Distributed Patient Monitoring System

Abstract

A distributed patient monitoring system for visually monitoring patients and patient parameters using portable processing devices in different remote locations includes a monitoring processor. The monitoring processor is responsive to user initiated commands from multiple different portable processing devices in different remote locations and includes an input processor and a data processor. The input processor acquires vital sign parameters and associated video data representative of multiple sequences of video images of corresponding multiple different patients. The data processor processes the vital sign parameters and associated video data to provide processed first video data representing an image sequence including a composite image including a first area showing live video of a selected first patient and a second area presenting vital sign parameters of the selected first patient. The data processor also processes the vital sign parameters and associated video data to provide processed second video data representing an image sequence including a composite image including a first area showing live video of a selected second patient and a second area presenting vital sign parameters of the selected second patient. A communication network has bandwidth sufficient to communicate the processed first video data and second video data to first and second portable processing devices respectively of the multiple different portable processing devices in different remote locations in response to commands received from the first and second portable processing devices respectively.

Description

[0001]This is a non-provisional application of provisional application Ser. No. 60 / 910,674 filed Apr. 9, 2007 and of provisional application Ser. No. 60 / 911,302 filed Apr. 12, 2007, by J. R. Zaleski.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]This invention concerns a distributed patient monitoring system for visually monitoring patients and patient parameters using a plurality of portable processing devices in different remote locations.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Monitoring of patients, particularly patients in critical care is a burdensome and labor intensive task. This problem has been addressed by use of a centralized monitoring facility enabling a physician at the workstation of the centralized monitoring facility to monitor patient vital signs and video and audio. One known remote centralized patient monitoring system, described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,804,656, provides fixed location, static centralized monitoring of ICUs by a physician. The centralized monitoring employs a single command c...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Monitoring of patients, particularly patients in critical care is a burdensome and labor intensive task.

However it is fixed in location, inflexible in performance and architecture and fails to accommodate high bandwidth communication of patient related data.

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