Patient Monitoring Help Video System and Method

• US 20080214906A1
• Filed: 05/16/2008
• Published: 09/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Nellcor Puritan Bennett LLC (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Wang, Hui, Meng, Min
• Granted Patent: US 8,702,606 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/301
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a patient monitoring help screen system and method. Specifically, embodiments of the present invention include a patient monitoring device with an integral help screen system including display of video. The help screen system may provide context-sensitive help, such that the help screen accessed by a help key may relate to a specific display context.

Claims

1. A monitoring system comprising:

a patient monitor configured to display physiological information related to a patient; and

a user input device in communication with the monitor, wherein the user input device is configured to cause the monitor to display a help screen comprising video.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the user input device comprises a key or button.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the user input device comprises a help icon.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein monitor is configured to display a plethysmographic waveform, a heart rate, an SpO₂ value, or an alarm indicator, or any combination thereof.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the video is formatted in mpeg.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the video comprises a user manual.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the video comprises a help video.

8. The system of claim 1, comprising a second user input device configured to cause the monitor to display a help subscreen.

9. The system of claim 1, comprising a first display window configured to display the physiological information and a second display window configured to display the help screen.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the patient monitor comprises a pulse oximeter.

11. A monitoring system comprising:

a patient monitor comprising a display configured to provide a plurality of output displays of computerized processes, wherein the plurality of output displays are configured to be associated with a respective plurality of contexts; and

a user input device in communication with the monitor, wherein the user input device is configured to effect activation of a plurality of help screens on the display, wherein the plurality of help screens are associated with the respective plurality of contexts, and wherein at least one of the help screens comprises video.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the output displays comprises a main display associated with a main display context.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of output displays comprises a plethysmographic waveform display associated with a main display context.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of output displays comprise a sensor signal condition display associated with a signal condition display context.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the help screen associated with the sensor signal condition display context comprises a sensor help screen.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the patient monitor comprises a pulse oximeter.

17. A monitoring system comprising:

a patient monitor configured to display physiological information related to a patient; and

a user input device in communication with the monitor, wherein the user input device is configured to cause the monitor to display a video, the video comprising a report of patient data, a report of performance of the patient monitor, a warning, an alarm, or a help message, or any combination thereof.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the video displayed is context-sensitive to the current status of the patient monitor or to a current point in a menu tree of a control scheme of the patient monitor, or a combination thereof.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the patient monitoring device comprises a pulse oximeter.

20. A monitoring system comprising:

a patient monitor comprising a display configured to provide a plurality of output displays of computerized processes, wherein the plurality of output displays are configured to be associated with a respective plurality of contexts; and

a user input device in communication with the monitor, wherein the user input device is configured to effect activation of a plurality of video help messages, wherein the plurality of video help messages are context sensitive.

21. A patient monitor comprising:

a sensor configured to sense physiological information of a patient;

a processor configured to provide video help files for display; and

a display configured to display the physiological information and the video help files.

22. The system of claim 21, comprising a memory configured to store the video help files.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the processor is configured to facilitate streaming of the video help files from a server.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the patient monitoring device comprises a pulse oximeter.

25. A method of monitoring a patient, comprising:

monitoring a patient with a patient monitoring device;

accessing a help system associated with the patient monitoring device; and

displaying a screen of the help system, wherein the screen comprises a video.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein displaying the screen comprises displaying the screen comprising the video on a display of the patient monitoring device.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the help system is context sensitive.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein accessing the help system comprises retrieving a help screen in response to the pushing of a key or button associated with the patient monitoring device.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein accessing the help system comprises retrieving a screen of the help system from a memory of the patient monitoring device.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein accessing the help system comprises receiving a screen of the help system from a server.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein the patient monitoring device comprises a pulse oximeter.