Conditional Alarm Forwarding for Infusion Pump Remote Alerts
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Solution Overview
Problem
In hospitals, the numerous alarms from infusion pumps and other medical devices can be difficult to manage due to proximity issues, leading to delayed responses and increased contamination risks, especially when clinicians are not near the devices, and existing systems fail to efficiently notify staff of alarms without disturbing patients or causing cross-contamination.
Innovation Solution
A patient care system that includes a dispatching system to manage alarms from medical devices, assess conditions, and forward alarms to appropriate destinations based on predefined rules, allowing suppression and acknowledgment, thereby reducing the need for local alarms and minimizing contamination risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If local alarms are used to notify staff of device alarms, then staff can be notified of alarms, but staff must be in close proximity to the device which delays response time and increases contamination risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a central receiver system that acts as an intermediary between medical devices and staff. The receiver collects alarm signals from multiple devices and relays them to staff members through various notification methods, eliminating the need for staff to be physically present at the device location and enabling remote monitoring and faster response times.
2Reliability
If multiple devices alarm in close proximity, then comprehensive monitoring is achieved, but it becomes difficult to identify which device is alarming and increases alarm noise disturbance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments alarm information by assigning unique identifiers to each medical device and organizing alarms by location, device type, or priority level. The receiver system displays segmented alarm information that helps staff quickly identify the specific device alarming among multiple simultaneous alarms, reducing confusion and improving response efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs visual indicators such as colored lights or display elements that change color or intensity based on alarm priority, device location, or alarm type. This visual coding system enables staff to rapidly distinguish between different alarm sources and prioritize their response, making it easier to identify which device is alarming in a multi-device environment.
3Productivity
If staff must be near devices to respond to alarms, then immediate response is possible, but contamination risks increase due to frequent proximity and contact
Solution Approach 1:
The central receiver system serves as an intermediary that enables staff to monitor and respond to alarms remotely without needing to be in close proximity to the medical devices. This reduces the frequency of staff-device contact and minimizes contamination risks while maintaining the ability to respond quickly to critical alarms through prioritized notification systems.
4Reliability
If alarm suppression is not implemented, then all alarms are notified to staff, but patient disturbance increases due to alarm noise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements alarm suppression functionality that allows the system to adjust alarm notification parameters based on time of day, patient status, alarm priority, and location. Non-critical alarms during nighttime or when patients are sleeping can be suppressed or delayed, while critical alarms remain immediately notifiable. This selective parameter adjustment reduces patient disturbance from alarm noise while maintaining notification completeness for important events.
Data Source
AI summary
A patient care system is disclosed that includes a medical device such as an infusion pump. The medical device generates a data message containing information such as the status of the therapy being delivered, operating data or both. An alarm generating system assesses the data message from the pump and generates an alarm message if certain conditions established by a first set of rules are met. The alarm message is assessed according to a second set of rules as to whether to suppress the alarm message. The data message contains a required input for both the first and second algorithms. A dispatching system is adapted to forward the alarm message to an alarm destination according to a third set of rules. The alarm destination expresses an alarm upon receipt of the alarm message.