comprises a response time, an efficiency of the clinician, a service level report, a staff roster report, or a combination thereof.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein displaying the alarm message comprises:

unlocking a display screen of the medical device based at least in part on the detecting that the clinician is within the proximity threshold of the medical device.

13. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

locking a display screen of the medical device based at least in part on detecting that the clinician exceeded the proximity threshold of the medical device.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of intervention actions comprise a routine check, a no action message, or an action message.

15. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

detecting that the clinician is within the proximity threshold of the medical device comprises detecting near field communications signaling, detecting Bluetooth signaling, detecting imaging signaling of the clinician, or a combination thereof.

16. A medical device for patient monitoring, comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor; and

instructions stored in the memory and operable, when executed by the processor, to cause the medical device to;

receive, at the medical device, an alarm indication associated with a default alarm threshold for a measured physiological parameter;

detect that a clinician is accessing the medical device in response to the alarm indication;

display an alarm message associated with the alarm indication based at least in part on the detecting; and

store a plurality of intervention actions associated with an action of the clinician in response to the alarm indication;

determine a first range of values of the measured physiological parameter associated with a plurality of first intervention actions of the plurality of intervention actions, the plurality of first intervention actions indicating that the clinician performed a medical action in response to the alarm indication; and

determine a second range of values of the measured physiological parameter associated with a plurality of second intervention actions of the plurality of intervention actions, the plurality of second intervention actions indicating that the clinician silenced the alarm indication and performed no medical action in response to the alarm indication; and

display the first range of values, the second range of values, a transition line between the first range of values and the second range of values, an indicator in the first range of values for each of the plurality of first intervention actions, and an indicator in the second range of values for each of the plurality of second intervention actions.

17. The medical device of claim 16, wherein the instructions stored in the memory comprise instructions operable to cause the medical device to:

aggregate the plurality of intervention actions stored in response to a plurality of alarm indications associated with the default alarm threshold of the measured physiological parameter.

18. The medical device of claim 17, wherein the instructions stored in the memory comprise instructions operable to cause the medical device to:

determine an amount of reduction of a number of instances of the plurality of second intervention actions in the second range of values based at least in part on modifying the default alarm threshold to a modified alarm threshold, the modified alarm threshold corresponding to the transition line between the first range of values and the second range of values.

19. The medical device of claim 18, wherein the instructions stored in the memory comprise instructions operable to cause the medical device to:

determine an effect of modifying the default alarm threshold to the modified alarm threshold based at least in part on determining the amount of reduction of the number of instances of the plurality of second intervention actions.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing code for patient monitoring, the code comprising instructions executable by a processor to:

receive, at a medical device, an alarm indication associated with a default alarm threshold for a measured physiological parameter;

detect that a clinician is accessing the medical device in response to the alarm indication;

display an alarm message associated with the alarm indication based at least in part on the detecting; and

store a plurality of intervention actions associated with an action of the clinician in response to the alarm indication;

determine a first range of values of the measured physiological parameter associated with a plurality of first intervention actions of the plurality of intervention actions, the plurality of first intervention actions indicating that the clinician performed a medical action in response to the alarm indication; and

determine a second range of values of the measured physiological parameter associated with a plurality of second intervention actions of the plurality of intervention actions, the plurality of second intervention actions indicating that the clinician silenced the alarm indication and performed no medical action in response to the alarm indication; and

display the first range of values, the second range of values, a transition line between the first range of values and the second range of values, an indicator in the first range of values for each of the plurality of first intervention actions, and an indicator in the second range of values for each of the plurality of second intervention actions.