Microprocessor based bed patient monitor

• US 6,784,797 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2002
• Issued: 08/31/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bed-Check Corporation (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bed-Check Corporation (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Holmes, Fred H., Lovely, Patrick W., Smith, Toby E., Cooper, Craig L.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US10/210,817
• Publication Number:
  US 20030063010A1
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: 340/310.01, 340/310.06, 340/310.07, 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.12, 340/539.14, 340/539.15, 340/539.19, 340/286.06, 340/286.07, 340/573.1, 340/573.4, 340/286.11, 600/483, 600/529
• US Class Current: 340/573.4
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1117 Fall detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons

Abstract

This invention relates generally to monitoring systems and more particularly concerns devices and systems used to monitor patients the presence and absence of a patient from a bed, chair, etc. The preferred environment in which the instant invention would be used would be a hospital or other care giving facility, wherein patients who are at risk of falling might left unattended while they are seated or lying. According to a first aspect of the instant invention, a microprocessor-based patient monitor is disclosed which includes a loudspeaker that emits alarms synthesized by the microprocessor. The microprocessor synthesizes any one of multiple alarm sounds under software control and activates and deactivates the alarm in response to the electronic signals received from an attached sensor and a user interface.

Claims

1. A bed patient monitor comprising:

(a) a loudspeaker, said speaker for producing at least one alarm sound therefrom; and

,

(b) a processor in electronic communication with said loudspeaker, said processor

(1) for receiving electronic signals from a sensor indicative of the presence thereon and absence therefrom of a patient,

(2) for activating said patient monitor to an alarm mode in response to said electronic signals,

(3) for synthesizing at least one alarm sound under software control, and,

(4) for transmitting to said loudspeaker said synthesized alarm sound.

2. A bed patient monitor according to claim 1, wherein said processor comprises:

(b1) a first CPU in electronic communication with said loud speaker, said first CPU

(i) for synthesizing at least one alarm sound under software control,

(ii) for transmitting said synthesized alarm sound to said loudspeaker, and

(b2) a second CPU in electronic communication with said first CPU, said second CPU

(i) for receiving electronic signals from said sensor indicative of the presence thereon and absence therefrom of the patient,

(ii) for activating said patient monitor to an alarm mode in response to said electronic signals from said sensor,

(iii) for sending a signal representative of the patient'"'"'s presence or absence to said first CPU.

3. A monitor according to claim 1, wherein said processor is selected from a group consisting of a PLD, a gate array, a FPGA, a CPLD, a EPLD, a SPLD, a PAL, a FPLA, a FPLS, a GAL, a PLA, a FPAA, a PSoC, a SoC, an ASIC, and a CSoC.

4. A monitor according to claim 1, further comprising:

(c) a programmable volume control in electronic communication with said processor, said programmable volume control being operable by said processor to select a decibel level of said at least one alarm sound, and,

(d) a power amplifier in electronic communication with said programmable volume control and said loud speaker, said power amplifier

for driving said loudspeaker, said power amplifier responding to an input signal derived from said programmable volume control to produce said at least one alarm sounds.

5. A monitor according to claim 4, wherein said processor is at least for operating said programmable volume control to select a decibel level of said at least one alarm sound.

6. A monitor according to claim 4 further comprising

(e) a nurse call interface having a relay which is energized when said power amplifier is deenergized and having a normally open contact, a normally closed contact and a common contact for interconnecting the monitor to a nurse call system through one of said normally open and normally closed contacts.

7. A monitor according to claim 1 further comprising

(c) memory accessible by said processor, said memory at least containing data representative of at least one alarm sound for selection by said processor.

8. A monitor according to claim 7, wherein the step of synthesizing at least one alarm sound under software control, comprises:

(i) selecting a particular alarm sound from among said at least one alarm sounds, wherein said particular alarm sound having data representative thereof stored in said memory;

(ii) accessing said data representative of said particular alarm sound, and,

(iii) forming at least one synthesized alarm sound from said data representative of said particular alarm sound.

9. A monitor according to claim 8, wherein at least a portion of said memory is located internal to said processor.

10. A monitor according to claim 1 further comprising:

(c) non-volatile memory for logging usage data associated with the operation of said bed patient monitor.

11. A monitor according to claim 10, wherein said usage data is selected from a group consisting of total hours of use of said monitor, total time of alarm sounding by said monitor, total number of alarms sounded by said monitor, patient data, a response time, and combinations thereof.

12. A monitor according to claim 11 having a communications port for downloading said logged usage data to a host computer.

13. A bed patient monitor according to claim 1, wherein the step of synthesizing at least one alarm sound under software control comprises the step of algorithmically synthesizing at least one alarm sound under software control.

14. A patient monitor, comprising:

(a) a patient sensor, said patient sensor positionable to be proximate to a patient,

(1) said patient sensor for detecting at least one state of the patient,

(2) said patient sensor being responsive to a change in the detected at least one state of the patient, and,

(3) said patient sensor responding electrically to said change in the detected at least one state of the patient;

(b) a loudspeaker, said speaker for producing audible alarms; and

,

(c) a processor in electronic communication with said loudspeaker and said patient sensor, said processor containing therein at least a portion of a computer program, said computer program containing instructions at least for;

(1) selecting an alarm sound in response to said electrical change in said patient sensor,

(2) accessing at least one data item representative of said selected alarm sound,

(3) synthesizing an alarm sound from said at least one data item representative of said selected alarm sound, and,

(4) transmitting said synthesized alarm sound to said loud speaker to create an audible alarm.

15. A patient monitor according to claim 14, wherein said at least one data item representative of said selected alarm sound is stored in non-volatile memory.

16. A patient monitor according to claim 14, wherein said at least one data item representative of said selected alarm sound is stored in modifiable non-volatile memory.

17. A reprogrammable patient monitor for use with a binary switch, said binary switch at least for detecting a presence or an absence of a patient, comprising:

(a) a processor for synthesizing at least one sound under software control, said processor

(a1) being positionable so as to be in electronic communication with said binary switch, and,

(a2) responding to said binary switch when placed into electronic communication therewith,

(b) modifiable nonvolatile RAM accessible by said processor,

(b1) said modifiable nonvolatile RAM containing at least a plurality of modifiable computer instructions utilizable by said processor, and,

(b2) said modifiable computer instructions defining at least a portion of said response of said processor to said binary switch; and

,

(c) a loudspeaker in electronic communication with said processor and responsive thereto, said loudspeaker for sounding for sounding said at least one synthesized sound.

18. A reprogrammable patient monitor according to claim 17, further comprising:

(d) a port for downloading information from and uploading information to a host computer, said microprocessor being in electronic communication with said port.

19. A reprogrammable patient monitor according to claim 17, wherein said modifiable nonvolatile RAM further contains at least one data item.

20. A reprogrammable patient monitor according to claim 19, wherein said at least one data item is selected from the group consisting of a patient identification number, an alarm tone option, a relay action option, a hold delay, a delay time, a speaker volume, a total time in service, a date of last bio-med check, a total number of alarms sounded, a response time to a last alarm, an average response to a last four alarms, an alarm history, a repair history, and an hospital inventory number.

21. A reprogrammable patient monitor according to claim 17, wherein said binary switch is selected from the group consisting of a bed mat, a chair mat, an enuresis sensor, a toilet seat sensor.

22. An apparatus for altering a personality of a reprogrammable patient monitor, wherein is provided the reprogrammable patient monitor of claim 17, further comprising:

(d) a host computer, said host computer containing a plurality of data values for use by said reprogrammable patient monitor; and

,

(e) an interface unit, said interface unit

(e1) being in electronic communication with said host computer and with said reprogrammable patient monitor, and

(e2) passing at least one of said plurality of data values between said host computer and said reprogrammable patient monitor upon demand.

23. A reprogrammable patient monitor according to claim 17, wherein

said loudspeaker is driven by a power amplifier,

said amplifier responding to an input signal derived from a programmable volume control to produce an aural alarm, and,

wherein said microprocessor operates said programmable volume control to produce a synthesized alarm under software control.

24. A bed patient monitor comprising:

(a) a loudspeaker, said speaker for producing at least one alarm sound therefrom; and

,

(b) a processor in electronic communication with said loudspeaker, said processor

(1) for receiving electronic signals from a sensor indicative of the presence thereon and absence therefrom of a patient,

(2) for activating said patient monitor to an alarm mode in response to said electronic signals,

(3) for internally synthesizing at least one alarm sound under software control, and,

(4) for transmitting to said loudspeaker said synthesized alarm sound.

25. A bed patient monitor according to claim 24, wherein said processor comprises:

(b1) a first CPU in electronic communication with said loud speaker, said first CPU

(i) for internally synthesizing at least one alarm sound under software control,

(ii) for transmitting said synthesized alarm sound to said loudspeaker, and

(b2) a second CPU in electronic communication with said first CPU, said second CPU

(ii) for receiving electronic signals from said sensor indicative of the presence thereon and absence therefrom of the patient,

(ii) for activating said patient monitor to an alarm mode in response to said electronic signals from said sensor,

(iii) for sending a signal representative of the patient'"'"'s presence or absence to said first CPU.

26. A monitor according to claim 24, wherein said processor is selected from a group consisting of a PLD, a gate array, a FPGA, a CPLD, a EPLD, a SPLD, a PAL, a FPLA, a FPLS, a GAL, a PLA, a FPAA, a PSoC, a SoC, an ASIC, and a CSoC.