Depth-Camera Patient Position Monitoring for Bed Movement Alerts
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Solution Overview
Problem
It is difficult for clinicians to manually monitor a patient's position in bed over extended periods, leading to potential complications such as bed ulcers or interference with recovery due to immobility or specific position restrictions, necessitating automated monitoring systems.
Innovation Solution
A video-based patient monitoring system using depth sensing cameras to obtain and process depth images, creating cross-section profile images, comparing them to standard profiles, and initiating alarms based on patient position changes or deviations from desired positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual monitoring of patient position is performed by clinicians, then patient position can be observed, but monitoring over extended periods becomes difficult and labor-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual visual inspection and physical monitoring with an automated depth sensing camera system that captures depth images and processes them through algorithms to determine patient position, thereby eliminating the need for continuous manual monitoring while maintaining reliable position detection
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-monitoring by automatically capturing depth images, processing them through cross-section profile analysis, determining patient position, and generating alerts without requiring clinician intervention, allowing the monitoring function to serve itself continuously
2Extent of automation
If automated depth sensing monitoring system is implemented, then continuous patient position monitoring is achieved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential depth information needed for position determination by creating cross-section profile images from depth measurements, rather than processing entire depth images, thereby simplifying the computational complexity while maintaining automation
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the monitoring task into distinct modules: depth image acquisition, cross-section profile extraction, position determination through pattern matching, and alert generation, making the complex automated system more manageable and interpretable
3Reliability
If frequent position monitoring is performed, then patient safety is improved by detecting undesirable positions, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic monitoring by continuously capturing depth images at set intervals and processing them through the position determination algorithm, enabling frequent safety checks while managing energy consumption through scheduled operation rather than constant processing
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for monitoring a patient's position using non-contact patient monitoring systems are described. In some embodiments, depth sensing cameras are used to obtain depth images of a patient, wherein data can be extracted from the depth images and processed in various ways to make a determination as to the patient's position, including monitoring when and how often a patient changes position. Various alarms systems can also be integrated into the systems and methods described herein in order to alert clinicians regarding, for example, patients moving too infrequently, patients moving too frequently, or patients moving into undesirable positions in view of the condition being treated. AI-based patient monitoring systems used for determining patient position are also described.