US 6,398,727 B1 · Method and apparatus for providing patient care

Abstract

A patient management system includes a programmable patient monitor for monitoring and recording a plurality of physiological conditions of a patient, a plurality of physiological condition sensors and a communications unit. The plurality of patient monitoring sensors are electrically coupled to the programmable patient monitor. Each sensor detects a particular physiological condition of the patient, such as core temperature, ECG electrodes for providing an electrocardiogram and blood oximetry sensors. The patient monitor is small and compact and easily worn by the patient during his normal at home activities. To provide communication with a caregiver via a remote controller at the caregiver's location, a communications unit is disposed in the facility. The communications unit may be selectively coupled to the programmable patient monitor for receiving, storing and transmitting to the remote controller patient physiological condition data and for transmitting instructions from the remote controller to the programmable patient monitor. When the patient connects the patient monitor to the communications unit, the patient can communicate with the caregiver at the remote location.

Claims87

Dependent claims

A patient management system for monitoring a plurality of physiological conditions of a patient in a facility, comprising:

a programmable patient monitor for monitoring and recording a plurality of physiological condition data of a patient;
a plurality of patient monitoring sensors, each sensor detecting a particular physiological condition of the patient and generating physiological condition data representative thereof and being electrically coupled to the programmable patient monitor;
and
a communications unit disposed in the facility for communicating with a remote controller, and selectively coupled to the programmable patient monitor for receiving, storing and transmitting to the remote controller patient physiological condition data and for transmitting instructions from the remote controller to the programmable patient monitor;
wherein the programmable patient monitor monitors the recorded physiological condition data in accordance with a stored instruction comprising a predetermined range of values and generates a patient alarm signal in response to a monitored physiological condition data being outside the predetermined range;
wherein the alarm signal is resettable only upon receipt of a new instruction from the remote controller;
wherein the programmable patient monitor monitors operation of the plurality of patient monitoring sensors within a predetermined set of operational values and generates an alert signal in response to a detected operation outside the predetermined set;
wherein the alert signal is resettable upon the patient monitor detecting operation of the patient monitoring sensors within the predetermined set.

5 more elements

A programmable patient monitor for monitoring and recording a plurality of physiological condition data of a patient in a facility, comprising:

a plurality of sensor interface circuits for interfacing with a plurality of patient monitoring sensors, each circuit receiving a physiological signal representative of a physiological condition detected by a particular patient monitoring sensor;
a memory for storing data representative of the received patient physiological signals and for storing instructions received from a remote controller disposed at a location remote from the facility through a communications unit disposed at the facility;
and
a controller for comparing the stored physiological data with a stored instruction comprising a predetermined range of values and for generating a patient alarm signal in response to a stored physiological data being outside the predetermined range and for comparing operation of the plurality of patient monitor sensors with a predetermined set of operational values and for generating an alert signal in response to a detected operation outside the predetermined set;
wherein the alarm signal is resettable only upon receipt of a new instruction from the remote controller;
and
wherein the alert signal is resettable upon the detection of operation of the patient monitoring sensors within the predetermined set.

4 more elements

A programmable patient monitor for monitoring and recording a plurality of physiological conditions of a patient in a facility, comprising:

a plurality of sensor interface circuits for interfacing with a plurality of patient monitoring sensors, each receiving a physiological signal representative of a physiological condition detected by a particular patient monitoring sensor;
a memory for storing data representative of the received patient physiological signals and for storing instructions received from a remote controller disposed at a location remote from the facility through a communications unit disposed at a facility;
and
a controller for comparing the stored physiological data with a stored instruction comprising a predetermined range of values and for generating a patient alarm signal in response to a stored physiological data being outside the predetermined range;
wherein the plurality of patient monitoring sensors comprise a core temperature sensor, electrocardiogram electrodes, a respiration sensor and a pulse oximetry sensor;
wherein the alarm signal is resettable only upon receipt of a new instruction from the remote controller;
wherein the controller monitors operation of the plurality of patient monitoring sensors within a predetermined set of operational values and generates an alert signal in response to a detected operation outside the predetermined set;
and
wherein the alert signal is resettable upon the controller detecting operation of the patient monitoring sensors within the predetermined set.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for providing patient care

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for providing patient care

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims87