Ge Medical Systems Information Technologies Gmbh

Elizabeth Anne Bock

George Martin Hutchinson

David Alan Sitzman

Corey James Lawson

Method and apparatus for displaying an alarm condition on a patient monitor. A graphical user interface can include an alarm communication device that indicates a state of a physiological parameter. The alarm communication device can include a stable region, an intermediate region, and a critical region. At least one of the intermediate region and the critical region can represent the alarm condition. The graphical user interface can also include a tolerance control that adjusts at least one of a boundary and a width of at least one of the stable region, the intermediate region, and the critical region in order to adjust the alarm condition.

Method and apparatus for communicating an alarm while monitoring

A method for monitoring a subject can include acquiring data from the subject, and dynamically adjusting an alarm limit based on the data. The method can also comprise determining a first value that is typical for the subject for the characteristic being monitored, determining a second value for the characteristic being monitored, and generating a comparison based on the two values. The method could also comprise setting a threshold for a characteristic being monitored, and decreasing the alarm limit if the data crosses the threshold. The method could also include setting an extremity limit. The following methods can be applied to the monitoring of a healthcare patient, or other subjects of interest. Also, the values used in the monitoring of the subject can be configured to be transferable from one monitor to another.

Method and apparatus for controlling an alarm while monitoring

A method and apparatus to detect irregular heart activity and estimate heart rate. In one embodiment, the heart rate estimation apparatus includes a group of six RR storage structures that receives an input of six successive RR interval values. The apparatus also includes a probability engine coupled to the group of RR storage structures, the probability engine is operable to calculate and output a mean value of the six RR interval values and a median value of the mean value and the six RR interval. In one embodiment, the apparatus carries out a method including the acts of determining a plurality of interval values between successive R waves; determining a mean of a group of six interval values; determining a median interval value for a group including the group of six interval values and the mean of the group of six interval values; and determining a running average of interval values between successive R waves using the median interval value.

Atrial fibrillation detection method and apparatus

A method and apparatus to detect irregular heart activity based upon a ventricular activity analysis, P wave activity, similarities in R wave to R wave intervals, and a state evaluation. The invention includes a beat classification module that receives ECG information as an input. The beat classification module determines whether the heart beat being analyzed falls within classifications that are suitable for use in analyzing whether an irregular condition exists. If the beat falls within a class suitable for analysis, the ECG information is fed to an interval calculator. The interval calculator determines the interval between successive R waves. The information from the interval calculator is provided to a probability engine and to a contextual analysis module. The probability engine is designed to detect atrial fibrillation based upon beat classification and RR interval values from the interval calculator. The probability engine outputs a state variable that indicates a probability of whether an irregular condition is present. The contextual analysis module matches predefined maps to a running map of the current ECG information. The contextual analysis module also determines the similarity between consecutive RR intervals and checks for sequences of matching classes. ECG information is also supplied to a P wave detection module to detect the presence of P waves. Information from the probability analysis engine, the contextual analysis module, and the P wave detection module is then provided to a state evaluation module. The state evaluation module uses the outputs of the three modules to determine whether an irregular condition exists.

Growing community of inventors

Elm Grove, WI, United States of America

Elizabeth Anne Bock