Visual Indication Of Alarms On A Ventilator Graphical User Interface

• US 20110154241A1
• Filed: 12/16/2010
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Nellcor Puritan Bennett LLC (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Skidmore, John, Fissel, Jim, Brecht, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 8,443,294 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/771
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0051 with alarm devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0063 Compressors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/024 including calculation means, e.g. using a processor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0027 pressure meter
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0036 in the breathing tube and used in both inspiratory and expiratory phase
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/0208 Oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/025 Helium
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/18 with alarm
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/505 Touch-screens; Virtual keyboard or keypads; Virtual buttons; Soft keys; Mouse touches
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

This disclosure describes systems and methods for displaying alarms to a clinician in a ventilatory system. Specifically, embodiments described herein seek to optimize the informative presentation of alarms on a ventilator interface. Embodiments of the present disclosure may provide one or more selection elements, each selection element indicating a ranked alarm event. The ranking of an alarm event may be determined by alarm level. If two alarm events are associated with the same alarm level, the ranking of the alarm events may be determined by parameter priority. Alarm event ranking is communicated by display in a hierarchical structure. When an alarm event ranking changes, the alarm event may shift up or down the hierarchical structure, depending on whether the ranking increased or decreased.

Claims

1. A user interface for hierarchically indicating one or more alarm messages corresponding to an alarm event, the ventilator configured with a computer having a user interface including a graphical user interface for accepting commands and for displaying information, the user interface comprising:

at least one window associated with the user interface; and

one or more elements within the at least one window comprising one or more of;

a first selection element for indicating a first alarm event, the first alarm event having an first alarm level; and

a second selection element for indicating a second alarm event, the second alarm event having a second alarm level.

2. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein the first selection element and the second selection element are provided along the border of the graphical user interface,

3. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein the first alarm event is associated with a first ventilatory parameter and the second alarm event is associated with a second ventilatory parameter.

4. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein the first alarm level is ranked higher than the second alarm level. kath

5. The graphical user interface of claim 4, wherein the second ventilatory parameter is assigned is a higher priority than the first ventilatory parameter.

6. The graphical user interface of claim 5, wherein the ventilator receives an indication that the second alarm level has increased such that the second alarm level equals the first alarm level.

7. The graphical user interface of claim 6, wherein the priority of the second ventilatory parameter is compared to the priority of the first ventilatory parameter.

8. The graphical user interface of claim 7, wherein a determination is made that the second alarm event is now higher ranked than the first alarm event.

9. The graphical user interface of claim 8, wherein the second selection element is rearranged and displayed above the first selection element, indicating that the ranking of the second alarm event is higher than the ranking of the first alarm event.

10. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein the first selection element and the second selection element includes information summarizing an alarm message, the information comprising:

an alarm level, a parameter indication, an alarm event.

11. The graphical user interface of claim 10, wherein the parameter indication is a parameter abbreviation.

12. The graphical user interface of claim 10, wherein the alarm level is indicated by an icon.

13. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein, upon accessing the first selection event, the alarm message is expanded.

14. The graphical user interface of claim 13, wherein the expanded alarm message includes a hyperlink.

15. The graphical user interface of claim 13, wherein the expanded alarm message provides one or more suggested alarm alleviation measures.

16. A computer-readable storage medium having instructions that when executed provide a graphical user interface for displaying one or more informative alarm messages corresponding to an alarm event, the graphical user interface comprising:

at least one window associated with the user interface; and

one or more elements within the at least one window comprising one or more of;

a first selection element for indicating a first alarm event, the first alarm event having an first alarm level; and

a second selection element for indicating a second alarm event, the second alarm event having a second alarm level.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the first alarm event is associated with a first ventilatory parameter and the second alarm event is associated with a second ventilatory parameter.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the first alarm level is ranked higher than the second alarm level.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the first selection element is displayed above the second selection element to indicate that the first alarm level is ranked higher than the second alarm level.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the first selection element and the second selection element includes information summarizing an alarm message, the information comprising:

an alarm level, a parameter indication, an alarm event.