Telemedical monitoring

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a system for remote monitoring of a patient (1) located at a patient location (5) of a health care institution. The system transmits patient data acquired at a patient location (5) to a remote display device (7A-7D) and displays the patient data as real-time patient data on a display (11A-11D) of the remote display device (7A-7D) as long as the patient data can be transmitted to the remote display device in near real-time. When a real-time data interruption occurs during which patient data cannot be transmitted to the remote display device (7A-7D) in close real-time, the system is configured to display pre-interruption patient data (19) corresponding to patient data acquired prior to the real-time data interruption on a display (11A-11D) of the remote display device (7A-7D) as a replacement of the real-time patient data (17), and visually indicating, on a display (11A-11D) of the remote display device (7A-7D), that the pre-interruption patient data (19) is not the real-time patient data (17).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of real-time remote patient monitoring. In particular, this disclosure relates to systems, methods, and computer programs for remotely monitoring patients in healthcare facilities as defined in the preamble of the appended independent claims. Background Technology

[0002] Remote patient monitoring (RPM) involves collecting patient data using electronic medical devices and transmitting that data from the devices to a remote healthcare provider, who can then analyze the data and remotely track the patient's health. Real-time RPM is a subset of RPM in which patient data is transmitted to a healthcare provider in real time, allowing the provider to monitor the patient's current health status and intervene as needed.

[0003] Medical devices used to collect patient data in a real-time RPM system may include, for example, wearable devices, sensors, medical treatment devices, local patient monitoring systems, and other monitoring tools that can track vital signs such as heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen levels, and respiratory rate.

[0004] Examples of medical devices that can provide remote access to patient data acquired during ongoing treatment include mechanical ventilators. Today, many leading ventilator manufacturers offer products that allow clinicians to remotely access patient data acquired by the ventilator during ongoing mechanical ventilation via a remote display or monitor. Such patient data may involve both the patient and the operation of the ventilator. Some solutions even enable remote control of the ventilator via a remote display or monitor.

[0005] Remote patient monitoring solutions typically require data communication via wireless networks, and are therefore prone to downtime due to interruptions or loss of wireless network connectivity. During such outages, most remote monitoring solutions are unable to provide access to patient data.

[0006] Therefore, network connectivity disruptions can prevent the display of patient data to remote clinicians or device operators. This can also result in the display of outdated patient data, potentially leading clinicians or operators to make critical patient decisions based on expired and sometimes misleading information. This relates to patient safety, particularly during real-time RPM for critically ill patients.

[0007] U.S. Patent Nos. 1,121,116 and 9,041,532 disclose examples of systems that involve at least some degree of remote medical monitoring and are concerned with the problem of interruption or loss of network connectivity.

[0008] However, given the existing technology for remote medical monitoring systems, there is a need to overcome or at least mitigate some of the problems caused by network connection interruptions or any other phenomena that prevent patient data from being transmitted from medical devices at the patient's location to remote displays or monitors. Summary of the Invention

[0009] The purpose of this disclosure is to mitigate, reduce or eliminate one or more of the aforementioned defects and disadvantages in the prior art.

[0010] In particular, the purpose of this disclosure is to provide means for facilitating decision-making by remote clinicians in the remote monitoring of patients, and especially for preventing decisions that are critical to patients from being made based on outdated and potentially misleading patient data. Ultimately, the purpose of this disclosure is to improve patient safety during such remote monitoring.

[0011] According to a first aspect of this disclosure, a system is provided for remotely monitoring patients located in a patient setting at a healthcare facility, such as a hospital or medical clinic. The system is configured to transmit patient data acquired by medical devices at the patient setting to a remote display device, and to display the patient data as real-time patient data on the display of the remote display device. The system is configured such that when patient data can be transmitted to the remote display device in near real-time, the patient data is displayed as real-time patient data on the display of the remote display device. On the other hand, when a real-time data interruption occurs during which patient data cannot be transmitted to the remote display device in near real-time, the system is configured to display pre-interruption patient data corresponding to the patient data acquired before the real-time data interruption as a substitute for real-time patient data on the display of the remote display device. The system is also configured to visually indicate on the display of the remote display device that the pre-interruption patient data is not real-time data.

[0012] Patient data often remains relevant to clinical decision-making for some time after it is acquired. Some types of patient data change little or slowly and can remain relevant over long periods, while other types change frequently or rapidly and therefore become outdated as a basis for clinical decision-making soon after acquisition. By displaying pre-interruption patient data corresponding to the patient data acquired before the real-time data interruption and visually indicating that the pre-interruption patient data is not real-time data, potentially relevant patient data is provided to teleclinics even during real-time data interruptions, while informing them that the data displayed is outdated and therefore potentially unsuitable as a basis for clinical decision-making.

[0013] Displaying pre-interruption patient data as a substitute for real-time patient data means that the pre-interruption patient data is displayed in a manner similar to real-time patient data on a remote display device. In some implementations, this means that when real-time data is interrupted, the pre-interruption patient data replaces the real-time patient data in the current view of the graphical user interface (GUI) of the remote display device.

[0014] During a real-time data interruption, the pre-interruption data displayed as an alternative to real-time data is preferably the last acquired patient data that can be transmitted to a remote display device.

[0015] According to some implementations, the system is configured to display, along with the pre-interruption patient data, information indicating when the pre-interruption patient data was acquired at the patient's location on the display of a remote display device.

[0016] In this way, the displayed pre-interruption patient data can further assist clinicians who remotely monitor patients in making clinical decisions.

[0017] According to some implementations, the system is configured to display patient data prior to interruption on a display of a remote display device only during a predetermined time window.

[0018] This further reduces the risk of remote clinicians making erroneous clinical decisions based on potentially irrelevant or even misleading outdated patient data. Furthermore, the GUI of the remote display device becomes more user-friendly because other data and information displayed on the GUI are not obscured by outdated patient data. The duration of the time window can be set to correspond to the period before its interruption when the patient data can be considered substantially corresponding to the current patient data. This time can vary based on the type of patient data being displayed and can be determined, for example, based on the trend of patient data over time, the criticality of the patient data in the correctness of clinical decision-making, etc.

[0019] According to some implementations, the duration of the time window varies for different patient data types. This allows the time during which patient data prior to the interruption is displayed to be adjusted individually for different patient data types. For example, a time window for patient data types that remain relevant over a long period can have a longer duration than a time window for patient data types that quickly become irrelevant or misleading.

[0020] According to some implementations, the system is configured to display real-time patient data and pre-interruption patient data in a real-time view of a graphical user interface (GUI) of a remote display device, and to prevent further display of pre-interruption patient data as a substitute for real-time patient data in the real-time view once a predetermined time window has elapsed. However, the system can be configured to still enable the display of pre-interruption patient data as historical patient data in a non-real-time view of the GUI.

[0021] This is advantageous because pre-interruption patient data remains available to remote clinicians even after the time window has passed, while minimizing the risk of clinicians mistaking pre-interruption data for real-time data. Historical patient data can include, for example, trends or trend curves of pre-interruption patient data, and historical patient data is generally more relevant to clinical decision-making than one or more different patient data points acquired some time ago.

[0022] Medical devices that acquire patient data at the patient's location can be any type of electronic medical device capable of acquiring patient data related to the patient and / or the patient's ongoing medical treatment, and capable of transmitting the patient data directly or via other devices or network nodes to a remote display device. Non-limiting examples of such medical devices include wearable medical devices, sensors, medical treatment devices, and local (at the patient's location) patient monitoring systems.

[0023] In cases where a medical device is associated with a graphical user interface (GUI), a remote display device may advantageously be provided with a GUI that is a copy of the GUI associated with the medical device.

[0024] Designing the GUI of a remote display device as a copy of the GUI associated with the medical device allows remote clinicians—who are typically experienced users of the medical device and therefore familiar with the GUI associated with it—to navigate the remote display device's GUI without additional training. Furthermore, and more importantly, this makes it easier for clinicians to perceive visual indications that the patient data presented before the interruption is not real-time. This is because clinicians accustomed to handling and operating medical devices are familiar with the GUI of the medical device and therefore with the design of any GUI view that presents real-time patient data. Visual indications that the presented patient data is not real-time (which are typically not presented in that GUI view) will therefore be more readily noticed by clinicians than if they were unfamiliar with the GUI.

[0025] According to some implementations, the system includes a server configured to receive patient data acquired at the patient's location and transmit the patient data to a remote display device for real-time patient data display.

[0026] In some implementations, the acquired patient data can be directly transmitted to a remote display device via a medical device at the patient's location or any other device communicatively connected to the medical device. However, using an intermediate server that receives the acquired patient data and transmits it to the remote display device offers several advantages in terms of system architecture and functionality. For example, an intermediate server allows for centralized buffering and / or storage of patient data on the server and facilitates access to patient data from different remote display devices.

[0027] According to some implementations, the server is configured to provide the functionality described herein via a web application stored on the server and accessible by a web browser on the remote display device. Based on the teachings of this disclosure, this enables any display device equipped with a web browser to be used as a remote display device for remote monitoring of a patient.

[0028] According to some implementations, the system is configured to store received patient data in a server, and in the event of a real-time data interruption that prevents the server from receiving patient data from the patient's location but allows the server to communicate with a remote display device, the stored patient data is transmitted to the remote display device for display as historical patient data in a non-real-time view of the GUI. This enables the display of pre-interruption patient data as historical patient data via the remote display device without storing the patient data in the remote display device itself.

[0029] According to some implementations, the server is configured to buffer near real-time patient data in the server for a predetermined buffering time, and transmit the buffered near real-time patient data to a remote display device as near real-time patient data to be displayed on the monitor of the remote display device. This compensates for the difference between the rate at which patient data is transmitted from the patient's location and the rate at which patient data can be received on the remote display device.

[0030] According to some implementations, the system is configured to receive patient data acquired at multiple patient locations, each hosting a corresponding patient, and simultaneously display the patient data acquired at multiple patient locations as real-time patient data on the display of a single remote display device communicatively connected to the server. Such a system is advantageous for remote and simultaneous monitoring of multiple patients because remote clinicians can easily compare patient data from multiple patient locations. Such comparisons help detect discrepancies in patient data that might otherwise be difficult to detect. In some implementations, the remote multi-monitoring system can be configured to display a dashboard view comprising copies of the GUIs of medical devices from multiple patient locations presented side-by-side on the display of the remote display device. This allows remote clinicians to compare patient data presented in the same or similar manner, which further aids in detecting patient data discrepancies. The remote clinician can control the dashboard view of the remote display device to present a real-time or non-real-time view of the GUI copies, allowing the remote clinician to compare either real-time or historical patient data presented as trends or trend curves between different patient locations.

[0031] As mentioned above, the medical device that acquires patient data at the patient location can be any type of electronic medical device. In some embodiments, the medical device is a device that provides intensive care treatment to a patient at the patient location, such as a mechanical ventilator that provides respiratory therapy or an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) device that provides extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) therapy. In other embodiments, the medical device can be a bedside patient monitor for bedside monitoring of the patient's physiological condition or a wearable medical device configured to be worn on the patient's body.

[0032] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, a method is provided in a system for remotely monitoring a patient at a patient location in a healthcare facility, wherein the system is configured to transmit patient data acquired by medical devices located at the same patient location as the patient to a remote display device, and to display the patient data as real-time patient data on a display of the remote display device. The method includes the steps of: displaying the patient data as real-time patient data on a display of the remote display device when the patient data can be transmitted to the remote display device in near real-time; and when a real-time data interruption occurs during which the patient data cannot be transmitted to the remote display device in near real-time, displaying pre-interruption patient data corresponding to the patient data acquired before the real-time data interruption as a substitute for the real-time patient data on the display of the remote display device, and visually indicating on the display of the remote display device that the pre-interruption patient data is not real-time data.

[0033] According to some implementations, the method includes the step of displaying information on a display of a remote display device, together with pre-interruption patient data, indicating when the pre-interruption patient data was acquired at the patient's location.

[0034] According to some implementations, patient data prior to the interruption is displayed on the monitor of a remote display device only during a predetermined time window.

[0035] According to some implementations, real-time patient data and pre-interruption patient data are displayed in a real-time view of a GUI of a remote display device, wherein the method includes the following steps: preventing further display of pre-interruption patient data as a substitute for real-time patient data in the real-time view when a predetermined time window has elapsed, while optionally enabling pre-interruption patient data to be displayed as historical patient data in a non-real-time view of the GUI.

[0036] According to some implementations where the medical device is associated with the GUI, the GUI of the remote display device is a copy of the GUI associated with the medical device.

[0037] According to some implementations, the method includes the following steps: receiving patient data acquired at the patient's location in a server, and transmitting the patient data to a remote display device for real-time patient data display.

[0038] According to some implementations, the method includes the following steps: storing the received patient data in a server, and transmitting the stored patient data to a remote display device when real-time data is interrupted, preventing the server from receiving patient data from the patient's location but allowing the server to communicate with a remote display device, so as to display the historical patient data in a non-real-time view of the GUI.

[0039] According to some implementations, the method includes the following steps: receiving patient data acquired at multiple patient locations in a server, each patient location hosting a corresponding patient connected to a medical device for acquiring patient data from the patient, and simultaneously displaying the patient data acquired at the multiple patient locations as real-time patient data on a display of a single remote display device communicatively connected to the server.

[0040] This method is a computer-implemented method executed by the system when a computer program is executed by one or more processors of the system.

[0041] Therefore, according to a third aspect of this disclosure, a computer program is provided for a system for remotely monitoring patients at a patient location in a healthcare facility, wherein the system is configured to transmit patient data acquired by medical devices at the patient location to a remote display device, and to display the patient data as real-time patient data on a display of the remote display device. The computer program includes computer-readable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of the system, cause the system to perform the methods described above.

[0042] According to some implementations, a computer program is a web application that resides on a server and is accessible by a remote display device via a web browser on the remote display device.

[0043] In other embodiments, the principles of this disclosure can be implemented using a distributed computer program, such as a client-server application. In this case, the method can be executed while a client application residing on a remote display device is configured to communicate with a server application residing on a server.

[0044] In other embodiments, the method may be executed while a first computer program component residing in a remote display device is communicating with a second computer program component residing in a medical device, thereby allowing patient data acquired at the patient's location to be directly transmitted to the remote display device without any intermediate server.

[0045] According to a fourth aspect of this disclosure, a computer program product is provided, the computer program product including a data storage device, such as a non-transitory memory hardware device, for storing the aforementioned computer program.

[0046] The effects and characteristics of the second, third, and fourth aspects are largely similar to those described above in conjunction with the first aspect.

[0047] Other effects and advantages of the systems, methods, and computer programs disclosed herein will become apparent from the following detailed description. The detailed description and specific examples disclose preferred embodiments of the present disclosure by way of illustration only. Those skilled in the art will understand from the guidance of the detailed description that changes and modifications can be made within the scope of this disclosure.

[0048] Therefore, it should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to specific components of the described apparatus or steps of the described method, as such apparatus and methods can vary. It should also be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. It should be noted that, when used in the specification and appended claims, the articles “a,” “an,” “the,” and “described” are intended to refer to one or more elements present, unless expressly stated in the context. Thus, for example, a reference to “unit” or “the unit” can include several devices, etc. Furthermore, the words “comprising,” “including,” “containing,” and similar terms do not exclude other elements or steps. Attached Figure Description

[0049] The above-mentioned and other objects, features and advantages of this disclosure will be more fully understood by referring to the following illustrative and non-limiting detailed description of exemplary embodiments of this disclosure when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0050] Figure 1 A system for remotely monitoring a patient located at a patient facility, according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, is shown.

[0051] Figure 2 An example is shown of a real-time view of a graphical user interface (GUI) that presents real-time patient data from a patient location on a display of a remote display device.

[0052] Figure 3 An example of a real-time view of the GUI is shown in the event of a real-time data interruption, during which the real-time patient data in the real-time patient data field of the real-time view is replaced with the patient data before the interruption.

[0053] Figure 4 An example of a real-time view of the GUI is shown when a real-time data interruption lasts for a period of time exceeding the duration of a predetermined time window. In this case, the display of the patient before the interruption as a substitute for real-time patient data is blocked.

[0054] Figure 5 An example of a non-real-time view of the GUI is shown, which provides access to pre-interruption patient data that is still presented as historical patient data during the long-term real-time data interruption.

[0055] Figure 6 A system for remotely monitoring multiple patients located at different patient locations is shown according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0056] Figure 7This is a flowchart illustrating a method performed in a system for remotely monitoring a patient located at a patient location, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0057] Figure 1 An exemplary embodiment of a system for remotely monitoring a patient 1 located at a patient location 5 in a healthcare facility such as a hospital or medical clinic is shown. The patient 1 is connected to medical devices 3A to 3D, which are located at the same patient location 5 as the patient 1 and are configured to acquire patient data related to the patient 1 and / or the patient's ongoing medical treatments. The system is a remote patient monitoring (RPM) system for near real-time monitoring of the patient 5 from a location remote from the patient location 5, and may sometimes be referred to hereinafter as a real-time RPM system.

[0058] Medical devices 3A to 3D can be any type of electronic medical device configured to acquire patient data at the patient location and facilitate the transmission of patient data from the patient location to remote display devices 7A to 7D. Medical devices 3A to 3D can be certified medical-grade devices specifically designed for use in hospital environments.

[0059] In some embodiments, medical devices 3A to 3D are intensive care treatment devices, i.e., medical devices configured to provide intensive care treatment to patient 1. For example, the medical device may be a respiratory device such as a mechanical ventilator 3A or an anesthesia machine for providing respiratory therapy to patient 1. According to another example, the medical device is a cardiopulmonary bypass machine for oxygenating the blood of patient 1, such as an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) device 3B for providing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) therapy to patient 1.

[0060] In other embodiments, medical devices 3A to 3D may be bedside patient monitoring systems 3C located at the same patient location 5 as the patient. In other embodiments, medical devices 3A to 3D may be wearable medical devices 3D worn on the body of patient 1. In the non-limiting example shown, the wearable medical device 3D is a wearable electrocardiogram (ECG) monitor.

[0061] Medical devices 3A to 3D are configured to acquire patient data related to the patient 1 and / or the operation of the medical device, typically using one or more sensors to measure patient parameters or the internal state and / or settings of the medical device.

[0062] In embodiments where the medical device is a respiratory device such as a mechanical ventilator 3A, non-limiting examples of patient data that can be acquired by the medical device include the patient's airway pressure (P). awThe following parameters are considered: positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) applied to the patient's airway; the patient's respiratory rate (RR); the patient's minute ventilation (MV); the tidal volume (VT) of the respiratory gases inhaled and / or exhaled by the patient; the patient's inspiratory to expiratory ratio (I:E); the oxygen concentration of the respiratory gases delivered to the patient; the carbon dioxide concentration of the exhaled gases from the patient; and the patient's dynamic compliance (C). dyn ), heart rate, mean arterial pressure (MAP), body temperature, blood oxygen saturation level, and central venous pressure (CVP).

[0063] In embodiments where the medical device is a cardiopulmonary bypass machine, such as an ECMO device 3B, non-limiting examples of patient data that can be acquired by the medical device include: the flow rate of purge gas supplied to the oxygenator of the ECMO device, the oxygen and / or carbon dioxide concentrations in the pre-oxygenator and / or post-oxygenator, the pressure drop across the oxygenator, the gas delivery resistance of the oxygenator, blood parameters determined using a blood gas analyzer (BGA) of the ECMO device, the patient's venous pressure and / or arterial pressure, heart rate, body temperature, blood oxygen saturation level, and CVP.

[0064] In an embodiment of a medical device as a bedside patient monitoring system 3C, non-limiting examples of patient data that can be acquired by the medical device include heart rate, ECG signal, respiratory rate, blood pressure, body temperature, and blood oxygen saturation level.

[0065] In an implementation where the medical device is a wearable medical device 3D, non-limiting examples of patient data that can be acquired by the medical device include heart rate, ECG signal, respiratory rate, blood pressure, body temperature, blood oxygen saturation level, and blood glucose level.

[0066] Medical devices 3A to 3D may include or be connected to monitors or display devices for presenting acquired patient data to patient 1 and / or a clinician located at patient location 5 with patient 1. For example, some medical devices 3A to 3C may include integrated monitors 4A to 4C for presenting acquired patient data to a clinician or medical device operator at patient 1's bedside. In the illustrated example, this applies to ventilator 3A, ECMO device 3B, and bedside patient monitoring system 3C. Other medical devices may be coupled to an external display device at patient location 5 to display patient data acquired by the medical device on the display device's screen. In the illustrated example, this applies to wearable medical device 3D coupled to an external display device 6, which includes a display 4D for presenting patient data to patient 1 and / or a clinician located at patient location 5 with patient 1. In this example, the external patient location display device 6 is a smartphone, to which the wearable medical device 3D transmits the acquired patient data via, for example, a Bluetooth connection.

[0067] Patient data can be displayed on monitors 4A to 4C or patient location display device 6 using a graphical user interface (GUI) associated with the medical device. This GUI can be navigated by bedside clinicians and / or patients to change views, modify medical device settings, set alarms, etc. Therefore, this GUI is designed for and intended for patient location monitoring of patient data, and will therefore be referred to below as the Patient Location GUI.

[0068] The system is also configured to transmit patient data acquired by medical devices 3A to 3D to remote display devices 7A to 7D. In the illustrated embodiment, patient data is transmitted from the patient location 5 by transmission modules 9A to 9D of the medical devices 3A to 3D or their associated external display devices 6. Transmission modules 9A to 9D may be integrated into the medical devices or external display devices, or they may be additional transmission modules that can be connected to the communication port of the medical devices or external display devices to provide network connectivity. Transmission modules 9A to 9D are configured to transmit patient data to a system server 13. Server 13 is configured to receive and process patient data and transmit it to the remote display devices 7A to 7D. Server 13 is preferably located within a healthcare facility.

[0069] Transmission modules 9A to 9D are typically, but not necessarily, configured to wirelessly transmit patient data to server 13, for example, via a wireless network. The network used to transmit patient data from transmission modules 9A to 9D to server 13 can be the Internet or a healthcare provider's IT network, such as a healthcare institution's local area network (LAN) or a healthcare organization's private wide area network (WAN). Preferably, the network is a healthcare provider's IT network, thereby allowing the network and server 13 to be adapted to meet specific requirements and regulations in a hospital environment that constrain network and server management of patient data to ensure the security, privacy, and integrity of sensitive medical information. Transmission modules 9A to 9D can be configured to use any available wireless communication technology, such as Wi-Fi, 4G, or 5G mobile network technology. It should also be noted that this disclosure is not limited to wireless communication, and the principles of near real-time remote monitoring of patients described herein are also applicable when patient data is transmitted partially or entirely from patient location 5 to remote display devices 7A to 7D via a wired connection.

[0070] Server 13 may be a web server connected to the Internet, enabling remote monitoring of patient 1 via any type of Internet-connected display device. Server 13 includes at least one processor 10 and may be configured to provide the functionality described herein when the at least one processor executes a computer program stored in a data storage device 14 of server 13, such as a non-transitory memory hardware device.

[0071] In the example shown, the computer program stored in server 13 is a web application accessible via a web browser in data storage devices 12A-12D, such as non-transitory memory hardware devices, stored in remote display devices 7A-7D. Therefore, patient data is received by server 13 from transmission modules 9A-9D and transmitted to display devices 7A-7D via the web application stored in server 13. Of course, in other embodiments, the transmission of patient data from patient location 5 to remote display devices 7A-7D may involve several network nodes. For example, the system may include: a web server for receiving and / or storing patient data from patient location 5; and a web application server for hosting and running the web application that transmits patient data to remote display devices 7A-7D.

[0072] The system is configured to attempt to transmit patient data acquired by medical devices 3A to 3D at patient location 5 to remote display devices 7A to 7D in near real-time, and to display the patient data as real-time patient data on displays 11A to 11D of remote display devices 7A to 7D when the patient data can be transmitted to remote display devices 7A to 7D in near real-time. In the event of a real-time data interruption during which the patient data cannot be transmitted to remote display devices 7A to 7D in near real-time, the system is configured to display pre-interruption patient data corresponding to the patient data acquired before the real-time data interruption as a replacement for real-time patient data 17 on displays 11A to 11D of remote display devices 7A to 7D, and to visually indicate on displays 11A to 11D that the pre-interruption patient data is not real-time data, as shown in the reference... Figure 2 Further description.

[0073] The term "near real-time" is generally defined as the timeliness of data or information that is delayed due to the time required for electronic communication and automated data processing, meaning there is no significant delay. This definition also applies to the contents of this disclosure.

[0074] However, in some embodiments, server 13 is configured to buffer received patient data for a predetermined buffering time to compensate for the difference between the rate at which patient data is transmitted from transmission modules 9A to 9D and the rate at which patient data can be transmitted to remote display devices 7A to 7D. The buffering time is the period during which patient data is allowed to accumulate in server 13 before being transmitted to remote display devices 7A to 7D. Therefore, "near real-time" in the context of this disclosure can be the buffering time for buffering patient data in server 13 plus the time required for other data processing and transmission steps in and between the medical devices 3A to 3D, server 13, and remote display devices 7A to 7D.

[0075] The buffer time can be, for example, 1 to 10 seconds, preferably 1 to 6 seconds, and most preferably 1 to 4 seconds. In a preferred embodiment, the buffer time is approximately 3 seconds. Since the buffer time typically constitutes a large portion of the time required to transmit patient data to the remote display devices 7A to 7D, this means that "near real-time" in the context of this disclosure can correspond to a time period of no more than 10 seconds, preferably no more than 6 seconds, and most preferably no more than 4 seconds. In a preferred embodiment, "near real-time" means no more than 3 seconds. Furthermore, near real-time transmission of patient data to the remote display devices 7A to 7D means that the time from acquiring patient data at the patient location 5 to displaying the patient data on the displays 11A to 11D of the remote display devices 7A to 7D does not exceed the time limit mentioned above.

[0076] Figure 2 A live view 16 is shown of a GUI 15 of remote display devices 7A to 7D, which is caused to be displayed on monitors 11A to 11D of the remote display devices 7A to 7D when a web application residing in server 13 is running by a web browser on the remote display devices 7A to 7D. Strictly speaking, GUI 15 is the GUI of the web application residing in server 13, and not the GUI of the actual remote display devices 7A to 7D. However, throughout this disclosure, the GUI of a remote display device should be interpreted as any GUI presented on monitors 11A to 11D of the remote display devices 7A to 7D.

[0077] The real-time view 16 includes at least one real-time data field 18 for displaying real-time patient data 17. The real-time patient data 17 is characterized in the at least one real-time data field 18, thereby clearly identifying the displayed data as near-real-time data acquired at the patient location 5. In the example shown, the real-time data is displayed in a color or in white against a black background.

[0078] The GUI 15 of the remote display devices 7A to 7D is preferably a copy of the patient location GUI associated with the medical devices 3A to 3D mentioned above. The fact that the GUI 15 of the remote display devices 7A to 7D is a copy of the patient location GUI means that, at least in the real-time view 16 presenting real-time patient data, the patient data is presented in the same or similar manner as in the corresponding real-time view of the patient location GUI associated with the medical devices 3A to 3D. Preferably, most views, menus, controls, and other GUI objects of the patient location GUI are copied and presented on the GUI 15 of the remote display devices 7A to 7D in the same or similar manner as on the patient location GUI. This effectively makes the remote display devices 7A to 7D look and behave, to the greatest extent possible, like the monitors 4A to 4C or the associated display device 6 of the medical devices 3A to 3D, and in this sense, the remote display devices 7A to 7D can become a “twin” of the medical device monitors 4A to 4C or the associated patient location display device 6 by running a web application provided by the system server 13. In the example shown, also referencing Figure 1 GUI 15 is a copy of the GUI of the mechanical ventilator 3A presented on the ventilator monitor 4A.

[0079] Figure 3 A real-time view 16 of GUI 15 is shown during the first period of real-time data interruption, during which real-time patient data cannot be transmitted to remote display devices 7A to 7D.

[0080] Real-time data interruption can be any event or phenomenon that prevents the near-real-time transmission of patient data acquired by medical devices 3A to 3D at the patient location 5 to remote display devices 7A to 7D. Typically, in Figure 1 In the exemplary system architecture shown, real-time data interruption may be caused by a wireless connectivity problem that prevents transmission modules 9A to 9D from transmitting patient data to server 13.

[0081] During the first period of a real-time data interruption—typically starting once the interruption is detected by the system—the system is configured to display pre-interruption patient data 19 as a replacement for real-time patient data 17 in the real-time view 16 of the GUI 15. More specifically, the system is configured to display pre-interruption patient data 19 as a replacement for real-time patient data 17 by substituting pre-interruption patient data 19 for real-time patient data 17 in at least one real-time data field 18 of the real-time view 16.

[0082] Furthermore, the system is configured to visually indicate in the live view 16 that the pre-interruption patient data 19 is not the live patient data 17. This can be achieved by visually presenting the pre-interruption patient data 19 in a manner different from the characteristic way in which the live patient data 17 is presented in the live view 16. Instead of changing the visual appearance of the displayed patient data when switching from live patient data 17 to pre-interruption patient data 19, or in addition to changing the visual appearance of the displayed patient data when switching from live patient data 17 to pre-interruption patient data 19, the visual indication indicating that the pre-interruption patient data 19 is not the live patient data 17 may include Figure 21 and / or text informing the teleclinician that the pre-interruption patient data 19 is not the live patient data 17. In the example shown, the visual indication includes both the characteristic visual appearance of the pre-interruption patient data 19 and Figure 21, which are distinguishably different from the characteristic visual appearance of the live patient data 17, which informs the teleclinician that the displayed patient data is not the live patient data, but rather the pre-interruption patient data 19 corresponding to the “last known data before the disconnection”. In the example, pre-interruption patient data 19 is presented in grayscale against a black background in live view 16, while live patient data 17 is presented as follows: Figure 2 It is shown in a certain color or white.

[0083] The pre-interruption data 19 displayed during the first period of real-time data interruption is preferably the last acquired patient data that can be transmitted to the remote display devices 7A to 7D. If the real-time data interruption is caused by a wireless connectivity problem that prevents the transmission modules 9A to 9D from transmitting patient data to the server 13 but does not prevent the server 13 from transmitting data to the remote display devices 7A to 7D, then the pre-interruption patient data 19 will correspond to the last patient data received by the server 13 from the transmission modules 9A to 9D.

[0084] During the first period of real-time data interruption, the system can also be configured to display information 22 in the real-time view 16 showing the patient data 19 before the interruption, indicating when the patient data 19 was acquired at the patient location 5 before the interruption.

[0085] The first period of real-time data interruption, during which the pre-interruption patient data 19 is displayed in real-time view 16, typically lasts for a predetermined time period or time window. The predetermined time period can be, for example, up to 30 minutes. In some embodiments, the duration of the time window can range from 2 minutes to 20 minutes, preferably from 2 minutes to 12 minutes, and most preferably from 2 minutes to 8 minutes. In an exemplary embodiment, the duration of the time window is 5 minutes. In some embodiments, the duration of the time window can vary based on the type of patient data being displayed. For example, the duration of the time window can be determined based on the trend of a particular type of patient data over time and / or the criticality of that type of patient data in the correctness of clinical decision-making. The duration of the time window can also be determined based on other parameters such as the type of ongoing treatment provided to the patient, the patient's health status, etc. When the time window has elapsed, a second period of real-time data interruption begins, during which the system is configured to prevent further display of the pre-interruption patient data 19 as an alternative to real-time patient data 17 in real-time view 16, while allowing the pre-interruption patient data 19 to be displayed as historical patient data 21 in the non-real-time view 20 of GUI 15.

[0086] Figure 4 The diagram illustrates a live view 16 of GUI 15 during the second period of a live data interruption. As shown, the patient data 19 prior to the interruption is no longer presented in the live data field 18. Instead, the system is configured to present Figure 23 and / or text below, which indicates to the remote clinician that a live data interruption exists and that no patient data is available via the live view 16 of GUI 15. Also as shown, the system can be configured to display information 25 in the live view 16 indicating the duration of the ongoing live data interruption.

[0087] During this second period of real-time data interruption, while preventing the display of pre-interruption patient data 19 as a substitute for real-time data 17 in the real-time view 16 of GUI 15, the system is configured to still allow pre-interruption patient data 19 to be available to remote clinicians via a non-real-time view of the GUI. Such a non-real-time view... Figure 5 As shown in the image.

[0088] Figure 5A non-real-time view 20 is shown, presenting a log 30 and a trend curve 31 of historical patient data. In the non-real-time view 20, pre-interruption patient data is presented as historical patient data. Historical patient data can be presented as a trend curve 31 and / or numerical values. In the example shown, the log 30 includes numerical values ​​of historical patient data acquired at a time point indicated by an indicator 32, which indicates a time point along the time axis of the trend curve 31. Furthermore, the non-real-time view includes a data field 29 for recently acquired historical patient data 27, which corresponds to pre-interruption patient data 19 available via the real-time view 16 during the first period of the real-time data interruption. To clearly indicate to remote clinicians that the recently acquired historical patient data 27 is pre-interruption patient data that should not be confused with real-time patient data 17, the recently acquired historical patient data 27 can be presented in conjunction with the pre-interruption patient data 19 in the real-time view 16 (see...). Figure 3 The non-real-time view 20 is displayed with a visual appearance corresponding to the characteristic visual appearance of the real-time patient data 17, which is distinguishably different from the characteristic visual appearance of the real-time patient data 17. Of course, the non-real-time view 20 is accessible not only during real-time data interruptions, but also during normal operation of the remote monitoring system in the absence of connection interruptions or loss.

[0089] Therefore, refer to Figures 2 to 5 The remote monitoring system is configured to display real-time patient data 17 and pre-interruption patient data 19 in the real-time view 16 of the GUI 15 of the remote display devices 7A to 7D, and to prevent further display of pre-interruption patient data 19 as a substitute for real-time patient data 17 in the real-time view 16 when the real-time data interruption lasts for more than a predetermined time period, while allowing pre-interruption patient data 19 to be displayed as historical patient data 21 in the non-real-time view 20 of the GUI 15. In some embodiments, the system can be configured to automatically switch the view of the GUI of the remote display devices 7A to 7D from the real-time view 16 to the non-real-time view 20 when the time window during which pre-interruption patient data 19 is displayed as a substitute for real-time patient data 17 in the real-time view 16 has elapsed.

[0090] Refer again Figure 1To present patient data trends and logs of historical patient data on remote display devices 7A to 7D, system server 13 can be configured to store patient data received by server 13 from transmission modules 9A to 9D on patient location 5. The received patient data can be stored in a data storage device (not shown) within server 13 or in a data storage device, such as a patient data database, residing in a network node connected to server 13 at a communication location. This allows the system to also transmit historical patient data to remote display devices 7A to 7D via a web application within server 13 during real-time data interruptions caused by communication problems between medical devices 3A to 3D and server 13. Another advantage is that server 13 and / or other network nodes connected to server 13 typically have a higher data storage capacity than medical devices 3A to 3D on patient location 5, thereby enabling the display of longer-term trends of historical patient data on remote display devices 7A to 7D.

[0091] Figure 6 An exemplary scenario is illustrated in which the remote monitoring system of this disclosure is configured for simultaneous remote monitoring of multiple patients 1' to 1'''. In this scenario, system server 13 is configured to receive patient data acquired at multiple patient locations 5' to 5''', each patient location hosting a corresponding patient 1 to 1''' undergoing intensive care treatment provided by medical devices 3A' to 3A''', 3B' to 3B''' located at the corresponding patient location. The system is configured to display the patient data from patient locations 5' to 5''' on a display 11 of a single remote display device 7, and to display real-time patient data, pre-interruption patient data, and historical patient data from patient locations 5' to 5''' according to the principles described above.

[0092] Based on the principles described above, the multi-patient monitoring system can be configured to display copies 15' to 15''' of the GUIs of medical devices 3A' to 3A''' and 3B' to 3B'''' on the remote display device 7. The multi-patient monitoring system can be configured to display one GUI copy at a time, or simultaneously display multiple GUI copies of the GUIs of multiple medical devices providing intensive care treatment to patients at different patient locations. In some examples, the multi-patient monitoring system can be configured to simultaneously display multiple GUI copies of the GUIs of multiple medical devices of the same type providing treatment to different patients, such as multiple ventilator 3A devices or multiple ECMO devices 3B devices. In other examples, the multi-patient monitoring system can be configured to simultaneously display multiple GUI copies of the GUIs of multiple medical devices of different types providing treatment to the same patient, such as multiple ventilator 3A devices or multiple ECMO devices 3B devices.

[0093] In the example shown, multiple GUI copies 15' to 15''' of the GUIs of multiple mechanical ventilators 3A' to 3A''' providing intensive care to patients 1' to 1''' at corresponding patient locations 5' to 5''' are simultaneously displayed on a single remote display device 7. The GUI copies 15' to 15''' are displayed side-by-side in a dashboard view presented on the display 11 of the remote display device 7. The GUI copies 15' to 15''' of the dashboard view can be presented in conjunction with... Figures 2 to 4 The real-time view shown is the real-time view corresponding to or related to the real-time view 16 shown. Figure 5 The non-real-time view 20 shown corresponds to the non-real-time view, and presents real-time patient data 19, pre-interruption patient data 19, and historical patient data according to the principles described above. In this way, remote clinicians can compare any of the real-time patient data 17 and historical patient data acquired at different treatment locations.

[0094] Although the above description of a remote monitoring system incorporates an embodiment of a server 13 for receiving, processing, and forwarding patient data acquired at patient locations 5 to remote display devices 7A to 7D, it should be understood that the principles of this disclosure can also be used in remote monitoring systems without such a server. For example, as described above... Figure 1 As indicated by the dashed arrow 33, patient data acquired at patient location 5 can be directly transmitted to remote display devices 7A to 7D via transmission modules 9A to 9D at patient location 5.

[0095] Figure 7 This illustrates a system for remotely monitoring patients at patient locations within healthcare facilities, for example... Figure 1 or Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating an exemplary implementation of the methods executed and performed by the remote monitoring system shown is included below. Reference will also be made to... Figure 1 The method is described using a remote monitoring system.

[0096] In the first step S1, patient data is acquired through medical devices 3A to 3D at the patient location 5.

[0097] In the second step S2, the system attempts to transmit the acquired patient data to remote display devices 7A to 7D. (Refer to the above...) Figure 1 The aforementioned can be achieved, for example, by means of the transmission modules 9A to 9D of the medical devices 3A to 3D and the server 13 running a web application accessible by the remote display devices 7A to 7D.

[0098] In the third step S3, the system determines whether patient data can be transmitted to remote display devices 7A to 7D in near real-time; that is, whether the patient data can be used by remote clinicians via remote display devices 7A to 7D in near real-time. The logic for determining whether patient data can be transmitted to remote display devices 7A to 7D typically resides in server 13. In some embodiments, server 13 is configured to receive patient data from transmission modules 9A to 9D according to a predetermined communication protocol. Therefore, if patient data is not received from the transmission modules according to the predetermined communication protocol, server 13 can conclude that the patient data cannot be transmitted to the remote display devices in near real-time.

[0099] If it is determined in step S3 that the patient data can be transmitted to the remote display devices 7A to 7D in near real-time, the method proceeds to step S4, in which the patient data is displayed and presented as real-time patient data 17 on the remote display devices 7A to 7D.

[0100] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S3 that patient data cannot be transmitted to remote display devices 7A to 7D in near real-time, a real-time data interruption occurs, and the method proceeds to step S5.

[0101] In step S5, the pre-interruption patient data 19, corresponding to the patient data acquired before the real-time data interruption, is displayed as a replacement for the real-time patient data 17 on the remote display devices 7A to 7D. (Refer to the above...) Figure 3 As discussed, this can be achieved by replacing the real-time patient data 17 with the pre-interruption patient data 19 in one or more real-time data fields 18 of the GUI 15 of the remote display devices 7A to 7D.

[0102] In step S6 (which is typically performed in parallel with step S5), a visual indication is displayed on remote display devices 7A to 7D, along with the pre-interruption patient data, indicating to the user of remote display devices 7A to 7D that the pre-interruption patient data 19 is not real-time data 17. (Refer to the above...) Figure 3 The visual indication discussed may be a characteristic visual appearance of the patient data prior to the interruption and / or a graph or text displayed in association with the patient data prior to the interruption.

[0103] In step S7 (which is typically performed in parallel with step S5), information indicating when the displayed pre-interruption patient data was acquired at the patient location 5 is displayed on remote display devices 7A to 7D. In an exemplary embodiment, server 13 may be configured to track when the last patient data packet is received from transmission modules 9A to 9D, and to display the time elapsed since the last patient data packet was received as an indicator of when the displayed pre-interruption patient data was acquired at the patient location.

[0104] In step S8, the system determines whether a predetermined time period or time window has elapsed since the real-time data interruption occurred. In some embodiments, this determination may also be performed by the server 13 based on the time elapsed since the transmission module received the last patient data packet.

[0105] If the time window has not passed, the method returns to step S5, and therefore the patient data 19 before the interruption will be displayed as a replacement for the real-time patient data 17 for the duration of the time window.

[0106] If the time window has passed, the method proceeds to step S9, where it prevents the further display of pre-interruption patient data as a substitute for real-time patient data. However, as described above... Figure 5 The system in question can still be configured to provide access to patient data prior to the interruption, which is presented as recently acquired historical patient data 27 in a non-real-time view 20 of a GUI 15 presented on remote display devices 7A to 7D.

[0107] As those skilled in the art will understand from the foregoing description, the proposed principle for remote, near-real-time monitoring of patients can be implemented in many different ways. The principle is not limited to any particular type of network architecture or topology and can be modified and varied within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A system for remotely monitoring a patient (1) located at a patient location (5) in a healthcare facility, the system being configured to transmit patient data acquired by medical devices (3A-3D) located at the same patient location (5) as the patient (1) to a remote display device (7A-7D), and to display the patient data as real-time patient data on a display (11A-11D) of the remote display device (7A-7D), wherein, The system is configured to: - When the patient data can be transmitted to the remote display device (7A-7D) in near real-time: - Display the patient data as real-time patient data (17) on the display (11A-11D) of the remote display device (7A-7D); and - When a real-time data interruption occurs during which the patient data cannot be transmitted to the remote display device (7A-7D) in near real-time: - The pre-interruption patient data (19) corresponding to the patient data acquired before the real-time data interruption is displayed as a replacement for the real-time patient data (17) on the display (11A-11D) of the remote display device (7A-7D); and - Visually indicate on the display (11A-11D) of the remote display device (7A-7D) that the pre-interruption patient data (19) is not real-time patient data (17).

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The system is configured to display, along with the pre-interruption patient data (19), information (21) indicating when the pre-interruption patient data (19) was acquired at the patient location (5) on the display (11A-11D) of the remote display device (7A-7D).

3. The system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The system is configured to display the pre-interruption patient data (19) on the monitors (11A-11D) of the remote display devices (7A-7D) only during a predetermined time window.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein, The system is configured to display the real-time patient data (17) and the pre-interruption patient data (19) in the real-time view (16) of the graphical user interface (GUI) (15) of the remote display device (7A-7D), and to prevent the pre-interruption patient data (19) from being displayed as a substitute for the real-time patient data (17) in the real-time view (16) when the predetermined time window has passed, while allowing the pre-interruption patient data (19) to be displayed as historical patient data in the non-real-time view (20) of the GUI (15).

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein, The GUI (15) of the remote display device (7A-7D) is a copy of the GUI associated with the medical device (3A-3D).

6. The system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The system includes a server (13) configured to receive patient data acquired at the patient location (5) and transmit the patient data to the remote display devices (7A-7D) for display as real-time patient data (17).

7. The system according to claim 6 when dependent on claim 4, wherein, The system is configured to: store the received patient data in the server (13), and when real-time data is interrupted, preventing the server (13) from receiving patient data from the patient location (5) but allowing the server (13) to communicate with the remote display device (7A-7D), transmit the stored patient data to the remote display device (7A-7D) so as to display historical patient data in the non-real-time view (20) of the GUI (15).

8. The system according to claim 6 or 7, wherein, The system is configured to: - The server (13) receives patient data (17) acquired at multiple patient locations (5'-5'''), each patient location hosting a corresponding patient (1'-1''') undergoing intensive care treatment provided by medical devices (3A'-3A''', 3B'-3B'''), and - Patient data (17'-17''') acquired at the multiple patient locations (5'-5''') are simultaneously displayed as real-time patient data on the monitor (11) of a single remote display device (7) communicatively connected to the server (13).

9. The system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The medical devices (3A-3D) are mechanical ventilators (3A) for providing respiratory therapy to the patient (1), extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) devices (3B) for providing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) therapy to the patient (1), bedside patient monitoring systems (3C), or wearable medical devices (3D) configured to be worn on the body of the patient (1).

10. A method for remotely monitoring a patient (1) located at a patient location (5) in a healthcare facility, wherein, The system is configured to transmit patient data acquired by medical devices (3A-3D) located at the same patient location (5) as the patient (1) to remote display devices (7A-7D), and to display the patient data as real-time patient data on the display (11A-11D) of the remote display devices (7A-7D), the method comprising: - When the patient data can be transmitted to the remote display device (7A-7D) in near real-time: - Display the patient data as real-time patient data (17) (S4) on the display (11A-11D) of the remote display device (7A-7D); and - When a real-time data interruption occurs during which the patient data cannot be transmitted to the remote display device (7A-7D) in near real-time: - The pre-interruption patient data (19) corresponding to the patient data acquired before the real-time data interruption is displayed (S5) as a replacement for the real-time patient data (17) on the display (11A-11D) of the remote display device (7A-7D), and - Visually indicate (S6) on the display (11A-11D) of the remote display device (7A-7D) that the patient data (19) before the interruption is not real-time patient data (17).

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of: The patient data (19) before the interruption is displayed on the display (11A-11D) of the remote display device (7A-7D) together with the patient data (19) before the interruption (S7) to indicate when the patient data (19) before the interruption was obtained at the patient location (5) (21).

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, wherein, The patient data (19) prior to the interruption is displayed on the monitors (11A-11D) of the remote display devices (7A-7D) only during the predetermined time window.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein, The method of displaying the real-time patient data (17) and the pre-interruption patient data (19) in the real-time view (16) of the GUI (15) of the remote display device (7A-7D) includes the following steps: when the predetermined time window has passed, preventing (S9) from further displaying the pre-interruption patient data (19) as a substitute for the real-time patient data (17) in the real-time view (16), while enabling the pre-interruption patient data (19) to be displayed as historical patient data in the non-real-time view (20) of the GUI (16).

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein, The GUI (15) of the remote display device (7A-7D) is a copy of the GUI associated with the medical device (3A-3D).

15. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 14, further comprising the step of: - Receive the patient data (17) acquired at the patient location (5) in the server (13), and - The patient data is transmitted to the remote display device (7A-7D) for display as real-time patient data (17).

16. The method according to claim 15 when dependent on claim 13, comprising the steps of: - The received patient data is stored in the server (13), and - When real-time data is interrupted, preventing the server (13) from receiving patient data from the patient location (5) but allowing the server (13) to communicate with the remote display device (7A-7D), the saved patient data is transmitted to the remote display device (7A-7D) to be displayed as historical patient data in the non-real-time view (20) of the GUI (15).

17. The method according to claim 15 or 16, comprising the following steps: - The server (13) receives patient data (17) acquired at multiple patient locations (5'-5'''), each patient location hosting a corresponding patient (1'-1''') undergoing intensive care treatment provided by medical devices (3A'-3A''', 3B'-3B'''), and - Patient data (17'-17''') acquired at the multiple patient locations (5'-5''') are simultaneously displayed as real-time patient data on the monitor (11) of a single remote display device (7) communicatively connected to the server (13).

18. A computer program for a system for remotely monitoring a patient (1) located at a patient location (5) in a healthcare facility, wherein, The system is configured to transmit patient data acquired by medical devices (3A-3D) located at the patient location (5) together with the patient (1) to remote display devices (7A-7D), and to display the patient data as real-time patient data on the display (11A-11D) of the remote display devices (7A-7D), wherein the computer program includes computer-readable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor (10) of the system, cause the system to perform the method according to any one of claims 10 to 17.

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