Patient monitoring system

• US 6,544,174 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2001
• Issued: 04/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Welch Allyn Protocol Incorporated (Welch Allyn Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Welch Allyn Protocol Incorporated (Welch Allyn Incorporated)
• Inventors: Petersen, Eric G., Weiner, Herbert S., West, Kenneth G., Moon, James B., Howell, William H., Colquitt, Nhedti L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Winakur, Eric F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): McCrosky, David J.
• Application Number:
  US09/860,811
• Publication Number:
  US 20020013518A1
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 128/903, 128/904, 340/870.07, 340/870.11, 600/300, 600/301
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0209 adapted for power saving
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0271 using a remote monitoring unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/04 Constructional details of apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0431 Portable apparatus, e.g. comprising a handle or case
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0475 Special features of memory means, e.g. removable memory cards
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0015 characterised by features of the telemetry system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0836 Measuring rate of CO2 production
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1113 Local tracking of patients, e.g. in a hospital or private home
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/117 Identification of persons methods or arrangements for recognising patterns, e.g. fingerprints, G06F18/00, G06V40/00; identification of persons by analysing their voice or speech G10L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/339 Displays specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6843 Monitoring or controlling sensor contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/743 Displaying an image simultaneously with additional graphical information, e.g. symbols, charts, function plots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7435 Displaying user selection data, e.g. icons in a graphical user interface
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7445 Display arrangements, e.g. multiple display units
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 : for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 : for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 : for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 : Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 : Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 : detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 : Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 : Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 : Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/903 : Radio telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/904 : Telephone telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/92 : Computer assisted medical diagnostics

Abstract

A wireless patient monitor is adapted to communicate with any one of plural medical telemetry networks, each having one or more central stations, where each network is configured to communicate via wireless communications using one of multiple different communications settings. The monitor includes one or more sensor inputs for receiving vital signs data from a patient, a wireless transceiver; and a controller coupled to receive the vital signs data via the one or more sensor inputs and to communicate with a network via the transceiver. The monitor also includes a display device and is controllable by the controller to automatically display a notification to a user of the monitor upon establishing communications with the at least one central station. There is also a method of monitoring a patient and a wireless medical telemetry system.

Claims

1. A wireless patient monitor having means for selectively communicating with any one of plural medical telemetry networks, each said network having one or more central monitoring stations, where each network is configured to communicate via wireless communications using one of multiple different routing communications settings, the monitor comprising:

one or more sensor inputs for receiving vital signs data from a patient;

a wireless transceiver configured to transmit and receive wireless communications; and

a controller coupled to receive the vital signs data via the one or more sensor inputs and to communicate with a network via the wireless transceiver;

where the controller is configured, upon initial power-up, to automatically transmit a signal to a local one of the plural networks via the wireless transceiver to request the communications settings used by the local network, and to establish communications with at least one of the central monitoring stations on the local network using the communications routing settings received from the local network without intervention from a user of the patient monitor.

2. The monitor of claim 1, where the controller is configured to transmit the vital signs data to the at least one central station using the selected communications settings.

3. The monitor of claim 2, where the controller is configured to transmit the vital signs data to the at least one central station without intervention from the user.

4. The monitor of claim 1, where the communications settings include a communications address for the monitor.

5. The monitor of claim 1, where the communications settings include a communications address for the at least one central station.

6. The monitor of claim 1, wherein said monitor is selectively operably by a user in two modes, a first mode in which said monitor acts as a stand-alone device and a second mode in which said monitor communicates with any one of said plural of networks.

7. The monitor of claim 6, wherein said monitor continuously collects and transmits vital signs data when in said second mode.

8. The monitor of claim 1, in which said monitor is patient wearable.

9. A wireless, patient vital signs monitor adapted to continuously communicate with a medical telemetry network having at least one central monitoring station, comprising:

one or more sensor input ports for receiving patient vital signs data;

a controller coupled to receive the vital signs data via the one or more input ports;

a wireless transceiver controllable by the controller to continuously communicate with the at least one central monitoring station;

where the controller is configured, when not in communication with the at least one central monitoring station, to repeatedly attempt to establish communications with the at least one central monitoring station via the wireless transceiver; and

a display device controllable by the controller to automatically display a notification to a user of the monitor upon establishing communications with the at least one central monitoring station.

10. The monitor of claim 9, further comprising one or more user-operable input devices, and where the controller is adapted to control the display device to display a user-interface adapted to request inputs from a user via the one or more input devices.

11. The monitor of claim 10, where the controller is adapted to receive instructions from the at least one central station via the wireless transceiver, and where the user-interface is at least partially defined by the instructions.

12. The monitor of claim 11, where the medical telemetry network includes plural central stations, and where the instructions identify at least two of the plural central stations, and where the user-interface is adapted to allow a user to select one of the identified central stations via the one or more input devices.

13. The monitor of claim 12, where the controller is adapted, if not in communication with the selected central station, to attempt to establish communications with the selected central station and transmit the vital signs data to the selected central station.

14. The monitor of claim 12, where the controller is adapted to control the display device to display a notification to the user if the controller cannot establish communications with the selected central station.

15. The monitor of claim 9, wherein said monitor is selectively operable by a user in two modes, a stand-alone mode and a system mode.

16. A wireless, patient vital signs monitor adapted to operate in a network state so as to communicate directly with a network having at least one central monitoring station comprising:

a wireless transceiver;

a controller coupled to the wireless transceiver and configured to establish direct communications with the central monitoring station over the network via the wireless transceiver; and

one or more sensor input ports for receiving patient vital signs data;

where the controller is coupled to receive the vital signs data via the one or more input ports and communicate the vital signs data directly to the central monitoring station via the wireless transceiver;

where the controller includes a data storage buffer for storage of the vital signs data, and where the controller is configured to automatically detect a loss of communications with the network, and to store, in the data storage buffer, at least a portion of the vital signs data received while out of communications with the network; and

where the controller is configured to continually communicate the stored vital signs data to the network and directly to the central monitoring station via the wireless transceiver if communications with the central station are restored.

17. The monitor of claim 16, where the controller is adapted to store only the portions of the vital signs data that meet one or more defined criteria.

18. The monitor of claim 16, where the controller is adapted to analyze the vital signs data received while out of communications with the central station, and to detect the occurrence of a medically-significant event based on the vital signs data.

19. The monitor of claim 18, where the controller is adapted to store only those portions of the vital signs data which correspond to the occurrence of medically-significant events.

20. A method for monitoring a patient, said method comprising the steps of:

establishing a direct wireless communications between a patient monitor and at least one central monitoring station;

collecting vital signs data from a patient at the patient monitor;

continuously communicating the vital signs data from the patient monitor to the at least one central monitoring station;

detecting a loss of communications between the patient monitor and the at least one central monitoring station;

storing at least a portion of the vital signs data at the patient monitor while the patient monitor is out of communications with the at least one central monitoring station;

restoring wireless communications between the patient monitor and the at least one central monitoring station; and

directly communicating at least a portion of the stored vital signs data from the patient monitor to the at least one central monitoring station.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising analyzing the vital signs data at the patient monitor while the patient monitor is out of communications with the central station to detect the occurrence of a medically-significant event, and where the step of storing includes storing only portions of the vital signs data which correspond to the occurrence of medically-significant events.

22. A wireless, patient vital signs monitor adapted to directly communicate with a medical telemetry network having at least one central monitoring station, the monitor comprising:

one or more sensor input ports for receiving patient vital signs data;

a wireless transceiver; and

a controller coupled to continuously receive the vital signs data via the one or more input ports, and configured to control the wireless transceiver to establish and maintain direct communications with the at least one central monitoring station;

where the controller is configured to detect a loss of communications with the at least one central station, and if a loss of communications is detected, to automatically switch from a first operating mode in which the controller transmits the received vital signs data to the at least one central monitoring station, to a second operating mode in which the controller does not transmit the received vital signs data to the at least one central monitoring station.

23. The monitor of claim 22, where the controller is adapted to attempt to reestablish communications with the at least one central station, and to automatically switch back to the first operating mode if the communications are reestablished.

24. The monitor of claim 22, further comprising an output device controllable by the controller to indicate an alarm if the vital signs data is outside one or more defined ranges, and where the controller is adapted to control the output device not to indicate the alarm when the controller is in the first operating mode.

25. The monitor of claim 22, further comprising one or more input devices operable by a user to input information to the controller, and where the controller is adapted to disregard at least some inputs by the user when the controller is in the first operating mode.

26. The monitor of claim 22, further comprising a display device controllable by the controller to display information to a user, and where the controller is adapted to control the display device not to display any information when the controller is in the first operating mode.

27. The monitor of claim 22, further comprising an output device controllable by the controller to indicate an alarm, and an input device operable by a user to input a request for assistance to the controller, and where, if the user inputs a request for assistance, the controller is configured to communicate the request to the at least one central station if in the first operating mode, and to control the output device to indicate an alarm if in the second operating mode.

28. A wireless, patient vital signs monitor adapted to communicate with at least one central monitoring station connected to receive vital signs data via a communications network, where the communications network includes one or more hard-wired ports and one or more network transceivers, the monitor comprising:

one ore more sensor input ports for receiving patient vital signs data;

an output port that is selectively connected to a hard-wired port on the network that is hard-wired to said at least one central monitoring station;

a wireless transceiver adapted to transmit information to, and receive information from, at least one of the one or more network transceivers; and

a controller coupled to receive the vital signs data via the one or more input ports, and simultaneously connected to communicate the vital signs data to the at least one central monitoring station via a selected one of the hardwired output port and the wireless transceiver.

29. The monitor of claim 28, where the controller is configured to communicate the vital signs data to the at least one central station via the output port if the output port is connected to a hard-wired port, and to communicate the vital signs data to the at least one central station via the wireless transceiver if the output port is not connected to a hard-wired port.

30. The monitor of claim 29, where the controller is configured to automatically switch from communicating the vital signs data via the output port to communicating the vital signs data via the wireless transceiver upon the disconnection of the output port from a hard-wired port.

31. The monitor of claim 29, where the controller is configured to automatically switch from communicating the vital signs data via the wireless transceiver to communicating the vital signs data via the output port upon the connection of the output port to a hard-wired port.

32. A method for monitoring a patient, comprising:

providing a medical telemetry network having at least one central monitoring station connected to one or more wireless transceivers and to one or more hard-wired ports;

collecting vital signs data from a patient at a patient monitor;

automatically detecting whether the patient monitor is connected to one of the one or more hard-wired ports;

communicating the vital signs data to the central monitoring station via the wireless transceiver if the patient monitor is not connected to one of the one or more hard-wired ports and communicating the vital signs data over the hardwired connection with the central station if the patient monitor is connected to said one or more hard-wired ports.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising, if the patient monitor is connected to one of the one or more hard-wired ports, then communicating the vital signs data to the central station via the connected hard-wired port.

34. A wireless medical telemetry system, comprising:

a plurality of central monitoring stations adapted to receive vital signs data associated with a plurality of patients; and

at least one wireless patient monitor operable in a stand-alone mode and a system mode, said at least one patient monitor including a controller and a wireless transceiver, where the at least one patient monitor also includes control software executable by the controller to monitor a particular one of the plurality of patients by collecting vital signs data from the particular patient, and

transmit the collected vital signs data to a selected central monitoring station via the wireless transceiver when in said system mode;

where the controller is adapted to receive new control software via the wireless transceiver, and to update the control software with new control software.

35. The system of claim 34, where the controller is adapted to receive the new control software from the central station.

36. The system of claim 35 wherein the at least one patient monitor includes plural components, and the controller is adapted to receive the new control software for use with any of the components.

37. The system of claim 36, where the controller is adapted to transmit a query to the central station to determine whether the new control software is available for transmission to the patient monitor.

38. The system of claim 36, further comprising a second central station, and where the controller is adapted to transmit the query to both central stations, and where each central station is adapted to respond to the query.

39. The system of claim 38, where the central station and the second central station are adapted to store a different one of multiple versions of the new control software, and where each central station is adapted to inform the patient monitor of the version of the new control software it stores in response to the query, and

where the controller is adapted to determine which central station is storing a latest version of the new control software and to transmit a download request to the central station that is storing the latest version.

40. A wireless patient monitor adapted to communicate with any one of plural medical telemetry networks, each having one or more central stations, where each network is configured to communicate via wireless communications using one of multiple different communications settings, the monitor being operable in two states and comprising:

one or more sensor inputs for receiving vital signs data from a patient;

a wireless transceiver configured to transmit and receive wireless communications; and

a controller coupled to receive the vital signs data via the one or more sensor inputs and to communicate with a network via the transceiver;

where the controller is configured, upon initial power-up, to automatically transmit a signal to a local one of the plural networks via the transceiver to request the communications settings used by the local network, and to establish communications with at least one of the central stations on the local network using the communications with at least one of the central stations on the local network using the communications settings received from the local network without intervention from a user of the patient monitor, wherein said monitor communicates with anyone of said plural networks in a first state and in which said monitor alternately operates as a stand-alone device in a second state.

41. A wireless, patient vital signs monitor adapted to communicate with a medical telemetry network having at least one central station, the monitor being operable in two states and comprising:

one or more sensor input ports for receiving patient vital signs data;

a controller coupled to receive the vital signs data via the one or more input ports;

a wireless transceiver controllable by the controller to communicate with the at least one central station;

where the controller is configured, when not in communication with the at least one central station, to repeatedly attempt to establish communications with the at least one central station via the wireless transceiver; and

a display device controllable by the controller to automatically display a notification to a user of the monitor upon establishing communications with the at least one central station, wherein said monitor wirelessly communicates with said medical telemetry network in a first state and in which said monitor alternately operates as a stand-alone device in a second state.

42. A wireless, patient vital signs monitor adapted to operate in a network state so as to communicate with a network having at least one central station, comprising:

a wireless transceiver;

a controller coupled to the wireless transceiver and configured to establish communications with the central station via the wireless transceiver; and

one or more sensor input ports for receiving patient vital signs data;

where the controller is coupled to receive the vital signs data via the one or more input ports and communicate the vital signs data to the central station via the wireless transceiver;

where the controller includes a data storage buffer for storage of the vital signs data, and where the controller is configured to automatically detect a loss of communications with the central station, and to store, in the data storage buffer, at least a portion of the vital signs data received while out of communications with the central station; and

where the controller is configured to communicate the stored vital signs data to the central station via the wireless transceiver if communications with the central station are restored.

43. A method for monitoring a patient, said method comprising the steps of:

establishing wireless communications between a patient monitor and a central station;

collecting vital signs data from a patient at the patient monitor;

communicating the vital signs data from the patient monitor to the central station;

detecting a loss of communications between the patient monitor and the central station;

storing at least a portion of the vital signs data at the patient monitor while the patient monitor is out of communications with the central station;

restoring wireless communications between the patient monitor and the central station; and

communicating at least a portion of the stored vital signs data from the patient monitor to the central station, and wherein said patient monitor can be operated in a stand-alone mode without wireless communications wherein said patient monitor is continuously operating to collect vital signs data.

44. A wireless, patient vital signs monitor adapted to communicate between a stand-alone mode and a network mode with a medical telemetry network having at least one central station, the monitor comprising:

one or more sensor input ports for receiving patient vital signs data;

a wireless transceiver; and

a controller coupled to receive the vital signs data via the one or more input ports, and configured to control the wireless transceiver to establish and maintain communications with the at least one central station in said network mode;

where the controller is configured to detect a loss of communications with the at least one central station in said network mode, and if a loss of communications is detected, to automatically switch from a first operating mode in which the controller transmits the received vital signs data to the at least one central station, to a second operating mode in which the controller does not transmit the received vital signs data to the at least one central station.

45. A wireless, patient vital signs monitor which operates in two modes, a stand-alone mode and a network mode in which said monitor is adapted to communicate with at least one central station connected to receive vital signs data via a communications network, where the communications network includes one or more hard-wired ports and one or more network transceivers, the monitor comprising:

one ore more sensor input ports for receiving patient vital signs data;

an output port connectable to a hard-wired port on the network;

a wireless transceiver adapted to transmit information to, and receive information from, at least one of the one or more network transceivers in said network mode; and

a controller coupled to receive the vital signs data via the one or more input ports, and configured to communicate the vital signs data to the at least one central station via a selected one of the output port or the wireless transceiver.

46. A method for continuously monitoring a patient, comprising:

providing a medical telemetry network having at least one central station connected to one or more wireless transceivers and to one or more hard-wired ports;

collecting vital signs data from a patient at a patient monitor;

automatically detecting whether the patient monitor is connected to one of the one or more hard-wired ports;

communicating the vital signs data to the central station via the wireless transceiver if the patient monitor is not connected to one of the one or more hard-wired ports and in which said monitor continuously collects vital sign data, said patient monitor being further operable in a strand-alone mode.

47. A wireless medical telemetry system, comprising:

a central station adapted to receive vital signs data associated with a plurality of patients; and

at least one wireless patient monitor including a controller and a wireless transceiver, where the patient monitor also includes control software executable by the controller to monitor a particular one of the plurality of patients by collecting vital signs data from the particular patient, and

transmit the collected vital signs data to the central station via the wireless transceiver;

where the controller is adapted to receive new control software via the wireless transceiver, and to update the control software with new control software and in which said at least one patient monitor is continuously operable in a network mode for transmitting the collected vital signs data to the central station and a stand-alone mode.