Alarm Limit Control Device for Preterm Infant Oxygen Therapy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual control of alarm limits in patient monitoring devices is time-consuming and prone to errors, leading to potential health threats and unnecessary alarms, especially when supplementary oxygen is administered to preterm infants.
Innovation Solution
A controlling device that automatically adjusts the alarm limits based on the administration of treatments, such as supplementary oxygen, by receiving information on treatment administration and determining its status, thereby controlling the alarm limits to prevent unnecessary alarms and ensure patient safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual control of alarm limits is used, then caregivers can adjust alarm limits according to treatment conditions, but it is time-consuming and prone to errors
Solution Approach 1:
The alarm device automatically determines whether treatment is administered and adjusts alarm limits without caregiver intervention. The device monitors treatment information, processes it through a determining unit, and autonomously controls alarm limit states, eliminating manual supervision time and reducing errors.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously receives treatment information, determines treatment status, and adjusts alarm limits based on this feedback loop. This closed-loop control ensures alarm limits are always appropriate for current treatment conditions without requiring manual reconfiguration.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If alarm limits are adjusted based on treatment administration, then unnecessary alarms are reduced, but the complexity of the alarm control system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The determining unit and controlling unit are integrated within the alarm device, combining treatment monitoring and alarm limit control functions into a single system. This reduces overall system complexity while effectively eliminating nuisance alarms through coordinated operation of these units.
Solution Approach 2:
The determining unit acts as an intermediary between treatment information reception and alarm limit control. It processes treatment status and translates it into appropriate alarm limit states, simplifying the control logic while effectively preventing unnecessary alarms.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If the upper alarm limit is deactivated when no oxygen is supplied, then false alarms are prevented, but patient safety monitoring may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The alarm limit state is dynamically adjusted based on real-time treatment status. When oxygen therapy is not administered, the upper alarm limit is deactivated to prevent false alarms. When oxygen therapy begins, the system automatically reactivates and adjusts the alarm limit to appropriate levels, ensuring continuous patient safety monitoring adapts to current clinical conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the alarm limit parameter state (activated/deactivated) based on treatment conditions. This dynamic parameter adjustment ensures the alarm system remains appropriate for current patient needs without generating false alarms during non-oxygen therapy periods.
Data Source
AI summary
A controlling device (110) is configured for controlling a state of an alarm limit of an alarm device (108). The alarm device (108) is configured for generating an alarm signal in association with a monitored physiological parameter of a patient. The alarm limit triggers the generation of the alarm signal. In order to automatically control the state of the alarm limit, the controlling device (110) comprises a receiving unit (146) configured for receiving information indicating an administration of a treatment to the patient, a determining unit (148) configured for determining whether the treatment is administered to the patient based on the received information, and a controlling unit (150) configured for controlling the state of the alarm limit based on a result of the determination of the determining unit (148).