# US 11,114,019 B2 · Hardware-based graphics interface for medical device sensors and controllers

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- Number: US 11,114,019 B2
- Document ID: US11114019B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/146,016
- Filed: 2021-01-11
- Published: 2021-08-12
- Granted: 2021-09-07
- Earliest claimed: 2020-02-11
- Assignees: Valcura Medical, Inc.
- Applicants: Valcura Medical, Inc.
- Inventors: Patrick C. Murray; Jorge E. Martinez-Vargas, Jr.; Owen K. Jones; Steven L. Gardner
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11114019B2

## CPC

- G09G 3/2092: {Details of a display terminals using a flat panel, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto (suitable for both CRT and flat panel G09G5/003; specific for a CRT G09G1/165)}
- G09G 5/222: {Control of the character-code memory}
- A61M 16/0051: {with alarm devices}
- A61N 1/08: Arrangements or circuits for monitoring, protecting, controlling or indicating {(for external stimulators A61N1/3603; for implantable neurostimulators A61N1/36128; for heart stimulators A61N1/37; for defibrillators A61N1/3925)}
- G09G 3/2085: {Special arrangements for addressing the individual elements of the matrix, other than by driving respective rows and columns in combination}
- G09G 5/24: Generation of individual character patterns
- G16H 20/40: relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture
- A61M 16/022: {Control means therefor}
- A61M 16/0833: {T- or Y-type connectors, e.g. Y-piece}
- A61M 16/20: Valves specially adapted to medical respiratory devices
- A61M 2016/0027: {pressure meter}
- A61M 2202/0208: Oxygen
- A61M 2205/502: User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards
- A61M 2230/432: partial CO2 pressure (P-CO2)
- A61N 1/37247: {User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means}
- G09G 3/36: using liquid crystals
- G09G 5/393: Arrangements for updating the contents of the bit-mapped memory
- G09G 5/395: Arrangements specially adapted for transferring the contents of the bit-mapped memory to the screen (G09G5/399 takes precedence)
- G09G 2380/08: Biomedical applications
- G09G: ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION (arrangements for transferring data between digital computers and displays G06F3/14; static indicating arrangements comprising an association of a number of separate sources or light control cells G09F9/00; static indicating arrangements comprising integral associations of a number of light sources H01J, H01K, H10H, H05B33/12; scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission, details thereof H04N1/00)
- A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)}
- A61N: ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY (measurement of bioelectric currents A61B; surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body A61B18/00; anaesthetic apparatus in general A61M; incandescent lamps H01K; infrared radiators for heating H05B)
- G16H: HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA

## Abstract

A completely hardware-based graphics interface controller for reading values from sensors or outputting voltages, currents, or other electrical parameters to medical devices is proposed. The graphics interface controller accepts analog or digital input into a programmable logic device (PLD), whose logic gates convert the input value to memory addresses of bitmaps that represent digits or other characters. The bitmaps are copied to respective x, y coordinates in a frame buffer, which are then displayed on a matrix liquid crystal display (LCD) panel. The bitmaps can be simple or elaborate, mimicking the rich look and feel of general purpose computer fonts so that the display output is compelling and modern-looking despite being entirely hardware based. A ventilator or other medical device can be instrumented with one or more sensors whose outputs are to the graphics interface, and an alarm can be triggered for off-nominal conditions.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A hardware-based display apparatus for medical devices, the apparatus comprising:
a sensor input;
a matrix liquid crystal display (LCD) panel;
a read-only memory (ROM) hosting two-dimensional, graphical bitmaps of digits 0 through 9, each bitmap stored at a predetermined, fixed memory location within the ROM;
a programmable logic device (PLD) comprising a series of logic gates, the PLD operatively connected with the display panel and the ROM and configured to:
automatically convert a value from the sensor input, through the series of logic gates, to at least one selected location of the ROM memory locations storing the bitmaps of digits; and
copy the bitmap from the selected location to a random-access memory (RAM) frame buffer address corresponding to an x, y coordinate on the display panel;
wherein the display panel is configured to show the bitmap that is copied to the RAM frame buffer address at the x, y coordinate.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein automatically converting includes:
converting the value from the sensor input to an integer or floating point number within the PLD.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the PLD is further configured to:
compare the integer or floating point number to a threshold; and
trigger an alarm based on the number exceeding the threshold.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the PLD is further configured to:
copy, based on the trigger, a graphic from the ROM to a second frame buffer address corresponding to a second x, y coordinate on the display panel.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising:
a speaker,
wherein the PLD is further configured to sound, based on the trigger, an audible alarm through the speaker.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising:
a timer,
wherein the PLD is further configured to trigger the alarm based on the number exceeding the threshold over a time period clocked by the timer.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the PLD is further configured to:
parse the value from an RS-232 serial stream, a universal serial bus (USB) data packet, or inter-integrated circuit (I2C) packet from the sensor input.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the PLD is further configured to:
convert the value from an analog voltage or analog current from the sensor input.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
a sensor coupled to the sensor input.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

An alarmed ventilator comprising:
the hardware-based display apparatus of claim 1;
a pneumatic valve assembly including:
a housing with a fluidic input port configured to receive pressurized gas into the housing;
a diaphragm within the housing;
an adjustable knob configured to adjust force against the diaphragm; and
a pressure sensor within the housing coupled to the sensor input,
wherein the hardware-based display apparatus is configured to show a value from the pressure sensor.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the frame buffer address is on a static random-access memory (SRAM).

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
a serializer-deserializer (SerDes) configured to read from the frame buffer address and transmit pixel values to the display panel.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a frame buffer associated with the frame buffer address only addresses a subset of x, y pixel areas of the display panel.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the PLD is a programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory EPROM, field programmable gate array (FPGA), programmable array logic (PAL), programmable logic array (PLA), application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or application specific standard product (ASSP).

### Claim 15

A hardware-based graphics controller and therapeutic electric current generator apparatus comprising:
a timer;
a current source with a conditioning circuit and an output;
an ammeter configured to measure the current source output;
a liquid crystal display (LCD);
a random-access memory (RAM) frame buffer connected with the LCD;
a programmable logic device (PLD) comprising a series of logic gates, the PLD connected with the timer, the ammeter, and the LCD;
a read-only memory operatively connected with the PLD, the memory hosting:
two-dimensional pixel representations of digits 0 through 9;
a fixed image address in the RAM frame buffer for the LCD for displaying time; and
a permanent image address in the RAM frame buffer for the LCD for displaying current,
wherein the PLD is configured to select, through the series of logic gates, pixel representations from the memory based on values from the timer and write the selected pixel representations starting at the fixed image address in the RAM frame buffer; and
wherein the PLD is configured to look up pixel representations from the memory based on values from the ammeter and write the looked-up pixel representations starting at the permanent image address in the RAM frame buffer.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising:
an interrogation circuit configured to read an authentication code from a connected device and allow current to flow from the current source only if the authentication code is legitimate.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the interrogation circuit is further configured to prevent current flowing from the current source after a predetermined number of readings of the authentication code.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the connected device is a surgical pencil or a return electrode.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising:
a user-selectable switch for increasing or decreasing electrical current from the current source, the PLD configured to adjust the timer based on operation of the switch.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the current source and the conditioning circuit are configured to output direct current (DC) at a selected value up to 50 milliamps while keeping a ripple voltage below ±500 millivolts.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the current source and conditioning circuit are limited to output DC at a maximum of 25 milliamps,
thereby suitable for negative galvanism of hemorrhoids.

### Claim 22 (depends on 15)

The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the RAM frame buffer is a static RAM (SRAM) frame buffer.