Power latch for use with an electronic patient monitor

• US 20040183681A1
• Filed: 03/18/2003
• Published: 09/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bed-Check Corporation (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bed-Check Corporation (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, Toby E.
• Granted Patent: US 6,998,986 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons

Abstract

There is provided herein an electronic patient monitor that utilizes a latch or similar power circuit that automatically activates an electronic patient monitor when a patient'"'"'s presence is indicated by the sensor, that maintains power to the unit so long as the patient is indicated to be present, and that maintains power to the monitor until a valid reset command is issued after the patient is sensed to be no longer present. Power to the unit is maintained, and the unit continues to monitor the patient, e so long as the patient is present, even if an attempt is made to power down/disable the unit during that time.

Claims

1. An electronic patient monitor for use with a patient sensor, said patient sensor at least for detecting a presence or an absence of a patient, comprising:

(a) monitor circuitry in electronic communication with said patient sensor, said monitor circuitry at least for monitoring the patient sensor and initiating an alarm in response to the patient'"'"'s absence;

(b) a manually activated reset/hold switch;

(c) power control circuitry in electrical communication with said patient sensor, said reset/hold switch and said monitor circuitry, said power control circuitry at least for

(i) supplying power to said monitor circuitry upon a detection of the patient on said patient sensor,

(ii) continuing to supply power to said monitor circuitry operation of the monitor for so long as said detection of the patient on said sensor continues, and,

(iii) terminating power to said monitor circuitry only after

(1) said sensor detects the absence of the patient, and,

(2) said reset/hold switch is manually activated; and

,

(d) a speaker in electronic communication with said monitor circuitry, said speaker at least for sounding an audible alarm under control of said monitor circuitry.

2. An electronic patient monitor according to claim 1, wherein said monitor circuitry comprises:

(a1) a microprocessor in electrical communication with said patient sensor, said microprocessor being responsive to a program resident therein, said program at least containing a plurality of computer instructions for;

(i) monitoring said patient sensor, and,

(ii) initiating an alarm through said speaker if the sensor detects the absence of the patient.

3. An electronic patient monitor according to claim 1, wherein said speaker is a piezoelectric speaker.

4. An electronic patient monitor according to claim 1, wherein said monitor circuitry comprises:

(a1) a first circuit in electronic communication with said patient sensor, said first circuit at least for monitoring said patient sensor and for initiating an electronic alarm signal when said sensor detects the absence of the patient, and,

(a2) an alarm circuit in electronic communication with said monitor circuit, said alarm circuit responding at least to said alarm signal from said first circuit and generating an alarm sound for broadcast through said speaker in response thereto.

5. An electronic patient monitor according to claim 4, wherein said first circuit comprises a microprocessor.

6. An electronic patient monitor according to claim 1, wherein said monitor circuitry and said power control circuitry are both implemented within a same PLD.

7. An electronic patient monitor according to claim 1, wherein said monitor circuitry comprises a first PLD and said power control circuitry comprises a second PLD.

8. An electronic patient monitor according to claim 4, wherein the step of generating an alarm sound for broadcast through said speaker comprises the step of synthesizing an alarm sound for broadcast through said speaker.

9. A method of monitoring a patient, wherein is provided

a patient sensor positionable to be placed proximate to the patient, said patient sensor at least for determining a presence and an absence of the patient and for generating a signal at least in response to the patient'"'"'s presence and absence, and,

an electronic patient monitor in electrical communication with said sensor and responsive thereto, said electronic patient monitor at least having a user-operated switch for manually terminating/suspending its patient monitoring function, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving within said electronic patient monitor a signal from said patient sensor indicative of the patient'"'"'s presence;

(b) automatically initiating said monitoring function of said electronic patient monitor upon receipt of said signal indicative of the patient'"'"'s presence;

(c) automatically generating an alarm if the patient sensor indicates the absence of the patient;

(d) continuing to monitor said patient sensor so long as the patient'"'"'s presence is still indicated, even if said user-operated switch for manually terminating said patient monitoring function is engaged; and

,

(e) only ceasing the monitoring of the patient

(i) after a signal is received from the patient sensor indicating that the patient is absent, and

(ii) after said user-operated switch for manually terminating said patient monitoring function is engaged.

10. A method of monitoring a patient according to claim 9, wherein the step of ceasing the monitoring of the patient comprises the step of powering-down said electronic patient monitor.

11. A method of monitoring a patient according to claim 9, wherein patient sensor is a pressure sensitive mat.

12. An electronic patient monitor, comprising:

(a) a patient sensor, said patient sensor positionable to be proximate to a patient, said patient sensor at least for detecting a presence and an absence of the patient;

(b) a power source;

(c) a reset switch, said reset switch generating a reset signal when manually engaged by a user;

(d) a patient monitor circuit, said patient monitor circuit at least for monitoring the patient sensor and initiating an alarm in response to the patient'"'"'s absence; and

,

(e) an S-R flip/flop circuit in electrical communication with said power source, with said reset switch, with said patient monitor circuit, and with said patient sensor, said S-R flip/flop circuit

(i) supplying power to said patient monitor circuit upon receipt from said patient sensor of a signal indicating the patient'"'"'s presence, and,

(ii) maintaining power to said patient monitor circuit until after said S-R flip/flop circuit receives a signal indicating the patient'"'"'s absence, and until after said S-R flip/flop circuit receives said reset signal from said reset switch after the patient'"'"'s absence is detected.