The present invention relates to medical gas alarm systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to the design, installation, and operation of alarm system components that monitor a number of conditions of a medical gas system at various points throughout a healthcare facility.
Healthcare facilities, such as hospitals, include medical gas systems that deliver different types of gases and other gas-related services, such as vacuum and waste gas removal, to numerous points throughout the facility. A few examples of such gases include oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide. Conventional medical gas systems include source equipment, such as gas tanks, pumps, compressors, dryers, receivers, and manifolds that provide associated medical gases or vacuum through a network of pipes to service outlets located in rooms throughout the facility. Medical gas alarm systems usually monitor conditions of the source equipment as well as gas pressures at various locations throughout the facility. When certain alarm conditions are detected, the system operates to alert facility personnel of the alarm conditions so that appropriate corrective actions can be taken.
According to this disclosure, a medical gas alarm system for use in a healthcare facility having a medical gas system and having a network of computer devices is provided. The alarm system includes at least one area alarm controller adapted to receive a first signal indicative of a condition of a first portion of the medical gas system. The area alarm controller is adapted to communicate with the network. The alarm system also includes at least one master alarm controller adapted to receive a second signal indicative of a condition of a second portion of the medical gas system. The master alarm controller is adapted to communicate with the network. The area alarm controller is adapted to communicate with the master alarm controller through the network.
Networks included in healthcare facilities usually include a number of network hubs located throughout the facility. These network hubs are coupled, either directly or through other network hubs, to one or more servers of the network. The network hubs provide connection points for the computer devices, such as personal computers, included in the network. According to this disclosure, the area alarm controller and the master alarm controller are each adapted to couple to respective network hubs included in the network.
Also according to this disclosure, a master alarm controller is identified by a network address and is configured to host a website. Some of the pages of the website are password protected. Authorized users that know the network address are able to access the website hosted by the master alarm controller using any personal computer included in the network of the healthcare facility, assuming the personal computer being used is configured with appropriate web browser software. In addition, if the network of the healthcare facility is coupled to the world wide web (aka the Internet), then authorized users are able to access the website hosted by the master alarm controller through the Internet using any computer having appropriate web browser software.
In one embodiment, each area alarm controller is identified by its own, unique network address and is configured to host its own website. In such an embodiment, the website hosted by the master alarm controller is hyperlinked to each of the websites hosted by the area alarm controllers and the websites hosted by each area alarm controller is hyperlinked to the website hosted by the master alarm controller so that authorized users are able to easily navigate all of the websites once any of the websites have been accessed. Healthcare facilities will typically have at least two master alarm controllers and many area alarm controllers. In one embodiment, the master alarm controllers are each identified by the same network address and cooperate with one another to serve a single website.
Authorized users that access any of the websites hosted by the master alarm and area alarm controllers can navigate through various web pages of these websites to view output data from the master alarm controller, to view output data from any associated area alarm controllers, to provide input data to the master alarm controller, and to provide input data to any associated area alarm controllers. Examples of output data viewable via this website include alarm information about alarm conditions occurring in the medical gas system, set-up information regarding the configuration of any alarm controllers in the medical gas alarm system, network address information regarding the network addresses assigned to each of the alarm controllers of the medical gas alarm system, and an event log that lists past alarms. Authorized users provide input data via the websites, for example, to program each master alarm controller and to program each area alarm controller with various operating parameters.
In preferred embodiments, each master alarm controller and each area alarm controller includes a number of input ports that receive associated input signals. Each input signal indicates a respective condition of the medical gas system. The input signals received by each area alarm controller typically indicate gas pressures in respective gas lines being monitored by the associated area alarm controller. The input signals received by each master alarm controller are generally binary signals (i.e. on/off or high/low signals) that indicate the occurrence of some condition in the source equipment of the medical gas system. Examples of the conditions indicated by these binary signals include low line pressure, high line pressure, low vacuum, backup vacuum pump on, liquid level low, and reserve supply in use. A more exhaustive list is provided below in the Detailed Description of the Drawings.
Also in preferred embodiments, each master alarm controller includes a display screen that displays text messages identifying the alarm conditions that occur in the source equipment of the medical gas system. In addition, each master alarm controller may include a set of LED's which visually indicate, such as by turning from green to red, that an alarm condition is occurring in an associated portion of the medical gas system. In such embodiments, the input data provided by authorized users via the website hosted by the master alarm controller assigns to each input port of the master alarm controller an LED of the set of LED's, the type of gas and/or system associated with the respective input signal, and the text message that is to appear on the display screen of the master alarm controller when a respective alarm condition is indicated by the associated input signal.
The input data provided by authorized users via the websites hosted by the area alarm controllers may assign a device name to each area alarm controller and a location in the healthcare facility of each area alarm controller. This information is communicated to the associated master alarm controllers through the network. When any of the area alarm controllers receive an input signal indicative of an alarm condition, the associated device name and location in the facility is displayed on the display screen of the associated master alarm controllers.
In some embodiments, the input data received by the master alarm controller via the website hosted by the master alarm controller configures the master alarm controller to send an e-mail to at least one designated e-mail address to notify a recipient of the e-mail of the occurrence of an alarm condition in the medical gas system. The e-mail sent by the master controller contains information about the alarm condition that caused the e-mail to be sent. In other embodiments, the input data received by the master alarm controller via the website hosted by the master alarm controller configures the master alarm controller to initiate a page to at least one pager carried by a recipient to notify the recipient of the occurrence of an alarm condition in the medical gas system. Such a page may be initiated, for example, by sending an e-mail to a paging service provider with the number to be paged.
It will be appreciated that a method of installing a medical gas alarm system in a healthcare facility having a medical gas system and a network of computer devices is provided in this disclosure. The method includes providing a first alarm controller, coupling to the first alarm controller a first input signal line on which is carried a first input signal indicative of a first condition of a first portion of the medical gas system, and coupling the first alarm controller to the network. The method further includes providing a second alarm controller, coupling to the second alarm controller a second input signal line on which is carried a second input signal indicative of a second condition of a second portion of the medical gas system, and coupling the second alarm controller to the network.
Further according to this disclosure, an alarm controller includes a set of user inputs that are operable to program the alarm controller with operating parameters in lieu of using a personal computer to program these alarm controllers via the websites hosted by the various alarm controllers. One of the user inputs is operable to cause the alarm controller to enter into a programming mode. One or more other user inputs are operable to scroll through various programming options that are displayed on a display screen of the alarm controller. One or more additional user inputs are operable to select a desired programming option appearing on the display screen. In the illustrative embodiment, each master alarm controller and each area alarm controller includes its own set of user inputs that are operable to configure each of these controllers separately without the use of a personal computer.
Additionally according to this disclosure, a sensor module for use in a medical gas alarm system having a gas line through which pressurized gas flows is provided. The sensor module includes a housing and a transducer coupled to the housing. The housing is couplable to the gas line to expose the transducer to a gas pressure in the gas line. The transducer is adapted to generate a pressure signal that indicates a pressure in the gas line. The sensor module further includes an electric circuit coupled to the housing. The electric circuit receives and processes the pressure signal from the transducer. The electric circuit is adapted to output serial data indicating one or more of the following: the pressure in the gas line, the type of gas in the gas line, a serial number assigned to the sensor module, the software revision number of software with which the electric circuit is programmed, status information, information about the characteristic being measures, and a failure code indicating the occurrence of a failure in the sensor module.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.