Abstract: In accordance with a first preferred aspect of the instant invention, there is provided a patient monitor that is automatically disabled when a caregiver enters a room and then is automatically reactivated after the caregiver leaves. According to a first preferred embodiment, it will remain disabled during the time the caregiver is proximate to the patient/monitor and then will automatically reactivate after the caregiver has moved away.

Abstract: There is provided herein a sensor/monitor combination designed to reduce the risk of pressure ulcer occurrence in immobile patients, wherein the level of patient activity is tracked to determine whether or not that patient has exhibited sufficient activity to merit eliminating a scheduled assisted relocation to a new position. The instant device senses the time since a patient last relocated into a different sitting or lying position. If the patient has not moved during some predetermined time period, the nursing staff will be notified by the invention that it is time to manually reposition the patient. If the patient has significantly changed position during the predetermined time period and, thus, allowed previously compressed tissues to reoxygenate, the invention will not signal that a move is necessary, thereby eliminating the need in some cases to rouse the patient from an otherwise healing sleep.

Abstract: The instant invention is designed to detect when undue tension is placed on a belt or strap that is connected to a restraining vest, such undue pressure being indicative that a patient may be in trouble. It is preferable that, whatever sensor is used, it should be elastically resilient to return to its unstressed state after tension on the strap is removed. Additionally, it is preferable that the amount of force that is required in order to trigger an alarm be adjustable to accommodate patients of different weights. Finally, it is also preferable that the level of stress on the strap—and the duration over which it is applied—that is necessary to trigger an alarm be such that the patient cannot easily intentionally cause the device to sound an alarm.

Abstract: There is provided herein a sensor for determining relative displacement between two surfaces which utilizes two optically conductive members that have been mounted in proximity to each other, whereby the amount of displacement between the two surfaces may be determined by measurement of the magnitude of the intensity of light transmitted through them. The instant invention preferably utilizes two planar light transmitting surfaces—an emitter and a receiver—which are free to move laterally with respect to each other and are positioned so that when light is introduced into the emitter some proportion of that light falls on the receiver. By electronically monitoring the intensity of light impinging on the receiver an estimate of the amount of overlap between the two optical surfaces and, thus, an estimate of the relative displacement between them, may be obtained.

Abstract: There is provided herein a first preferred arrangement of the instant invention, wherein an electronic patient monitor utilizes a computer CPU as an alarm signal generator, which CPU is preferably directly connected to a power amplifier and/or a speaker without an intervening (or subsequent) conventional volume control. The alarm signal is preferably expressed as a series of square waves. The volume of the alarm signal as heard through the speaker is controlled by varying the width of the square waves that represent the alarm signal with the duty cycle of the square waves being shortened to reduce the output alarm volume and lengthened to increase it.

Abstract: There is provided herein a sensor for use in patient monitoring, wherein the level of patient activity in a chair or bed is tracked to determine whether or not that patient has exhibited sufficient activity to merit eliminating a scheduled assisted relocation to a new position. The instant device senses the time since a patient last relocated into a different sitting or lying position. If the patient has not moved during some predetermined time period, the nursing staff will be notified that it is time to manually reposition the patient. On the other hand, if the patient has significantly changed position, the device will not signal to the caregiver that a move is necessary, thereby eliminating the need in some cases to rouse the patient from an otherwise sound sleep.

Abstract: There is provided herein an electronic patient monitor that utilizes a latch or similar power circuit that automatically activates an electronic patient monitor when a patient's presence is indicated by the sensor, that maintains power to the unit so long as the patient is indicated to be present, and that maintains power to the monitor until a valid reset command is issued after the patient is sensed to be no longer present. Power to the unit is maintained, and the unit continues to monitor the patient, e so long as the patient is present, even if an attempt is made to power down/disable the unit during that time.

Abstract: There is provided herein a sensor for use in connection with an electronic patient monitor, wherein the sensor preferably uses a linearly configured resistive ladder with spaced-apart resistors as a means of determining at least approximately a location of the patient on the sensor as well as an approximate length of the sensor which is compressed by the patient. By continuously determining both of these quantities over time it is possible to track the patient's movement and determine to what extent the patient needs to be manually turned and/or the extent to which a next-scheduled turn can be skipped.

Abstract: According to a preferred embodiment, there is provided an electronic patient monitor for use in reducing the risk of decubitus ulcers. The monitor utilizes a separate sensor which senses the position of the patient in the bed or chair for purposes of determining when the patient moves. Additionally, the monitor broadcasts masking noise through its own, or through a remote, speaker, thereby enabling the patient to rest more comfortably in a noisy institutional environment. If the patient does not move on his or her own accord within a predetermined turn interval, the masking sound broadcast will be terminated which will gently encourage the patient to move. An alarm may additionally be sounded to notify the caregiver that the patient needs to be manually turned to reduce the risk of decubitus ulcers.

Abstract: There is provided herein an electronic patient monitor that includes indirect lighting of its control panel. Preferably, a splash guard is affixed to the monitor in a position proximate to one or more light sources, none of which directly illuminate the control panel. Light from the light sources is received by the splash guard and transmitted internally to the control panel, where the light that is emitted from the splash guard provides illumination for the user. In another variation, there is provided an electronic patient monitor with one or more light sources affixed thereto, which light sources are used to signal the operating characteristics of the monitor including its alarm volume setting, whether or not it is sounding an alarm, etc. In another variation, there is provided an electronic patient monitor that uses an environmental sensor to adapt its operating characteristics based on conditions proximate to the patient.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to methods and apparatus for the manufacture of binary switches for use in the medical monitoring field and membrane switches for use in a variety of contexts. More particularly, the instant invention involves the construction, manufacture, and operation of pressure sensitive patient sensors of the sort commonly used in medical settings which can be used, for example, to detect when a patient has exited a chair or a bed. The instant application additionally teaches the construction of membrane switches for use in, for example, electronic instrument control panels. Both the binary switches and membrane switches taught herein are preferably formed from alternating layers of polyester and polyethylene.

Abstract: This invention relates generally to monitoring systems and more particularly concerns devices and systems used to monitor patients the presence and absence of a patient from a bed, chair, etc. The preferred environment in which the instant invention would be used would be a hospital or other care giving facility, wherein patients who are at risk of falling might left unattended while they are seated or lying. According to a first aspect of the instant invention, a microprocessor-based patient monitor is disclosed which includes a loudspeaker that emits alarms synthesized by the microprocessor. The microprocessor synthesizes any one of multiple alarm sounds under software control and activates and deactivates the alarm in response to the electronic signals received from an attached sensor and a user interface.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to binary switches for use in the medical monitoring field and to methods for manufacturing same. More particularly, the instant invention involves the construction, manufacture, and operation of pressure sensitive patient monitors of the sort commonly used in medical settings to detect when a patient has, for example, exited a chair or a bed. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the instant invention, an apparatus for patient monitoring is disclosed herein that contains one or more therein which resiliently collapse in response to weight, thereby completing an electrical circuit and indicating a presence or absence of a patient on the mat. Other preferred embodiments include hermetically sealed mats and methods of manufacturing same.

Abstract: There is provided herein a sensor for use in patient monitoring situations, wherein the level of patient motion activity is tracked for purposes of determining whether or not that patient has exhibited sufficient activity to merit eliminating a scheduled assisted relocation to a new position. The instant device broadly operates to sense the length of time since a patient has last moved from a previous sitting or lying position. If the patient has not moved during some predetermined time interval, it is preferred that the nursing staff be notified that it is time to manually reposition the patient. On the other hand, if the patient has changed position within the specified time period, the device will note that fact and inform the attending nurse or other caregiver that the patient need not be moved at the next scheduled relocation, thereby eliminating the need in some cases to rouse the patient from an otherwise sound sleep.

Abstract: There is provided herein an electronic patient monitor that is suitable for use with a variety of different sensors and which automatically configures itself depending on the sensor that is used and/or the environment in which the electronic monitor is placed. In a first preferred embodiment, the electronic monitor determines whether it is being used on a bed or a chair by sensing whether or not a nurse call connector is present. If such a connector is plugged into the monitor, the unit will assume that it is being used with a sensor that has been placed on a bed and will configure its internal parameters appropriately. Such configuration would include changing a delay time to provide for longer delays before sounding an alarm than would be used with a chair monitor.

Abstract: This invention relates generally to monitoring systems and more particularly concerns devices and systems used to monitor patients lying in hospital beds or in other care giving environments. According to a first aspect of the instant invention, a microprocessor based patient monitor is disclosed which includes a loudspeaker driven by a power amplifier responsive to an input signal derived from a programmable volume control. The microprocessor synthesizes any one of multiple alarm sounds under software control, operates the programmable volume control of the alarm system and activates and deactivates the alarm in response to the electronic signals received from the sensor and a user interface. An electrically erasable programmable read-only memory accessible by the processor stores data which can be modified to tailor the operations of the monitor to suit a variety of different needs.

Abstract: This invention relates generally to patient monitoring systems and more particularly concerns devices and systems used to monitor bed patients in hospital or other care-giving environments. In accordance with a first aspect of the instant invention, there is provided a pressure sensitive mat which has been completely sealed around its exterior edges. The interior of the mat is kept in communication with the atmosphere by way of a section of flexible tubing which encloses the attached electrical line. One end of the tubing is sealed inside of the mat and the other end is open to the atmosphere, thereby providing a passageway for air to reach the interior of the mat. This arrangement, however, protects the interior of the mat from exposure to fluids near the perimeter of the mat and allows the mat-portion of the invention to be completely submersed without adverse effect, if that should become necessary.

Abstract: This invention relates generally to monitoring systems and more particularly concerns devices and systems used to monitor bed patients in hospital or other care-giving environments. In accordance with a first aspect of the instant invention, there is provided a binary switch-type device (e.g., a “mat”) for use in patient monitoring situations which contains, in addition to a conventional patient detection circuit, identification circuitry that can be sensed by an attached electronic monitor. The identification circuitry can be sensed by the electronic monitor and is designed to be configured to serve many different purposes, including, by way of example only, identification of the type of mat attached thereto, detection of connectivity problems, tracking mat usage time, and identifying mats that are nearing the end of their useful lives.

Abstract: This invention relates generally to patient monitoring systems and more particularly concerns devices and systems used to monitor bed patients in hospital or other care-giving environments. In accordance with a first aspect of the instant invention, there is provided a wetness detector for use in patient monitoring situations and which is adjustable in its degree of sensitivity to wetness. It contains at least two conductive regions placed on a non-conductive base and which are preferably separated laterally by some distance. Isolated electrical leads are attached to each conductive region. Electrical current passes much more readily between the two conductive regions when an electrolytic solution such as urine is present within the switch, thereby making it possible for a separate electronic monitor to determine when wetness is detected.

Abstract: A microprocessor based bed patient monitor receives electronic signals from a mat sensing the presence of a patient. The monitor aural alarm system includes a loudspeaker driven by a power amplifier responsive to an input signal derived from a programmable volume control. The processor synthesizes any one of multiple alarm sounds under software control, operates the programmable volume control of the alarm system and activates and deactivates the alarm in response to the electronic signals received from the sensor and a user interface.