Method and system for providing a patient identification beacon for patient worn sensors

A bracelet beacon device (10) includes a flexible material strap (16) which encases or is attached to a writable layer (22) carrying human readable patient identification information, a flexible power supply (26), and a flexible circuit layer (24). The flexible circuit layer includes a memory (40) for storing at least patient identification information and a body coupled communication transmitter (42) for transmitting the patient identification information via the patient using a body coupled communication protocol.

The present application relates to the medical arts. It finds particular application in conjunction with patient identification, physiologic data collection, and treatment, and will be described with particular reference thereto. However, it is to be appreciated that it will find other applications such as identifying medical professionals and other people, patient-caregiver interactions, other interactions, security, and the like.

Today, there is an enormous challenge matching data from the multitude of data generating monitoring devices, to the correct patient identification. Typically when entering a medical facility, a typed or printed patient ID is affixed to the patient's wrist or ankle with a bracelet. Such bracelets typically utilize a printed label sealed into a transparent strip that is affixed around the wrist or ankle. Nurses, doctors, surgeons, and other caregivers refer to this bracelet to verify patient identity. When tests are performed, physiological parameters read, and the like, the caregiver associates the test results, readings, and the like with the patient ID in a hospital database system. Such a manual procedure is subject to human error.

Others have proposed barcoding the patient ID onto the bracelet. A barcode reader then scans the bracelet to determine the patient ID. Although automated barcode reading reduces errors, the process is still primarily a manual process.

Others have proposed electronic monitoring device which transmit monitored information with the patient ID to the central database system. Because sending data with the patient's ID violates patient confidentiality, complex encrypting schemes were needed.

The present application provides a new and improved apparatus and system which overcomes the above-referenced problems and others.

In accordance with one aspect, a beacon apparatus includes a strap of flexible material configured to be attached to an extremity of a patient, a printable layer attached to the strap, a flexible power supply attached to the strap, and a flexible circuit attached to the strap and the power supply. The flexible circuit includes a wireless transmitting unit which wirelessly transmits at least patient identification information.

In accordance with another aspect, a hospital system includes a plurality of the beacon apparatuses for attachment to a plurality of patients. A beacon containing a unique ID is associated with a specific patient in the master patient index (typically done at the time the beacon is applied to the patient). The beacon ID can represent the patient and all data which is received from or transmitted to other beacon apparatuses. A diagnostic or testing apparatus receives patient information and provides diagnostic or test information associated with the beacon identification information to the medical facility. A medical facility system identifies the patient associated with the beacon ID, stores and retrieves patient information with the identified patient. A display end user input device is connected with the transceiver.

In accordance with another aspect, a method of associating information with a patient includes printing human-readable patient information on a printable layer, attaching the printable layer, a strap of flexible material, a flexible circuit layer, and a power supply together. The flexible strap with the attached printable layer, flexible circuit layer, and flexible power supply is attached to an extremity of a patient. At least patient identification information is wirelessly transmitted from the flexible circuit layer.

One advantage resides in a reducing of human error in patient records.

Another advantage resides in reduced labor to maintain patient records.

Another advantage resides in improved patient treatment.

Still further advantages of the present invention will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading and understand the following detailed description.

With reference toFIG. 1, a beacon in the form of a disposable bracelet10is attached to a patient for a length of stay in a medical facility. The bracelet device10is often worn around a wrist12of a patient14as an arm bracelet. However, the beacon may be attached to the patient in other locations including, but not limited to the wrist, the upper arm, the ankle, above the knee, around the neck as a collar or necklace, around the waist, or the like.

The beacon bracelet device10includes a strap16which, in one embodiment, is a light-weight, flexible material, such as plastic, mylar, treated paper, bacteriostatic material, and the like. In one embodiment, the strap16is in the form of a transparent plastic tube into which relatively flat structures can be inserted from the end. The bracelet includes a fastening construction that enables the bracelet device to be fitted around the patient's extremity. In some embodiments, the fastening construction prohibits the beacon bracelet device from being removed without at least partial destruction. In accordance of one aspect, the removal of the beacon from the patient causes the beacon to signal that the beacon was removed to alert the receiving data systems to the potential that the beacon is no longer associated. Typically, the beacon bracelet device10is removed and disabled when a patient is discharged.

In the illustrated embodiment, the beacon bracelet device10includes a transparent plastic strip20in the form of an elongated tube or which is foldable to define an interior space for receiving relatively flat constructions. A printable layer22, such as a paper strip, a thin flexible circuit layer24, and a power supply26, preferably a thin, flexible battery, are inserted or sealed into the plastic strip20. The power supply26can include a single use battery that is activated when the bracelet device is installed on a patient, rechargeable batteries or capacitors, and the like. A battery charge indicator28, e.g., a color indicator, is connected with the flexible circuit layer and positioned to be viewable from the exterior of the bracelet device.

The printable layer22typically includes a patient's name and basic demographics30in human readable form, a hospital identification number32in human-readable form, and a machine-readable patient identifiers34such as a bar code. Other relevant information such as admission date, emergency physiological information such as blood type or allergies, purpose of admission to the medical facility, attending physician, and the like can also appear on the printable layer22.

The flexible circuit layer includes a memory40that stores at least a unique beacon identification or ID. At initial intake, the patient or the patient ID is associated with the beacon ID such that a medical facility data system can associate received data with the correct system. Alternately, the patient ID32can be stored in the beacon memory as the beacon ID, provided that transmitted data is encrypted. The memory40can also store patient monitor readings such as blood pressure, SpO2, pulse rate, ECG, etc., medication administration record, clinical laboratory values known for the patient, date and time of significant events, encryption key(s), attending physician identification, medical history, other medical information, processor control programs or information, and the like. A transmitter42transmits the patient ID which is stored in the memory40and other information with a lower power protocol, such as body coupled communications (BCC). A processor44controls the transmitter to send the patient identification information, e.g., periodically to increase battery life, on demand, or the like. Typical periods might be once a minute for a patient beacon, once every five seconds for a clinical beacon, once an hour for an infrastructure beacon, once every 15 seconds for pumps and monitors. Beaconing can also by triggered manually, in response to an event such as an IV being connected, etc. The flexible circuit may include a manually actuatable switch for manually causing the patient ID to be transmitted. A receiver46receives information using the low power protocol and communicates the received information to the processor. The received information can include a request to transmit the patient ID, data to be recorded in the memory40, instructions to retrieve and transmit data from the memory, and the like.

With reference toFIG. 2, the beacon bracelet device10uses the body coupled communications protocol to poll or otherwise access patient worn physiological parameter sensors50such as an SpO2 monitor, a pulse monitor, an ECG monitor, or the like which are equipped with appropriate electronics to transmit and receive body coupled communications. By touching an associated medical device with body coupled communications capabilities, such as an IV pump, syringe, and the like, information about medications given to the patient can be downloaded to the beacon for transmission to the medical facility system. Also, information about blood type, medicinal allergies, and the like communicated to the associated device or another warning device. Preferably, the processor44of the beacon device exchanges encryption keys with the sensors50such that the communicated physiological data is encrypted.

The patient ID and other information from the beacon can be transmitted to a transceiver52when the patient touches or comes in close proximity to a body coupled communications sensor plate or antenna54which can be shaped to accommodate the human hand. The transceiver is connected with one or more of a variety of systems which receive information from or transmit information to the beacon. For example, the transceiver can be connected with a display controller or processor56, which controls a human readable monitor58to display the patient ID, monitored physiological data, warnings, or other information. A user interface60, such as a keyboard or mouse, enables a human operator to input information to the transceiver to be transferred to the beacon. The user interface may be used in initially programming the patient ID and other information into the memory40when the bracelet device10is first attached to the patient.

The transceiver is also connected to a hospital or other medical system62including an interface64and a database66. The interface includes or accesses a look-up table or memory which correlates the unique beacon ID (if different from the patient ID) with the corresponding patient. During initial intake or when the beacon is attached to a patient, the correlation between the patient and the beacon ID are loaded into the look-up table or memory, e.g., by the transceiver52and the user interface60. Information from the memory40can be transferred via the transceiver52and interface64to the hospital system database66to become part of the patient record. Conversely, other patient information and the beacon ID associated with the patient can be read out of the hospital database and transferred by the transceiver52to the memory40to transfer the other patient information to the beacon. In the encryption embodiment in which the beacon ID is the same as the patient ID, the patient ID is also transferred by the transceiver to the memory40.

The transceiver52, in another embodiment, is connected to a diagnostic or testing apparatus70. Various diagnostic or testing apparatus are contemplated, such as blood pressure cuff, a blood analysis machine, a diagnostic imaging apparatus, a blood or other specimen collection machine, and the like. The apparatus70includes a processor or interface72which receives the patient ID from the transceiver52and associates the ID of the patient touching or in close proximity to the plate54with diagnostic or test results, collected specimens, or the like.

With reference toFIG. 3, a body coupled communication unit80can be connected with various peripherals such as a pill tray82. When the body coupled communication device80is programmed with the pills or other medications in the pill tray, that information is transferred to the beacon10via body coupled communications when the patient14touches or picks up the pill tray. Other peripherals, such as specimen bottles, and the like, can also include a body coupled communication device. For a specimen bottle, the patient ID from the beacon10is transmitted via body coupled communications to the body coupled communication device on the specimen bottle in order to assure that the patient ID and the specimen stay together. In this embodiment, the sample collection container with a beacon is capable of capturing both the patient ID from the beacon on the patient and the one worn by the clinician acquiring the patient's blood sample, as well as time of acquisition automatically. Then later this data and information is communicated to the clinical analyzer so the acquisition details are obtained, and results are reported to the correct patient's record automatically and error free.

Similarly, a caregiver84can wear an analogous beacon10′ which may be in the form of a bracelet and may have substantially identical structure to the bracelet device10worn by the patient14. Alternately, the care giver beacon may be of a slightly different structure in order to facilitate removal on leaving the hospital after a shift, recharging a battery, or the like. Whenever the caregiver touches the patient directly or via a peripheral, body coupled communication is established between the beacons10,10′. In this manner, the patient or the caregiver can record patient interactions and personally administered treatments. For example, if the caregiver uses a stethoscope to monitor the patient's heart, the stethoscope provides a body coupled communication channel between the patient and caregiver, enabling the caregiver and the time of the treatment or interaction to be recorded. When the patient or caregiver touches the plate54of the transceiver52of the medical facility system, this information can be downloaded into the medical facility system62.

In one embodiment, the patient bed is connected with a patient bed beacon10″. In another embodiment, a transceiver52′ is mounted on the bed. The bed beacon10″ or bed transceiver52′ communicates with the beacon10using body coupled communications protocol via the bed. The bed beacon or transceiver can have a large or rechargeable battery or can be connected to a remote power supply. The bed beacon or transceiver can communicate with the medical facility system62wirelessly, by a wired connection, or a combination thereof.

In another embodiment, an IV90is disposed adjacent the patient. An IV pump52includes an IV beacon10″′ which communicates medical dosage information to the patient beacon10using a body coupled communication protocol. The IV fluids provide a body coupled communications path.

With reference toFIG. 4, in use, the beacon, particularly the memory40of the bracelet device10, is assigned100a patient ID code. Alternately, if the memory40is preprogrammed with a bracelet ID, that bracelet ID is associated with a patient ID in the hospital system. Patent information is printed102on the printable layer22, and the printable layer is inserted or affixed104into the strap16which has previously received the battery and circuit layers. The strap16is wrapped around the wrist or other patient extremity and affixed106to the patient. The patient touches108the transceiver52to establish BCC communication with the hospital system to upload appropriate patient ID and medical information to the memory40.

The beacon acquires data from the physiological monitors50, from interaction with peripherals82, from interaction with a caregiver, from interaction with a diagnostic or testing apparatus70, or the like. Periodically, the patient14touches or comes sufficiently close to the transceiver52that the hospital database66is updated112.