Devices and methods for the annotation of physiological data with associated observational data

• US 20040204635A1
• Filed: 04/10/2003
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dolphin Medical, Inc. (OSI Systems Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Dolphin Medical, Inc. (OSI Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: Johnson, Scot L., Scharf, John E., Scharf, Tom D.
• Application Number:
  US10/411,870
• Publication Number:
  US 20040204635A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/323
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0295 adapted for recording user messages or annotations
• 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 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0261 using optical means, e.g. infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

The present invention provides methods and devices for capturing data pertaining to caregiver observations that further define, describe, or qualify associated physiological data. The present invention facilitates the integration of numerous forms of observational data with associated physiological data, displays the recorded physiological data suitably annotated with the associated observational data through a variety of customizable graphical user interfaces, and uses general purpose portable computing devices such as PDAs, laptops, pocket PCs, or other microprocessor based devices for interfacing with a plurality of physiological sensors. In one embodiment, the present invention comprises a sensor to generate a plurality of physiological data related to a physiological condition of the subject, an event module to capture a plurality of observational data associated with a physiological condition of the subject, a plurality of receivers to receive the physiological data and the observational data, a clock in data communication with the receivers to time stamp the physiological data and observational data, a memory in data communication with the clock to store the time-stamped physiological data and time-stamped observational data, and a display in data communication with the memory to display the time-stamped physiological data in a time relation with the observational data.

Claims

1. A system for associating physiological data of a subject with observational data, comprising:

a sensor to generate a plurality of physiological data related to a physiological condition of the subject;

an event module to capture a plurality of observational data associated with a physiological condition of the subject;

a receiver to receive said physiological data and said observational data;

a clock in data communication with said receiver to time stamp the physiological data and observational data;

a memory in data communication with said clock to store the time-stamped physiological data and time-stamped observational data; and

a display in data communication with said memory to display the time-stamped physiological data in a time relation with said observational data.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensor is a finger-clip sensor.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the finger-clip sensor comprises a light to frequency converter.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the physiological data pertains to a plurality of blood flow characteristics including at least one of a blood oxygen saturation of hemoglobin in arterial blood of the subject, a volume of blood pulsation supplying a tissue of the subject, and a rate of blood pulsation corresponding to a heart beat of the subject.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensor is in data communication with a portable electronic microprocessor based device.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the said at least one event generation module is integrated into the portable electronic microprocessor based device.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the display and the clock module integrated into the portable electronic microprocessor based device.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of observational data includes at least one of audio data, video data, graphical data, and textual data.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the display of the time-stamped physiological data in a time relation with said observational data is achieved by displaying visual markers of the time-stamped observational data in association with graphical representations of the time-stamped physiological data.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the display of the time-stamped physiological data in a time relation with said observational data is achieved by displaying, in tabular form, a plurality visual markers of the time-stamped observational data in association with a portion of the plurality of physiological data.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the system further includes an encryption module in data communication with said memory to encrypt at least one of the time-stamped physiological data and the time-stamped observational data.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the event module further includes a voice recognition command feature.

13. The system of claim 5 wherein the portable electronic microprocessor is configured to encrypt at least one of the time-stamped physiological data and the time-stamped observational data.

14. The system of claim 5 wherein the portable electronic microprocessor is further configured to include a function lock-out feature.

15. The system of claim 5 wherein the portable electronic microprocessor is further configured to include a voice recognition command feature.

16. A system for annotating physiological data of a subject with observational data, comprising:

at least one sensor to generate a plurality of physiological data related to a physiological condition of the subject; and

a portable electronic device in data communication with said sensor comprising at least one event module to capture a plurality of observational data associated with the physiological condition of the subject, a receiver to receive the physiological data, a clock to time stamp the plurality of physiological data and observational data, a memory module to store the plurality of time stamped physiological and time stamped observational data, a processor to process the physiological data and associate the physiological data in a time relation with the observational data, and a display for displaying the physiological and observational data.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the at least one sensor is a finger-clip pulse oximetry sensor.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the at least one event module is an audio memo system for recording audio generated by a caregiver.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the portable electronic device is a personal digital assistant.

20. The system of claim 16 wherein the at least one event module is capable of capturing audio, video, image, or textual observational data.

21. The system of claim 16 wherein the processor is configured to encrypt the physiological and observational data.

22. The system of claim 16 wherein the processor is configured to include a function lock-out feature.

23. The system of claim 16 wherein the processor is configured to include a voice recognition command feature.

24. A method for associating physiological data of a patient with observational data, comprising the steps of:

generating a plurality of physiological data;

capturing a plurality of observational data;

associating a first time with the plurality of physiological data, wherein the first time is indicative of when the physiological data was generated, to produce time-stamped physiological data;

associating a second time with the plurality of observational data, wherein the second time is indicative of when the observational data was captured, to produce time-stamped observational data;

storing said plurality of time-stamped physiological data and said time-stamped observational data; and

displaying visual markers of said time-stamped observational data in association with said time-stamped physiological data.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the visual markers of said time-stamped observational data are displayed in association with graphical representations of said time-stamped physiological data.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the physiological data is generated by a finger-clip pulse oximetry sensor.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the finger-clip pulse oximetry sensor comprises a light to frequency converter.

28. The method of claim 24 wherein the visual markers of said time-stamped observational data are displayed in association with portions of said time-stamped physiological data in a tabular form.

29. A method of annotating physiological data of a subject with observational data, the method comprising the steps of:

collecting physiological information from a subject by detecting light propagating through a body tissue of said subject;

processing said physiological information and computing a physiological value trend over a period of time;

collecting observational information related to an event; and

correlating said observational information related to said event with said physiological value trend based on time to supplement said physiological value trend with observational information.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the step of correlating said observational information with said physiological value trend includes marking said physiological value trend with a marker to indicate that said physiological value trend includes said observational information related to said event.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein said observational information is collected in audio, video, graphical or textual form.

32. The method of claim 29 wherein said physiological value trend is at least one of an arterial oxygen saturation, pulse rate, or a volume of blood pulsation of said subject over said period of time.

33. The method of claim 29 further including the step of encrypting the physiological value trend and observational information to protect the physiological value trend and observational information from unauthorized access.

34. The method of claim 29 further including the step of displaying said observational information correlated with said physiological value trend.

35. A graphical user interface for associating physiological data of a subject with observational data, comprising:

a first area for displaying a first physiological parameter trend;

an event marker associated with said first physiological parameter trend for indicating that a supplemental information corresponding to said first physiological parameter trend is available; and

an access interface providing a user to select said event marker and display said supplemental information corresponding to said first physiological parameter trend.

36. The graphical user interface of claim 35 wherein said first physiological parameter trend is one of a blood oxygen saturation, a volume of blood pulsation supplying a tissue of a subject, and pulse rate.

37. The graphical user interface of claim 35 wherein said supplemental information is observational information.

38. The graphical user interface of claim 37 wherein the observational information is one of an audio data, video data, graphical data, and textual data.

39. The graphical user interface of claim 35 wherein said access interface provides one of a menu, button, and icon.

40. The graphical user interface of claim 35 wherein said access interface is accessible to the user by one of a stylus and mouse.

41. The graphical user interface of claim 35 wherein said first physiological parameter trend is determined by a processor configured to:

receive a light intensity signal detected from a light propagating through a body tissue of the subject; and

process said light intensity signal to compute said physiological parameter trend over a period of time.

42. A graphical user interface of claim 35 further including;

a second area for displaying a second physiological parameter trend;

an event marker associated with said second physiological parameter trend for indicating that a supplemental information corresponding to said second physiological parameter trend is available; and

an access interface providing a user to select said event marker and display said supplemental information corresponding to said second physiological parameter trend.