The invention concerns medical diagnosis and monitoring equipment with wireless electrodes (2a...2f) designed to be secured to the skin of the patient (3). The electrodes (2a...2f) include, as well as microsensors, a digital transmitter (31) and receiver (30) unit and an antenna (36a). The electrodes (2a...2f) can be used, for instance, to detect EEG and ECG signals or to monitor body/berathing movements, temperature or perspiration. A preferred embodiment has an electrode which incorporates all functions in a semiconductor chip designed as an integrated circuit with the appropriate sensor, sensor-control, frequency-generation, transmitter and receiver units plus a switching control unit. The antenna (36a) can be mounted either in the flexible electrode covering or directly on the chip.

Wireless medical diagnosis and monitoring equipment

The present invention relates to a patient care and communication system which utilizes a central processing system and a plurality of remote stations electrically connected to the central processing system to facilitate visual and data communications. Each remote station includes telephone circuitry which is connected to a private branch exchange for telephone communications between stations. In addition, the private branch exchange is connected to a telephone exchange and a plurality of telephones for facilitating telephone communication therebetween. The central processing system facilitates the visual and data communications between the plurality of remote stations, and includes a system for determining which of the plurality of remote stations are transmitting the visual and data communications and which of the plurality of remote stations are to receive the visual and data communications. The central processing system also includes a system which establishes a communication link between the transmitting stations and the receiving stations. The remote stations include a processing system which also facilitates the visual, data and telephone communications and a display for displaying the visual communications. The present invention also includes a staff and/or patient locator system, in which each remote station includes an infrared receiver that receives infrared transmissions from a portable transmitter worn by a staff member or patient. The infrared transmissions include identity information associated with the person wearing the transmitter. The identity information is then transferred to the central processing system which determines the identity and location of each person wearing a portable transmitter.

Patient care and communication system

Apparatuses and methods for medical monitoring physiological characteristics values such as blood glucose levels for the treatment of diabetes, are presented. The apparatuses and methods provide dynamic glucose monitoring functions that perform predictive analysis to anticipate harmful conditions, such as glucose crash and hyperglycemic incidents for a patient. The dynamic functions can also be used to maximize athletic performance and warn of inadequate nocturnal basal rate. Other aspects include advanced alarm and reminder functions, as well as advanced data presentation tools to further facilitate convenient and efficient management of various physiological conditions.

System for monitoring physiological characteristics

A remote controlled robot system that includes a robot and a remote control station. The robot includes a binaural microphone system that is coupled to a speaker system of the remote control station. The binaural microphone system may include a pair of microphones located at opposite sides of a robot head. the location of the microphones roughly coincides with the location of ears on a human body. Such microphone location creates a mobile robot that more effectively simulates the tele-presence of an operator of the system. The robot may include two different microphone systems and the ability to switch between systems. For example, the robot may also include a zoom camera system and a directional microphone. The directional microphone may be utilized to capture sound from a direction that corresponds to an object zoomed upon by the camera system.

Mobile tele-presence system with a microphone system

A remote controlled robot with a head that supports a monitor and is coupled to a mobile platform. The mobile robot also includes an auxiliary camera coupled to the mobile platform by a boom. The mobile robot is controlled by a remote control station. By way of example, the robot can be remotely moved about an operating room. The auxiliary camera extends from the boom so that it provides a relatively close view of a patient or other item in the room. An assistant in the operating room may move the boom and the camera. The boom may be connected to a robot head that can be remotely moved by the remote control station.

Telepresence robot with a camera boom

A centralized patient monitoring system includes a central station which receives patient information from bedside monitors. The patient information is presented on a video display screen and may include patient demographic information, physiological parameters and a waveform. The display screen is divided into sectors, with each sector containing information for one patient. When an alarm condition occurs at one of the bedside monitors, the alarm condition is transmitted to the central station and is displayed in the corresponding sector of the video display screen. In addition, the alarm condition is highlighted by changing the background in the alarming sector from its normal color, typically black, to a neutral color such as blue, which is easily distinguishable from the normal color and which does not obscure the patient information being displayed. The background of the sector is changed back to the normal color when the alarm is acknowledged by a user. The highlighted background is easily visible from a distance and provides a clear indication of unacknowledged alarms without obscuring other patient information.

Frank Weber

Papers

Method for use of color and selective highlighting to indicate patient critical events in a centralized patient monitoring system

Verfahren zur Verwendung von Farbe und selektivem Hervorhebung zur Anzeige kritischer Zustände in einem Patientenüberwachungsgerät