Method and apparatus for providing patient care

• US 6,398,727 B1
• Filed: 12/23/1998
• Issued: 06/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Baxter International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Baxter International Inc.
• Inventors: Bui, Tuan, Cooper, Thomas, Macha, Emil S., Schulze, Arthur, Padda, Shan, Deckert, Clint, Levitas, Doron
• Primary Examiner(s): Nasser, Robert L.
• Application Number:
  US09/219,664
• Time in Patent Office: 1,259 Days
• Field of Search: 600/300, 600/301, 128/903, 128/904
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0276 Determining malfunction
• 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 5/7465 Arrangements for interactive communication between patient and care services, e.g. by using a telephone network telemetry of measured physiological signal A61B5/0002
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/581 by audible feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/583 by visual feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/16 Special arrangements for conducting heat from the object to the sensitive element
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/165 for application in zero heat flux sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/904 Telephone telemetry

Abstract

A patient management system includes a programmable patient monitor for monitoring and recording a plurality of physiological conditions of a patient, a plurality of physiological condition sensors and a communications unit. The plurality of patient monitoring sensors are electrically coupled to the programmable patient monitor. Each sensor detects a particular physiological condition of the patient, such as core temperature, ECG electrodes for providing an electrocardiogram and blood oximetry sensors. The patient monitor is small and compact and easily worn by the patient during his normal at home activities. To provide communication with a caregiver via a remote controller at the caregiver'"'"'s location, a communications unit is disposed in the facility. The communications unit may be selectively coupled to the programmable patient monitor for receiving, storing and transmitting to the remote controller patient physiological condition data and for transmitting instructions from the remote controller to the programmable patient monitor. When the patient connects the patient monitor to the communications unit, the patient can communicate with the caregiver at the remote location.

Claims

1. A patient management system for monitoring a plurality of physiological conditions of a patient in a facility, comprising:

a programmable patient monitor for monitoring and recording a plurality of physiological condition data of a patient;

a plurality of patient monitoring sensors, each sensor detecting a particular physiological condition of the patient and generating physiological condition data representative thereof and being electrically coupled to the programmable patient monitor; and

a communications unit disposed in the facility for communicating with a remote controller, and selectively coupled to the programmable patient monitor for receiving, storing and transmitting to the remote controller patient physiological condition data and for transmitting instructions from the remote controller to the programmable patient monitor;

wherein the programmable patient monitor monitors the recorded physiological condition data in accordance with a stored instruction comprising a predetermined range of values and generates a patient alarm signal in response to a monitored physiological condition data being outside the predetermined range;

wherein the alarm signal is resettable only upon receipt of a new instruction from the remote controller;

wherein the programmable patient monitor monitors operation of the plurality of patient monitoring sensors within a predetermined set of operational values and generates an alert signal in response to a detected operation outside the predetermined set;

wherein the alert signal is resettable upon the patient monitor detecting operation of the patient monitoring sensors within the predetermined set.

2. The patient management system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of patient monitoring sensors comprise a core temperature sensor, electrocardiogram electrodes, a respiration sensor and a pulse oximetry sensor.

3. The patient management system of claim 1, further comprising an event switch, operable by the patient, wherein upon closing of the event switch the programmable patient monitor stores patient physiological condition data for a predetermined period of time.

4. The patient management system of claim 3, wherein the predetermined period of time comprises a period of about one minute prior to closing of the event switch to a period of about one minute after closing of the event switch.

5. The patient management system of claim 1, wherein the remote monitor comprises:

a controller for programming the programmable patient monitor when the programmable patient monitor is coupled to the communications unit and for retrieving the stored patient physiological data from the communications unit; and

a routine for generating an instruction to reset the alarm signal.

6. The patient management system of claim 1, wherein the communications unit further comprises a device for communicating with the remote controller.

7. The patient management system of claim 6, wherein the device for communicating with the remote controller comprises a modem.

8. The patient management system of claim 6, wherein the device for communicating with the remote controller comprises a voice over data modem.

9. The patient management system of claim 6, wherein the device for communicating with the remote controller comprises a wireless transceiver.

10. The patient management system of claim 6, wherein the device for communicating with the remote controller comprises an RF transceiver.

11. The patient management system of claim 6, wherein the device for communicating with the remote controller comprises an IR transceiver.

12. The patient management system of claim 6, wherein the remote controller further comprises a device for communicating with the communications unit and a routine for automatically contacting the communications unit at predetermined times.

13. The patient management system of claim 12, wherein the device for communicating with the communications unit comprises a modem.

14. The patient management system of claim 12, wherein the device for communicating with the communications unit comprises a voice-over-data modem.

15. The patient management system of claim 12, wherein the device for communicating with the communications unit comprises a wireless transceiver.

16. The patient management system of claim 12, wherein the device for communicating with the communications unit comprises an RF transceiver.

17. The patient management system of claim 12, wherein the device for communicating with the communications unit comprises an IR transceiver.

18. The patient management system of claim 1, wherein the programmable patient monitor further comprises a display for displaying messages.

19. The patient management system of claim 18 wherein the display produces textual messages.

20. The patient management system of claim 18 wherein the display produces graphical images.

21. The patient management system of claim 18, wherein the programmable patient monitor further comprises a speaker for providing audio output.

22. The patient management system of claim 21, wherein the alarm signal comprises a message displayed on the display and an audio signal output by the speaker.

23. The patient management system of claim 21, wherein the alarm signal comprises a voice message and audio tones.

24. The patient management system of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of additional patient monitoring sensors, each sensor detecting a particular physiological condition of the patient and generating physiological condition data representative thereof and being selectively electrically coupled to the communications unit.

25. The patient management system of claim 24, wherein the additional plurality of patient monitoring sensors comprises a thermometer, a blood pressure sensor, a weight sensor, a spirometer, a blood gas sensor, a pulse rate sensor and a blood-oxygen sensor.

26. The patient management system of claim 24, wherein the communications unit generates a signal to advise the patient to attach the additional patient monitoring sensors and take a measurement.

27. The patient management system of claim 26, wherein the plurality of patient monitoring sensors coupled to the programmable patient monitor comprise a core temperature sensor, electrocardiogram electrodes, a respiration sensor and a pulse oximetry sensor.

28. The patient management system of claim 27, wherein the remote controller further comprises a fault tolerant routine for comparing data from the core temperature sensor and the temperature sensor.

29. The patient management system of claim 28, wherein the fault tolerant routine compares data from the respiration sensor, the electrocardiogram sensor and the blood pressure sensor.

30. The patient management system of claim 29, wherein the communications unit monitors operation of the additional plurality of patient monitoring sensors within a predetermined set of operational values and generates an alert signal in response to a detected operation outside the predetermined set.

31. The patient management system of claim 30, wherein the communications unit further comprises a display for displaying messages.

32. The patient management system of claim 31, wherein the communications unit further comprises a speaker for providing audio output.

33. The patient management system of claim 32, wherein the alert signal comprises a message displayed on the display and an audio signal output by the speaker.

34. The patient management system of claim 33, wherein the alert signal comprises a voice message and audio tones.

35. A programmable patient monitor for monitoring and recording a plurality of physiological condition data of a patient in a facility, comprising:

a plurality of sensor interface circuits for interfacing with a plurality of patient monitoring sensors, each circuit receiving a physiological signal representative of a physiological condition detected by a particular patient monitoring sensor;

a memory for storing data representative of the received patient physiological signals and for storing instructions received from a remote controller disposed at a location remote from the facility through a communications unit disposed at the facility; and

a controller for comparing the stored physiological data with a stored instruction comprising a predetermined range of values and for generating a patient alarm signal in response to a stored physiological data being outside the predetermined range and for comparing operation of the plurality of patient monitor sensors with a predetermined set of operational values and for generating an alert signal in response to a detected operation outside the predetermined set;

wherein the alarm signal is resettable only upon receipt of a new instruction from the remote controller; and

wherein the alert signal is resettable upon the detection of operation of the patient monitoring sensors within the predetermined set.

36. The programmable patient monitor of claim 35, wherein the plurality of patient monitoring sensors comprise a core temperature sensor, electrocardiogram electrodes, a respiration sensor and a pulse oximetry sensor.

37. The programmable patient monitor of claim 35, further comprising an event switch, operable by the patient, wherein upon closing of the event switch the programmable patient monitor stores patient physiological condition data for a predetermined period of time.

38. The programmable patient monitor of claim 37, wherein the predetermined period of time comprises a period of about one minute prior to closing of the event switch to a period of about one minute after closing of the event switch.

39. The programmable patient monitor of claim 35, further comprising a display for displaying messages.

40. The programmable patient monitor of claim 39 wherein the display produces textual messages.

41. The programmable patient monitor of claim 39 wherein the display produces graphical messages.

42. The programmable patient monitor of claim 39, further comprising a speaker for providing audio output.

43. The programmable patient monitor of claim 42, wherein the alarm signal comprises a message displayed on the display and an audio signal output by the speaker.

44. The programmable patient monitor of claim 43, wherein the alarm signal comprises a voice message and audio tones.

45. A programmable patient monitor for monitoring and recording a plurality of physiological conditions of a patient in a facility, comprising:

a plurality of sensor interface circuits for interfacing with a plurality of patient monitoring sensors, each receiving a physiological signal representative of a physiological condition detected by a particular patient monitoring sensor;

a memory for storing data representative of the received patient physiological signals and for storing instructions received from a remote controller disposed at a location remote from the facility through a communications unit disposed at a facility; and

a controller for comparing the stored physiological data with a stored instruction comprising a predetermined range of values and for generating a patient alarm signal in response to a stored physiological data being outside the predetermined range;

wherein the plurality of patient monitoring sensors comprise a core temperature sensor, electrocardiogram electrodes, a respiration sensor and a pulse oximetry sensor;

wherein the alarm signal is resettable only upon receipt of a new instruction from the remote controller;

wherein the controller monitors operation of the plurality of patient monitoring sensors within a predetermined set of operational values and generates an alert signal in response to a detected operation outside the predetermined set; and

wherein the alert signal is resettable upon the controller detecting operation of the patient monitoring sensors within the predetermined set.

46. The programmable patient monitor of claim 45, further comprising an event switch, operable by the patient, wherein upon closing of the event switch the programmable patient monitor stores patient physiological condition data for a predetermined period of time.

47. The programmable patient monitor of claim 46, wherein the predetermined period of time comprises a period of about one minute prior to closing of the event switch to a period of about one minute after closing of the event switch.

48. The programmable patient monitor of claim 45, further comprising a display for displaying messages.

49. The programmable patient monitor of claim 48, further comprising a speaker for providing audio output.

50. The programmable patient monitor of claim 49, wherein the alarm signal comprises a message displayed on the display and an audio signal output by the speaker.

51. The programmable patient monitor of claim 50, wherein the alarm signal comprises a voice message and audio tones.

52. A communications unit for use by a patient in an facility, comprising:

apparatus for communicating with a remote controller;

apparatus for communicating with a programmable patient monitor, for receiving, storing and transmitting to the remote controller, patient physiological condition data monitored by the patient monitor and for transmitting instructions from the remote controller to the patient monitor;

wherein the communications unit transmits instructions received from the remote controller to the patient monitor and transmits patient physiological condition data from the patient monitor to the remote controller;

wherein the patient monitor monitors physiological condition data in accordance with an instruction comprising a predetermined range of values and generates a patient alarm signal in response to a monitored physiological condition data being outside the predetermined range;

wherein the alarm signal is resettable only upon receipt of a new instruction from the remote controller;

wherein the patient monitor monitors operation of the plurality of patient monitoring sensors within a predetermined set of operational values and generates an alert signal in response to a detected operation outside the predetermined set; and

wherein the alert signal is resettable upon the patient monitor detecting operation of the patient monitoring sensors within the predetermined set.

53. The communications unit of claim 52, wherein the apparatus for communicating with the remote controller comprises a device for communicating with the remote controller.

54. The communications unit of claim 53 wherein the device for communicating with the remote controller comprises a modem.

55. The communications unit of claim 53 wherein the device for communication with the remote controller comprises a voice-over-data modem.

56. The communications unit of claim 53 wherein the device for communication with the remote controller comprises a wireless transceiver.

57. The communications unit of claim 53 wherein the device for communication with the remote controller comprises an RF transceiver.

58. The communications unit of claim 53 wherein the device for communication with the remote controller comprises an IR transceiver.

59. The communications unit of claim 53, further comprising a routine for automatically contacting the remote controller at predetermined times.

60. The communications unit of claim 52, further comprising:

a plurality of patient monitoring sensors, each sensor detecting a particular physiological condition of the patient and generating physiological condition data representative thereof and being selectively electrically coupled to the communications unit.

61. The communications unit of claim 60, wherein the additional plurality of patient monitoring sensors comprises a thermometer, a blood pressure sensor, a weight sensor, a spirometer, a blood gas sensor, a pulse rate sensor and a blood-oxygen sensor.

62. The communications unit of claim 60, further comprising a routine for generating a signal to notify the patient to attach at least one of the additional patient monitoring sensors and take a measurement.

63. The communications unit of claim 62, wherein the communications unit monitors operation of the additional plurality of patient monitoring sensors within a predetermined set of operational values and generates an alert signal in response to a detected operation outside the predetermined set.

64. The communications unit of claim 60, wherein the communications unit further comprises a display for displaying messages.

65. The communications unit of claim 64, wherein the communications unit further comprises a speaker for providing audio output.

66. The communications unit of claim 65, wherein the alert signal comprises a message displayed on the display and an audio signal output by the speaker.

67. The communications unit of claim 66, wherein the alert signal comprises a voice message and audio tones.

68. A programmable patient monitor for monitoring and recording a plurality of physiological condition data of a patient in a facility, comprising:

a sensor interface circuit for interfacing with a patient monitoring sensor and for generating physiological condition data representative of the patient'"'"'s physiological condition detected by the patient monitoring sensor;

a controller for comparing the stored physiological data with an instruction received from a remote controller disposed at a location remote from the facility through a communications unit disposed at the facility, wherein the instruction comprises a predetermined range of values, and for generating a patient alarm signal in response to a stored physiological data being outside the predetermined range and for comparing operation of the plurality of patient monitor sensors with a predetermined set of operational values and for generating an alert signal in response to a detected operation outside the predetermined set;

wherein the alarm signal is resettable only upon receipt of a new instruction from the remote controller;

wherein the alert signal is resettable upon the detection of operation of the patient monitoring sensors within the predetermined set; and

a panic switch, operable by the patient, wherein upon closing of the panic switch, the programmable patient monitor communicates with the remote controller via the communications unit.

69. The programmable patient monitor of claim 68, further comprising a device for communicating with the communications unit.

70. The programmable patient monitor of claim 69, wherein the device for communicating with the communications unit comprises a wireless transceiver.

71. The programmable patient monitor of claim 69, wherein the device for communicating with the communications unit comprises a cable.

72. The programmable patient monitor of claim 69, wherein the communications unit comprises a device for communicating with the remote controller.

73. The programmable patient monitor of claim 72 wherein the device for communicating with the remote controller comprises a modem.

74. The programmable patient monitor of claim 72 wherein the device for communicating with the remote controller comprises a voice-over-data modem.

75. The programmable patient monitor of claim 72 wherein the device for communicating with the remote controller comprises a wireless transceiver.

76. The programmable patient monitor of claim 72 wherein the device for communicating with the remote controller comprises an RF transceiver.

77. The programmable patient monitor of claim 72 wherein the device for communicating with the remote controller comprises an IR transceiver.

78. The programmable patient monitor of claim 68, wherein the panic switch comprises two separate switches which must be closed simultaneously to enable communication with the remote controller.

79. The programmable patient monitor of claim 68 further comprising a second panic switch, wherein upon activating of the second panic switch, the programmable patient monitor communicates with a predetermined location.

80. The programmable patient monitor of claim 79, wherein the predetermined location comprises a patient'"'"'s family member.

81. The programmable patient monitor of claim 68, further comprising a speaker for providing audio output.

82. A method of monitoring a patient'"'"'s physiological condition in an facility, comprising:

providing a plurality of patient monitoring sensors, wherein each sensor detects a particular physiological condition of the patient;

providing, from a remote controller, a plurality of instructions, each instruction comprising a predetermined range of values for a particular sensor;

comparing the detected physiological condition with the corresponding range of values;

generating a patient alarm signal in response to a detected physiological condition being outside the predetermined range;

providing the patient alarm signal to the remote controller;

clearing the patient alarm signal only in response to receiving a clear alarm instruction from the remote controller, wherein the clear alarm instruction disables the patient alarm signal;

monitoring operation of the plurality of patient monitoring sensors within a predetermined set of operational values;

generating an alert signal in response to a detected operation outside the predetermined set; and

clearing the alert signal only in response to detecting operation of the patient monitoring sensors within the predetermined set.

83. The method of monitoring a patient'"'"'s physiological condition in a facility of claim 82, wherein the wherein the patient alarm signal comprises an auditory tone.

84. The method of monitoring a patient'"'"'s physiological condition in an facility of claim 82, wherein the wherein the patient alarm signal comprises a voice message and audio tones.

85. The method of monitoring a patient'"'"'s physiological condition in an facility of claim 82, further comprising:

storing patient physiological condition data for a predetermined period of time.

86. The method of monitoring a patient'"'"'s physiological condition in an facility of claim 82, wherein the alarm signal comprises a displayed message.

87. The method of monitoring a patient'"'"'s physiological condition in an facility of claim 82, wherein upon generation of an alarm signal subsequent to generation of an alert signal, the alarm signal takes priority over the alert signal.