Patient monitor integration into nurse call system and method

• US 20060214786A1
• Filed: 03/24/2005
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ascom (Sweden) AB (Ascom Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Edwards Systems Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Hutchinson, Scott, Bergwall, Brent, Bixler, Craig
• Granted Patent: US 7,292,135 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.120
• 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: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring

Abstract

A system for automatically integrating various patient monitoring equipment into a nurse call system is implemented by incorporating a software system agent that translates communications in the patient monitoring equipment communication channel to a software system readable format. By translating the patient monitoring system'"'"'s communications, a software system or computer can interpret the communications and act accordingly by signaling staff members, doctors, etc., in a manner that was not feasible by the hardware of the patient monitoring system. By interpreting the communications and having a nurse call system translation feature in the software system agent, nurse call systems can be “coupled” to the patient monitoring system to enable a synergy between systems that were here thereto incompatible or had limited functional capabilities. By combining non-compatible or limited feature patient monitoring systems with nurse systems, and by using a software process to interpret and control responses, enhanced functionalities and alerting capabilities are made available.

Claims

1. A patient monitoring and nurse call integration system, comprising:

a patient monitor translator;

a nurse call translator; and

a processor in communication with the patent monitor translator and nurse call translator, wherein the processor executes instructions which interpret translated patent monitor communication and coordinate a communication via the nurse call translator to a nurse call system.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a system table containing information corresponding to an operational mode of a patient monitor, the system table being accessible by the processor.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the system table contains information corresponding to an operational mode of the nurse call system.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein the system table contains a status of the patient monitor and the nurse call system.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor alters the communication of the nurse call translator based on a type of the patient monitor.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor alters the communication of the nurse call translator based on the interpreted translated patient monitor communication.

7. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a partner staff and equipment location system; and

a partner translator in communication with the processor.

8. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a monitor assignment controller that records assignment of at least one of a staff equipment.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the patient monitor translator translates communication received from a TAP channel.

10. The system according to claim 7, further comprising:

a partner patient information system in communication with the partner translator.

11. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a staff assignment controller that records assignments of staff.

12. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a telephone system in communication with the processor.

13. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a pager system in communication with the processor.

14. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an electronic greaseboard in communication with the processor.

15. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a secondary processor in communication with the processor.

16. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display client in communication with the processor.

17. A method for patient monitoring and nurse call integration, comprising the steps of:

translating communication received from a patient monitoring system;

processing the translated communication to assess at least one of an alarm and event communication;

updating a status table to reflect a current state of equipment-to-staff assignment;

translating the processed communication into a nurse call system format; and

communicating the translated processed communication to a nurse call system.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising the step of:

translating at least one of a staff and an equipment location communication.

19. The method according to claim 17, further comprising the step of:

assigning at least one of a staff and an equipment location information to the status table.

20. The method according to claim 17, further comprising the step of:

alerting an assigned staff based on a processed translated communication.

21. The method according to claim 17, wherein the step of translating communication received from the patient monitoring system includes translating from a TAP standard.

22. The method according to claim 17, further comprising the step of:

designating the patent monitor system type upon an initial translated communication received from the patient monitor system.

23. The method according to claim 17, further comprising the step of:

resetting an alarm event from the nurse call system.

24. The method according to claim 17, further comprising the step of:

resetting an alarm event from a partner staff and equipment location system

25. The method according to claim 22, further comprising the step of:

alerting a designated person via telephone.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the designated person is alerted by pager.

27. The method according to claim 17, further comprising the step of:

assigning patient information to the status table.

28. The method according to claim 17, further comprising the step of:

assigning a staff member to a patient having a patient monitoring system.

29. The method according to claim 17, further comprising the step of:

obtaining information from the status table from a non-patient-designated person.

30. A patient monitoring and nurse call integration system, comprising:

means for translating patient monitor communications;

means for translating nurse call communications; and

means for processing the translated patient monitor communications and executing instructions to coordinate communication to a nurse call system via the means for translating nurse call communications.

31. The system according to claim 30, further comprising:

means for updating a data table with information corresponding to an operational mode of a patient monitor.

32. The system according to claim 31, further comprising:

means for communicating to external device for at lease one of assessing a status or assignment of personnel or equipment for a patient.