US20200253474A1 - Modular wireless physiological parameter system - Google Patents

Abstract

A sensor system for monitoring patients is provided. The sensor system includes a wireless charging dock, one or more patient sensors, and a processing module. The patient sensor is configured to collect patient physiological data and send the data to the processing module. The processing module wirelessly transmits the patient physiological data to a patient monitor system. The wireless charging dock is wirelessly and removably coupled to the processing module to wirelessly provide power for the processing module. The wireless charging dock is magnetically coupled to the processing module.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS
• Any and all applications for which a domestic priority claim is identified in the Application Data Sheet of the present application are hereby incorporated by reference under 37 CFR 1.57.
BACKGROUNDField
• The present disclosure relates to modular wireless physiological monitoring systems.
Background
• Conventional sensor systems collect patient physiological data using various physiological sensors (for example, pulse oximeter, electrocardiogram (ECG), blood pressure, respiratory monitors, and the like), process the data, and display the data on a display device. Typically, multiple sensors are attached to a patient, each with its own wire or sets of wires leading to a patient monitoring system. The multiple wires can create a web of tangled and unsightly wires which can inhibit patient movement and transport and care provider space and movement around a patient bed.
SUMMARY
• The present disclosure provides a robust modular wireless patient monitoring system. A wired or wireless sensor communicates with a wireless processing module. The processing module can wirelessly communicate with a multiparameter patient monitoring display device. The processing module can be incorporated into a housing to create a fully sealed and self-contained processing system, with or without its own display. The processing module can be waterproof, having no or only limited waterproof ports. For example, when communicating with a wired sensor, the processing module can have a waterproof sensor port. The processing module can couple to a mounted wireless charging dock. The wireless charging dock can wirelessly provide power to the processing module as well as providing a mount support. The wireless charging dock can be mounted to a pole, a bed, a wall, the ceiling or elsewhere. In use, the processing module can be attached to the wireless charging dock using either magnets and/or another connection and retention system. The processing module can be easily coupled and removed without affecting measurements because the charging dock only supplies charging power to the processing module and there are no other communication wires between the processing module and the multiparameter patient monitoring display device. Thus, the processing modules can be quickly removed when additional care provider or patient movement is needed and then easily replaced for charging and room organization. The wireless charging dock and processing module can couple together using magnets to provide for easily coupling and removal.
• According to an aspect, a system for monitoring patient physiological parameters is disclosed. The system can include a patient sensor configured to detect physiological information and output a signal representative of the physiological information. The system can also include a processing module in communication with the patient sensor and can be configured to receive the signal and determine one or more physiological measurements from the signal. The processing module can include at least a wireless transmitter configured to communicate the physiological measurements and/or the signal. The processing module may have no external power connectors. The system can also include a patient monitoring system comprising at least a first receiver configured to receive the physiological measurements and/or the signal from the processing module and communicate with a display device for displaying the received physiological measurements and/or the signal for display. The system can also include a mounted wireless charging dock configured to wirelessly couple to and charge the processing module.
• The signal can be associated with at least one or more of the following health parameters: blood pressure, blood oxygen saturation level, heart rate, body temperature, or respiratory rate. The processing module and the wireless charging dock can be magnetically coupled. The patient sensor and the processing module can be in wireless communication. The patient sensor can be physically coupled to the processing module. The physical coupling between the patient sensor and the processing module can be waterproof.
• The system can also include a notification system. The notification system can include a second receiver configured to receive the physiological parameters and/or the signal from the processing module. The notification system can also include a display system configured to display the received physiological parameters and/or the signal for display. The notification system can display a subset of the physiological parameters and/or the signal. The display system can use different color schemes for different types of physiological measurements. The display system can include a transparent organic light emitting device (OLED) display. The notification system can also include an alarm system configured to generate auditory and/or visual alarms. The patient monitoring system can generate a first status data based at least on the one or more physiological measurements, the first status data associated with patient health condition. The notification system can use different color schemes for the physiological parameters based at least on the first status data. The display system can use different color schemes based at least on the first status data.
• The processing module can include an inset surface dimensioned to receive the wireless charging dock. The inset surface can be quadrilateral in shape. The inset surface can include one or more notches configured to removably couple with one or more grooves of the wireless charging dock. The one or more notches can be formed on one or more sides of the inset surface. The inset surface can include two notches formed on opposing sides of the inset surface. The processing module can include one or more grip elements. The one or more grip elements can be disposed on side surfaces of the processing module.
• According to another aspect, a system for monitoring patient physiological parameters is disclosed. The system can include a patient sensor configured to detect physiological information and output a signal representative of the physiological information. The system can include a processing module in communication with the patient sensor and configured to receive the signal and determine one or more physiological measurements from the signal. The processing module can include at least a wireless transmitter configured to communicate the physiological measurements and/or the signal. The system can also include a notification module including at least a receiver configured to receive the signal from the processing module. The notification module can also include a display system for displaying the received physiological measurements and/or the signal for display. The notification module can also include an alarm system configured to generate auditory and/or visual alarms based at least on the physiological measurements.
• The signal can be associated with at least one or more of the following health parameters: blood pressure, blood oxygen saturation level, heart rate, body temperature, or respiratory rate. The display system can display a subset of the one or more physiological measurements. The notification module can use different color schemes for different types of physiological measurements. The processing module can generate a first status data based at least on the one or more physiological measurements. The first status data can be associated with patient health condition. The notification module can receive the first status data from the processing module. The notification system can use different color schemes for the physiological parameters based at least on the first status data. The alarm system can generate the auditory and/or visual alarms based at least on the first status data. The display system can include a transparent display. The display system can include an organic light emitting display (OLED). The notification module and/or the display system can be programmable to only display parameters with alarm conditions. The notification module and the display module can be programmed directly or remotely.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• FIG. 1A illustrates an embodiment of a patient monitoring system including a sensor system receiving patient physiological data and wirelessly transmitting the data to a monitoring device.
• FIG. 1B illustrates a schematic diagram of the patient monitoring system ofFIG. 1A.
• FIG. 1C illustrates a schematic diagram of a processing module of the patient monitoring system ofFIG. 1B.
• FIGS. 1D and 1E illustrate example sensors coupled to a patient and in communication with processing modules.
• FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate examples of a processing module and wireless charging dock.
• FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate a port on the processing module for a wired physiological sensor.
• FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate alternative examples of a processing module.
• FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate alternative examples a wireless charging docks.
• FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate an example processing module coupled to an example wireless charging dock in various orientations.
• FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate various views of a cable assembly.
• FIGS. 8A-8C illustrate various views of multiple processing modules and wireless charging docks in a chain configuration.
• FIG. 9 illustrates various types of wired/wireless sensor assemblies coupled a patient.
• FIG. 10A illustrates another embodiment of a patient monitoring system.
• FIG. 10B illustrates a schematic diagram of an alarm system of the patient monitoring system ofFIG. 10A.
• FIG. 11A illustrates another embodiment of a patient monitoring system.
• FIG. 11B illustrates a schematic diagram of a connectivity notification system of the patient monitoring system ofFIG. 11A.
• FIG. 11C illustrates an example transmitter for the connectivity notification system ofFIG. 11B.
• FIG. 11D illustrates an example connectivity beacon for the connectivity notification system ofFIG. 11B.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
• FIG. 1A illustrates an example of asensor system100 incorporated with various types of patient monitoring modules. Thesensor system100 can be used in conjunction with analarm system140 and acamera142. Thealarm system140 may be able to generate auditory and visual alarms when certain conditions are met. Thesensor system100 can establish wireless communication with a multiparameter patient monitoring system (MPMS)152 such that patient physiological data can be wirelessly transmitted between thesensor system100 and theMPMS152. TheMPMS152 can transmit patient physiological data to adisplay150 wirelessly or via a cable.
• TheMPMS152 can function as a server for a patient room. TheMPMS152 can be connected to a hospital Wi-Fi network, cloud, or any other secured networks such that patient information may be stored. TheMPMS152 can wirelessly communicate with thesensor system100 in layered communications. For example, theMPMS152 and thesensor system100 can utilize Wi-Fi as a main method of wireless communication. However, when Wi-Fi is no longer available, theMPMS152 and thesensor system100 can utilize other wireless communication protocols such as cellular, near-field communication (NFC), or Bluetooth® for wireless communication. The use of wireless communication protocol can advantageously eliminate use of cables between theMPMS152 and thesensor system100.
• Thesensor system100 and theMPMS152 can communicate over a layered distributed wireless communication network system. As discussed above, thesensor system100 and theMPMS152 can communicate over a primary communication network that can include a remote processor in a remote location. In certain circumstances in which the primary communication network is no longer available, thesensor system100 and theMPMS152 can establish a secondary communication network in which theMPMS152 can act as a processor for the secondary communication network. In some examples, the primary communication network is a Wi-Fi network and the secondary communication network is a Bluetooth® network. Thesensor system100 and theMPMS152 can communicate over a network that is centralized or a network that includes multiple subnetworks. Additionally or alternatively, thesensor system100 and theMPMS152 can be a part of the multiple subnetworks that together comprise a larger, singular network.
• TheMPMS152 can store patient physiological data in a network (or a server). It can be advantageous to store patient data in a network because clinicians, patients, or care providers can access patient data regardless of their location. TheMPMS152 can receive patient physiological data from thesensor system100 and store at least a portion of the data in the network. The patient physiological data may be encrypted prior to being stored in a network for security and/or regulatory compliance purposes.
• The network can allow different levels of access to the patient data to different people. For example, care providers may be able to access all of the patient data. On the other hand, care providers may only be able to access certain non-sensitive portions of the patient data including, but not limited to, weight, height, blood pressure measurements, blood oxygen saturation, and the like. Patients may be able to grant access to their patient data to certain people such as their immediate family or care provider.
• Thealarm system140 can be used in connection with thesensor system100. For example, if a patent is experiencing a life-threatening event or the patient's physiological parameters are within a predetermined range, thealarm system140 can generate an auditory or visual alarm. The visual alarm can be generated on thedisplay150 or be a light from thealarm system140 itself. The signals for generating alarms can be transmitted by thesensor system100 or theMPMS152. The signals may be transmitted wirelessly to thealarm system140 via Wi-Fi connection or various other wireless communication protocols including NFC, Bluetooth®, Li-fi. ZigBee, Z-Wave, radio-frequency identification (RFID), Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), and the like. Thealarm system140 can be placed, as shown inFIG. 1A, on a ceiling of a patient room, next to a bed of a patient, on one of the walls, next to an entrance to a patient room, and the like.
• Thecamera142 can be used in connection with thesensor system100 to monitor and/or detect movements in a patient room. Thecamera142 can record a video or take pictures of the room. For example, thecamera142 may be able to detect a patient falling off his bed and send an appropriate notification or alarm to a care provider. Thecamera142 can detect who walks in or out of the room. It can be advantageous to collect information from thecamera142 and thealarm system140 to provide more complete understanding of a patient. For example, thealarm system140 may be configured to generate an alarm if a patient's heart rate increases by 30% within 10 seconds. However, thealarm system140 may not generate an alarm if it receives a signal from thecamera142 that the patient is simply exercising rather than having a complication. Thecamera142 can be configured to detect certain sounds or noises to provide additional information to thealarm system140.
• FIG. 1B illustrates a schematic diagram showing thesensor system100 in communication with theMPMS152. Thesensor system100 can include aprocessing module102, awireless charging dock104, and apatient sensor106.
• Thepatient sensors106 can attach or couple to different parts of a patient such as, but not limited to, arms, legs, torso, chest, head, neck, fingers, forehead, and the like. Thepatient sensor106 can collect patient physiological data including, but not limited to, raw data related to heart rate, ECG, respiration, blood pressure, blood oxygen saturation, total hemoglobin, temperature, and the like. Thepatient sensor106 can transmitpatient data120 to theprocessing module102 wirelessly or via a cable.
• Thepatient data120 transmitted to theprocessing module102 can be raw data. Optionally, thepatient sensor106 can include a processor that can fully or partially process the raw data. Thepatient sensor106 can transmit to theprocessing module102patient data120 that is fully or partially processed. Theprocessing module102 can process the raw patient data using the processor160 (seeFIG. 1C).
• Thepatient sensor106 can couple to theprocessing module102 such that theprocessing module102 can optionally providepower108 to thepatient sensor106. Thepower108 can supply power for various components of thepatient sensor106 including, but not limited to, sensor elements and/or processors. Thepatient sensor106 can use thepower108 to collect patient physiological data as further described below.
• Theprocessing module102 can also transmit asensor drive signal110 to thepatient sensor106. Thesensor drive signal110, for example, can include a drive signal for one or more emitters or other sensor element drive signals. Thepatient sensor106 can send sensed physiological information to theprocessing module102 via thesensor drive signal110. Theprocessing module102 can read one or more information elements on thepatient sensor106 to determine if thepatient sensor106 is a valid and non-expiredpatient sensor106.
• TheMPMS152 can receivewireless data114 from theprocessing module102. Thewireless data114 can include patient physiological data collected by thepatient sensor106. TheMPMS152 can display the physiological data on adisplay150. Thedisplay150 can be integrated with theMPMS152 or be modular. TheMPMS152 can include one or more transceivers that can establish wireless communication protocol with the processing module102 (for example, NFC and Bluetooth®). Alternatively, thedisplay150 and theMPMS152 can be coupled via a cable.
• TheMPMS152 can be a hospital patient monitoring system, which can include receiving data from multiple different physiological sensing systems, generate displayable information and cause the patient health data to be displayed, for example ondisplay150. TheMPMS152 and thedisplay150 can be coupled via a cable. Alternatively, theMPMS152 and thedisplay150 can communicate wirelessly. For example, theMPMS152 can be a Root® Platform, a patient monitoring and connectivity platform available from Masimo Corporation, of Irvine, Calif. A mobile physiological parameter monitoring system usable with the cable is described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,436,645, issued on Sep. 6, 2016, titled “MEDICAL MONITORING HUB,” the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. TheMPMS152 can be a mobile monitoring system or a personal mobile device.
• FIG. 1C illustrates a schematic diagram showing additional details of theprocessing module102. Theprocessing module102 can include aprocessor160, abattery162, amemory164, and awireless communication module166. Theprocessing module102 can provide thepower108 to thepatient sensor106. In addition or alternatively to providingdirect power108, theprocessing module102 can transmitsensor drive signal110 to thepatient sensor106. The processor can receivepatient data120 from thepatient sensor106.
• Thememory164 can be configured to store data for theprocessing module102. The data can be volatile or non-volatile. The memory can be a random-access memory (RAM), dynamic random-access memory (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electronically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), and the like. Theprocessing module102 can be configured to store the raw or partially processedpatient data120 in thememory164 and transmit thepatient data120 to theMPMS152 when it establishes communication with theMPMS152. The storing of thepatient data120 in thememory164, establishing connection with theMPMS152, and transmitting thepatient data120 to theMPMS152 can be done automatically. Additionally or alternatively, thememory164 can store processed or determined data based on thepatient data120. This processed or determined data can be wirelessly transmitted to theMPMS152 in place of or along with thepatient data120.
• Thememory164 can store thepatient data120 and/or processed or determined data before theprocessor160 andwireless communication module166 transmit thepatient data120 and/or processed or determined data to theMPMS152 via thewireless communication module166. It can be advantageous to configure thememory164 to store thepatient data120 and/or processed or determined data when theprocessing module102 is not in communication with theMPMS152 because care providers may not have sufficient time to establish communication between theprocessing module102 and theMPMS152. In such critical circumstances, thememory164 can store thepatient data120 and/or processed or determined data and transmit thepatient data120 and/or processed or determined data to theMPMS152 using thewireless communication module166 at a later time.
• Thewireless communication module166 can include one or more transceivers configured to establish wireless communication with theMPMS152. In some examples, thewireless communication module166 can use Bluetooth® to establish wireless communication with theMPMS152. Thewireless communication module166 can include a first transceiver configured as a receiving transceiver and a second transceiver configured as a transmitting transceiver. The receiving transceiver and the transmitting transceiver can use the same or different wireless communication protocols to communicate with theMPMS152. In some examples, thewireless communication module166 can include a first transceiver configured to establish a RFID communication or NFC and a second transceiver configured to establish a Bluetooth® communication.
• Thewireless communication module166 can establish wireless connection with theMPMS152 when theprocessing module102 is brought within a predetermined distance to theMPMS152. Once wireless connection is established, thewireless communication module166 can send thewireless data114 to theMPMS152. As discussed above, thewireless data114 can include thepatient data120 and/or processed or determined data. TheMPMS152 can include an RFID reader or other near field communication system that can communicatively couple theMPMS152 with thewireless communication module166. For example, when theprocessing module102 is sufficiently proximate to theMPMS152, theMPMS152 can receive identifying information from thewireless communication module166. Once theMPMS152 receives the identifying information, theMPMS152 can use the identifying information to associate thewireless communication module166 with theMPMS152. The identifying information may include airing parameters. Once associated, theprocessing module102, via thewireless communication module166, can connect with theMPMS152 using pairing parameters. Alternatively, theMPMS152 and thewireless communication module166 can use other wireless communication protocols or standards.
• Thewireless charging dock104 can additionally or alternatively be configured with an RFID reader or other near field communication system that can provide wireless communication information to theprocessing module102 to allow theprocessing module102 to pair and communicate with theMPMS152. In this way, when a care provider docks theprocessing module102 with thewireless charging dock104, communications with theMPMS152 can be established.
• FIGS. 1D and 1E illustrate examples of patient sensors attached to a patient. As shown inFIG. 1D, different types of sensors can be used to measure different types of health parameters including, but not limited to, peripheral capillary oxygen saturation, blood pressure, temperature, heart rate, respiration rate, and the like. The sensors, as discussed above, can be attached to various locations of the patient.
• Thepatient sensors106 can establish communication with theprocessing modules102. For example, thepatient sensors106 can be coupled to theprocessing modules102 via cables, as shown inFIG. 1D or wirelessly. Theprocessing modules102 can transmitsensor drive signal110 andpower108 to thepatient sensors106 via the cables. Theprocessing modules102 can receivepatient data120 from thepatient sensors106 via the cables. Thepatient sensors106 can wirelessly communicate with theprocessing modules102, as shown inFIG. 1E. Theprocessing modules102 can wirelessly transmitsensor drive signal110 or other command signals to thepatient sensors106 and wirelessly receivepatient data120 from thepatient sensor106. In the example shown inFIG. 1E, thepatient sensors106 can include one or more transceivers that can establish wireless communication with theprocessing modules102 and receive data from and/or transmit data to theprocessing modules102.
• FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate aprocessing module102 and awireless charging dock104. When coupled, thewireless charging dock104 can wirelessly provide power for theprocessing module102 as well as physically support theprocessing module102 as a docking location. Thewireless charging dock104 can include a power and/ordata cable210, aconnector212, one or more mounting points206, agrip element208, and acovered port220. Theprocessing module102 can include aninset surface204,speaker slots214, and a port300 (seeFIG. 3A).
• Thewireless charging dock104 can receive power via thecable210 and theconnector212. Once theprocessing module102 is brought proximate to or in contact with thewireless charging dock104, thewireless charging dock104 can wirelessly generatepower112 for the processing module102 (seeFIG. 1B). The power received via thecable210 may be regulated (changing voltage or current) for wireless charging. For example, thewireless charging dock104 may receive 110V AC power via thecable210 and convert the 110V AC into 5V DC for wireless charging purposes. Alternatively, thewireless charging dock104 may receive 5V DC current for wireless charging purposes so that all exposed cabling is lower power.
• Thewireless charging dock104 can magnetically couple to theprocessing module102, for example, as illustrated inFIG. 2B. The shape and the magnetic property of thewireless charging dock104 allows it to removably couple with theinset surface204 of theprocessing module102. The use of magnetic coupling can advantageously allow thewireless charging dock104 and theprocessing module102 to be water resistant or waterproof. Moreover, the use of magnetic coupling can advantageously allow the connection between thewireless charging dock104 and the processing module102 (for wireless charging) to be waterproof. This is especially important in hostile environments such as surgery room or emergency room in hospitals. The magnetic coupling also allows for quick and easy connection and removal of theprocessing module102 as needed for moving patients from one area to another area of the hospital. The magnetic coupling between thewireless charging dock104 and theprocessing module102 can provide sufficient force to hold them together.
• Multipledifferent processing modules102 for the same or different physiological parameters can be mixed and matched in any configuration with multiple mountedwireless charging docks104. Thus, a care provider is not required to mount aparticular processing module102 with a specificwireless charging dock104.
• The shapes of thewireless charging dock104 and theinset surface204 may be square as shown inFIGS. 2A and 2B. The square shape of thewireless charging dock104 and theinset surface204 can advantageously allow the orientation of theprocessing module102 to be rotated 90 degrees depending on the application. As another example, the shape of thewireless charging dock104 and theinset surface204 may be triangular, circular, hexagonal, or any other shapes sufficient to facilitate coupling between thewireless charging dock104 and theprocessing module102. Different configurations of thewireless charging dock104 and theinset surface204 can allow different angular orientations of theprocessing module102 with respect to thewireless charging dock104. The contact between thewireless charging dock104 and theinset surface204 can provide mechanical support between thewireless charging dock104 and theprocessing module102. In some examples, thewireless charging dock104 can have an inset surface where theprocessing module102 can be placed within. Alternatively, theprocessing module102 can be designed without theinset surface204 and, as discussed above, the magnetic coupling between theprocessing module102 and thewireless charging device104 may be sufficient to hold them together.
• The mounting points206 can be placed on a rear surface of thewireless charging dock104. The mounting points206 can be configured and sized to allow thewireless charging dock104 to be mounted. The mounting points206 may be configured to receive different types of screws. Thewireless charging dock104 can be mounted at various locations including, but not limited to a pole, a bed, a wall, the ceiling, and the like. Alternatively, other types of mounting mechanisms may be used to mount thewireless charging dock104. Thewireless charging dock104 may also include a magnet such that it can removably couple to magnetic surfaces.
• Thegrip element208 can be positioned along side surfaces of thewireless charging dock104 as shown inFIG. 2A. Thegrip element208 can be a surface that includes one or more protrusions and/or indents. Thegrip element208 can advantageously provide a gripping surface to use when separating thewireless charging dock104 from theprocessing module102 or docking thewireless charging dock104 with theprocessing module102.
• Theprocessing module102 can include a speaker and one ormore speaker slots214 formed on its body. The speaker can create auditory alarms. Thespeaker slots214 can advantageously allow auditory alarms to travel through and be heard. A waterproof membrane can be used to prevent liquid ingress to thewireless processor102 through thespeaker slots214.
• The magnetic coupling between thewireless charging dock104 and theprocessing module102 can advantageously allow care providers to quickly and easily couple or remove theprocessing module102 when attending different patients. A care provider can use theprocessing module102 to collect, transmit, and displaypatient data120 for a first patient, and later use thesame processing module102 for a second patient without having to move sensors or move patients to different locations. Moreover, the lack of cables between thewireless charging dock104 with theprocessing module102 allows care providers to quickly install theprocessing module102 and collect thepatient data120. The care provider can also quickly remove theprocessing modules102 as needed for quick patient transport or where additional space around a patient is required.
• Theprocessing module102 and thewireless charging dock104 can each include wireless charging electronics. For example, theprocessing module102 can include a first wireless charging electronics configured as a receiver and thewireless charging dock104 can include a second wireless charging electronics configured as a transmitter. The magnetic coupling between theprocessing module102 and thewireless charging dock104 can bring the first wireless charging electronics and the second wireless charging electronics within a predetermined distance from each other. When the wireless charging electronics are brought within the predetermined distance from each other, the wireless charging electronics of theprocessing module102 can generate power for theprocessing module102. The wireless charging electronics of theprocessing module102 and thewireless charging dock104 can be configured such they do not generate power for theprocessing module102 if theprocessing module102 is not coupled to thewireless charging dock104.
• The coveredport220 can include a tab that can be waterproof or water resistant. The tab can either be left in place to maintain the water proof housing or may be removed during manufacturing process of thewireless charging dock104 and a cable assembly may be coupled to the coveredport220. The coupling of the cable assembly and the coveredport220 can be waterproof. In some examples, as shown inFIG. 8B, the cable assembly may include thecable210 and theconnector212, which may couple to anotherwireless charging dock104. In this regard, power can be transmitted between onewireless charging dock104 to anotherwireless charging dock104 via thecable210 and theconnector212. When the cable assembly is removed from the coveredport220, a stopper or a cover may be placed on the coveredport220 to ensure that the coveredport220 is waterproof or water-resistant. The stopper (or cover) may be made of rubber.
• FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate aport300 on theprocessing module102 and acable200. Theport300 can be waterproof. Thecable200 can couple to thepatient sensor106 and theprocessing module102. Various types of signals including thepower108 and thesensor drive signal110 may be transmitted between theprocessing module102 and thepatient sensor106 via thecable200. Thecable200 can include aconnector202. Theconnector202 can allow thecable200 to removably couple with theport300. Additional details of thecable200 and thecable210 will be described below.
• Theinset surface204 of theprocessing module102 can include one ormore notches302. In the example shown inFIG. 3A, thenotches302 are formed on a side of theinset surface204. Thenotches302 can be formed on opposite sides ofinset surface204 or on all sides.Notches302 can help provide physical support for theprocessing module102 when coupled to thewireless charging dock104 as described herein. Thenotches302 are optional.
• FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate alternative examples ofprocessing module102. As shown inFIG. 4A, theprocessing module102 can include anindicator400. Theindicator400, in an example shown inFIG. 4A, is located on an opposite side of theinset surface204. Theindicator400 can be an light emitting diode (LED), organic light emitting diode (OLED), or quantum dot light emitting diode (QLED) configured to illuminate different colors. For example, different colors may be used to indicate power level of theprocessing module102. A red light can be used to show that theprocessing module102 is low on power. A green light may be used to show that theprocessing module102 is being charged by thewireless charging dock104. A blue light may indicate that charging of theprocessing module102 has been finished. Other light changes or colors can indicate a pairing or sensor collection in progress. Of course, any color of light, blinking, solid, fading effects can be used with any of the above. Audible notifications can be used as alternatives or in addition to light indicators for any of the above described reasons.
• Theindicator400 can use different colors to indicate different communication status between theprocessing module102 and theMPMS152. For example, a red light may indicate that there is no wireless communication protocol established with theprocessing module102. A yellow light may indicate that theprocessing module102 is in the process of establishing or searching for wireless communication. A blue light may indicate that a wireless communication protocol has been established between theprocessing module102 and theMPMS152. Different color combinations, blinking and/or solid patterns, fading effects, and the like may be used to indicate different communication status between theprocessing module102 and theMPMS152.
• Theprocessing module102 can include adisplay402. Thedisplay402 can illustrate various patient parameter readings, patient parameter graphs, patient alarms, medication history, medication list, and the like. Thedisplay402, in some examples, can be a touchscreen. Thedisplay402 can be used to provide and/or receive data such as medication provided, patient condition, health parameter value, health parameter name, and the like. Thedisplay402 can be an LED display, an OLED display, or a QLED display.
• FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate various views of thewireless charging dock104. As discussed above, thewireless charging dock104 can removably couple with theinset surface204 of theprocessing module102. Thewireless charging dock104 can include one ormore grooves502 formed on one or more edges of themating surface500. Thegrooves502 can couple with the notches302 (seeFIGS. 3A and 3B) of theinset surface204. The coupling of thegrooves502 and thenotches302 can advantageously provide additional support to hold thewireless charging dock104 and theprocessing module102 together. Thegrooves502 can provide a mere tension surface that does not lock theprocessing module102 in place to allow for easy removal. Alternatively, thegrooves502 can provide a lock or high tension mount to provide a more secure dock to theprocessing module102.
• FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate different orientations of theprocessing module102 with respect to thewireless charging dock104. As discussed above, the shapes of theinset surface204 and thewireless charging dock104 allow theprocessing module102 to be coupled to thewireless charging dock104 in different orientations. In an example shown inFIGS. 6A and 6B, the orientation of theprocessing module102 can vary by 90 degrees. In some examples, theinset surface204 and themating surface500 may be circular or hexagonal to allow theprocessing module102 to be oriented in many different ways.
• FIGS. 7A and 7B show thecable200 and theconnector202. Thecable200 can couple to theconnector202 configured to mate with theport300 of theprocessing module102. Theconnector202 and thecable200 can be waterproof. Theconnector202 can include one ormore pins700 that can removably couple with theport300.
• FIGS. 8A-8C illustratesensor systems100 connected in series in various orientations. Thewireless charging docks104 of thesensor systems100 can be tethered via thecable210 and theconnector212 as shown inFIG. 8B. As discussed above, thecable210 and theconnector212 may removably couple with the coveredport220 of thewireless charging dock104. The coupling of one or morewireless charging docks104 via the coveredports220, thecables210, and theconnectors212 allow power to be transmitted between thewireless charging docks104 of thesensor systems100. In this regard, the one ormore sensor systems100 can receive power from a single power source or one or more power sources. Thesensor systems100 can be coupled in series expanding horizontally or vertically. In some examples, thewireless charging docks104 can include two or morecovered ports220 to allowsensor systems100 to couple in series expanding both horizontally and vertically.
• FIG. 9 illustrates various illustrations of different wired and/orwireless patient sensors106 coupled to a patient. One or morepatient sensors106 can communicate with theprocessing module102 via thecable200 and theconnector202. Additionally or alternatively, thepatient sensors106 can wirelessly transmit patient physiological data to theprocessing module102. Wireless configurations of thepatient sensors106 and theprocessing module102 can greatly reduce the number of cables and thereby prevent patients from being tethered to patient monitoring devices.
• FIG. 10A illustrates an example of thesensor system100 incorporated with analarm system140 including adisplay144. Thedisplay144 can be a display extending downwards from thealarm system140. Thedisplay144 can be a clear OLED display coupled to thealarm system140. Thedisplay144 can display different types of health parameters including, but not limited to, peripheral capillary oxygen saturation, blood pressure, temperature, heart rate, respiration rate, and the like. Thedisplay144 can display different types of health parameters in different ways. For example, parameters such as heart rate and blood pressure can be displayed numerically while trends of blood pressure or heart rate may be displayed as a graphical chart. Certain types of notifications (for example, a notification indicating that a patient is suffering a heart attack) may be displayed alphanumerically.
• Thedisplay144 can incorporate different color schemes for different types of health parameters or health parameter values. For example, the color red may be used to indicate health parameter values that are out of a predetermined range, while the color green may be used to indicate health parameter values that are within the predetermined range. In another example, different physiological parameters can be assigned different colors. For example, blood pressure readings may be in green while temperatures readings may be in red.
• Thedisplay144 can use different color schemes for notifications indicating different patient conditions. For example, thedisplay144 may generate and display notifications and/or parameter readings in red during emergency situations. On the other hand, thedisplay144 may generate and display notifications and/or parameter readings in green or no color in normal situations. When the color of thedisplay144 changes, the colors of the health parameter readings and/or notifications on thedisplay144 may change accordingly to ensure the parameter readings and/or notifications are visible. Additionally or alternatively, as shown inFIG. 10A, the edges of thedisplay144 may light up in different colors in different situations. Thedisplay144 can also use any color of light, blinking, solid, fading effects with any of the above.
• Thealarm system140 can include atransceiver146 to receive patient health data. As shown inFIG. 10B, thealarm system140 can receive patient health data, via thetransceiver146, from theMPMS152 or thesensor system100. Additionally or alternatively, thealarm system140 may receive patient health data from a network or a server connected to theMPMS152 and/or thesensor system100. Thetransceiver146 can establish communication links via different types of communication protocols including, but not limited to, Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi, ZigBee, Z-Wave, or BLE.
• Thealarm system140 may receive and display a limited portion of patient health data collected by thesensor system100 and/or theMPMS152. Receiving all of patient health data collected by either thesensor system100 or theMPMS152 may not be necessary in some circumstances. For example, a care provider may be interested in monitoring a patient's heart rate and blood pressure but not in body temperature. In such example, it may not be necessary that thealarm system140 receives information associated with the patient's body temperature. The care provider can configure thealarm system140 to receive any type of information to be displayed by thedisplay144. Additionally or alternatively, care providers can program theMPMS152 and/or thesensor system100 to transmit only certain types of information (for example, blood pressure, heart rate, and/or blood oxygen saturation) to thedisplay144. Additionally or alternatively, care providers can program thedisplay144 to display only physiological information that has an alarm condition. TheMPMS152, thesensor system100, thealarm system140, and/or thedisplay144 may be programmed (or configured) remotely.
• Thedisplay144 can also be integrated with other devices. For example, thedisplay144 may be integrated with thecamera142. Additionally or alternatively, thedisplay144 may be integrated with a door to a patient's room and may turn on when an attending physician or nurse walks proximate to the door. Thedisplay150 can also be replaced entirely with a clear OLED display.
• FIG. 11A illustrates an example of thesensor system100 incorporated with aconnectivity notification system1100. In the field of medical devices, sensors and monitoring devices (for example, thedisplay150 or theMPMS152 as described herein) are often wirelessly connected (that is, able to transmit data to or receive data from the server) to a central server that can gather, analyze, or display data associated with various patient health parameters. This allows care providers to collect and analyze not only data points at a point in time but also an overall trend or changes in health parameters. However, when the connection between the server and sensors or other patient monitoring devices is interrupted, patient data or trends of patient data may be lost during the interruption. Therefore, it is advantageous to provide a system that allows care providers to quickly check whether sensors or other patient monitoring devices are connected to the server.
• Theconnectivity notification system1100 can advantageously display notifications associated with different connectivity statuses of sensors or other patient monitoring devices (for example, thedisplay150 or the MPMS152). Theconnectivity notification system1100 can include aconnectivity beacon1106 that can be placed at different locations to allow care providers to easily monitor and check connectivity status of sensors or other patient monitoring devices. For example, theconnectivity beacon1106 can be placed on a sensor or other patient monitoring devices that theconnectivity beacon1106 is associated with. In this regard, care providers can easily determine whether a patient monitoring device (for example, the MPMS152) is connected to a central server by simply monitoring theconnectivity beacon1106.
• FIG. 11B illustrates an example schematic diagram of theconnectivity notification system1100. Theconnectivity notification system1100 can include apatient monitoring device1102, atransmitter1104, and theconnectivity beacon1106. Thepatient monitoring device1102 may be thedisplay150 or theMPMS152. Alternatively, thepatient monitoring device1102 may be a sensor attached to a patient or any other device used to monitor the patient.
• Thetransmitter1104 can be physically coupled (for example, via a cable) to thepatient monitoring device1102. Thepatient monitoring device1102 can establish electronic communication with thetransmitter1104 to allow transmission of electrical signals between thepatient monitoring device1102 and thetransmitter1104. The electrical signals transmitted between thepatient monitoring device1102 and thetransmitter1104 may include, but not limited to, signals to provide power for thetransmitter1104, connectivity signals associated with different connectivity statuses of thepatient monitoring device1102, display signals associated with different types of displays or notifications to be generated by theconnectivity beacon1106, and the like. Alternatively, thetransmitter1104 can be wirelessly coupled to thepatient monitoring device1102.
• Thetransmitter1104 can include acommunication module1118 that can establish a wireless communication with acommunication module1120 of theconnectivity beacon1106. The wireless communication between thecommunication module1118 and thecommunication module1120 may be established via different types of wireless communication protocols including, but not limited to, Near-Field Communication (NFC), Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi, ZigBee, Z-Wave, BLE, and the like.
• Theconnectivity beacon1106 can include thecommunication module1120 and adisplay1110. Theconnectivity beacon1106 can receive from thetransmitter1104, via thecommunication module1120 and thecommunication module1118, electronic signals associated with connectivity statuses and corresponding display signals for generating different displays or notifications. Thedisplay1110 can generate different displays or notifications based on the display signals transmitted by thetransmitter1104. Thedisplay1110 may be a light of one or more different colors. Alternatively, thedisplay1110 may be a screen that can display alphanumeric or graphical displays. Additionally, thedisplay1110 can use a combination of color and alphanumeric or graphical displays to display different connectivity statuses.
• Theconnectivity beacon1106 can be associated with thetransmitter1104 such that theconnectivity sensor1106 can receive connectivity signals associated with connectivity status of a device coupled with thetransmitter1104. Additionally, theconnectivity beacon1106 may be associated withmultiple transmitters1104. In this regard, theconnectivity beacon1106 can be used to display connectivity status (e.g., by using different color lights) of multiple devices at the same time.
• Theconnectivity beacon1106 may not be associated with thetransmitter1104 prior to use. Theconnectivity beacon1106 may brought within a predetermined distance from thetransmitter1104 to pair theconnectivity beacon1106 with thetransmitter1104 and vice versa. Once theconnectivity beacon1106 and thetransmitter1104 are paired with each other, they may be associated with each other. When paired, theconnectivity beacon1106 and thetransmitter1104 can transmit electronic signals between each other.
• As discussed herein, different colors may be used to symbolize different connectivity statuses. For example, green light may be used to indicate that a device-in-interest (for example, the patient monitoring device1102) is connected to a server. Yellow light may be used to indicate limited connectivity between the device-in-interest and the server. When there is a limited connectivity, rate of transmission of data between the server and the device-in-interest may be slower than usual. Red light may be used to indicate no connectivity between the device-in-interest and the server. Additionally or alternatively, alphanumeric displays can be used to display an identifier associated with the device-in-interest. The identifier may be a name or a code assigned to the device-in-interest that may uniquely or non-uniquely identify the device-in-interest.
• FIGS. 11C and 11D illustrate examples of thetransmitter1104 and theconnectivity beacon106. In an example shown inFIG. 11C, thetransmitter1104 can include aconnector1112, a body1114, adisplay1116, and acable1118. Theconnector1112 can be coupled to the body1114 via thecable1118. Thedisplay1116 can be a part of the body1114 and can emit lights in different color to indicate different connectivity statuses. Thedisplay1116 of thetransmitter1104 may use the same or different color scheme as thedisplay1110 of theconnectivity beacon1106. Theconnector1112 can be one of the following types of connectors including, but not limited to, video graphics array (VGA) connector, high definition multimedia interface (HDMI) connector, RCA connector, USB 2.0, USB 3.0, digital visual interface (DVI) connector, and the like.
• Theconnectivity beacon1106 can include abody1118 and adisplay1110. Thebody1118 can include a bottom portion and a top portion. The bottom portion may be placed against a device-in-interest (for example, the patient monitoring device1102) to removably attach theconnectivity beacon1106 to the device-in-interest. Alternatively, theconnectivity beacon1106 may be attached to a wall, side of a bed, on a door, or any other location that may be easy for a care provider to spot. Thedisplay1110 can be a part of the top portion that may face in a direction away from the bottom portion. Thedisplay1110 may be positioned around an outer circumference of the top portion. Additionally or alternatively, thedisplay1110 can be positioned about a top surface of the top portion.
• Thedisplays1116 and1110 may be light-emitting diodes that can generate one or more different colors as discussed herein. Different colors can be turned on and off to indicate different connectivity status of thepatient monitoring device1102. Alternatively, thedisplays1116 and1110 can display different alphanumeric characters instead of or in addition to the different colored lights.
• Different attachment mechanisms may be utilized to attach theconnectivity beacon1106 to a device or other locations as discussed herein. Such mechanisms may include magnets, adhesives, Velcro, and the like that may allow theconnectivity beacon1106 to be easily removed after being attached to a surface. Alternatively, theconnectivity beacon1106 may be permanently adhere to a surface.
• Many other variations than those described herein will be apparent from this disclosure. For example, depending on the embodiment, certain acts, events, or functions of any of the algorithms described herein can be performed in a different sequence, can be added, merged, or left out altogether (e.g., not all described acts or events are necessary for the practice of the algorithms). Moreover, in certain embodiments, acts or events can be performed concurrently, e.g., through multi-threaded processing, interrupt processing, or multiple processors or processor cores or on other parallel architectures, rather than sequentially. In addition, different tasks or processes can be performed by different machines and/or computing systems that can function together.
• The various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and algorithm steps described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or combinations of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. The described functionality can be implemented in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the disclosure.
• The various illustrative logical blocks and modules described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented or performed by a machine, such as a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor can be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor can be a controller, microcontroller, or state machine, combinations of the same, or the like. A processor can include electrical circuitry configured to process computer-executable instructions. In another embodiment, a processor includes an FPGA or other programmable device that performs logic operations without processing computer-executable instructions. A processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. A computing environment can include any type of computer system, including, but not limited to, a computer system based on a microprocessor, a mainframe computer, a digital signal processor, a portable computing device, a device controller, or a computational engine within an appliance, to name a few.
• The steps of a method, process, or algorithm described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module stored in one or more memory devices and executed by one or more processors, or in a combination of the two. A software module can reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, media, or physical computer storage known in the art. An example storage medium can be coupled to the processor such that the processor can read information from, and write information to, the storage medium. In the alternative, the storage medium can be integral to the processor. The storage medium can be volatile or nonvolatile. The processor and the storage medium can reside in an ASIC.
• Conditional language used herein, such as, among others, “can,” “might,” “may,” “e.g.,” and the like, unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, while other embodiments do not include, certain features, elements and/or states. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements and/or states are in any way required for one or more embodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without author input or prompting, whether these features, elements and/or states are included or are to be performed in any particular embodiment. The terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” and the like are synonymous and are used inclusively, in an open-ended fashion, and do not exclude additional elements, features, acts, operations, and so forth. Also, the term “or” is used in its inclusive sense (and not in its exclusive sense) so that when used, for example, to connect a list of elements, the term “or” means one, some, or all of the elements in the list. Further, the term “each,” as used herein, in addition to having its ordinary meaning, can mean any subset of a set of elements to which the term “each” is applied.
• While the above detailed description has shown, described, and pointed out novel features as applied to various embodiments, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions, and changes in the form and details of the systems, devices or methods illustrated can be made without departing from the spirit of the disclosure. As will be recognized, certain embodiments described herein can be embodied within a form that does not provide all of the features and benefits set forth herein, as some features can be used or practiced separately from others.
• The term “and/or” herein has its broadest, least limiting meaning which is the disclosure includes A alone, B alone, both A and B together, or A or B alternatively, but does not require both A and B or require one of A or one of B. As used herein, the phrase “at least one of” A, B, “and” C should be construed to mean a logical A or B or C, using a non-exclusive logical or.
• The apparatuses and methods described herein may be implemented by one or more computer programs executed by one or more processors. The computer programs include processor-executable instructions that are stored on a non-transitory tangible computer readable medium. The computer programs may also include stored data. Non-limiting examples of the non-transitory tangible computer readable medium are nonvolatile memory, magnetic storage, and optical storage.
• Although the foregoing disclosure has been described in terms of certain preferred embodiments, other embodiments will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from the disclosure herein. Additionally, other combinations, omissions, substitutions and modifications will be apparent to the skilled artisan in view of the disclosure herein. Accordingly, the present invention is not intended to be limited by the description of the preferred embodiments, but is to be defined by reference to claims.

Claims (21)

1.-63. (canceled)

64. A system for monitoring patient physiological parameters, the system comprising:

a patient sensor configured to collect information associated with patient physiological conditions and generate sensor outputs representative of the information;

a processing module in communication with the patient sensor and configured to receive the sensor outputs and determine physiological parameters based at least in part on the sensor outputs, the processing module comprising a wireless transmitter configured to communicate the physiological parameters, the processing module comprising no external interface configured to receive power from an external power source;

a patient monitoring system comprising a first receiver configured to receive the physiological parameters from the processing module, the patient monitoring system in communication with a display device configured to display the received physiological parameters for display; and

a wireless charging dock configured to wirelessly couple to and charge the processing module.

65. The system ofclaim 64, wherein the processing module and the wireless charging dock are magnetically coupled.

66. The system ofclaim 64, wherein the patient sensor and the processing module are in wireless communication.

67. The system ofclaim 64, further comprising:

a notification system comprising:

a second receiver configured to receive the physiological parameters and/or the sensor output from the processing module; and

a display system in communication with the second receiver and configured to display the received physiological parameters and/or the sensor output for display.

68. The system ofclaim 67, wherein the notification system displays a subset of the received physiological parameters and/or the sensor output.

69. The system ofclaim 67, wherein the display system uses different color schemes for different types of physiological measurements.

70. The system ofclaim 67, wherein the notification system further comprises an alarm system configured to generate auditory and/or visual alarms based at least in part on the physiological parameters and/or the sensor output.

71. The system ofclaim 64, wherein the processing module or the patient monitoring system generates a first status data based at least in part on a comparison of the physiological parameters and predetermined threshold values, the first status data associated with patient health condition.

72. The system ofclaim 64, wherein the processing module comprises an inset surface dimensioned to receive the wireless charging dock.

73. The system ofclaim 72, wherein the inset surface is quadrilateral in shape.

74. The system ofclaim 72, wherein the inset surface comprises one or more notches configured to removably couple with one or more grooves of the wireless charging dock.

75. The system ofclaim 74, wherein the one or more notches are formed on one or more sides of the inset surface.

76. The system ofclaim 74, wherein the one or more notches are formed on opposing sides of the inset surface.

77. The system ofclaim 64, wherein the processing module comprises one or more grip elements, and wherein the one or more grip elements are disposed on side surfaces of the processing module.

78. The system ofclaim 64, wherein the wireless charging dock comprises a communication interface configured to allow the wireless charging dock to couple with other wireless charging docks.

79. The system ofclaim 64, further comprising:

a network connectivity monitoring system comprising:

an indicator configured to be attached to the patient monitoring system, the indicator configured to generate and display notifications based at least on connectivity status of the patient monitoring system with a monitoring network configured to receive a signal from the patient monitoring system.

80. The system ofclaim 79, further comprising a transmitter configured to be attached to the patient monitoring system and establish a wireless communication with the indicator.

81. The system ofclaim 80, wherein the transmitter is configured to:

receive connectivity data from the patient monitoring system; and

transmit the connectivity data to the indicator,

wherein the connectivity data is associated with the connectivity status of the patient monitoring system.

82. The system ofclaim 79, wherein the notifications comprise lights of one or more different colors, and wherein the one or more different colors reflect the connectivity status.

83. The system ofclaim 79, wherein the indicator comprises:

a housing attachable to a physiological monitoring device;

a display;

an input for receiving indication that the patient monitoring system is communicating with the monitoring network.

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