FIELD

The present application relates to systems and methods for controlling the display of measurements by scales and, more particularly, medical scales.

SUMMARY

Medical scales are used in healthcare environments to measure the weight of a patient. A patient's weight can provide important or useful information to, for example, detect fluid retention, calculate proper medication dosages, screen for malnutrition, etc. It is therefore desirable for medical scales to provide accurate weight measurements to healthcare professionals and other users. Some healthcare determinations are made taking into account the unit of measurement used by the scale.

Because medical scales are used to provide important or useful information for patient care, medical scales may be calibrated regularly, for example, using reference weights or calibration devices. The calibration process can be expensive (for example, about 35-90% of the cost of a new scale per calibration) and time-consuming, especially for a facility with numerous scales. Calibration data is stored in the electronics of the scale, often in a non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM).

In certain countries, patients are often more likely to understand their weight in terms of the one system of units (for example, in the United States, the Imperial system, that is, in pounds (lbs.)), whereas healthcare professionals may be more likely to require the patient weight measurement in a different system of units (the metric system, in kilograms (kg)). As such, electronic medical scales are often capable of displaying weight measurements in pounds, kilograms, or both.

Some healthcare professionals require that the weight of a patient be expressed solely in one system of units (for example, in kilograms because drug dosing is typically provided in terms of milligrams per kilogram of body weight). However, when a scale is capable of providing patient weight measurements in different units, it is possible that the patient's weight may be recorded incorrectly (for example, by recording with incorrect units, by incorrectly converting from one unit to the other, etc.).

To address these and other needs, some medical scales (for example, used in a critical care environment) are only capable of providing patient weight using a single unit type (that is, either only in pounds or only in kilograms). However, such scales sacrifice flexibility because they cannot be made to display weight measurements in another unit type and, thus, cannot be used in applications in which that capability is desirable (for example, in a primary care physician's office).

This may cause healthcare providers (for example, facilities with both critical care and primary care) to waste resources. For example, providers may be forced to purchase new scales instead of re-purposing existing scales. In another example, extra computer or other resources may have to be used to perform unit conversions.

Some scales may be repurposed by re-burning their firmware to turn them from one type of scale to another. However, re-burning, re-flashing, or replacing the scale's software also erases the scale's calibration, requiring the scale to again be calibrated before use and, thereby, increasing costs to the scale user.

Independent embodiments described herein provide, among other things, systems and methods for permanently locking medical scales into a measurement unit (for example, kilograms or pounds) while allowing factory reset and maintaining the scale's calibration. The medical scale may also be operable in more than one mode relating to the unit of measurement.

In one independent embodiment, an electronic scale may be operable to measure and display weight in different units of measurement (for example, kilograms, pounds, etc.) and may be configured with a permanent lock mode, also referred to herein as an “Everlock™” mode. The Everlock™ mode, when activated, “permanently” locks the scale into a single selected unit of measurement. When activated by a scale user, the Everlock™ mode functions to disable features that normally allow scale users to select between units of measurement. Accordingly, once a user of the scale activates the Everlock™ mode, the user is not able to deactivate the mode. In the embodiments described herein, the Everlock™ mode causes the scale to be permanently locked, at least from the scale user's point of view, into displaying weight measurements in the selected units. Such embodiments provide advantages over existing single-unit scales. For example, the “lockable” scale provides flexibility for the user in determining how to use the scale.

It should be noted that, as used herein with regard to aspects of the described embodiments, the terms “permanent” and “permanently” are not used to indicate a state that is unchangeable in perpetuity. Rather, the terms “permanent” and “permanently” are used to indicate a state (for example, being locked into a unit of measurement) that is established without a predetermined end point, and which can only be altered under certain circumstances. In some aspects, “permanent” or “permanently” may mean that the locked unit of measurement may only be unlocked in a limited number ways (for example, in only one way). For example, in some aspects, it may be possible for the Everlock™ mode to be deactivated (for example, by factory technicians using specialized hardware, software, or combinations thereof, unavailable to end users) to allow the scale to be again used with its full functionality.

Because the calibration of scales is both costly and important to the proper functioning of the scales, in some embodiments, calibration data stored in the scale may not be overwritten or erased when the Everlock™ mode is activated or deactivated. In embodiments in which the Everlock™ mode is factory-resettable, only a removable head unit or other detachable electronic portion of the scale need be sent to the manufacturer in order to deactivate the Everlock™ mode. This allows the mechanical portions of the scale to remain at the user site, limiting shipping costs, resulting in a much faster turn-around time compared to shipping the entire scale, reducing the possibility that movement (for example, by packaging and shipping) of the scale might alter the scale's calibration, etc.

Therefore, using such embodiments, medical scales are provided that may be permanently locked into a particular unit of measurement by a scale user, and reset (for example, by the factory) to allow changes to the units used, while maintaining the scale's calibration to ensure accurate readings, regardless of the measurement units in use. Such embodiments may reduce the inventory requirements of suppliers, distributors, and larger scale users (for example, medical clinics, hospitals, etc.), because all such scales are capable of multiple measurement unit mode operation, including a permanently locked measurement unit mode of operation. Such embodiments make it easier for scale users to deploy a new scale into their operation. The flexibility of being able to select what units a scale will use after the scale is put into service eliminates the need to determine with certainty what type (unit-wise) of scale is needed prior to ordering. Such embodiments may also reduce the need for multiple software versions, as a single software version can provide multi-measurement unit and unit-locked (for example, kilogram-locked, pound-locked) operation modes.

In another independent embodiment, an electronic scale may be operable in multiple measurement unit modes to measure and display weight. In one mode (for example, a “Toggle” mode), the user may select the measurement unit (for example, kilograms) and may modify the selection to another measurement unit (for example, pounds). In another mode, the user may permanently lock the measurement unit (for example, the Everlock™ mode). The scale may include another mode (for example, the “Unit Lock” mode), in which the measurement unit is selectively locked and may be unlocked by the user. In some modes, the scale may be able temporarily display another measurement unit (for example, “Unit View”).

Other independent aspects of the invention may become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings.

