The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 11, 2004
Filed:
Apr. 09, 2002
Michael H. Mackin, Ellicott City, MD (US);
Christopher A. Dykes, Columbia, MD (US);
Datex Ohmada, Inc., Madison, WI (US);
Abstract
A patient care apparatus and method where the apparatus has an audible sound producing device that sounds an audible alarm when a particular alarm condition is sensed with respect to a patient or the apparatus itself. The apparatus includes a non-hand contact alarm silence switch that can be activated to silence the audible alarm. That non-hand contact alarm silence switch can be activated by various means that do not involve an object or person actually contacting the switch by any portion of the care provider that would be expected to remain in sterile conditions. Various technologies can be used for the non-hand contact alarm silence switch including proximity sensing, optical sensing, temperature sensing, air pressure sensing or voice command, any one of which can activate the switch without the need to make physical contact of the alarm silence switch by a person or object. In one embodiment, the apparatus has a foot-operated alarm silence switch.