Ambulatory medical telemetry device having an audio indicator

• US 10,709,330 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2005
• Issued: 07/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Koschek, Andrew G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Clow, Lori A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Archer, Marie
• Application Number:
  US11/719,302
• Publication Number:
  US 20110015493A1
• Time in Patent Office: 5,366 Days
• Field of Search: 600300-301, 600363-365, 600372-374, 600377-379, 600382-384, 600386-394, 600481, 600485, 600500-503, 600508, 600515-519, 600529-531, 600544-547, 600549, 600587-595, 128920-925, 702188-189, 702 2- 3
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2505/07 Home care
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• 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 5/6801 specially adapted to be attached to or worn on the body surface
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7405 using sound
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0211 Combination with medical sensor, e.g. for measuring heart rate, temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/185 Electrical failure alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/187 Machine fault alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

An ambulatory medical telemetry device (10) is provided. This device includes at least one sensor (18) for detecting at least one physiological parameter of a patient and a housing that is securable to the patient. A circuit (50) is located in the housing for receiving and processing a signal representative of the physiological parameter from the sensor to generate recordable physiological data. An audible indicator (16) is located in the housing and operationally coupled to the circuit for generating an audio signal indicating at least one operational state of the device.

Claims

1. An ambulatory medical telemetry device, comprising:

at least one sensor configured for detecting at least one physiological parameter of a patient;

a housing securable to the patient;

a circuit located in said housing and configured for receiving and processing a signal representative of the physiological parameter from the at least one sensor to generate recordable physiological data;

at least one processor located in said housing and connected to the circuit, said at least one processor programmed to perform a self-test of an overall operation and each of a plurality of operational states of the ambulatory medical telemetry device, the plurality of operational states including at least three operational states; and

an audible indicator located in said housing and operationally coupled to said circuit and said at least one processor to generate an audio signal indicating at least one operational state of the device including a successful completion of the self-test indicating the operational state is operating correctly for each of the plurality of operational states of the ambulatory medical telemetry device;

wherein said audible indicator is configured to generate a plurality of different tones for indicating each of the overall operation and each operational state of the ambulatory medical telemetry device, each different tone corresponding to a different operational state of the device, the plurality of different tones further including a tone indicating the successful completion of the self-test for each of the plurality of operational states of the ambulatory medial telemetry device.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said audio signal generated by the audible indicator further indicates physiological-related information.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a wireless receiver operationally coupled to the circuit and the audible indicator and located in said housing for receiving a wireless paging signal such that the audible indicator, in response to the wireless paging signal, generates an audio paging signal.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein said audible indicator generates a plurality of different tones indicative of each different operational state and the audio paging signal.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein one of the operational states of the device indicates a successful completion of a test result to obtain the physiological data.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of tones differs in at least one characteristic selected from the group consisting of frequency, duration, intervals between tones, intensity, and tunes.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the tones represents positive feedback, and at least one of the tones represents negative feedback in response to the self-test for the overall operation and each operational state of the device.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the physiological parameter detected by the sensor includes at least one of:

electrocardiogram/respiration (ECG/RESP),

invasive pressures,

temperature,

non-invasive blood pressure (NIBP),

SpO₂/Pleth level,

carbon dioxide level (CO₂), and

cardiac output.

9. A method for providing audible feedback from an ambulatory medical telemetry device securable to a patient and communicating with a remote system, said method comprising the steps of:

performing a self-test for each of a plurality of operational states of the ambulatory medical telemetry device and an overall operation of the ambulatory medical telemetry device to monitor physiological data;

detecting a plurality of physiological parameters of the patient;

receiving and processing a signal representative of the physiological parameters to generate recordable physiological data; and

generating an audio signal indicating the overall operation and each of the plurality of operational states of the device which includes a successful result of the self-test indicating the operational state is operating correctly, the audio signal including a plurality of different tones for the overall operation and each of a plurality of operational states of the ambulatory medical telemetry device, each different tone corresponding to a different operational state of the device;

wherein the self-test includes testing the operational states of;

a status of the patient;

a status of algorithms employed by the device;

an inability to make a measurement;

a measurement outside a range; and

receipt of a paging signal.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said audio signal further indicates physiological-related information.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

converting multiple physiological signals processed by a circuit into a format for transmission;

transmitting the multiple physiological signals to the remote system to generate a wireless paging signal;

receiving the wireless paging signal; and

in response to the wireless signal, generating an audio paging signal.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein one of the operational states of the device indicates a failure of the self-test.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said audio signal comprises each of a plurality of tones each corresponding to a different one of:

a status of the patient;

a status of algorithms employed by the device;

an inability to make a measurement;

a measurement outside a range; and

receipt of a paging signal.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein one of the operational states of the device indicates a successful completion of a test for obtaining the physiological data.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein each of said plurality of tones differs in at least one characteristic selected from the group consisting of frequency, duration, intervals between tones, and intensity.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein at least one of the tones represents positive feedback, and at least one of the tones represents negative feedback.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the physiological parameter that is detected includes at least two of:

electrocardiogram/respiration (ECG/RESP),

invasive pressures,

temperature,

non-invasive blood pressure (NIBP),

SpO₂/Pleth level, carbon dioxide level (CO₂), and cardiac output.

18. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a first wireless paging signal and, in response, generating a first audio paging signal and receiving a second wireless paging signal and, in response, generating a second audio paging signal, respectively, wherein the first and second audio paging signals are audibly distinctive from one another.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein one of the first and second audio paging signals indicates a request to the patient to return to a predetermined location.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the second audio paging signal is used to locate the ambulatory medical telemetry device.