Patient position detection system

Abstract

A patient movement detector can receive inputs from position sensors, a thermal imaging camera, a video camera, and/or triangulation data. Based on one or more of these inputs, the patient movement detector can perform one or more of the following: fall prevention detection, bedsore prevention analysis, patient location detection, and patient walk test scoring. The patient movement detector can, for example, output a fall warning alarm, a bedsore warning alarm, patient location information, and walk test scores.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A system for remotely monitoring a wellbeing of a medical patient, the system comprising:
 an optical-based sensor for monitoring a patient;   a wireless monitor configured to couple to an armband attached to the patient occupying a patient bed, the wireless monitor configured to receive physiological information from a physiological sensor coupled with the patient and to wirelessly transmit physiological data reflective of the physiological information to a bedside monitor, the wireless monitor comprising a wireless position sensor disposed in the wireless monitor or in the armband such that the wireless position sensor is configured to be coupled with the patient; and   one or more computer processors configured to:
 receive, from the optical-based sensor, a baseline optical-based profile of a patient; 
 receive additional optical-based profiles of the patient from the optical-based sensor, wherein the additional optical-based profiles are captured during a period of time; 
 determine whether a degree of change in profile data between the additional optical-based profiles and the baseline optical-based profile has satisfied a threshold degree of change; 
 receive, from the wireless position sensor, movement data indicative of movement of the patient during a period of time, wherein the wireless position sensor includes at least one of: an accelerometer, a gyroscope, or a compass; 
 update the movement data to produce updated movement data based on triangulation data received from a plurality of wireless access points; 
 determine, based at least in part on the updated movement data, that an amount of movement of the patient during the period of time satisfies a threshold amount; and 
 transmit, over a network, an indication of a wellbeing of the patient, wherein said transmitting is responsive to a combination of both of the following:
 determining that the degree of change in the profile data has satisfied the threshold degree of change, and 
 determining that the amount of movement of the patient during the period of time satisfies the threshold amount based at least in part on the updated movement data received from the wireless position sensor. 
 
   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the indication of the wellbeing of the patient comprises at least one of: a bedsore warning or a fall warning 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the indication of the wellbeing of the patient further comprises at least one of: a location of the patient or a walking performance of the patient. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more hardware processors are further configured to:
 determine, based at least in part on the updated movement data, a confidence that the amount of movement of the patient during the period of time satisfies the threshold amount.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the indication of the wellbeing of the patient is transmitted, over the network, to a remotely located caregiver for notification. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the optical-based sensor comprises a camera, wherein the profile data comprises image data, wherein said determining the degree of change in the profile data comprises determining whether a value of the image data has changed, and wherein the value comprises at least one of: a pixel intensity or a pixel luminosity. 
     
     
         8 . A method of remotely monitoring a wellbeing of a medical patient, the method comprising:
 by one or more computer processors:
 providing a wireless monitor configured to couple to an armband so as to attach to a patient occupying a patient bed, the wireless monitor configured to receive physiological information from a physiological sensor coupled with the patient and to wirelessly transmit physiological data reflective of the physiological information to a bedside monitor, the wireless monitor comprising a wireless position sensor disposed in the wireless monitor or in the armband such that the wireless position sensor is configured to be coupled with the patient; 
 wirelessly receiving, from the wireless position sensor, movement data indicative of movement of the patient during a period of time, wherein the wireless position sensor includes at least one of: an accelerometer, a gyroscope, or a compass; 
 updating the movement data to produce updated movement data based on triangulation data received from a plurality of wireless access points; 
 determining, based at least in part on the updated movement data, that an amount of movement of the patient during the period of time satisfies a threshold amount; 
 receiving, from an optical-based sensor, a baseline optical-based profile of the patient; 
 receiving additional optical-based profiles of the patient from the optical-based sensor, wherein the additional optical-based profiles are captured during the period of time; 
 determining whether a degree of change in profile data between the additional optical-based profiles and the baseline optical-based profile has satisfied a threshold degree of change; and 
 transmitting, over a network, an indication of a wellbeing of the patient, wherein said transmitting is responsive to a combination of both of the following:
 determining that the degree of change in the profile data has satisfied the threshold degree of change, and 
 determining that the amount of movement of the patient during the period of time satisfies the threshold amount based at least in part on the updated movement data received from the wireless position sensor. 
 
   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the indication of the wellbeing of the patient comprises at least one of: a bedsore warning or a fall warning 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the indication of the wellbeing of the patient further comprises at least one of: a location of the patient or a walking performance of the patient. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 by the one or more computer processors:
 determining, based at least in part on the updated movement data, a confidence that the patient has not moved or has moved less than a threshold amount during the period of time. 
   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the indication of the bedsore warning alarm is transmitted, over the network, to a remotely located caregiver for notification. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the optical-based sensor comprises a camera, wherein the profile data comprises image data, wherein said determining the degree of change in the profile data comprises determining whether a value of the image data has changed, and wherein the value comprises at least one of: a pixel intensity or a pixel luminosity. 
     
     
         14 . A method of triggering a medical bedsore warning alarm, the method comprising:
 by one or more computer processors:
 providing a wireless monitor configured to couple to an armband so as to attach to a patient occupying a patient bed, the wireless monitor configured to receive physiological information from a physiological sensor coupled with the patient and to wirelessly transmit physiological data reflective of the physiological information to a bedside monitor, the wireless monitor comprising a wireless position sensor disposed in the wireless monitor or in the armband such that the wireless position sensor is configured to be coupled with the patient; 
 wirelessly receiving, from the wireless position sensor, movement data indicative of movement or lack of movement of the patient during a period of time, wherein the wireless position sensor includes at least one of: an accelerometer, a gyroscope, or a compass; 
 updating the movement data to produce updated movement data based on triangulation data received from a plurality of wireless access points; 
 determining, based at least in part on the updated movement data, that a portion of the patient to which the wireless position sensor is attached has not moved or has moved less than a threshold amount during the period of time; 
 receiving, from an optical-based sensor, a baseline optical-based profile of the patient; 
 receiving additional optical-based profiles of the patient from the optical-based sensor, wherein the additional optical-based profiles are captured during the period of time; 
 determining whether a degree of change in profile data between the additional optical-based profiles and the baseline optical-based profile has not met or exceeded a threshold degree of change; and 
 transmitting, over a network, an indication of a bedsore warning alarm, wherein said transmitting is responsive to a combination of both of the following:
 determining that the degree of change in the profile data has not met or exceeded the threshold degree of change, and 
 determining that the portion of the patient has not moved or has moved less than a threshold amount during the period of time based at least in part on the updated movement data received from the wireless position sensor. 
 
   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 by the one or more computer processors:
 determining, based at least in part on the updated movement data, a confidence that the patient has not moved or has moved less than a threshold amount during the period of time. 
   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the indication of the bedsore warning alarm is transmitted, over the network, to a remotely located caregiver for notification. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the optical-based sensor comprises a camera, wherein the profile data comprises image data, wherein said determining the degree of change in the profile data comprises determining whether a value of the image data has changed, and wherein the value comprises at least one of: a pixel intensity or a pixel luminosity.