JP2009017959A - Biological information transmitter - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the easiness of radio channel management. <P>SOLUTION: On the holder 14 of a medial telemeter transmitter 10, a channel data nameplate 20 storing data specifying a radio channel is detachably mounted. The radio transmission part of the medical telemeter transmitter 10 transmits biological information using the specified radio channel. The radio transmission part is capable of biological information transmission when the channel data nameplate 20 is mounted on the holder 14 and is incapable of the biological information transmission when the channel data nameplate 20 is not mounted on the holder 14. Information specifying the radio channel is stored as digital data inside the main body of the channel data nameplate 20, and the information is displayed on the surface 22. The channel data nameplate 20 is mounted on the medical telemeter transmitter 10 so that the surface 22 is visible from the outside of the medical telemeter transmitter 10. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a biological information transmitting apparatus that wirelessly transmits biological information.

A representative example of the biological information transmitting apparatus is a medical telemeter transmitter (hereinafter also simply referred to as “telemeter”). The telemeter acquires biological information such as an electrocardiogram, a heart rate, and SpO ₂ (oxygen saturation) from electrodes and sensors attached to the patient, and the acquired biological information is real-time on a central monitor installed in a nurse station or the like. It is a relatively small device that can be carried by a patient (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  In general, a dedicated radio channel (hereinafter also simply referred to as “channel”) is assigned in advance to each telemeter. Typically, the channel is frequency. A radio administrator of a hospital that uses a large number of telemeters manages the channels assigned to each telemeter, the channels that are currently in use, the channels that can be used in each area (for example, a ward, floor, etc.) in the hospital, and the like.

Channels are assigned to the telemeters by writing information specifying channels, for example, channel numbers, in a memory built in the telemeter body. The telemeter can perform wireless transmission using the channel specified by the written channel number. Based on the channel of the received radio signal, the central monitor can determine from which telemeter the biological information superimposed on the radio signal is transmitted (or which patient is related).
JP 2002-191565 A

  However, in the telemeter in which the dedicated channel number is previously written in the built-in memory as described above, there may be a problem in terms of radio channel management.

  For example, if a telemeter used by a patient breaks down, an alternative machine is brought into the hospital. At that time, in order not to change the correspondence between the patient and the frequency, the same channel number as that of the failed telemeter is written in the alternative device. However, as a result, there are two telemeters to which the same channel is assigned at the same time, although only one telemeter is originally assigned to a channel. In other words, even if it is possible to manage the use / non-use of the telemeter channel simply by managing the use / non-use of the telemeter main body, it is sometimes impossible to do so.

  There are also inconveniences due to the telemeter storage technique. Normally, unused telemeters are stored together. If these telemeters are stored randomly, it is difficult to find a telemeter assigned a specific channel. As one solution to this, it is conceivable to store all unused telemeters in order of channel number (frequency order). Implementing this approach can facilitate access to stored telemeters. However, since such a storage method requires a large storage place, it is difficult to actually implement it.

  The present invention has been made in view of this point, and an object thereof is to provide a biological information transmitting apparatus capable of improving the ease of wireless channel management.

  The biological information transmitting apparatus of the present invention includes a mounting unit that detachably mounts a data storage device that specifies a wireless channel, and a wireless transmitting unit that transmits biological information using the specified wireless channel. The wireless transmission unit can transmit biological information when the storage device is attached to the attachment unit, and can transmit biological information when the storage device is not attached to the attachment unit. Take the configuration, which is impossible.

  A storage device according to the present invention is a storage device used together with a biological information transmitting device that wirelessly transmits biological information, and has a main body that stores therein wireless channel designation information as digital data, and the main body is transmitted as the biological information. A configuration is adopted in which a display portion for the designation information is provided on a part of the main body that is visible from the outside of the biological information transmitting device when mounted on the device.

  According to the present invention, the ease of radio channel management can be improved.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a medical telemeter transmitter as a biological information transmitting device according to an embodiment of the present invention and a channel data nameplate as a storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2A is a perspective view seen from the front side of the channel data nameplate of FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is a perspective view seen from the back side of the channel data nameplate of FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a holder 14 is provided as a mounting portion for a channel data nameplate (hereinafter simply referred to as “nameplate”) 20 in a housing 12 that forms the main body of the medical telemeter transmitter 10. When the rear surface 24 of the name plate 20 is opposed to the contact surface of the holder 14 and the name plate 20 is slid on the holder 14 in the direction of the arrow in the figure, the name plate 20 is attached to the holder 14 and the direction opposite to the arrow in the figure. The nameplate 20 is removed from the holder 14.

  Contact portions 16 and 26 are provided at respective portions facing when the nameplate 20 is attached to the telemeter 10. In a storage area (not shown) inside the nameplate 20, a channel number as channel designation information is stored as digital data, and the digital data is electrically stored when the nameplate 20 is attached to the telemeter 10. Is read to the telemeter 10 side through the contact portions 16 and 26 that can be connected to each other. In the present embodiment, the channel number is read through the contact type terminals (contact points 16 and 26), but a non-contact type reading mechanism can be used instead.

  Since different channel numbers are written in the storage areas of the individual nameplates 20, in order to make it easy to understand the channel corresponding to each nameplate 20, the surface number 22 on the nameplate 20 includes a channel number and a place of use (a ward and a ward). Floor) is displayed. This display portion is exposed when the nameplate 20 is mounted on the telemeter 10 and is visible from the outside of the main body 12 of the telemeter 10. Thereby, the channel memorize | stored in the nameplate 20 can be made intelligible, and use of the nameplate 20 and the telemeter 10 to which the nameplate 20 is mounted can be prevented. In addition, the nameplate 20 is painted in a different color for each frequency zone (a group of usable frequencies specified for each area such as a ward or floor), thereby further increasing the place of use of the nameplate 20 and the telemeter 10 to which the nameplate 20 is mounted. It can be easily understood.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the telemeter 10. The telemeter 10 includes a measurement unit 102, a mounting unit 104, a control unit 106, a wireless transmission unit 108, and an antenna 110.

The measurement unit 102 acquires an electrical signal representing a biological phenomenon such as an electrocardiogram, a heart rate, and SpO ₂ (oxygen saturation) from an electrode or a sensor attached to the patient, and performs signal processing such as amplification on the signal. To obtain the biometric information and output the obtained biometric information to the wireless transmission unit 108.

  The mounting portion 104 is provided in the main body of the telemeter 10, and the nameplate 20 is mounted on the mounting portion 104. An example of the mounting portion 104 is the holder 14 shown in FIG.

  The control unit 106 is a control circuit including a memory that stores a program that realizes a function to be described later and a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that executes the program, and is electrically connected to the contact unit 16 illustrated in FIG. Yes.

  The control unit 106 has a function of setting usable channels. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the execution procedure of this function.

  First, the mounting of the nameplate 20 on the mounting portion 104 is detected (S111). When the attachment is detected, the storage area of the nameplate 20 is accessed via the contact portion 16 and the information stored therein is read (S112). When the channel number is included in the stored information (S113: YES), the channel specified by the channel number is set as a channel that can be used by the wireless transmission unit 108 to transmit the biological information ( S114). If the channel number is not included in the stored information (S113: NO), this setting function is terminated without setting an available channel.

  The control unit 106 has a function of canceling the setting of usable channels. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the execution procedure of this function. When the control unit 106 detects the removal of the nameplate 20 from the mounting unit 104 (S121), the setting of the usable channel described above is canceled. (S122).

  Since the control unit 106 has the above setting and setting cancellation functions, the telemeter 10 is mounted with a valid name plate 20 (that is, a name plate 20 storing information specifying a channel number) on the mounting unit 104. Since the usable channel is determined for the first time, the biological information can be transmitted wirelessly. On the other hand, the usable channel is indeterminate while the valid nameplate 20 is not attached to the attachment unit 104, and thus wireless transmission of biometric information cannot be performed.

  4 and 5, the telemeter 10 (including at least the wireless transmission unit 108) is turned on regardless of whether the nameplate 20 is attached to the attachment unit 104 or not. Although the case has been described as an example, the control unit 106 may be configured so that the presence / absence of the nameplate 20 attached to the attachment 104 and the power on / off are linked.

  In addition, since the control unit 106 has the above setting and canceling functions, when the nameplate 20 attached to the attachment unit 104 is replaced, the control unit 106 changes a channel that can be used for biometric information transmission. can do. Thereby, for example, when a telemeter 10 being used by a patient fails, the nameplate 20 attached to the failed telemeter 10 can be attached to another telemeter 10. Therefore, it is possible to prepare an alternative machine at the time of failure more quickly than before, and to avoid the presence of a plurality of telemeters 10 that can use the same channel at the same time. It is possible to prevent mistakes such as misplacement of patients using the telemeter.

  The wireless transmission unit 108 wirelessly transmits the biological information input from the measurement unit 102 to an external device such as a central monitor using the channel set by the control unit 106 via the antenna 110.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the storage device that stores the channel number is configured as the channel data nameplate 20 that is separate from the telemeter 10, and the channels that can be used by the telemeter 10 only when the nameplate 20 is attached. Therefore, the management of the radio channel can be realized only by managing the nameplate 20, and the management of the use / nonuse of the radio channel and the management of the use / nonuse of the main body of the telemeter 10 are separated. be able to. Moreover, since the nameplate 20 is very small as compared with the telemeter 10, a storage method such as storing them in order of channel numbers becomes easy. Therefore, radio channel management can be facilitated.

  In the present embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to a medical telemeter transmitter has been described as an example. However, the present invention can also be applied to other medical devices such as a bedside monitor.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a bedside monitor as a biological information transmitting apparatus according to the present embodiment, wherein (a) is a perspective view of the monitor viewed from the front side, and (b) is a monitor viewed from the back side. FIG.

  In FIG. 6, the bedside monitor 30 includes a telemeter unit 32 having the same functions as the measurement unit 102, the control unit 106, and the wireless transmitter 108 of the medical telemeter transmitter 10, and the antenna 110 of the medical telemeter transmitter 10. A telemeter antenna 34 having the same function is incorporated. A slot 36 is provided on the back surface of the bedside monitor 30, and the nameplate 20 according to the present embodiment can be mounted (inserted) in the slot 36, and the nameplate 20 can be removed from the slot 36. . That is, the slot 36 has a function of a mounting part of the biological information transmitting apparatus according to the present embodiment. As described above, the biological information transmitting apparatus of this embodiment can be applied to various devices.

  In the present embodiment, the control unit 106 has a function of reading information from the storage area of the nameplate 20, but may also have a function of writing information to the storage area. For example, the biological information measured by the measurement unit 102 can be stored in the storage area of the nameplate 20 attached to the attachment unit 104. When any situation occurs in the patient who is using the telemeter 10, the biological information of the patient may be temporarily stored in the nameplate 20. Alternatively, the biological information may be temporarily stored in the nameplate 20 when any operation is performed on the telemeter 10.

  The nameplate 20 may store patient information (for example, patient ID number, date of birth, height, weight, etc.) in addition to the channel number and biological information. Thereby, patient information is memorize | stored in the nameplate 20 at the reception of a hospital, and the input process to the central monitor in a ward, etc. can be saved by bringing it into a ward.

  The embodiment of the present invention has been described above. The above description is an illustration of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the description of the configuration of each device and the operation during use of each device is an example, and it is obvious that various modifications and additions to these examples are possible within the scope of the present invention.

The figure which shows the medical telemeter transmitter and channel data nameplate which concern on one embodiment of this invention 1 is a perspective view of the channel data nameplate of FIG. The block diagram of the internal structure of the medical telemeter transmitter which concerns on one embodiment of this invention The flowchart which shows the channel setting function of the control part which concerns on one embodiment of this invention The flowchart which shows the channel setting cancellation | release function of the control part which concerns on one embodiment of this invention The perspective view of the bedside monitor which concerns on one embodiment of this invention

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Medical telemeter transmitter 12 Case 14 Holder 20 Channel data nameplate 22 Surface 30 Bedside monitor 32 Telemeter unit 34 Telemeter antenna 36 Slot 104 Mounting part 106 Control part 108 Wireless transmission part 110 Antenna

Claims (7)

A mounting unit for detachably mounting a data storage device for specifying a wireless channel;
A wireless transmission unit that transmits biological information using a designated wireless channel,
The wireless transmission unit can transmit biological information when the storage device is attached to the attachment unit, and can transmit biological information when the storage device is not attached to the attachment unit. A biological information transmitting device that is impossible.   The wireless transmission unit transmits biometric information when a storage device attached to the attachment unit is exchanged from a data storage device specifying a first wireless channel to a data storage device specifying a second wireless channel. A biological information transmitting apparatus that changes a wireless channel used for the first wireless channel to the second wireless channel.   When the storage device is attached to the attachment unit, the designated wireless channel is set as a wireless channel that can be used for biometric information transmission, and when the storage device is removed from the attachment unit, The biological information transmitting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit that cancels the setting.   The biological information transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the mounting unit holds the storage device so that the storage device can be seen from outside the main body of the biological information transmission device.   A medical telemeter transmitter comprising the biological information transmitter according to claim 1.   A bedside monitor comprising the biological information transmitting device according to claim 1. A storage device used together with a biological information transmitting device for wirelessly transmitting biological information,
It has a body that stores wireless channel designation information as digital data internally,
A storage device, wherein the designation information display unit is provided in a part of the main body that is visible from the outside of the biological information transmitting device when the main body is attached to the biological information transmitting device.

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