Physiological monitoring system

Claim 1

A physiological monitoring system for remotely monitoring a plurality of physiological conditions of at least one hospitalized patient comprising: A. At least one patient unit for sensing a plurality of physiological conditions and providing electrical signals representative thereof, each said circuit including at least one heart sensor, at least one blood pressure sensor, and at least one temperature sensor and further including: 1. commutation means having an input channel for each sensed condition and being responsive to said signals for providing a serial output consisting of repeated sequential samplings of said signals, 2. signal conditioning means responsive to the output of and operating in synchronization with said commutation means for selectively adjusting the reference level of the now serially arranged signals, 3. analog-to-digital translation means responsive to said signal conditioning means for providing a digitally encoded word signal for each sample of a given physiological signal and for providing a signal indicating the completion of single word and the completion of a set of words; and 4. radio transmission means for transmitting said encoded word signals by a pulse-code, frequency-modulated radio frequency carrier; B. A central monitor for indicating physiological conditions from at least one said patient unit and including: 1. receiving means including a radio receiver for each patient unit for receiving a radio signal from a said patient unit, 2. digital-to-analog conversion means responsive to an output from each said receiver for providing analog outputs including at least one heart responsive signal and at least one blood pressure responsive signal, 3. cathode-ray tube means for selectively displaying at least one heart responsive signal and at least one blood pressure responsive signal from each patient monitored, 4. heart rate means responsive to a said heart responsive signal of a patient for indicating the rate of heart beat of that patient, 5. preshock detection means responsive to the amplitude of a said heart responsive signal for indicating the presence of overvoltage signals and a preshock condition, 6. systolic detection and indicating means responsive to a blood pressure signal output of said digital-to-analog converter for detecting and indicating maximum values of blood pressure, 7. diastolic detection and indicating means responsive to a blood pressure signal output of said digital-to-analog converter for detecting and indicating minimum values of blood pressure, 8. binary to binary coded decimal conversion means responsive to a selected said receiving means for providing a first plurality of outputs wherein at least one output is a decimally coded temperature signal, and for providing a second plurality of outputs wherein at least one output is a signal marking the pEriod of accurate readout of blood pressure signal and at least one said output is a signal marking the period of accurate readout of a said temperature signal, 9. decimally indicated systolic blood pressure indicating means comprising: a. first systolic gating means responsive to the coincidence of an output from said systolic detection means marking the period of occurrence of a systolic condition and said output from said binary to binary coded decimal conversion means marking the period of accurate readout of a said blood pressure signal for providing a systolic occurrence gating signal, b. systolic decimal readout means, c. second systolic gating means responsive to an output of said first systolic gating means and a said decimally coded blood pressure signal from said binary to binary coded decimal conversion means for providing a systolic blood pressure digitally encoded signal to said systolic decimal readout means, 10. decimally indicated diastolic blood pressure indicating means comprising: a. first diastolic gating means responsive to the coincidence of an output from said diastolic detection means marking the period of occurrence of a diastolic condition and a said output from said binary to binary coded decimal conversion means marking the period of accurate readout of a said blood pressure signal for providing a diastolic occurrence gating signal, b. diastolic decimal readout means, c. second diastolic gating means responsive to an output of said first diastolic gating means and a said decimally coded blood pressure signal from said binary to binary coded decimal conversion means for providing a diastolic blood pressure digitally encoded signal to said diastolic decimal readout means, 11. at least one digital temperature readout means, and 12. gating means responsive to a said decimally coded temperature signal and a signal marking the period of accurate readout of said temperature signal for providing a digitally coded signal to said digital temperature readout means.