Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for differentiating among atrial-flutter, atrial-fibrillation and other cardiac rhythms. The method includes the steps of estimating a spectral entropy of atrial cardiac activity from an electrocardiogram of a patient and determining that the patient has atrial fibrillation when the spectral entropy is greater than a predetermined value.

Abstract: A distributed multi-user system for real time data access during cardiology procedures. The system includes an interactive computer network which can be used to simultaneously display and manipulate data from a cardiology procedure on a plurality of devices and at a plurality of locations. The study can be displayed and annotated at any of the plurality of locations, which may be local or remote, during the procedure. A catalog, including a list of studies, may be selected by a client workstation. Once a study is selected from the catalog, the client workstation is dynamically directed to the study. The study can be displayed and annotated at any of the plurality of locations, which may be local or remote, during the procedure. Annotations made at one of the plurality of locations will be passed back to the acquisition station and may be accessed by at any of the plurality of locations.

Abstract: A docking station for a portable electronic device, such as a portable patient monitor of the type used in health care facilities. In particular, the docking station can be installed at a bedside location in a health care facility. The docking station is designed to provide electrical and mechanical connection of AC power and communication devices to the portable electronic device. An intuitive, top-down mounting mechanism locks the electronic device in place without user input. A front facing security lever on the docking station, which can be operated with one hand, provides engagement of electrical connectors and positive locking of the electronic device to the docking station. The docking station combines and provides AC power to the electronic device's AC mains connector, Ethernet signals to communicate with a local area network (LAN), DC power, and asynchronous communication signals to communicate with ancillary devices.

Abstract: A medical telemetry system is provided for collecting the real-time physiologic data of patients (including ambulatory patients) of a medical facility, and for transferring the data via RF to a real-time data distribution network for monitoring and display. The system includes battery-powered remote telemeters which attach to respective patients, and which collect and transmit (in data packets) the physiologic data of the patients. The remote telemeters communicate bi-directionally with a number of ceiling-mounted RF transceivers, referred to as “VCELLs,” using a wireless TDMA protocol. The VCELLs, which are hardwire-connected to a LAN, forward the data packets received from the telemeters to patient monitoring stations on the LAN. The VCELLs are distributed throughout the medical facility such that different VCELLs provide coverage for different patient areas.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for distributing power within a cardiac treatment and monitoring system which includes a defibrillator releasably coupled to a patient monitoring unit. The method includes the steps of determining a battery reserve capacity within the patient monitoring unit and distributing power from the patient monitoring system to a defibrillator when the determined battery reserve capacity exceeds a threshold value.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system for and a method of establishing monitoring alarm limits based on physiological variables. Such a method can include the steps of receiving a plurality of physiological variable data where the physiological variable data is representative of physiological wellness variables, correlating alarm states of the physiological wellness variables with alarm states of physiological measurable variables, and providing a best clinical selection for the alarm limits.

Abstract: A patient monitoring system comprises a non-invasive cardiac output sensor and a patient monitor console. The non-invasive cardiac output sensor is capable of acquiring a signal from a patient indicative of blood flow through a heart of the patient. The patient monitor console includes an analysis module and a display. The analysis module is coupled to the non-invasive cardiac output sensor and processes the signal from the patient indicative of blood flow to produce a value pertaining to cardiac output. The display is coupled to the analysis module and displays the value pertaining to cardiac output.

Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods for the communication of data over telephone lines. A handset orientation tolerant bi-directional acoustic modem according to the invention includes a first transducer operable as a receiving unit under a first condition and as a transmitting unit under a second condition, a second transducer operable as a transmitting unit under the first condition and as a receiving unit under the second condition, and a controller capable of determining the presence of one of the first and the second condition. The presence of the first condition or second condition depends on how the microphone and the speaker of a telephone handset are aligned with respect to the two transducers. The acoustic modem determines the alignment by listening for a detectable dial tone, and then under the first or the second condition, the acoustic modem automatically transmits data to a central site for analysis.

Abstract: An information management system for tracking and analyzing information relating to medical supply usage on a procedural level in a clinical setting includes a general purpose computer system with storage means, processing means, display means, and input means. Information management software installed on the general purpose computer includes node software objects providing a health care information management function. The node software object includes a clinical pathway node software object, a case management node software object, and a resource utilization tracking node software object. The clinical pathway node software object creates clinical pathway module software objects, including resource software objects and container software objects.

Abstract: A distributed multi-user system for real time data access during cardiology procedures. The system includes an interactive computer network which can be used to simultaneously display and manipulate data from a cardiology procedure on a plurality of devices and at a plurality of locations. The system is implemented through various replication topologies which allow the simultaneous access and annotation of a cardiology study during the procedure. The study can be displayed and annotated at any of the plurality of locations, which may be local or remote, during the procedure. Annotations made at one of the plurality of locations will be distributed to the other locations through a publisher.

Abstract: A distributed multi-user system for real time data access during cardiology procedures. The system includes an interactive computer network which can be used to simultaneously display data from a cardiology procedure on a plurality of devices and at a plurality of locations. A catalog, including a list of studies, may be selected by a client workstation. If a user selects one of the studies, the client workstation is dynamically directed to the study. The study can be displayed at any of the plurality of locations, which may be local or remote, during the procedure. Any updates to the data during the procedure will be distributed to the plurality of locations for real-time viewing of the updated data.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing serial comparison between electrocardiograms (ECGs) acquired from a patient. The method includes acquiring ECGs from a patient with an acquisition device and using the acquisition device to perform a serial comparison between at least two of the acquired ECGs. The apparatus is an acquisition device including an acquisition module for acquiring ECGs from a patient and a signal processor for performing a serial comparison between at least two of the acquired ECGs.

Abstract: A dual band telemetry system useful for monitoring patients in a care unit of a health care facility. The system includes an antenna system with a first antenna tuned to receive a signal in a first frequency band, a second antenna tuned to receive a signal in a second frequency band, a down converter for producing a frequency translation signal, and a mixer coupled to the second antenna. The mixer combines the signal received by the second antenna with the frequency translation signal to produce a signal having a frequency in the first frequency band. A combiner coupled to the mixer and the first antenna combines the signal generated by the mixer with the signal received by the first antenna. The combined signals are ultimately delivered to a central station for processing.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting a physiological signal and for providing indication of an event relating to the physiological signal. The apparatus including an input terminal for connection to a patient to acquire a physiological signal having at least one physiological event, an analysis module having a processor and software for operating the processor to determine an occurrence of the event and to generate a signal upon the occurrence of the event, and an indicator that receives the signal and provides to a user an indication of the event in response to the signal. The method including obtaining the physiological signal, determining the onset of the physiological event, and generating a signal in response to the onset of the physiological event.

Abstract: The invention provides an electronic device including a housing having a plurality of sidewalls defining a generally rectangular cavity within the housing to support therein a predetermined number of generally cylindrical batteries. One of the sidewalls defines an aperture extending through the sidewall and opening into the cavity. A support member is mounted in the housing and includes a support portion extending into the cavity to support inserted batteries in a position transverse to at least one of the sidewalls until all of the predetermined number of batteries are inserted into the cavity.

Abstract: A patient monitor has a plurality of voice alarm messages stored in a memory. When the monitor detects an occurrence of an alarm condition, such as an usual physiological characteristic of the patient, a voice alarm message associated with that condition is played back through a loudspeaker. To enable the patient monitor to be used throughout the world, the end user is able to replace each of the prerecorded voice alarm messages. Thus the end user is able to store voice messages in the native language and dialect spoken where the monitor is used.

Abstract: A gas stream monitoring system including a low cost main stream gas analyzer system is disclosed herein. The low cost main stream gas analyzer system is calibrated by a side stream gas analyzer system included in the gas stream monitoring system. Once calibrated, the side stream system is placed into standby mode such that diversions of portions of the gas stream can be minimized. The calibrated output signals from the low cost main stream system contain corrections for gas interference, pressure change, temperature change, manufacturing tolerance, component flaws, and any other sources of error.

Abstract: A patient monitor for determining a probability that a patient has acute cardiac ischemia including an input device connectable to a patient to acquire electrocardiogram (ECG) signals from the patient, an instrumentation amplifier connected to the input terminal to combine the signals and to generate at least one ECG lead, and an analysis module. The analysis module is operable to continuously read the ECG lead, to analyze a portion of the ECG lead for a period of time, and to calculate a probability that the patient has acute cardiac ischemia based at least in part on the analyzed portion of the ECG lead.

Abstract: An object location monitoring system tracks the locations of portable transceivers that attach to movable objects, such as patients within a hospital. The system preferably tracks the locations of the transceivers by combining a signal strength based locating process with a topological tracking process. Beacons that intermittently transmit unique ID codes are mounted to walls or other structures throughout a building, and are maintained in synchronization using the 60 Hz cycle of a standard 120V AC power signal, either directly or by monitoring flicker of fluorescent lighting. The transceivers receive the transmissions of nearby beacons, determine the signal strengths of such transmissions, and forward associated data to a server. The server uses this data to determine the location of each transceiver, and uses expected travel times between specific locations to resolve ambiguities.