Patient Monitoring Apparatus

Abstract

A patient monitoring system including a sensing-recording device that attaches to a patient and a probe utilized by attending personnel at a trauma site. After an initial interaction between the probe and the sensing-recording device, the sensing-recording device samples one or more physiological parameters and stores time stamped readings in a first memory. The probe is adapted to take other measurements, download the data from the first memory of the sensing-recording device, manipulate the collective data and return data to a second memory in the sensing-recording device. The sensing-recording device continues to accumulate data in the first memory during transport of the patient from a trauma site to a medical facility.

1 . A patient monitoring apparatus including a sensing-recording device and a probe wherein each of said sensing-recording device and said probe include means for establishing communications therebetween and wherein:
 A) said probe comprises:
 i) a memory, 
 ii) means for processing data in the memory, and 
 iii) a probe controller for generating commands to and for storing data from a sensing-recording device over the communications means, and 
   B) said sensing-recording device comprises:
 i) a housing, 
 ii) means integral with said housing and including a clip arm for attaching by clipping said housing to a patient, 
 iii) a sensor carried by said housing for generating a signal that represents one of the at least one medical parameter, 
 iv) a memory in said housing, and 
 v) a control in said housing that stores samples of the output of the sensor in the memory and responds to commands from said probe by transferring data in said memory to said probe. 
   
   
   
       2 . A patient monitoring apparatus as recited in  claim 1  wherein said communication means comprises transceivers in said probe and said sensing-recording device and each of said transceivers establishes an optical communications path between said probe and said sensing-recording device. 
   
   
       3 . A patient monitoring apparatus as recited in  claim 1  wherein each of said housing and attaching means in said sensing-recording device includes at least one sensor. 
   
   
       4 . A patient monitoring apparatus as recited in  claim 3  wherein said probe includes input means for entering data into said memory for controlling the operation of said probe and includes an operation control for responding to the initiation of recording for a new patient by clearing said memory in said probe. 
   
   
       5 . A patient monitoring apparatus as recited in  claim 4  wherein said sensing-recording device includes a clock and means for time-stamping each sample recorded in said device memory and said probe includes a clock, said operation control further responding to the initiation of recording for a new patient by synchronizing the clock in said device to the clock in said probe whereby said memory in said device stores a continuum of data for the patient. 
   
   
       6 . A patient monitoring apparatus as recited in  claim 4  wherein said probe includes means for sensing medical parameters and means for storing the samples of said parameter in the probe memory, said probe controller processing the data from the memories in the probe and device. 
   
   
       7 . A patient monitoring apparatus as recited in  claim 6  wherein said memory in said sensing-recording device housing constitutes a first of two memories therein and said probe controller transfers the processed data to said second memory while the first memory continues to record patient data generated by said at least one sensor. 
   
   
       8 . A patient monitoring apparatus as recited in  claim 11  wherein said probe includes:
 i) at least one sensor for monitoring physiological parameters for storage in said probe memory,   ii) display means,   iii) means in said processing means for generating a display for viewing on said display means.   
   
   
       9 . A patient monitoring apparatus as recited in  claim 8  wherein said memory in said sensing-recording device housing constitutes a first of two memories therein and said probe controller transfers the processed data to said second memory while the first memory continues to record patient data generated by said at least one sensor. 
   
   
       10 . A patient monitoring system adapted for use by medical personnel at a trauma site comprising:
 A) a plurality of sensing-recording devices, each of said devices including:
 i) a housing, 
 ii) means including a clip arm for securing said housing to a patient by clipping said housing thereto, 
 iii) a plurality of sensors carried by said housing and said securing means, each sensor generating a signal that represents a medical parameter, 
 iv) first and second memories, 
 v) a controller for storing time-stamped data sample entries for each sensor in said first memory, 
 vi) transceiver means for establishing communications over an optical communications path, and 
 vii) means for conveying information from said transceiver means to said second memory, and 
   B) a probe including:
 i) a plurality of sensors, each sensor generating a signal that represents a medical parameter, 
 ii) a memory, 
 iii) means for generating time-stamped data entries representing samples of the signal from each sensor in said memory, 
 iv) display means, 
 v) means for processing the data in said memory for viewing on said display means, 
 vi) a keypad, 
 vii) a probe operation control that processes a plurality of tasks, 
 viii) means for responding to said keyboard for initiating processing of a task from said probe operation control, 
 ix) transceiver means for establishing communications over an optical communications path, and 
 x) means for conveying information from said memory in said probe to said second memory in one of said sensor-recording devices. 
   
   
   
       11 . A patient monitoring apparatus as recited in  claim 10  wherein said memory in said sensing-recording device housing constitutes a first of two memories therein and said probe controller transfers the processed data to said second memory while the first memory continues to record patient data generated by said at least one sensor.