Alarm suspend system

Abstract

An alarm suspend system utilizes an alarm trigger responsive to physiological parameters and corresponding limits on those parameters. The parameters are associated with both fast and slow treatment times corresponding to length of time it takes for a person to respond to medical treatment for out-of-limit parameter measurements. Audible and visual alarms respond to the alarm trigger. An alarm silence button is pressed to silence the audible alarm for a predetermined suspend time. The audible alarm is activated after the suspend time has lapsed. Longer suspend times are associated with slow treatment parameters and shorter suspend times are associated with fast treatment parameters.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A physiological measurement system comprising:
 a noninvasive physiological sensor including: a plurality of light emitting diodes configured to transmit wavelengths of light onto a tissue site of a patient; and at least one detector configured to measure an indication of the wavelengths of light after attenuation by tissue of the patient and be positioned on a patient and output a signal responsive of the attenuated light to a physiological condition of the patient; and 
 one or more processors in communication with the noninvasive physiological sensor, the one or more processors configured to electronically:
 process the signal; 
 responsive to processing the signal, determine a measurement of a physiological parameter based at least in part upon the signal; 
 determine that the measurement of the physiological parameter satisfies an alarm activation threshold; 
 receive, from a user, an indication ofinitiate a parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension period of time corresponding to the physiological parameter, the parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension period of time being selected fromone of a plurality of parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension periods of time, the parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension period of time being different from at least one other parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension period of time corresponding to at least one other physiological parameter for which the one or more processors are configured to determine at least one measurement; activate an alarm in response to determining that an alarm activation threshold has been satisfied by the physiological parameter measurement; receive an alarm suspension indication; and 
 in response to receiving the alarm suspension indication, suspend the alarm foractivate an alarm for the physiological parameter in response to expiration of an amount of delay or suspension associated with the indicated parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension period of time. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The physiological measurement system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 provide a user interface to the user including at least a plurality of user-selectable elements, each of the selectable plurality of user-selectable elements corresponding to one of the plurality of parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension periods of time. 
 
     
     
       3. The physiological measurement system of  claim 2 , wherein providing the user interface further includes:
 constructing a pop-up window for a display; and 
 displaying the plurality of user-selectable elements in the pop-up window. 
 
     
     
       4. The physiological measurement system of  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of user-selectable elements are configured to allow a user to select a specific one of the plurality of parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension periods of time. 
     
     
       5. The physiological measurement system of  claim 4 , wherein the a selected parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension period of time is selected by selection of one of the plurality of user-selectable elements. 
     
     
       6. The physiological measurement system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 associate the a selected parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension period of time is with the physiological parameter. 
 
     
     
       7. The physiological measurement system of  claim 6 , wherein the selected parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension period of time is stored in a memory device in communication with the one or more processors. 
     
     
       8. The physiological measurement system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 responsive to processing the signal, determine a measurement of a second physiological parameter measurement based at least in part upon the signal; 
 determine that the measurement of the second physiological parameter satisfies a second alarm activation threshold; 
 receive, from the user, a second indication ofinitiate a second parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension period of time corresponding to the second physiological parameter, the second parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension period of time being selected fromone of a second plurality of parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension periods of time; activate a second alarm in response to determining a second alarm activation threshold has been satisfied by the second physiological parameter measurement; and 
 in response to receiving the alarm suspension indication, suspend the second alarm foractivate a second alarm for the second physiological parameter in response to expiration of an amount of delay or suspension associated with the indicated second parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension period of time. 
 
     
     
       9. The physiological measurement system of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 provide a user interface to the user including at least a first plurality of user-selectable elements and a second plurality of user-selectable elements, wherein each of the first plurality of user-selectable elements corresponds to one of the plurality of parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension periods of time, and each of the second plurality of user-selectable element corresponds to one of the second plurality of parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension periods of time. 
 
     
     
       10. The physiological measurement system of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 construct a pop-up window for a display; and 
 display both the first and second plurality of user-selectable elements in the pop-up window. 
 
     
     
       11. The physiological measurement system of  claim 10 , wherein the a selected parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension period of time is selected by selection of one of the first plurality of user-selectable elements, and the a selected second parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension period of time is selected by selection of one of the second plurality of user-selectable elements. 
     
     
       12. The physiological measurement system of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one of the first plurality of parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension periods of time is different from any of the second plurality of parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension periods of time. 
     
     
       13. An A method of electronically delaying or suspending an alarm while an electronically calculated measurement of a physiological parameter satisfies an alarm activation threshold, the measurement of the physiological parameter responsive to a signal from a noninvasive sensor positioned at a monitored patient, the method comprising:
 electronically processing a signal from a noninvasive sensor; 
 measuringresponsive to processing the signal, electronically determining a first measurement of a first physiological parameter and a second measurement of a second physiological parameter using a patient monitoring device, the patient monitoring device including a processor and a memory device configured to store; 
 electronically storing, using the patient monitoring device, a first parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension period of time corresponding to the first physiological parameter and a second parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension period of time corresponding to the second physiological parameter, the first parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension period of time being different from the second parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension period of time; 
 electronically determining, using the patient monitoring device, that the first measurement of the first physiological parameter satisfies a first alarm activation threshold; 
 receiving, from a user, an indication of aelectronically initiating, using the patient monitoring device, the first parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension period of time corresponding to the physiological parameter, the parameter-specific alarm suspension period of time being selected from a plurality of parameter-specific alarm suspension periods of time, the parameter-specific alarm suspension period of time being different from at least one other parameter-specific alarm suspension period of time corresponding to at least one other physiological parameter; activating an alarm in response to determining an alarm activation threshold has been satisfied by the physiological parameter measurement; receiving an alarm suspension indication; and 
 in response to receiving the alarm suspension indication, suspending the alarm forelectronically activating, using the patient monitoring device, a first alarm for the first physiological parameter in response to expiration of a first amount of delay or suspension associated with the indicatedfirst parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension period of time. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the first alarm includes an audible component and a visual component, and wherein suspending activating the first alarm in response to expiration of the first amount of delay or suspension comprises suspending activating the audible component and not suspending the visual component. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 13  further comprising:
 providing a user interface to the user including at least a plurality of user-selectable elements, each of the selectable plurality of user-selectable elements corresponding to one of the a plurality of parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension periods of time, 
 wherein the plurality of parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension periods of time comprise the first parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension period of time. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15  further comprising:
 constructing a pop-up window for a display; and 
 displaying the plurality of user-selectable elements in the pop-up window. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , wherein the a selected parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension period of time is selected by selection of one of the plurality of user-selectable elements. 
     
     
       18. A physiological measurement system comprising:
 a physiological sensor means for outputting a signal responsive to a noninvasive measurement of attenuated light transmitted through a tissue site physiological condition of a patient; 
 a memory configured to store a first alarm activation threshold;  and 
 a processing meansone or more processors in communication with the physiological sensor means and configured to:
 process the signal;   responsive to processing the signal, determine a first measurement of a the first measured physiological parameter based at least in part upon the signal;   receive, from a user, an indication ofinitiate a first parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension period of time corresponding to the first measured physiological parameter, the parameter-specific alarm suspension period of time being selected from a plurality of parameter-specific alarm suspension periods of time, the first parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension period of time being different from at least one other a second parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension period of time corresponding to at least one other a second measured physiological parameter for which the one or more processors are configured to determine a second measurement;   delay or suspend activation of an alarm for the first measured physiological parameter for the first parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension period of time while the first alarm activation threshold is satisfied by the measurement of the first measured physiological parameter; and   subsequent to delaying or suspending activation of the alarm for the first parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension period of time, activate an the alarm in response to determining an the first alarm activation threshold has been is satisfied by the first measurement of the first measured physiological parameter measurement; receive an alarm suspension indication; and in response to receiving the alarm suspension indication, suspend the alarm for the indicated parameter-specific alarm suspension period of time.   
 
     
     
       19. The physiological measurement system of  claim 18 , wherein the processing means is one or more processors are further configured to:
 responsive to processing the signal, determine athe second physiological parameter measurement based at least in part upon the signal; 
 receive, from the user, a second indication of ainitiate the second parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension period of time corresponding to the second physiological parameter, the second parameter-specific alarm suspension period of time being selected from a second plurality of parameter-specific alarm suspension periods of time; 
 delay or suspend activation of a second alarm for the second measured physiological parameter for the second parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension period of time while a second alarm activation threshold is satisfied by the second measurement; and 
 subsequent to delaying or suspending activation of the second alarm for the second parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension period of time, activate a the second alarm in response responsive to determining a that the second alarm activation threshold has been is satisfied by the second physiological parameter measurement; and 
 in response to receiving the alarm suspension indication, suspend the second alarm for the indicated second parameter-specific alarm suspension period of time. 
 
     
     
       20. The physiological measurement system of  claim 19 , wherein the processing means is one or more processors are further configured to:
 provide a user interface to the user including at least a first plurality of user-selectable elements and a second plurality of user-selectable elements, wherein each of the first plurality of user-selectable elements corresponds to one of the a first plurality of parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension periods of time, and each of the second plurality of user-selectable element corresponds to one of the a second plurality of parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension periods of time, 
 wherein the first plurality of parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension periods of time comprise the first parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension period of time, and the second plurality of parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension periods of time comprise the second parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension period of time. 
 
     
     
       21. The physiological measurement system of  claim 20 , wherein the a selected first parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension period of time is selected by selection of one of the first plurality of user-selectable elements, and the a selected second parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension period of time is selected by selection of one of the second plurality of user-selectable elements. 
     
     
       22. The physiological measurement system of  claim 21 , wherein at least one of the first plurality of parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension periods of time is different from any of the second plurality of parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension periods of time. 
     
     
       23. The physiological measurement system of claim 1, wherein the alarm comprises an audible alarm. 
     
     
       24. The physiological measurement system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 determine that the measurement of the physiological parameter satisfies a second alarm activation threshold different from the alarm activation threshold; and   in response to determining that the measurement of the physiological parameter satisfies the second alarm activation threshold, activate the alarm for the physiological parameter prior to expiration of the amount of delay or suspension associated with the first parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension period of time.   
     
     
       25. The physiological measurement system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 determine that a measurement of a second physiological parameter satisfies a second alarm activation threshold; and   in response to determining the measurement of the second physiological parameter satisfies the second alarm activation threshold, activate an alarm for the second physiological parameter prior to expiration of the amount of delay or suspension associated with the first parameter-specific alarm delay or suspension period of time.   
     
     
       26. The physiological measurement system of claim 1, wherein the physiological parameter comprises an oxygen saturation, and the at least one other physiological parameter comprises a pulse rate.