System and method for using multiple medical monitors

• US 7,091,879 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2002
• Issued: 08/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Invivo Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.), Medical Data Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Invivo Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Carr, Roy Seizo, Swetlik, Donald Edward, Paul, Richard Brian, Decastro, Celso Ochoa Jr., Zednik, Gary Michael, Edstrom, Gary Bruce, Whitten, Robert Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Edwards, Jr., Timothy
• Application Number:
  US10/066,549
• Publication Number:
  US 20030146847A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,652 Days
• Field of Search: 340/870.16, 128/903, 600/300, 600/382
• US Class Current: 340/870.16
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0271 using a remote monitoring unit
• 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: H04M 11/002 with telemetering systems telemetering in general G08C
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/903 Radio telemetry

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and method for simultaneously using and configuring one or more disposable transmitters. The system includes at least one single or multiple use disposable transmitter, a central station, and a receiver module. The transmitter is connected to a patient to gather and measure biomedical information. The transmitter transmits the biomedical information through the receiver module to the central station for processing, storage and display. Prior to use, each transmitter must be configured to work with the central station and the receiver module. This allows the users to configure the disposable transmitters relatively quickly and easily without needing advanced technical information. The inventive configuration also enables the operator to map a location on a monitor in the central station to a specific disposable transmitter and ultimately to a specific patient or location in the coverage area that is covered by the system.

Claims

1. A configuration system for use with a plurality of patient monitors communicating with a central station, each patient monitor transmitting data from a given patient to the central station to be displayed on a display, the configuration system comprising a program that when executed by a computer causes the computer to:

detect a presence of a patient monitor that is unconfigured;

display a prompt to a user indicating the presence of the unconfigured patient monitor;

accept from the user, a command linking data of the patient monitor to a portion of the display; and

configure the patient monitor and central station to automatically display the data in the portion of the display.

2. The configuration system of claim 1 wherein the computer is further caused to prompt the user to mark the patient monitor with a patient identifier prior to associating the patient monitor with a patient.

3. The configuration system of claim 2 wherein the patient monitor includes a manually applied label identifying a patient, and the computer is further caused to prompt the user to indicate the patient with which the patient monitor will be associated prior to associating the patient monitor with a patient.

4. The configuration system of claim 1 wherein the computer is further caused to automatically program the patient monitor to transmit the data on a channel corresponding to the portion of the display indicated by the user command.

5. The configuration system of claim 1 wherein the computer is further caused to automatically store and display a serial number of the patient monitor in the portion of the display indicated by the user command.

6. The configuration system of claim 1 wherein the computer is further caused to automatically program the patient monitor to transmit packets of monitoring information along with an identifier corresponding to the portion of the display indicated by the user command.

7. The configuration system of claim 1 wherein the computer is further caused to display a prompt on the display to enter patient identifier data at least indicating a patient from which the data will be gathered.

8. The configuration system of claim 1 wherein the display includes a plurality of tiles apportioning the display and wherein the user command is at least partially communicated by touching a tile to command linking data of the patient monitor to the portion of the display corresponding to the tile.

9. The configuration system of claim 8 wherein each tile is configured to display monitoring information from one of a plurality of patient monitors.

10. The configuration system of claim 1 wherein the patient monitor is configured to be disposable.

11. The configuration system of claim 1 wherein the computer is further caused to detect radio transmissions from the unconfigured patient monitor to detect the presence of the patient monitor that is unconfigured.

12. A computer readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program comprising instructions that, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to:

detect a patient monitor that is not configured to communicate with a central station;

display a prompt on a display requesting user-desired display parameters for displaying information received from the patient monitor at the central station;

automatically configure the patient monitor according to user-desired display parameters; and

prompt the user to mark the patient monitor with a patient identifier prior to associating the patient monitor with a patient.

13. The computer program of claim 12 wherein the user-desired display parameters include a portion of the display within which to display information received from the patient monitor at the central station.

14. The computer program of claim 13 wherein the computer is further caused to automatically program the patient monitor to transmit information at frequency corresponding to the portion of the display indicated by the user-desired display parameters.

15. The computer program of claim 13 wherein the computer is further caused to automatically store and display a serial number of the patient monitor in the portion of the display indicated by the user-desired display parameters.

16. The computer program of claim 13 wherein the computer is further caused to automatically program the patient monitor to transmit information to the central station in packets with an identifier corresponding to at least one of the portion of the display indicated by the user-desired display parameters and an identity of the patient monitor.

17. The computer program of claim 12 wherein the mark includes a manually applied label identifying a patient to which the patient monitor will be associated after being configured to communicate with the central station.

18. The computer program of claim 12 wherein the patient monitor is disposable.