A) TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention generally relates to patient monitoring systems
and particularly central nursing station (CNS). The present invention more particularly relates to a nurse call indication system for CNS for providing programmable electronic audio as well as visual reminders for medications and healthcare procedures.
B) BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Nurse call system, primarily provides a means for a patient to signal
the nursing staff that assistance is needed. Additionally nurse call system provides a means for communication between staff members to serve administrative as well as emergency requirements of patients, particularly for elderly, for whom taking of multiple medications is common.
[0003] In current scenario, one of the systems employed for calling nurses to
the rooms of the patients has a push button switch provided at the bed side of a patient. Each patient presses the push button switch to sound a buzzer or switch on the lights provided at the nursing station or at the door step. Usually there is no provision to keep the buzzer sounding periodically or continuously or to keep the indicator light continuously on or blinking until the call is answered or acknowledged. Many calls from patients go unanswered and frequently time is wasted by making a second response to the patient's call.
[0004] Yet in another scenario, some of the nurse call indication system
provides either an audible or visual alarm when a nurse alert condition occurs. The

system provides an auxiliary contact closure output, which when connected to the nurse call indication system, allows a generic monitor alarm to appear at the door light, at the nurse console and at the hallway displays. However all the nurse call indication systems are not installed with auxiliary input receptacles. Even when they are provided, the connecting of the monitoring equipment to the receptacle is a manual process which requires time and skill. Moreover there is a possibility for the potential error either in the process of connecting the equipment or in the process of uniquely labelling the alarm type within the nurse call based on the type of monitoring equipment such as intravenous (IV) drip, ventilator, or heart monitor.
[0005] In light of foregoing discussion, there exists a need for a nurse call
indication system to provide audio, video and textual display of nurse call. Also there exists a need for the nurse call indication system which minimizes the need for independently connecting the various monitoring equipments to the dedicated or auxiliary contacts. Further there is a need for a nurse call indication system that utilizes the current communication and alerting capabilities for enhanced functionalities. Yet there is a need to display the nurse call alert in CNS from various bed-side equipments and to provide patient monitoring centrally and easily without installing any exclusive nurse call system.
[0006] The above mentioned shortcomings, disadvantages and problems are
addressed herein and which will be understood by reading and studying the following specification.

C) OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The primary object of the present invention is to provide a nurse call
indication system for Central Nursing Station (CNS) to display a nurse call received from plurality of patient monitors and plurality of equipments associated with a patient.
[0008] Another object of the present invention is to develop a nurse call
indication system to identify the equipment or the monitor from which nurse call is received, and display the nurse call along with name of the identified equipment or the monitor onto the CNS.
[0009] Yet another object of the present invention is to develop a nurse call
indication system to maintain a nurse call history in the CNS.
[0010] Yet another object of the present invention to develop a nurse call
indication system to minimize the need for independently connecting the various monitoring equipments to the dedicated or auxiliary contacts.
[0011] Yet another object of the present invention to develop a nurse call
indication system that utilizes the current communication and alerting capabilities for enhanced functionalities.
[0012] Yet another object of the present invention is to develop a nurse call
indication system to display the nurse call alert in CNS from various bed-side

equipments and to provide patient monitoring centrally and easily without installing any exclusive nurse call system.
[0013] These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will
become readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
D) SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] The various embodiments of the present invention provide a nurse call
indication system and method for displaying the nurse call received from the plurality of the monitors and the equipments installed at the bed side of a patient along with the name of the monitor or the equipment on the screen in an area corresponding to the bed from which the nurse call is received.
[0015] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a nurse call
indication system for Central Nursing Station (CNS) has atleast one bed connected to the central nursing station. Pluralities of patient monitors and pluralities of equipments are connected to the patient in each bed. An Ethernet converter module is provided in each bed and connected to the plurality of patient monitors, the plurality of equipments and to the central nursing station to receive the monitoring data and the nurse call data from the patient monitors and the plurality of equipments and to transmit the received monitoring data and the nurse call data to the CNS for display.

[0016] The Ethernet module is provided with dedicated CNS port and nurse
call port. The Ethernet converter module receives the nurse call data from the plurality of the monitors and the equipments installed at the bed side of each patient through a nurse call port and transmits the received nurse call data through the CNS port to the CNS for display on a multibed screen. The identity of the monitor or the equipment from which the nurse call is received is detected and the name of the detected monitor or the equipment is displayed along with the received nurse call. The nurse call is displayed on an area in the screen corresponding to the bed from which the nurse call is received.
E) BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] The other objects, features and advantages will occur to those skilled
in the art from the following description of the preferred embodiment and the accompanying drawings in which:
[0018] FIG. 1 illustrates a functional block diagram of a nurse call indication
system for CNS, according to one embodiment of the present invention.
[0019] FIG. 2 illustrates a flowchart for displaying a nurse call indication in
CNS provided with nurse call indication system according to one embodiment of the present invention.
[0020] Although specific features of the present invention are shown in some
drawings and not in others. This is done for convenience only as each feature may be

combined with any or all of the other features in accordance with the present invention.
F) DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0021] In the following detailed description, reference is made to the
accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which the specific embodiments that may be practiced is shown by way of illustration. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the embodiments and it is to be understood that the logical, mechanical and other changes may be made without departing from the scope of the embodiments. The following detailed description is therefore not to be taken in a limiting sense.
[0022] The various embodiments of the present invention provide a nurse call
indication system and method for displaying the nurse call received from the plurality of the monitors and the equipments installed at the bed side of a patient along with the name of the monitor or the equipment on the screen in an area corresponding to the bed from which the nurse call is received.
[0023] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a nurse call
indication system for Central Nursing Station (CNS) has atleast one bed connected to the central nursing station. Pluralities of patient monitors and pluralities of equipments are connected to the patient in each bed. An Ethernet converter module is provided in each bed and connected to the plurality of patient monitors, the plurality of equipments and to the central nursing station to receive the monitoring data and the

nurse call data from the patient monitors and the plurality of equipments and to transmit the received monitoring data and the nurse call data to the CNS for display.
[0024] The Ethernet module is provided with dedicated CNS port and nurse
call port. The Ethernet converter module receives the nurse call data from the plurality of the monitors and the equipments installed at the bed side of each patient through a nurse call port and transmits the received nurse call data through the CNS port to the CNS for display on a multibed screen. The identity of the monitor or the equipment from which the nurse call is received is detected and the name of the detected monitor or the equipment is displayed along with the received nurse call. The nurse call is displayed on an area in the screen corresponding to the bed from which the nurse call is received. The patient monitor includes blood pressure monitor, electrocardiogram, saturated oxygen level in blood measurement monitor, temperature sensor and cardiac output monitor. The plurality of equipments includes ventilator, syringe pump, lung machine and intravenous drip dispenser.
[0025] The CNS has a processor to analyze the data received from the
Ethernet converter module to detect whether any nurse call data is present in the data received data from the Ethernet converter module. The processor is provided with an application which is executed to display the nurse call on a display provided in the CNS, whenever a nurse call is received from one bed through the Ethernet converter module. The processor identifies the monitor or the equipment from which the nurse call is originated and received. The CNS displays the nurse call on a screen which corresponds to the bed from which the nurse call is received. The CNS displays the

received nurse call on one of the windows designated for displaying the waveform data in the screens corresponding to the beds. The CNS displays the nurse call on the window designated for displaying the waveform with a low priority. The CNS displays the nurse call along with the name of the monitor or the equipment from which the nurse call is originated and received. The CNS displays the nurse call till the nurse call is acknowledged.
[0026] The processor maintains a nurse call history in the CNS. In the nurse
call history the received nurse call are stored in a chronological order with a time and date stamp along with the name of the bed from which the nurse call is received, the type of nurse call received, the name of the equipment or the monitor from which the nurse call is received and the status of each received nurse call.
[0027] FIG. 1 illustrates a functional block diagram of a nurse call indication
system for CNS according to one embodiment of the present invention. With respect to FIG.l, Bed 1 and Bed n are connected to the CNS 111. Each bed has pluralities of patient monitors 101, 106 and other equipments 102, 107 which are connected to a patient in the respective bed. The examples of the patient monitors 101,106 include but are not limited to a blood pressure monitor, an electrocardiogram, saturated oxygen level in blood measurement monitor, a temperature sensor, and a cardiac output monitor. The examples of the other equipments 102,107 include but are not limited to a ventilator, a syringe pump, a lung machine and, an intravenous drip dispenser.

[0028] An Ethernet converter module 103, 108 is provided in each bed to
connect the patient monitors 101, 106 and the equipments 102, 107 in each bed to the CNS 111. The Ethernet converter module 103, 108 has CNS port 104, 109 and a nurse call port 105, 110. The Ethernet converter modules 103, 108 act as interface between the patient monitors 101,106, and CNS 111 respectively. The Ethernet converter modules 103,108 are used as a multiplexer for the equipments 102,107 which provide nurse call auxiliary output. The Ethernet converter module 103, 108 receives the monitoring data and the nurse call data from the patient monitors 101, 106 and the equipments 102, 107 and transmits the received patient monitoring data and the nurse call data to the CNS 111 for display. The Ethernet converter module 103, 108 receives the nurse call data from the monitors 101, 106 and the equipments 102, 107 through the nurse call port 105, 110 and transmits the received nurse call data to the CNS 111 through the CNS port 104,109.
[0029] The CNS 111 has a processor provided with an application which is
executed to display the received nurse call on the screen. The CNS 111 detects the presence of any nurse call data from the data received from the monitors 101, 106 and the equipments 102, 107 attached to one bed. When the CNS 111 detects the presence of a nurse call data in the data received from the monitors 101, 106 and the equipments 102, 107, then the CNS 111 identifies the monitor 101, 106 and the equipment 102, 107 from which the nurse call data is received. The received patient monitoring data and the nurse call data are displayed on an area in the screen corresponding to the bed to which the patient monitors 101, 106 and the equipments 102, 107 are attached. The nurse call data is displayed on the wave form display area

along with the name of the monitor 101, 106 or the equipment 102, 107 from which the nurse call is originated and received. The nurse call data is displayed in the wave from display area designated for displaying the waveform with low priority. The nurse call data is displayed until the nurse call is attended or acknowledged. The CNS 111 displays visual or audible alarm for nurse call from various patient monitors 101,108, and the equipments 102,107. During the display of the nurse call, a nurse can immediately acknowledge on the occurrence of alarm. The alarm can be temporarily disabled or silenced in specific circumstances where alarm is unnecessary.
[0030] FIG. 2 is illustration of a flowchart for nurse call indication in CNS,
according to one embodiment of the present invention. With respect to FIG. 2, a patient in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is equipped with patient monitor and the equipments (201). Examples of the patient monitor include, but are not limited to a blood pressure monitor, an electrocardiogram, saturated oxygen level in blood measurement monitor, a temperature sensor, and a cardiac output monitor. Examples of the equipments include, but are not limited to a ventilator, a syringe pump, a lung machine and, an intravenous drip dispenser.
[0031] The patient is continuously monitored through a patient monitor and
Central Nursing Station (CNS). Patient monitoring data received from the patient monitor is displayed on a CNS screen. The CNS displays the patient monitoring data on an area corresponding to the bed from which the patient monitoring data is received. The received patient monitoring data are displayed in the wave form display

area and the numerical parameter display area (202). The received patient monitoring data are stored in a trend/ history storage (203).
[0032] The presence of a nurse call data in the data received from the patient
monitors or the equipments is checked by the CNS (204). When a nurse call is not present in the received data, the monitoring of the patient is carried out until he is discharged and the patient condition is monitored through the CNS.
[0033] When the presence of a nurse call data is detected in the received data
from the monitors and the equipments, the nurse call received from the monitors and equipments attached to a bed is displayed on an area corresponding to the bed on the multibed screen in the CNS until the nurse call is acknowledged. The CNS displays the nurse call on the window designated for displaying nurse call waveform with a low priority. The CNS identifies the patient monitor or the equipments from which the nurse call is received to display the nurse call along with name of the identified patient monitor or the equipments (205). Then a nurse call history is created and maintained in the CNS for future reference.
G) ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION
[0034] Thus the various embodiments of the present invention provide a
system and method for nurse call indication in Central Nursing Station (CNS). The system minimizes the need for independently connecting various monitoring equipment to dedicated or auxiliary contacts. The system exploits the current communication and alerting capabilities for enhanced functionalities. The display of

nurse call alert in CNS from various bed-side equipments provides an ease for patient monitoring centrally without installing any exclusive nurse call system. Indication of nurse call on CNS also provides a facility to store the history of nurse call events for specific bed and specific equipment which is cost effective.
[0035] Although the invention is described with various specific
embodiments, it will be obvious for a person skilled in the art to practice the invention with modifications. However, all such modifications are deemed to be within the scope of the claims.
[0036] It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to
cover all of the generic and specific features of the present invention described herein and all the statements of the scope of the invention which as a matter of language might be said to fall there between.

CLAIMS
What is claimed is:
1. A nurse call indication system in central nursing station (CNS) comprising:
atleast one bed connected to the central nursing station;
plurality of patient monitors connected to the patient in each bed;
plurality of equipments connected to the patient in each bed; and
an Ethernet converter module connected to the plurality of patient monitors, the
plurality of equipments and to the central nursing station;
wherein the Ethernet converter module receives a nurse call from the plurality of
patient monitors and the plurality of equipments and transmits the received nurse call
to the CNS for display.
2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the Ethernet converter module is assigned with a CNS port and the nurse call port.
3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the Ethernet converter module receives the nurse call from the patient monitor and the plurality of equipments through the nurse call port and transmits the received nurse call to the CNS for display through the CNS port.
4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the CNS has a processor to analyze the data received from the Ethernet converter module to detect whether any nurse call data is present in the data received from the Ethernet converter module.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is provided with an application which is executed to display the nurse call on a display provided in the CNS, whenever the nurse call is received from one bed through the Ethernet converter module.
6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the CNS displays the nurse call on a screen which corresponds to the bed from which the nurse call is received.
7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the CNS displays the received nurse call on one of the windows designated for displaying the waveform data in the screens corresponding to the beds.
8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the CNS displays the nurse call on the window designated for displaying the waveform with a low priority.
9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the CNS displays the nurse call till
the nurse call is acknowledged.
10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the patient monitors include blood pressure monitor, electrocardiogram, saturated oxygen level in blood measurement monitor, temperature sensor, cardiac output monitor.
11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of equipments include ventilator, syringe pump, lung machine, intravenous drip dispenser.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor identifies the equipment or the monitor from which the nurse call is received to display the nurse call along with the name of the identified equipment or the monitor.
13. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor maintains a nurse call history in the CNS.