US5682877A
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System and method for automatically maintaining a blood oxygen saturation level
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1994-04-15
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Granted: 1997-11-04
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Expires: 2014-04-15
Abstract
Abstract A system and method for automatically selecting an appropriate oxygen dose to maintain a desired blood oxygen saturation level is disclosed. The system and method are particularly suited for use with ambulatory patients having chronic obstructive lung disease or other patients requiring oxygenation or ventilation. In one embodiment, the method includes delivering a first oxygen dose to the patient while repeatedly sequencing through available sequential oxygen doses at predetermined time intervals until the current blood oxygen saturation level of the patient attains the desired blood oxygen saturation level. The method then continues with delivering the selected oxygen dose to the patient so as to maintain the desired blood oxygen saturation level.
Inventors
- 👤 Adolph J. Mondry
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 16:29
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61M; A61M16/00; A61M16/10; A61M16/06; A61M16/0605; A61M16/0627; A61M16/0666; A61M16/0672; A61M16/12; A61M16/1005; A61M2016/102; A61M2016/1025; A61M2230/00; A61M2230/20; A61M2230/205; A61M2230/40; A61M2230/43; A61M2230/435
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
224 words
A method for maintaining a desired blood oxygen saturation level within a first predetermined range of values having an upper limit and a lower limit so as to reduce variation of the blood oxygen saturation level, the method being adapted for use with an oxydosimeter including an electronic control unit (ECU) having memory, a pulse oximeter attached to a patient for measuring a current blood oxygen saturation level of the patient, and an oxygen delivery system controlled by the ECU for delivering a selected oxygen dose to the patient, the oxygen delivery system having a plurality of sequential oxygen doses ranging from a first oxygen dose to a second oxygen dose, the method comprising: delivering the second oxygen dose to the patient while repeatedly sequencing through the plurality of sequential oxygen doses beginning with the first oxygen dose and proceeding to an adjacent oxygen dose in the sequence after a predetermined time interval has elapsed until the current blood oxygen saturation level of the patient attains the desired blood oxygen saturation level at which point a corresponding oxygen dose is selected from the plurality of sequential oxygen doses; delivering the selected oxygen dose to the patient so as to maintain the desired blood oxygen saturation level; and energizing an alarm when a predetermined number of oscillations between any two nonadjacent oxygen doses is detected.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
224 words
A method for maintaining a desired blood oxygen saturation level within a first predetermined range of values having an upper limit and a lower limit so as to reduce variation of the blood oxygen saturation level, the method being adapted for use with an oxydosimeter including an electronic control unit (ECU) having memory, a pulse oximeter attached to a patient for measuring a current blood oxygen saturation level of the patient, and an oxygen delivery system controlled by the ECU for delivering a selected oxygen dose to the patient, the oxygen delivery system having a plurality of sequential oxygen doses ranging from a first oxygen dose to a second oxygen dose, the method comprising: delivering the second oxygen dose to the patient while repeatedly sequencing through the plurality of sequential oxygen doses beginning with the first oxygen dose and proceeding to an adjacent oxygen dose in the sequence after a predetermined time interval has elapsed until the current blood oxygen saturation level of the patient attains the desired blood oxygen saturation level at which point a corresponding oxygen dose is selected from the plurality of sequential oxygen doses; delivering the selected oxygen dose to the patient so as to maintain the desired blood oxygen saturation level; and energizing an alarm when a predetermined number of oscillations between any two nonadjacent oxygen doses is detected.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
87 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the current blood oxygen saturation level is determined by: storing a sequence of blood oxygen saturation values in the memory, the sequence containing at least three measurement values obtained from the pulse oximeter; determining the median value of the at least three measurements; and calculating a mean value using the sequence values which are within a predetermined range of the median value, the predetermined range depending upon characteristics of the oxydosimeter, the mean value representing the current blood oxygen saturation level.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
93 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the current blood oxygen saturation level is determined by: storing a sequence of blood oxygen saturation values in the memory, the sequence containing at least three measurement values obtained from the pulse oximeter; determining the median value of the at least three measurement values; and selecting the most recently stored value, which is within a predetermined range of the median value, from the sequence of values, the predetermined range depending upon characteristics of the oxydosimeter, the most recently stored value representing the current blood oxygen saturation level.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of sequential oxygen doses comprises a plurality of discrete oxygen flow rates.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of sequential oxygen doses comprises a plurality of discrete oxygen concentrations.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
221 words
A system for maintaining a desired blood oxygen saturation level within a first predetermined range of values having an upper limit and a lower limit so as to reduce variation of the blood oxygen saturation level, the system including an electronic control unit (ECU) having memory, a pulse oximeter attached to a patient for measuring a current blood oxygen saturation level of the patient, and oxygen delivery apparatus controlled by the ECU for delivering a selected oxygen dose to the patient, the oxygen delivery apparatus having a plurality of sequential oxygen doses ranging from a first oxygen dose to a second oxygen dose, the system comprising: means for delivering the second oxygen dose to the patient while repeatedly sequencing through the plurality of sequential oxygen doses beginning with the first oxygen dose and proceeding to an adjacent oxygen dose in the sequence after a predetermined time interval has elapsed until the current blood oxygen saturation level of the patient attains the desired blood oxygen saturation level at which point a corresponding oxygen dose is selected from the plurality of sequential oxygen doses; means for delivering the selected oxygen dose to the patient so as to maintain the desired blood oxygen saturation level; and an alarm for indicating when a predetermined number of oscillations between any two nonadjacent oxygen doses is detected.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
221 words
A system for maintaining a desired blood oxygen saturation level within a first predetermined range of values having an upper limit and a lower limit so as to reduce variation of the blood oxygen saturation level, the system including an electronic control unit (ECU) having memory, a pulse oximeter attached to a patient for measuring a current blood oxygen saturation level of the patient, and oxygen delivery apparatus controlled by the ECU for delivering a selected oxygen dose to the patient, the oxygen delivery apparatus having a plurality of sequential oxygen doses ranging from a first oxygen dose to a second oxygen dose, the system comprising: means for delivering the second oxygen dose to the patient while repeatedly sequencing through the plurality of sequential oxygen doses beginning with the first oxygen dose and proceeding to an adjacent oxygen dose in the sequence after a predetermined time interval has elapsed until the current blood oxygen saturation level of the patient attains the desired blood oxygen saturation level at which point a corresponding oxygen dose is selected from the plurality of sequential oxygen doses; means for delivering the selected oxygen dose to the patient so as to maintain the desired blood oxygen saturation level; and an alarm for indicating when a predetermined number of oscillations between any two nonadjacent oxygen doses is detected.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
93 words
The system of claim 6 wherein the current blood oxygen saturation level is determined by: means for storing a sequence of blood oxygen saturation values in the memory, the sequence containing at least three measurement values obtained from the pulse oximeter; means for determining the median value of the at least three measurements; and means for calculating a mean value using the sequence values which are within a predetermined range of the median value, the predetermined range depending upon characteristics of the oxydosimeter, the mean value representing the current blood oxygen saturation level.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
99 words
The system of claim 6 wherein the current blood oxygen saturation level is determined by: means for storing a sequence of blood oxygen saturation values in the memory, the sequence containing at least three measurement values obtained from the pulse oximeter; means for determining the median value of the at least three measurement values; and means for selecting the most recently stored value, which is within a predetermined range of the median value, from the sequence of values, the predetermined range depending upon characteristics of the oxydosimeter, the most recently stored value representing the current blood oxygen saturation level.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system of claim 6 wherein the plurality of sequential oxygen doses comprises a plurality of discrete oxygen flow rates.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
19 words
The system of claim 6 wherein the plurality of sequential oxygen doses comprises a plurality of discrete oxygen concentrations.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
239 words
A method for maintaining a desired blood oxygen saturation level within a first predetermined range of values having an upper limit and a lower limit so as to reduce variation of the blood oxygen saturation level, the method being adapted for use with an oxydosimeter including an electronic control unit (ECU) having memory, a pulse oximeter attached to a patient for measuring a current blood oxygen saturation level of the patient, and an oxygen delivery system controlled by the ECU for delivering a selected oxygen dose to the patient, the oxygen delivery system having a plurality of sequential oxygen doses ranging from a first oxygen dose to a second oxygen dose, the method comprising: delivering the second oxygen dose to the patient while sequencing through the plurality of sequential oxygen doses beginning with the first oxygen dose and proceeding to an adjacent oxygen dose in the sequence after a predetermined time interval has elapsed until the current blood oxygen saturation level of the patient attains the desired blood oxygen saturation level, at which point a corresponding oxygen dose is selected from the plurality of sequential oxygen doses; and delivering the selected oxygen dose to the patient so as to maintain the desired blood oxygen saturation level, wherein the predetermined time interval is based on circulation time of the patient, the predetermined time interval being adjusted when a predetermined number of oscillations between any two nonadjacent oxygen doses is detected.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
239 words
A method for maintaining a desired blood oxygen saturation level within a first predetermined range of values having an upper limit and a lower limit so as to reduce variation of the blood oxygen saturation level, the method being adapted for use with an oxydosimeter including an electronic control unit (ECU) having memory, a pulse oximeter attached to a patient for measuring a current blood oxygen saturation level of the patient, and an oxygen delivery system controlled by the ECU for delivering a selected oxygen dose to the patient, the oxygen delivery system having a plurality of sequential oxygen doses ranging from a first oxygen dose to a second oxygen dose, the method comprising: delivering the second oxygen dose to the patient while sequencing through the plurality of sequential oxygen doses beginning with the first oxygen dose and proceeding to an adjacent oxygen dose in the sequence after a predetermined time interval has elapsed until the current blood oxygen saturation level of the patient attains the desired blood oxygen saturation level, at which point a corresponding oxygen dose is selected from the plurality of sequential oxygen doses; and delivering the selected oxygen dose to the patient so as to maintain the desired blood oxygen saturation level, wherein the predetermined time interval is based on circulation time of the patient, the predetermined time interval being adjusted when a predetermined number of oscillations between any two nonadjacent oxygen doses is detected.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 11 wherein the predetermined time interval is adjusted by about one second.
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