WO2007050772B1

WO2007050772B1 - Monitoring system

Info

Publication number: WO2007050772B1
Application number: PCT/US2006/041809
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kevin D Kroupa; James A Wilson; Christopher A Scholz
Original assignee: Allied Healthcare Prod
Priority date: 2005-10-25
Filing date: 2006-10-25
Publication date: 2007-08-02
Also published as: CA2627411A1; WO2007050772A2; AU2006306096A1; MX2008005485A; WO2007050772A3; EP1946061A2

Abstract

A monitoring system to enable a facility to monitor variables for out-of-limit conditions and to signal in response to such an out-of-limit condition, including monitoring panels located for sensing variables at given location within a facility such as a hospital or laboratory to sense and respond to data associated with out-of-limit condition. The panels recognize the existence of an out-of-limit condition so as to determine the nature of the out-of-limit condition, such as uπderpresure or overpressure, and provide the information regarding such condition so as to enable such a condition to be remedied. The panels are selectively provided with one or more circuit modules which can be selectively configured for sensing different conditions in the facility, and the modules provide an assembly of grouped modular configuration with each module monitoring multiple possible values.

Claims

AMENDED CLAIMS received by the International Bureau on 18 June 2007 (18.062007)

Claims

1. A monitoring system (10) to enable a facility to monitor variables for out-of- limit conditions and to signal in response to said out-of-limit conditions, the system comprising: a plurality of monitoring panels (16) each including a control module (52a) and at least one sensing module (52b-f), said sensing modules (52b-f) each being configured to monitor one or more parameters and determine when one of said out-of-limit conditions occurs, said out-of-limit condition occurring when any of said parameters varies from an associated predetermined status or limit; and a computer system (12) in electronic communication with each of said control modules (52a), wherein said control modules (52a) communicate said out-of-limit condition to said computer system (12) and provide a user interface to permit a user to set or change one or more of said predetermined limits.

2. The monitoring system (10) as set forth in claim 1 wherein said parameters include at least one of a gas pressure, a temperature and a switch status in the facility.

3. The monitoring system (10) as set forth in claim 2 wherein only said control module (52a) in each of said monitoring panels (16) is configured to communicate said out- of-limit condition to said computer system (12).

4. The monitoring system (10) as set forth in claim 3, wherein: each of said monitoring panels (16) provides a local indication of out-of-limit condition, said local

26 indication being activated by said control module (52a) for each of said monitoring panels

(16).

5. The monitoring system (10) as set forth in claim 4 wherein each of said sensing modules (52b-f) includes a microprocessor capable of determining a local address of said sensing module (52b-f), said local address signifying a location of said sensing module (52b-f).

6. The monitoring system (10) as set forth in claim 5 wherein each of said panels (16) includes: at least one sensing module (52b-f) capable of collecting data on a plurality of said parameters and of determining when said out-of-limit conditions occur; and at least one sensing module (52b-f) capable of monitoring said switch status for a plurality of switches and of determining when said out-of-limit conditions occur.

7. The monitoring system (10) as set forth in claim 5 wherein each of said panels includes: at least one sensing module (52b-f) configured to monitor data from a plurality of a first type of said parameters to determine when said out-of-limit conditions occur; and at least one sensing module (52b-f) configured to monitor data from [[the]] a plurality of a second type of said parameters to determine when said out-of-limit conditions occur, wherein said first and second types of said parameters are mutually exclusive.

8. The monitoring system (10) as set forth in claim 3 wherein one or more of said panels (16) includes a blank module (52g) that can be removed and replaced by another one of said sensing modules (52b-f).

9. The monitoring system (10) as set forth in claim 8 wherein for each of said panels (16), each of said sensing modules (52b-f) communicates with said control module (52a) by I²C communication protocol.

11. The monitoring system (10) as set forth in claim 3 wherein said control module (52a) provides data communications to said computer system (12) including a location address for each of said out-of-limit conditions.

12. The monitoring system (10) as set forth in claim 3 wherein said control module (52a) causes an alarm at said computer system (12) to be actuated after communicating said out-of-limit condition to said computer system (12).

13. The monitoring system (10) as set forth in claim 3 wherein: each of said panels (16) provides for daisy-chain connection of one or more additional sensing modules (52b-f).

14. The monitoring system (10) as set forth in claim 1 , wherein at least one of said out-of-limit conditions is a preselected differential from a predetermined set point.

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15. The monitoring system (10) as set forth in claim 14, wherein at least one of said out-of-limit conditions occurs when one or more of said parameters differs from said predetermined set point by at least 20% of said predetermined set point.

17. The monitoring system (10) as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said panels (16) has at least one sensing module (52b-f) for monitoring multiple ones of said parameters.

17. A monitoring system (10) to enable a facility to monitor variables for one or more out-of-limit conditions and to signal in response to said out-of-limit condition, the system comprising: at least one monitoring panel (16) configured to: receive input related to one or more variables monitored at a given location within the facility; receive and respond to said input when said input is associated with one or more of said out-of-limit conditions; recognize one or more of said out-of-limit conditions so as to determine a nature of the out-of-limit condition; and provide information regarding said out-of-limit condition so as to enable a remedy to said out-of-limit condition; wherein each of said panels (16) comprises: a control module (52a) for providing data communications with a central facility (12); and at least one sensing module (52b-f) for collecting data related to said variables, determining if an out-of-limit condition exists and for communicating said out-of-limit

29 condition to said control module (52a); wherein said variables include one or more of a gas pressure, a temperature and a switch status in the facility; wherein only said control module (52a) comprises a facility for communication with said central facility (12) to communicate information about an existence of one or more of said out-of-limit conditions.

18. The monitoring system (10) as set forth in claim 17 wherein said sensing module (52b-f) includes an 8-transducer module.

19. The monitoring system (10) as set forth in claim 18 wherein said sensing module (52b-f) is a switch signal module.

20. The monitoring system (10) as set forth in claim 19 wherein said sensing module (52b-f) is a dual module.

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