Informative accessories

• US 7,980,245 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2006
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Rice, Caeli B. D., Klaus, John E., Acker, Jaron M., Pinkert, John R.
• Primary Examiner(s): MATTER, KRISTEN CLARETTE
• Application Number:
  US11/382,961
• Publication Number:
  US 20070265877A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,894 Days
• Field of Search: 128/204.18, 128/204.21, 128/204.23, 128/202.22, 128/205.23
• US Class Current: 128/204.21
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0057 Pumps therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/08 Bellows; Connecting tubes having means for taking samples G01N1/22; Water traps; Patient circuits
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0816 Joints or connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0833 T- or Y-type connectors, e.g. Y-piece
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/085 Gas sampling
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0883 Circuit type
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/1035 the anaesthetic agent concentration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/14 Detection of the presence or absence of a tube, a connector or a container in an apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/33 Controlling, regulating or measuring
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/502 User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/60 with identification means
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture

Abstract

An optimized system for providing medical support to a patient is disclosed. The system has a plurality of modular components that may be assembled to create a connection between a support machine and the patient wherein at least one of the modular components comprises an information tag for the storage of data and at least one of the modular components comprises an information sensor for the reading and transmission of the data. Once read and transmitted by the sensor, the data may be used to optimize the operation of the support machine.

Claims

1. An optimized system for providing support for a patient, the system comprising:

a ventilator operated by a controller to generate a flow of medical gas to the patient according to a gas delivery algorithm of the controller;

a plurality of modular components, the plurality of modular components comprising;

a breathing circuit including an inspiratory limb connected to the ventilator, the breathing circuit having a patient end;

a gas sampling module connected to the patient end of the breathing circuit; and

a patient connection connected to the gas sampling module;

a plurality of information tags, an information tag associated with each of the modular components and each information tag comprises data for modifying the gas delivery algorithm in the controller; and

at least one tag sensor that detects the data from the plurality of tags and transmits the detected data to the controller;

wherein the controller receives the data for modifying the gas delivery algorithm and the controller modifies the gas delivery algorithm to be specific to each of the modular components.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the data for modifying the gas delivery algorithm in the controller is data to configure the controller for use with the associated modular component.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein an information tag further comprises data that is associated with the patient.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the data associated with the patient further comprises identification data for the patient that may be used to reference data stored on a central data storage means for the patient.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising a patient connection, the patient connection comprising an information tag comprising data associated with the detection of the proper connection of the modular components.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the information tags further comprise RFID tags.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of information tags further comprise alarm parameter data utilized by the controller for the modular components.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the ventilator includes a display coupled to the controller, wherein the controller operates the display to visually display the configuration of the modular components.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the data for modifying the gas delivery algorithm includes the physical characteristics of a respective modular component.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the data for modifying the gas delivery algorithm includes the physical dimensions of a respective modular component.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the data for modifying the gas delivery algorithm includes algorithms representative of the operation of a respective modular component.

12. A system for providing respiratory support for a patient, the system comprising:

a ventilator configured to provide respiratory support to the patient by generating a varying flow of medical gas;

a plurality of modular components connected together and to the ventilator to form a conduit for the delivery of medical gas from the ventilator to the patient;

a plurality of information tags with an information tag of the plurality attached to each of the plurality of modular components, and each information tag comprises calibration data for the modular component to which the information tag is attached;

at least one tag sensor that receives the calibration data from the plurality of information tags and transmits the calibration data; and

,

a controller that operates the ventilator to generate the varying flow of medical gas according to a respiratory support algorithm, the controller receives the calibration data from the at least one tag sensor and modifies the respiratory support algorithm according to the calibration data from each of the modular components that form the conduit for the delivery of medical gas.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the plurality of modular components comprises:

a breathing circuit;

a gas sampling module; and

a patient connection.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the plurality of information tags are RFID tags and the at least one tag sensor is an RF antenna.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the plurality of information tags are bar codes and the at least one tag sensor is a bar code scanner.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein each of the breathing circuit, gas sampling module, and patient connection comprise a patient end and a ventilator end, the conduit is formed by connecting a patient end of a first modular component to a ventilator end of a second modular component.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the at least one tag sensor is a plurality of tag sensors with a tag sensor from the plurality attached at the patient end of each modular component and the information tag is attached to the ventilator end of each modular component;

wherein the tab sensor attached at the patient end of a modular component receives the calibration data from the information tag attached at the ventilator end of an adjacent modular component.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the calibration data received by the controller from the plurality of tag sensors includes data indicative of the connection order of the plurality of modular components forming the conduit.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the controller uses the calibration data to create a model of the conduit and presents a visual representation of the conduit on a graphical display for inspection by a clinician.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein each of the plurality of tag sensors monitors a connection quality between two adjacent modular components by a proximity between the tag sensor attached at the patient end of the modular component and the information tab attached at the ventilator end of the adjacent modular component.