Abstract:
The system and method of the present application allows for the configurable display of a number of physiological parameters on a wide variety of display sizes, usually those displays that are smaller than the bedside monitor display. The system and method organizes data in a grid of displayable elements, each displayable element including a piece of information corresponding to a collected physiological parameter of a patient. Depending upon the size of the display, an appropriate number of displayable elements are organized in a grid on the display and the size of each grid on the display is configurable and adjustable by a user.

Description:
FIELD 
       [0001]    The present application is directed to the field of patient monitoring. More specifically, the present application is directed to the field of telemetry monitor configuration. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Devices with different screen sizes are used for patient monitoring. As the acuity of a patient changes, they are often monitored with smaller monitors. It is desirable from a user standpoint to maintain a similar user interface across these devices. This is made difficult due to changes in display size and aspect ratio. As these different display sizes are used to display patient data, it is difficult to maintain consistency of the user interface (UI). This introduces confusion in the clinicians when switching between devices, which potentially leads to delays in understanding patient data, or possibly even incorrect interpretation of the data. 
         [0003]    According to  FIG. 1 , a bedside monitor  10  is illustrated including a standard, large-size display of physiological parameters  20  on the monitor  10 . In most current systems, this type of bedside monitor  10  is readily utilized to collect physiological parameters  20  from the patient and to display all of the pertinent information on the monitor  10  as shown.  FIG. 2  illustrates a typical telemetry monitor  30  currently used to monitor the physiological parameters  20  of a patient on a smaller, handheld-sized device. Typically, in such telemetry monitors  30 , only three physiological parameters  20  may be viewed at any given time, and as is shown in  FIG. 2 , none of the physiological parameters  20  displayed on the telemetry monitor  30  include all of the information shown in the bedside monitor  10  for any one of the physiological parameters  20 . In other words, in each of the physiological parameters  20  shown on the telemetry monitor  30 , each one is missing a key component. Also, an additional common issue is that current small displays such as telemetry monitors  30  have the capability of only collecting and displaying up to three specific physiological parameters  20 , in most cases as shown in  FIG. 2 . In other words, most current telemetry monitors  30  can collect heart rate, SpO 2 , and ECG parameters from a patient and display them as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    The system and method of the present application allows for the configurable display of a number of physiological parameters on a wide variety of display sizes, usually those displays that are smaller than the bedside monitor display. The system and method organizes data in a grid of displayable elements, each displayable element including a piece of information corresponding to a collected physiological parameter of a patient. Depending upon the size of the display, an appropriate number of displayable elements are organized in a grid on the display and the size of each grid on the display is configurable and adjustable by a user. 
         [0005]    A system for scaling a plurality of displayed physiological data sets comprising, a first monitoring device including a first segmented graphical user interface (GUI), wherein the first segmented GUI includes a plurality of display elements, wherein each of the plurality of display elements is assigned and displays a set of collected physiological data from a patient; and a second monitoring device in communication with the first monitoring device, the second monitoring device including a second segmented GUI, wherein the second segmented GUI has a smaller display area than the first segmented GUI and includes a corresponding display element for each of the plurality of display elements of the first segmented GUI, such that each of the corresponding display elements is assigned and displays the set of collected physiological data corresponding to the first segmented GUI, wherein the size and orientation of each of the corresponding display elements is configurable with a user input. 
         [0006]    A method of scaling a plurality of physiological data sets for display comprising, collecting the plurality of physiological data sets from a patient with a data acquisition service; dividing the plurality of physiological data sets into a parameter and control component, an alarm component and a waveform component; checking each of the components with a display resolution assignment for a scaled display; assigning a display element to each of the components; sending the components to a display service; reading the display resolution assignments with the display service; and displaying the components in the assigned display element of the scaled display when the resolution is supported. 
         [0007]    A graphical user interface (GUI) for scaling and displaying a plurality of collected physiological data sets, the GUI comprising, a plurality of display elements, wherein each of the plurality of display elements is assigned and displays a set of collected physiological data from a patient, wherein the size and orientation of each of the corresponding display elements is configurable with a user input, wherein the user input includes the user configuring the size of any of the plurality of display elements with a touch screen of the second segmented GUI, and further wherein the size of any of the plurality of display elements is configured by moving any side of the display element or any corner of the display element, and further wherein when the size of any of the plurality of display elements is configured by the user, the size of the remaining plurality of display elements automatically adjusts according to a predetermined algorithm. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a graphical representation illustrating an embodiment of a bedside monitor of the present application. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a graphical representation illustrating an embodiment of a telemetry monitor of the present application. 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a schematic block diagram illustrating a segmented graphical user interface (GUI) of a bedside monitor of the present application. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a schematic block diagram illustrating a segmented graphical user interface (GUI) of a bedside monitor of the present application. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a schematic block diagram illustrating a segmented graphical user interface (GUI) of a telemetry monitor of the present application. 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a schematic block diagram illustrating a segmented graphical user interface (GUI) of a telemetry monitor of the present application. 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is a schematic block diagram illustrating a segmented graphical user interface (GUI) of a telemetry monitor of the present application. 
           [0015]      FIG. 8   a  is a block diagram illustrating a segmented graphical user interface (GUI) of the present application. 
           [0016]      FIG. 8   b  is a block diagram illustrating a segmented graphical user interface (GUI) of the present application. 
           [0017]      FIG. 9  is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of the method of the present application. 
           [0018]      FIG. 10  is a schematic block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a system of the present application. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0019]    In one embodiment of the present application, a display is divided into nine grid sections. Each one of the grids has a grid identifier. In one example, the upper right hand corner would be number  3 , and the lower right hand corner would be number  9 . The grids are then used to display the data that is desired and if the parameter is made larger, the user has the ability to interact with the device to cause the grid to get physically larger. For example, if the user expands the grid to cause it to be larger, the current system takes all the data that the device is capable of displaying and assigns it a number, and then that number equates to a location on the display, assigning a physical place where that data goes every time. If the user wants to enlarge it, they can interact with that point. 
         [0020]      FIG. 1  illustrates a bedside monitor  10 , including a display of a number of physiological parameters  20  collected from a patient. These physiological parameters  20  ordinarily include some type of waveform, parameters and control, as well as an alarm condition, as shown. While in the present application, we will refer to this large display as a bedside monitor  10 , it should be understood that the bedside monitor  10  is merely illustrative of a larger monitoring device able to clearly and accurately display all portions of the physiological parameters  20  as shown. Other larger displays that have the same function and capabilities, may not be bedside monitors  10 , but will include displays with the same capability. 
         [0021]      FIG. 2  is illustrative of a telemetry monitor  30  having a smaller display able to display the physiological parameters  20 . As discussed above with respect to the bedside monitor  10 , the telemetry monitor  30  is intended as illustrative of the limitations of the small display in displaying the physiological parameters  20 . In  FIG. 2 , it is clear that the telemetry monitor  30  is limited in that only portions of the physiological parameters  20  are displayed, and not one of the physiological parameters  20  displayed on the telemetry monitor  30  includes all three of the waveform, parameters and control, and alarm display. Again, the telemetry monitor  30  is illustrative of a device having a small display area, and it should be understood that the system and method of the present application is applicable with other devices having small display areas including, but not limited to, smart phones, PDAs, and small-screened laptops. 
         [0022]    Referring still to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , in one embodiment, the system and method of the present application is effectuated by a set of executable code embodied in software. While not shown, it should be understood that either or both the bedside monitor  10  and telemetry monitor  30  include a storage medium and a processor, wherein the storage medium includes a set of executable code that when executed by the processor, effectuates the operation of the system and method of the present application. It should be further noted that in some systems, a separate device may be utilized having similar components that may execute a set of executable code, thus effectuating the operation of the system and method. 
         [0023]      FIG. 3  illustrates a bedside monitor segmented GUI  40  of the present application. Here, the display of the bedside monitor  10  is segmented into a graphical user interface  40  of a grid of display elements  50 . Each of the display elements  50  is assigned physiological parameter  20  data, which will be discussed below. Each display element  50  in the grid corresponds to a collected physiological parameter  20  so that when a smaller screen size is utilized for monitoring, each physiological parameter  20  has an assigned spot on the smaller display (in its assigned display element  50 ). This concept is clearly illustrated in the bedside monitor segmented GUI  40  illustrated in  FIG. 4 . Here, the display elements  50  are again displayed into a grid format and the physiological parameter  20  data collected from the patient is placed onto its assigned display element  50 . It should be noted here that typically bedside monitors  10  are able to display all of the desired physiological parameters  20  that may be collected from a patient, but oftentimes telemetry monitors  30  are limited to a particular few physiological parameters  20 . The issues raised by this problem will be discussed in further detail below, but it should be noted in the discussion of  FIG. 4  that a user may assign any particular physiological parameter  20  to any particular display element  50 , and even change those assignments at a later time if appropriate. 
         [0024]    Referring now to  FIG. 5 , a telemetry monitor segmented GUI  60  of the present application is illustrated.  FIG. 5  illustrates one embodiment of this telemetry monitor segmented GUI  60 , and it will be shown in later figures that different configurations of the display elements  50  may be implemented in the telemetry monitor  30  display. As shown, the telemetry monitor segmented GUI  60  includes the same number of display elements  50  as that of the bedside monitor segmented GUI  40 . However, the telemetry monitor segmented GUI  60  reconfigures the display elements  50  to adapt to the smaller screen size. The GUI  60  in  FIG. 5  represents what might be a default arrangement of the display elements  50  of the segmented GUI  60 . However, a user once again may set a default setting for the display elements  50  in such a segmented GUI  60  to the user&#39;s preferences. For example, the user may set the segmented GUI  60  to have a default setting as illustrated in the display elements  50  as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
         [0025]    In any case, regardless of the default settings of the display elements of the segment  50  of the segmented GUI  60 , a user may select any of the display elements using an input device or touch-screen capabilities, and change the size of any one display element. Of course, changing any one of the display elements  50  will affect the size of other display elements  50  in the segmented GUI  60 . For example, the configuration of the display elements  50  of the segmented GUI  60  of  FIG. 5  to the configuration of the display elements  50  of the segmented GUI  60  of  FIG. 6  is the result of the user selecting display element number  6 , and making it larger by stretching it to the left side of the GUI  60 . In this example, the display element number  5  automatically shortened in length. Of course, there are countless combinations of reconfigurations of the GUI  60  of the user. Furthermore, any of the display elements  50  may be turned off or eliminated from the segmented GUI  60  by the user by switching that particular display element  50  off with a user input and/or through the user enlarging another display element  50  over the display element  50  being eliminated. Referring to  FIG. 6  as an example, if a user enlarges display element  6  by moving the left vertical boundary of display element  6  to the left, vertical boundary of display element  5 , the display element  5  may be effectively turned off and/or eliminated according to a predetermined algorithm. To effectuate all of this functionality, when a user reconfigures the size of any one of the display elements  50  in the segmented GUI  60 , an algorithm including parameters and rules for adjusting the size of the display elements  50  not selected by the user is utilized to reconfigure the display elements  50  in the segmented GUI  60   
         [0026]    Referring now to  FIG. 7 , a telemetry monitor segmented GUI  60  of  FIG. 6  is depicted, but with the data from the physiological parameters  20  collected from the patient associated with each display element  50 . As is shown here, the larger display elements  50 , in this case, (display elements  2 ,  6  and  8 ), have been stretched as previously shown in  FIG. 6 . In those display elements  50 , the data associated with the physiological parameters  20  collected from the patient are shown in full, meaning that the waveforms, the parameters and control, and the alarms are all shown. Again, once a user selects any one of the display elements  50 , that particular display element can be enlarged or shortened according to the user&#39;s specification, and the rest of the display elements  50  will adjust according to the algorithm. 
         [0027]    Referring now to  FIGS. 8   a  and  8   b , it is illustrated how other embodiments of the system and method of the present application will adjust the display elements  50  when moving from a bedside monitor segmented GUI  40  to a telemetry monitor segmented GUI  60 . In  FIG. 8   a , the bedside monitor segmented GUI  40  includes nine display elements  50  of equal size. However, when the display elements are displayed on the corresponding telemetry monitor segmented GUI  60 , display element  5  is given a large percentage of the display, and is centered, with the remaining display elements  50  having varying amounts of space around the perimeter of the segmented GUI  60 . Again,  FIG. 8   a  is being provided for illustrative purposes only, and is merely being shown to illustrate that both the bedside monitor segmented GUI  40  and the telemetry monitor segmented GUI  60  may be configured according to user specifications, and altered accordingly. 
         [0028]    Referring now to  FIG. 9 , a method  100  of the present application is illustrated in the flowchart. In step  110 , a data acquisition service or device collects a set of physiological data for display from a patient. The acquired physiological data is divided into three different display component, including parameters and control  120 , alarms  130 , and waveforms  140 . Each of these categories  120 ,  130  and  140  are checked against the display resolution assignments  150  for that particular display. The display resolution assignments  150  are stored in a resolution database  155 . An example of such checking includes that perhaps for a certain display size, any parameter and control  120  is supported, but that perhaps only certain resolution of waveforms  140  can be supported. Each of the parameters and control  120 , alarms  130  and waveforms  140  of the acquired data is then given a grid assignment in step  160  according to a grid number database  165 , and in step  170 , all of the data is packaged for transport to a display service. Still referring to the method  100  of  FIG. 9 , in step  175 , the display resolution assignments  150  are read, and it is determined in step  180  if the resolution is supported for that particular piece of acquired data. If the resolution is not supported, then an error message is displayed in step  185 , and if the resolution is supported, then the grid number is read in step  190 , and the data is displayed in that grid number in step  195 . This method  100  is utilized for each physiological parameter collected from the patient. 
         [0029]    Referring now to  FIG. 10 , an exemplary monitoring system  200  of the present application is illustrated. Here an acquisition device  220  collects a physiological parameter from a patient  210  and delivers that to either or both of a telemetry monitor  230  and/or bedside monitor  240 . Again, as described above, each of the telemetry monitor  230  and bedside monitor  240  is exemplary of a small display device and a large display device, respectively. Furthermore, both the telemetry monitor  230  and the bedside monitor  240  are equipped with a processor and storage medium for executing code in order to effectuate the display system and method of the present application. In one embodiment, the telemetry monitor  230  and the bedside monitor  240  are in communication with one another in either a wired or wireless fashion, in order to transmit or receive portions of the collected physiological data from the patient  210 . As was discussed above, some devices such as telemetry monitors  230  are not currently capable of actually collecting more than two or three of the current physiological parameters at one time. Accordingly, in one embodiment of the present application, the bedside monitor  240  is utilized to collect several different physiological parameters from the patient  210 , and transfer those signals to the telemetry monitor  230  for display in accordance with the display system and method as outlined above. It should also be noted, that the monitoring system  200  may include additional databases, processing units, storage mediums, or other necessary hardware not specifically pictured in  FIG. 10  to effectuate the operation of the system and method of the present application as outlined above. 
         [0030]    This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.