Abstract: The present invention is a novel approach in combining wired and wireless ECG monitoring. An ECG Wireless Plug (“Wplug”) is inserted between the Trunk Cable and the Leadwire Cable, so as to both pass the ECG to the Host Monitor and to intercept the signal for processing and wireless transmission. When the Wplug is inserted and the Host Monitor is active, the signal transmitted to the Telemetry Receiver can be identified as belonging to the same patient as on the Host Monitor.

Abstract: A method for managing alarms in a physiological monitor by identifying a clinical sequence of adverse effects and following the evolution of the sequence by alarm logic. By requiring the evolution to proceed as defined, false alarms from the individual parameters can be suppressed, resulting in a significant improvement in the specificity of the alarm, without sacrificing sensitivity.

Abstract: A method for handling sudden and substantial pressure changes in invasive arterial blood pressure monitoring, a blood pressure monitoring apparatus, and a computer program product for a blood pressure monitoring apparatus are disclosed. To provide a user of a patient monitor a possibility to readily adapt the alarm functionality of blood pressure measurement to a clinical task without a need to go through a complicated nullifying process of a high priority alarm, a touchable user interface element is produced onto a touch screen of patient monitor if a sudden and substantial change is detected in measured arterial blood pressure of the subject. The user interface element is indicative of an alarm and configured to enable the user to modify alarm functionality of the patient monitor for an intentional clinical task that caused the sudden and substantial change in the measured arterial blood pressure.

Abstract: A method for controlling alarms in a physiological monitoring apparatus, a physiological monitoring apparatus, and a computer program product for a physiological monitoring apparatus are disclosed. In order to decrease the number of nuisance alarms, the level of a physiological signal obtained from a subject is observed and signal morphology is determined for the physiological signal in response to detecting a change of the level of the physiological signal to a predetermined value range representing low signal values, thereby to obtain reference morphology for the physiological signal. Signal morphology is monitored if the physiological signal remains in the predetermined value range and alarms are suppressed as long as the signal morphology fulfills predefined criteria with respect to the reference morphology and the level of the physiological signal remains in the predetermined value range.

Abstract: A mechanism for authenticating a physiological sensor is disclosed. When a sensor is connected to a monitor, the monitor examines whether a first sensor-specific usage identifier of the connected sensor is consistent with a second sensor-specific usage identifier thereof. The first and second sensor-specific usage identifiers are indicative of the cumulative usage of the connected sensor, but may nevertheless be unequal. The first sensor-specific usage identifier is maintained in the sensor and the second sensor-specific usage identifier in a host memory external to the sensor. The use of the connected sensor is allowed when the examining indicates that the said two identifiers of the connected sensor are consistent, and rejected when the identifiers are inconsistent. The two identifiers are further updated in response to the use of the connected sensor in the patient monitor, thereby to keep the said identifiers consistent and updated for a subsequent use attempt of the sensor.

Abstract: A method for handling sudden and substantial pressure changes in invasive arterial blood pressure monitoring, a blood pressure monitoring apparatus, and a computer program product for a blood pressure monitoring apparatus are disclosed. To provide a user of a patient monitor a possibility to readily adapt the alarm functionality of blood pressure measurement to a clinical task without a need to go through a complicated nullifying process of a high priority alarm, a touchable user interface element is produced onto a touch screen of patient monitor if a sudden and substantial change is detected in measured arterial blood pressure of the subject. The user interface element is indicative of an alarm and configured to enable the user to modify alarm functionality of the patient monitor for an intentional clinical task that caused the sudden and substantial change in the measured arterial blood pressure.

Abstract: An ECG front end and a method for acquiring ECG signals are disclosed. The front end comprises a plurality of parallel measurement branches, each measurement branch comprising a protection resistor having a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal is connectable to a respective ECG electrode. Each measurement branch comprises a first input amplifier operatively connected to the second terminal of the protection resistor and a capacitor having a first and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the capacitor is operatively connected to a point between the first input amplifier and the second terminal of the protection resistor and the second terminal of the capacitor is connected to a virtual ground of a second input amplifier. Each first input amplifier serves as a source of an ECG channel signal and each second input amplifier as a source of high frequency signal components.

Abstract: A method, a system, and a computer program for calibration of sensitivity of a subject to a drug. The subject is delivered with the drug at a delivery rate and a signal responsive to the drug is measured from the subject. When determining the sensitivity of the subject to the drug in question, a change in the delivery rate of the drug is initiated. The change in the delivery rate causes a small change in the signal responsive to the drug. The change in the measured signal caused by the drug delivery rate change is detected, and the sensitivity of the patient is determined.

Abstract: A method for managing alarms in a physiological monitoring apparatus, a physiological monitoring apparatus, and a computer program product for a physiological monitoring apparatus are disclosed. A plurality of averages of a physiological parameter are derived, wherein the parameter is derived from at least one physiological signal acquired from a subject and wherein the averages represent a corresponding plurality of averaging periods. Respective alarm limits are assigned to the plurality of averages and at least one alarm indicator is defined, each alarm indicator being defined based on respective average and alarm limit. An alarm is detected based on the at least one alarm indicator.

Abstract: A sensor interface configured to adapt analog and digital sensors is disclosed herein. The sensor interface unit includes: a port configured to be coupled to either a digital sensor or an analog sensor and a signal processing circuit for processing an analog sensor output when an analog sensor is coupled to the port. The interface further includes a switching mechanism configured to bypass the signal processing circuitry when a digital sensor is coupled to the port.

Abstract: A method for controlling alarms in a physiological monitoring apparatus, a physiological monitoring apparatus, and a computer program product for a physiological monitoring apparatus are disclosed. In order to decrease the number of nuisance alarms, the level of a physiological signal obtained from a subject is observed and signal morphology is determined for the physiological signal in response to detecting a change of the level of the physiological signal to a predetermined value range representing low signal values, thereby to obtain reference morphology for the physiological signal. Signal morphology is monitored if the physiological signal remains in the predetermined value range and alarms are suppressed as long as the signal morphology fulfills predefined criteria with respect to the reference morphology and the level of the physiological signal remains in the predetermined value range.

Abstract: A method for assigning addresses to a plurality of physiological sensor units is disclosed. A physiological measurement system and a connector element for a physiological measurement system are also disclosed. To enable identification of identical sensor units in a measurement system, each input port of a connector element, such as a trunk cable, is adapted to determine at least part of a device address of a sensor unit connected to that input port, thereby to obtain a unique device address for each sensor unit connected to the connector element.

Abstract: A method, device, and computer program product for monitoring a subject receiving care are disclosed. To enable creation of different clinical applications with visually informative user interfaces similar to each other, a monitoring apparatus is provided with a generic monitor module serving as a template for creation of monitoring instances. At least one clinical application may be created from the generic monitor module, wherein each clinical application defines a care process for caring a subject, and a subject-specific monitoring instance may be produced from any of the at least one clinical application, thereby to obtain a runtime monitoring instance. The runtime monitoring instance may then be employed for monitoring the subject online.

Abstract: The invention relates to a probe and a method for use with a probe, which produces signals indicative of the light absorption of arterial blood at least at a first light wave-length and at a second light wavelength. In order to indicate if the probe is not properly attached to a tissue site the method comprises measuring with at a third wave-length. The third wavelength is chosen so that human tissue is less transparent than at the first and second wavelengths.

Abstract: An ECG front end and a method for acquiring ECG signals are disclosed. The front end comprises a plurality of parallel measurement branches, each measurement branch comprising a protection resistor having a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal is connectable to a respective ECG electrode. Each measurement branch comprises a first input amplifier operatively connected to the second terminal of the protection resistor and a capacitor having a first and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the capacitor is operatively connected to a point between the first input amplifier and the second terminal of the protection resistor and the second terminal of the capacitor is connected to a virtual ground of a second input amplifier. Each first input amplifier serves as a source of an ECG channel signal and each second input amplifier as a source of high frequency signal components.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system for delivering anesthesia drugs to a patient. The system comprises means for feeding anesthesia drugs to the patient treated, a measuring device for measuring at least one parameter relating to the effects of the anesthetic drugs fed to the patient, a patient monitor to show the results measured by the measuring devices, and feeding means for feeding patient demographics to the system. The system further comprises means for visual planning of the anesthesia drug delivery before the drugs are actually fed. The system can also comprise means for anesthesia management for drug interaction during the treatment.

Abstract: A method, system and apparatus are disclosed for monitoring a subject with a transport monitor comprising a measurement unit including at least one magnetic component unit operative when monitoring the subject in absence of a high magnetic field. To maintain the monitoring capacity of a standard transport monitor even in the high magnetic field, the transport monitor is provided with a reconfiguration unit adapted to reconfigure the measurement unit for the high magnetic field so that at least part of the monitoring capability that the measurement unit has in absence of the high magnetic field is preserved in presence of the high magnetic field.

Abstract: A method, device, and computer program product for determining a clinical index indicative of a general clinical state of a subject in terms of planned care are disclosed. A set of physiological parameters determined from the subject is selected for the type of care to be applied to the subject. A targeted value range is attached to each physiological parameter belonging to the set and a general condition index of the subject is determined as a function of two integers, where the integers belong to a group including (i) the number of physiological parameters of the set that are currently within respective targeted value ranges, (ii) the number of physiological parameters of the set that are currently outside respective targeted value ranges, and (iii) the total number of physiological parameters in the set of physiological parameters.

Abstract: A mechanism for authenticating a physiological sensor is disclosed. When a sensor is connected to a monitor, the monitor examines whether a first sensor-specific usage identifier of the connected sensor is consistent with a second sensor-specific usage identifier thereof. The first and second sensor-specific usage identifiers are indicative of the cumulative usage of the connected sensor, but may nevertheless be unequal. The first sensor-specific usage identifier is maintained in the sensor and the second sensor-specific usage identifier in a host memory external to the sensor. The use of the connected sensor is allowed when the examining indicates that the said two identifiers of the connected sensor are consistent, and rejected when the identifiers are inconsistent. The two identifiers are further updated in response to the use of the connected sensor in the patient monitor, thereby to keep the said identifiers consistent and updated for a subsequent use attempt of the sensor.

Abstract: A floating physiological data acquisition system with expandable ECG and EEG. The data acquisition system for obtaining electrophysiological signals from a patient comprises a patient monitor and separate patient side acquisition units connectable to the patient monitor. Each of the patient side acquisition units comprises an analog-to-digital converter, a serial interface communicative towards a serial bus connecting the patient side data acquisition unit with the patient monitor, and a serial interface controller processor. Each of the patient side acquisition units further forms a part of a floating patient applied part of the data acquisition system.