Device, method and computer program for a medical device

Abstract

Method (10) for a medical device located in a first room, comprising the steps: - Monitoring (12) sensor signals of a patient being cared for; - Detecting (14) an alarm situation based on the sensor signals; - Providing (16) an alarm signal when an alarm situation exists; - Waiting (18) for a predefined period of time; - Output (20) a control signal if no confirmation signal for the alarm signal has been received during the predefined period; - Issuing a visual and / or audible warning signal in addition to the control signal if no confirmation signal for the alarm signal has been received during the predefined period; - Controlling a room divider element with respect to transmissivity regarding optical and / or acoustic signals based on the control signal; and - Providing (22) information about the alarm situation in a second room based on the control signal.

Description

[0001] Embodiments relate to a device, a method and a computer program for a medical device, in particular but not exclusively to a concept for monitoring sensor signals of a patient to be monitored and a related alarm concept.

[0002] For example, hospitals are increasingly using automated systems to monitor patients and detect critical situations, as well as alert / inform clinical staff accordingly. Alarm systems are based on detecting and forwarding alarm status information to selected recipients who have previously registered, for example, with the central alarm server.

[0003] In an intensive care unit, acoustic alarm signals can cause significant acoustic stress for both nursing staff and patients. Many different categories of alarms occur, making false alarms (also known as nuisance alarms) and alarm fatigue problematic. Procedures are available for reporting alarm situations directly to the device itself and / or to the responsible staff.

[0004] To reduce acoustic stress, especially for the patient, the acoustic alarm on the medical device can be muted and at least temporarily suppressed. In the event that an alarm cannot be reported to the responsible personnel not present in the room via the distributed alarm system (e.g., for technical reasons), the medical device's loudspeaker can be activated as a fallback solution, while the alarm is still sounded locally.

[0005] The document US2009326340 A1 describes an alarm system with a physiological monitor as the alarm source, in which the communicating system causes the alarm source's signaling device to acoustically reproduce a previously silent alarm, with the alarm signal being emitted at the bedside. Document US2007013511 A1 divides the recipients of alarm messages into primary recipients and secondary recipients. Primary recipients are those recipients who should primarily receive the message after a prior availability check. Only if these recipients are unavailable are the secondary recipients also notified after a prior availability check. If these recipients are also unavailable, a predefined escalation process for messages is carried out, which is not further specified in the procedure. The escalation process involves the distribution of messages and the availability check and assignment of nursing staff not on site.

[0006] US 2013 / 0 162 424 A1 describes a method and system for monitoring a clinician's response to alarms generated by patient monitors. The patient monitor collects physiological data from a patient and generates an alarm event when an alarm condition is detected. The alarm event is captured by a central monitor. An analysis unit processes a total number of alarm events, a response time, and other alarm-related information to create a response score. A corresponding responsiveness metric can be communicated to a nurse or other administrator.

[0007] US 7 327 219 B2 describes a system for monitoring the medical condition of one or more patients in a building, the system comprising: a control unit; a plurality of medical condition monitoring units connected to the control unit; and a plurality of loudspeakers connected to the control unit, the loudspeakers being arranged in different, spaced-apart areas within the building, wherein an abnormal condition detected at one of the plurality of medical condition monitoring units is reported to the control unit and the control unit causes the plurality of loudspeakers to issue an audible alarm.

[0008] US 2012 / 0 192 490 A1 describes a door management system for an intensive care unit, comprising: at least two automatic doors for the intensive care unit; and at least one control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to receive signals from at least one external device; wherein the control unit is configured to control the opening and closing of the automatic doors of the intensive care unit based on the received signals. At least one received signal may be a signal from a medical device that alerts medical personnel that a patient requires care.

[0009] There is therefore a need to create an improved concept for an alarm system. This need is addressed by a device, a method, and a computer program for a medical device according to the pending independent claims.

[0010] The exemplary embodiments are based on the realization that intensive care units are increasingly becoming home to isolation rooms whose doors must be closed due to the risk of infection. If an alarm from such a room were not forwarded to staff but only issued at the patient's bedside, there would be a risk that the alarm would be overlooked. The exemplary embodiments utilize the core concept of switching to a second mode for alarm deactivation after a previous manual or automatic switching by a clinical user. In the event of an alarm, information about the alarm is also provided outside of a hospital room.

[0011] According to the invention, a method is provided for a medical device arranged in a first room. The method comprises monitoring sensor signals of a patient to be cared for and detecting an alarm situation based on the sensor signals. After providing an alarm signal if an alarm situation exists, a predefined period of time is waited. The method comprises outputting a control signal if no confirmation signal for the alarm signal was received during the predefined period of time, and providing information about the alarm situation in a second room based on the control signal.

[0012] Embodiments can therefore provide information about an alarm situation outside a hospital room or first room if an initial alarm is not acknowledged within a predefined period of time. Various options for providing the alarm information outside the first room are conceivable.

[0013] According to the invention, the method provides for the output of an optical and / or acoustic warning signal in addition to the control signal if no confirmation signal for the alarm signal has been received during the predefined period. The control signal is used to make the warning signal perceptible from outside the first room. This is achieved by controlling a room separation element with regard to a transmissivity with respect to optical and / or acoustic signals based on the control signal.

[0014] For example, the room partition element can be a door that opens based on the control signal. In the event of an alarm at the patient's bedside, for example, the patient's room door opens automatically. Other processes and devices, such as a nurse call, can also be triggered automatically. In some embodiments, the alarm signal can be provided to a network or a nurse call system, so that an initial intended alarm can also be directed to specifically selected nursing staff. Forwarding to mobile devices carried by the respective nursing staff (e.g., doctors, nursing staff, etc.) is conceivable.

[0015] In a further embodiment, the room partition element can be a window that is opened based on the control signal. The room partition element can also be a viewing element whose transparency can be controlled based on the control signal. This can include LCD (liquid crystal display) displays, automatic shutters, blinds, curtains, window tinting devices, etc., which are then opened or made transparent based on the control signal so that a corresponding signal can be perceived from the outside. For example, the first room can be a patient room in which the patient is located, and the second room can be an adjoining room to the patient room, e.g. another patient room, a corridor or hallway, a nurse's station, a monitoring room, etc. The information about the alarm situation in the second room can be a visual and / or acoustic signal.

[0016] According to the invention, a device for a medical device is further provided, wherein the device is designed to carry out one of the methods described herein.

[0017] Furthermore, according to the invention, a computer program is provided, wherein the computer program comprises a program code for carrying out one of the methods described herein when the program code is executed on a computer, a processor or a programmable hardware component.

[0018] Further advantageous embodiments are described in more detail below with reference to the exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings, to which exemplary embodiments are generally not limited. They show: Fig. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a method for a medical device; Fig. 2 shows a further block diagram of an embodiment of a method for a medical device; and Fig. 3 a block diagram for determining an alarm signaling condition in one embodiment.

[0019] Various embodiments will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some embodiments are shown.

[0020] In the following description of the attached figures, which show only a few exemplary embodiments, identical reference symbols may designate identical or comparable components. Furthermore, collective reference symbols may be used for components and objects that appear multiple times in an exemplary embodiment or in a drawing, but are described together with regard to one or more features. Components or objects that are described with identical or collective reference symbols may be identical with regard to individual, several or all features, for example their dimensions, but may also be different, unless the description explicitly or implicitly indicates otherwise. Optional components are shown in the figures with dashed lines or arrows.

[0021] Although embodiments are susceptible to various modifications and variations, embodiments are illustrated in the figures as examples and will be described in detail herein. It should be understood, however, that embodiments are not intended to limit the specific forms disclosed, but rather, embodiments are intended to cover all functional and / or structural modifications, equivalents, and alternatives within the scope of the invention. Like reference numerals designate like or similar elements throughout the description of the figures.

[0022] Note that an element described as "connected" or "coupled" to another element may actually be directly connected or coupled to the other element, or there may be intervening elements. Conversely, when an element is described as "directly connected" or "directly coupled" to another element, no intervening elements are present. Other terms used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted similarly (e.g., "between" versus "directly between," "adjacent" versus "directly adjacent," etc.).

[0023] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," "another," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Further, it is to be understood that terms such as "includes," "including," "having," "comprises," "comprising," and / or "having," as used herein, indicate the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0024] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) have the same meaning as one of ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments belong. Furthermore, it should be understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense, unless expressly defined herein.

[0025] Fig. 1 shows a block diagram of an embodiment of a method 10 for a medical device arranged in a first room. The method comprises monitoring 12 sensor signals of a patient to be cared for. A sensor signal of the medical device itself and / or at least one operating parameter of an actuator of the medical device can be monitored, as can, for example, the correct connection of the patient to the medical device. Examples include monitoring vital parameters (physiological parameters) of one or more patients and / or a state of a medical device, e.g., a gas concentration measurement within a ventilator or anesthesia device or, e.g., a control frequency of a respiratory gas delivery unit of a ventilator, a correct connection of a medical device or ventilator, etc.

[0026] As the Fig. 1 further shows, in step 14, an alarm situation is detected based on the sensor signals. An alarm situation is understood to be the determination of a hazardous situation (patient parameter or other parameter fulfills a predefined condition). Such an alarm situation can be defined, for example, by one of the monitored sensor signals exhibiting a predefined behavior, such as exceeding a limit or threshold value. In this respect, step 12 can provide, in exemplary embodiments, that monitoring of a patient parameter is carried out taking into account at least one sensor signal of a medical device and / or at least one operating parameter of an actuator of a medical device with respect to a predefined condition. In step 16, an alarm signal is provided if an alarm situation exists.Such an alarm signal can, for example, be provided via an interface and further communicated via suitable media. Examples include transmission via wired or wireless networks to one or more alarm systems, such as a nurse call system.

[0027] In a next step 18, the method waits to see whether the alarm signal is confirmed within a predefined period of time. This can happen, for example, in an alarm system by a nurse accepting the alarm, e.g. centrally or on a mobile device, and thereby confirming that they are taking care of the alarm situation and the patient. Such confirmation could also be given in the patient room itself or on the medical device by pressing a button. If the alarm is confirmed within the predefined period of time, there is no further reason to escalate the alarm. However, if no confirmation is received within the predefined period of time, the method 10 provides for the output of a control signal, as described in the Fig. 1 in step 20. Embodiments accordingly output a control signal if no confirmation signal for the alarm signal was received during the predefined period. Furthermore, embodiments provide information about the alarm situation in a second room based on the control signal, as shown in step 22.

[0028] Embodiments accordingly provide an alarm method that provides at least two modes for alarm deactivation, preferably but not exclusively in conjunction with a distributed alarm system. Initially, a first alarm signal is provided, and if this has not been acknowledged within a predefined period of time, a control signal is provided, based on which information about the alarm situation can be displayed or provided in a second (different) room. Examples of such displays or provision include acoustic or optical signals.

[0029] The first escalation level, i.e. the provision of the alarm signal in step 16, can also be called the alarm silence function. This is characterized by the fact that the user can, for example, suppress acoustic alarms for a specific or indefinite period of time by activating a device (e.g. a button on the medical device or by selecting a corresponding preset). In exemplary embodiments, this alarm silence function can be expanded to include a further alarm silence mode, which is also referred to below as "safe alarm silence", which the user can switch to manually or automatically and which is characterized in that at least one alarm continues to be sounded (e.g. acoustically) and, in addition to the acoustic alarm, an action based on the control signal - for example, opening a door - is triggered.

[0030] In a more general approach, embodiments may provide a programmed response to the control signal, providing information about the alarm situation in the second room. Some embodiments may thus provide a method that guarantees that alarms at the bedside can be heard, seen, or noticed by nursing staff, even when the door is closed. Particularly in a distributed alarm system, technical defects such as network outages can affect the distributed alarm system and endanger the patient due to missed alarms. Particularly in this case, embodiments may provide a possible mitigation measure, such as automatically opening the room door.

[0031] Embodiments can provide systems and methods for distributed alarming, supporting the scenario with closed doors and automatic door opening in particular, or "programmable" responses to alarms in general. This can be done in addition to specific procedural instructions for personnel in the device's operating instructions. Embodiments can thus enable an alarm silence mode in which a programmable function is executed in response to a previously defined (alarm) event. An example of this could be the opening of a programmable or at least controllable room door in the event of a failure of the distributed alarm system or the undeliverability of a transmitted alarm.

[0032] In some embodiments, a safe alarm silence mode (“Safe Silence Mode”) may be provided, in which the acoustic alarm suppression is inactive for at least one alarm and one or more alarm actions are initiated. In one embodiment, a minimal system may include a medical device and an “extended alarm system,” e.g., a directly connected nurse call system or a connected network. The alarm signal is then provided to a network or a nurse call system.

[0033] If the extended alarm system fails when Safe Silence Mode is activated, the alarm is signaled acoustically on the device itself in the event of an alarm condition, and the additional action is initiated via the control signal. This can, for example, be the activation of an actuator to open a door. In some further embodiments, in addition to the control signal, an optical and / or acoustic warning signal can be output if no confirmation signal for the alarm signal has been received during the predefined period. The background to these embodiments is that although such an alarm is issued locally at the bedside in the first room, it is then made available or perceptible in the second room through measures linked to the control signal.

[0034] In some embodiments, for example, a room partition element can be modified with regard to a transmissivity with respect to optical and / or acoustic signals based on the control signal. In such an embodiment, the room partition element is a door that is opened based on the control signal. Analogously, the room partition element can also be a window that is opened based on the control signal. In further embodiments, the room partition element can also generally be a visual element whose transparency can be controlled based on the control signal. Examples of such visual elements are curtains, blinds, shutters, etc., but also electronic panels such as LCD panels whose transparency can be controlled. Thus, in embodiments, the first room can be a patient room in which the patient is located, for example in a hospital bed or a patient support device.This room can contain various medical devices that monitor and / or care for the patient and that record the sensor signals. The second room can be an adjoining room to the patient room, for example a corridor or hallway, a monitoring room, a nurse's station, etc. The second room does not necessarily have to be directly adjacent to the first patient room. In some further embodiments, an acoustic alarm that is generated in the first room after the predefined period of time has elapsed is provided in the second room. One embodiment already described provides for the opening of a connecting door or window based on the control signal. However, in hygiene-critical cases, the opening of a room partition element can also be critical.A further exemplary embodiment is therefore a loudspeaker circuit from the second to the first room, for example with a microphone in the first room and a loudspeaker in the second room and optionally an amplifier circuit in between. In this exemplary embodiment, by activating the loudspeaker circuit based on the control signal, the acoustic alarm generated in the first room can be made audible in the second room, even without having to open a room partition element. A further exemplary embodiment would be a warning lamp installed in the second room, which is only activated after the predefined period of time has elapsed based on the control signal in the second room.Analogously, an arrangement consisting of a camera in the first room and a screen in the second room would be used in one embodiment. A visual alarm would then be displayed on the monitor after the predefined period of time has elapsed based on the control signal, for example, in the form of a camera image from the first room with a visual alarm. In embodiments, the information about the alarm situation in the second room can therefore be a visual and / or acoustic signal.

[0035] Fig. 2 shows a further block diagram of an embodiment of a method for a medical device. The method begins in step 24 and checks in the subsequent step 26 whether an alarm condition is met. If this is the case, an alarm signal is provided, which is forwarded, for example, to a nurse call system or a network. In step 28, a further check is carried out to determine whether the standard silence mode is selected. If this is the case, the status is determined in the subsequent step 30 based on the predefined period of time. If the alarm suppression (silence, inactive / expired) has ended without the alarm signal being acknowledged, a local alarm is activated in step 38.If the mode is extended according to one embodiment, step 28 is followed by a determination of an alarm signaling condition in step 32, and a check is subsequently made in step 36 to determine whether an acoustic alarm signal is required (whether the predefined period has expired without confirmation). If this is the case, in addition to activating the alarm in step 38, an alarm action is also activated in step 40.

[0036] Fig.3 shows a block diagram for determining an alarm signaling condition in one embodiment. In step 42, a system condition is first determined, which includes, for example, information about whether all sensor signals are within valid ranges. In step 44, a check can now be made to determine whether the system is in a proper state. If this is the case, an alarm signal is not required (see step 48). Feedback from a distributed alarm system, for example, can also be included in the check 44. If the check reveals that the system is not in a proper state, a timeout (predefined period of time) is waited for in step 50. If the timeout is exceeded in step 52, an alarm signal is required and output in step 54, for example, an alarm signal is output to a network or a nurse call.

[0037] A further embodiment is a computer program with program code for carrying out one of the methods described herein when the program code is executed on a computer, a processor, or a programmable hardware component. A further embodiment is a device for a medical device, wherein the device is designed to carry out one of the methods 10 described herein. In embodiments, the device can correspond to any controller or processor or a programmable hardware component. For example, the method 10 can also be implemented as software that is programmed for a corresponding hardware component. In this respect, the device can be implemented as programmable hardware with correspondingly adapted software. Any processors, such as digital signal processors (DSPs) or graphics processors, can be used.Embodiments are not limited to a specific type of processor. Any processor or even multiple processors are conceivable for implementing the computing device.

[0038] In exemplary embodiments, there may also be different safe silence modes depending on alarm types and urgency. For example, a safe silence mode can be activated by the user or automatically (e.g., by a rule) on the medical device itself or via a server or other network-connected devices (central unit, remote monitor, etc.). In exemplary embodiments, executable actions in the event of an alarm situation with the safe silence mode activated may include, among others: - Open / close doors, - Changing the transparency of visible elements in doors and windows, - Change of screen displays (e.g. device, monitor, hallway display, central station) - Alerting nursing staff and / or technicians via nurse call, mobile phone, VoIP, messenger, pager, email, - Initiation of combinations of actions (script-based), - Switching optical and / or acoustic signaling devices on and off.

[0039] In exemplary embodiments, an IP (Internet Protocol)-based network (Ethernet), which can be wireless or wired, can be used as the infrastructure. In addition, short-range networks (ZigBee, Bluetooth, etc.) as well as networks with a longer range can be used (long-range networks (Long Term Evolution (LTE), LoRa (Long Range), etc.). The network can be equipped with or without a server to control and manage the medical components and actuators. A server can supply individual components with a program for the event of a fault via the network (programming the components). In the event of a (partial) system failure, both the server and the components can initiate the programmed action. In the event of a network failure or if the nursing staff cannot be reached, the individual components can act independently of one another.

[0040] The features disclosed in the above description, the claims and the drawings can be important both individually and in any combination for the realization of embodiments in their various forms and - unless otherwise stated in the description - can be combined with one another as desired.

[0041] Although some aspects have been described in connection with a device, it is understood that these aspects also represent a description of the corresponding method, so that a block or component of a device can also be understood as a corresponding method step or as a feature of a method step. Similarly, aspects described in connection with or as a method step also represent a description of a corresponding block, detail, or feature of a corresponding device.

[0042] Depending on specific implementation requirements, embodiments of the invention may be implemented in hardware or software. The implementation may be performed using a digital storage medium, such as a floppy disk, a DVD, a Blu-ray disc, a CD, a ROM, a PROM, an EPROM, an EEPROM, or a FLASH memory, a hard disk, or other magnetic or optical storage device storing electronically readable control signals that can interact or interact with a programmable hardware component to perform the respective method.

[0043] A programmable hardware component can be formed by a processor, a computer processor (CPU = Central Processing Unit), a graphics processor (GPU = Graphics Processing Unit), a computer, a computer system, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC = Application-Specific Integrated Circuit), an integrated circuit (IC = Integrated Circuit), a single-chip system (SOC = System on Chip), a programmable logic element or a field-programmable gate array with a microprocessor (FPGA = Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0044] The digital storage medium can therefore be machine- or computer-readable. Some embodiments thus comprise a data carrier having electronically readable control signals capable of interacting with a programmable computer system or a programmable hardware component such that one of the methods described herein is performed. One embodiment is thus a data carrier (or a digital storage medium or a computer-readable medium) on which the program for performing one of the methods described herein is recorded.

[0045] In general, embodiments of the present invention can be implemented as a program, firmware, computer program, or computer program product with program code or data, wherein the program code or data is effective to perform one of the methods when the program runs on a processor or a programmable hardware component. The program code or data can also be stored, for example, on a machine-readable medium or data carrier. The program code or data can be present, among other things, as source code, machine code, or bytecode, as well as other intermediate code.

[0046] A further embodiment is a data stream, a signal sequence, or a sequence of signals that represents the program for performing one of the methods described herein. The data stream, the signal sequence, or the sequence of signals can be configured, for example, to be transferred via a data communication connection, for example, via the Internet or another network. Thus, embodiments also include signal sequences representing data that are suitable for transmission via a network or data communication connection, wherein the data represents the program.

[0047] A program according to one embodiment can implement one of the methods during its execution, for example, by reading memory locations or writing one or more pieces of data into them, which may trigger switching operations or other processes in transistor structures, amplifier structures, or other electrical, optical, magnetic, or other functionally principle-based components. Accordingly, by reading a memory location, data, values, sensor values, or other information can be acquired, determined, or measured by a program. A program can therefore acquire, determine, or measure quantities, values, measured quantities, and other information by reading one or more memory locations, and can trigger, initiate, or perform an action and control other devices, machines, and components by writing to one or more memory locations.

[0048] The above-described embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles of the present invention. It is understood that modifications and variations of the arrangements and details described herein will be apparent to others skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that the invention be limited only by the scope of the following claims and not by the specific details presented in the description and explanation of the embodiments herein.

Claims

[1] Method (10) for a medical device arranged in a first room, comprising the steps of: - monitoring (12) sensor signals of a patient to be cared for; - detecting (14) an alarm situation based on the sensor signals; - providing (16) an alarm signal when an alarm situation occurs; - Waiting (18) for a predefined period of time; - issuing (20) a control signal if no confirmation signal for the alarm signal has been received during the predefined period; - issuing a visual and / or audible warning signal in addition to the control signal if no confirmation signal for the alarm signal has been received during the predefined period; - controlling a room separation element with respect to a transmissivity with respect to optical and / or acoustic signals based on the control signal; and - Providing (22) information about the alarm situation in a second room based on the control signal. [2] The method (10) according to claim 1, wherein the space separating element is a door that is opened based on the control signal. [3] The method (10) according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the space separating element is a window opened based on the control signal. [4] Method (10) according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the space separation element is a viewing element whose transparency is controllable based on the control signal. [5] Method (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first room is a patient room in which the patient is located, and wherein the second room is an adjoining room of the patient room. [6] Method (10) according to claim 5, wherein the information about the alarm situation in the second room is an optical and / or acoustic signal. [7] A method (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the alarm signal is provided to a network or a nurse call system. [8] A device for a medical device, wherein the device is designed to carry out one of the methods (10) of one of the preceding claims. [9] Computer program with a program code for carrying out one of the methods according to one of claims 1 to 7, when the program code is executed on a computer, a processor or a programmable hardware component.

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