Systems and methods for facilitating a first response mission at an incident scene

• US 8,040,246 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2008
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Vezza, Brian, Beaulieu, Laurence, Fitchett, Jeffrey, Graves, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phung
• Application Number:
  US12/213,673
• Publication Number:
  US 20090143045A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,212 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.12, 340/539.13, 340/573.1, 600/300
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2505/01 Emergency care
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0242 adapted to measure environmental factors, e.g. temperature, pollution
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0431 Portable apparatus, e.g. comprising a handle or case
• 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 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1113 Local tracking of patients, e.g. in a hospital or private home
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/411 Detecting or monitoring allergy or intolerance reactions to an allergenic agent or substance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/747 in case of emergency, i.e. alerting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0453 worn on the body to detect health condition by physiological monitoring, e.g. electrocardiogram, temperature, breathing detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/65 stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD
• 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 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Systems and methods for facilitating a first response mission at an incident scene, such as an accident site, a natural or human-made disaster site, or any other first response site. One system comprises a plurality of portable modules for the incident scene and configured to transmit wireless signals. The system also comprises a processing system, which comprises: at least one receiver to receive the wireless signals; an environmental data processing engine configured to process data derived from the wireless signals to derive data indicative of an environment at the incident scene; a situational context processing engine configured to process the data indicative of the environment to derive data indicative of a situation deemed to have occurred in relation to the first response mission; and a decision making engine configured to process the data indicative of the situation and institutional data relevant to the situation to determine an action to be performed with respect to the situation, such as transmission of a message to a first responder at the incident scene, establishment of communication between a first responder at the incident scene and a clinician remote from the incident scene, or transmission of a message to initiate preparation of resources at a healthcare facility remote from the incident scene for arrival of at least one patient transported from the incident scene.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating a first response mission at an incident scene, said system comprising:

a plurality of portable modules for the incident scene and configured to transmit wireless signals; and

a processing system comprising;

at least one receiver to receive the wireless signals;

an environmental data processing engine configured to process data derived from the wireless signals to derive data indicative of an environment at the incident scene;

a situational context processing engine configured to process the data indicative of the environment to derive data indicative of a situation deemed to have occurred in relation to the first response mission; and

a decision making engine configured to process the data indicative of the situation and institutional data relevant to the situation to determine an action to be performed with respect to the situation, wherein the action comprises establishment of communication between a first responder at the incident scene and a clinician remote from the incident scene.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each portable module comprises a transmitter for transmitting a wireless signal allowing a location of said portable module to be determined, and the data indicative of the environment comprises data indicative of the location of each portable module at the incident scene.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein each portable module comprises at least one sensor for sensing at least one physical parameter or activity at the incident scene, and the data indicative of the environment comprises data indicative of the at least one physical parameter or activity at the incident scene.

4. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the at least one sensor of each portable module comprises at least one of:

a temperature/heat sensor;

a pressure sensor;

a chemical sensor;

a mass/weight sensor;

a vibration sensor;

a movement sensor;

a sound sensor;

a visible light sensor;

an infrared light sensor;

an RF sensor;

a hard radiation sensor;

a toxin sensor;

a camera;

a liquid sensor; and

a gas/vapor sensor.

5. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said plurality of portable modules comprises at least one portable patient module to be associated with at least one patient at the incident scene, each portable patient module comprises at least one physiological sensor for sensing at least one physiological parameter of the patient associated therewith, and the data indicative of the environment comprises data indicative of the at least one physiological parameter of each patient.

6. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the at least one physiological parameter of each patient comprises at least one of:

a heart rate;

a blood pressure;

a body temperature;

an oxygenation level;

a breathing rate; and

a toxin level of the patient.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plurality of portable modules comprises at least one portable first responder module to be kept by at least one first responder at the incident scene and at least one portable patient module to be associated with at least one patient at the incident scene.

8. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said plurality of portable modules comprises at least one portable drop module to be placed at at least one fixed location at the incident scene by the at least one first responder.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the action comprises transmission of a message to a first responder at the incident scene.

10. The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the message conveys information regarding a patient at the incident scene.

11. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the information regarding the patient comprises at least one of:

information regarding treatment to be administered to the patient;

information regarding transportation of the patient to a healthcare facility; and

information contained in an electronic healthcare record of the patient.

12. The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the message conveys instructions to move to a different location at the incident scene.

13. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the action comprises transmission of a message to initiate preparation of resources at a healthcare facility remote from the incident scene for arrival of at least one patient transported from the incident scene.

14. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the institutional data relevant to the situation comprises data obtained from an institutional information system of a healthcare facility.

15. The system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the data obtained from the institutional information system of the healthcare facility comprises at least one of:

a policy;

a guideline;

a procedure;

a lists of entities;

a patient medical status;

patient test data;

patient schedule data;

patient-clinician association data;

EHR data;

EMR data;

EPR data;

ordered patient treatment data;

diagnosis data;

prognosis data;

a list of staff skills; and

a duty roster.

16. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the institutional data relevant to the situation comprises information obtained from a healthcare clinical information system.

17. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said processing system comprises an institutional context processing engine configured to consult an institutional information system based on the data indicative of the situation to obtain the institutional data relevant to the situation.

18. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein, to derive the data indicative of the situation deemed to have occurred in relation to the first response mission, the situational context processing engine is configured to process data indicative of a communication effected via a communication system.

19. The system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the communication involves a first responder at the incident scene.

20. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said processing system comprises:

at least one local processing station arranged in at least one first response vehicle transportable to the incident scene and comprising;

said at least one receiver; and

at least one transmitter to transmit the data derived from the wireless signals;

and

a remote processing subsystem located remotely from the incident scene and comprising;

a receiver to receive the data derived from the wireless signals; and

said environmental data processing engine, said situational context processing engine, and said decision making engine.

21. A method for facilitating a first response mission at an incident scene, said method comprising:

receiving wireless signals transmitted by a plurality of portable modules at the incident scene;

processing data derived from the wireless signals to derive data indicative of an environment at the incident scene;

processing the data indicative of the environment to derive data indicative of a situation deemed to have occurred in relation to the first response mission; and

processing the data indicative of the situation and institutional data relevant to the situation to determine an action to be performed with respect to the situation, wherein the action comprises establishment of communication between a first responder at the incident scene and a clinician remote from the incident scene.

22. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the action comprises transmission of a message to a first responder at the incident scene, the message conveys information regarding a patient at the incident scene, and the information regarding the patient comprises at least one of:

information regarding treatment to be administered to the patient;

information regarding transportation of the patient to a healthcare facility; and

information contained in an electronic healthcare record of the patient.

23. The system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the action comprises transmission of a message to initiate preparation of resources at a healthcare facility remote from the incident scene for arrival of at least one patient transported from the incident scene.

24. A method for execution by a first responder at an incident scene, said method comprising:

carrying a portable module in communication with a processing system associated with a healthcare facility;

obtaining via the portable module an indication of an action to performed at the incident scene, the action being determined by the processing system associated with the healthcare facility; and

performing the action, wherein the action comprises communicating with a clinician remote from the incident scene.

25. The method as claimed in claim 24, wherein the action relates to a patient at the incident scene.

26. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the action comprises administering medical treatment to the patient at the incident scene.

27. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the action comprises initiating transportation of the patient to the healthcare facility.