Project 1 - Patient monitoring system Design - Electronic System part
Consistent developments and innovations in sensor and interconnect technology have revolutionized methods to monitor patient wellbeing in medical establishments. As the methods become easier for healthcare providers, the devices are now much more complex to their predecessors.
Let’s analyse what are the different components of a patient monitor, their uses and how they are providing quality health care.
Patient monitoring systems are any set of systems and/or processes that enable healthcare providers to monitor a patient’s health.
There are two main types of patient monitoring systems. They are as follows:
- Single Parameter Monitoring Systems:
These kind of patient monitoring systems measure the blood pressure of the human body, SpO2, ECG etc.
- Multi Parameter Monitoring Systems:
These patient monitoring systems monitor multiple critical physiological vital signs like respiration rate, electro cardiograph, blood pressure etc. Within Multi Parameter (or Multi Para) patient monitors, there are different types of systems like 2 Para Patient Monitor, 3 Para Patient Monitor, 5 Para Patient Monitor and 7 Para Patient Monitor.
Each patient monitoring system could be unique, i.e. a pulse oximeter will not have the same construction as a glucose monitor. However, the components of a patient monitoring system are classified into three general categories: the actual patient monitoring device, the capital equipment, and the software.
Although, the term “patient monitoring device” refers to the complete monitoring system, but for understanding purposes the piece of equipment that makes contact with the patient can be referred to as the patient monitoring device.
The patient monitoring device generally contains a sensor for capturing important patient information and an interconnect solution that transmits the information to the capital equipment.
For example, in a pulse oximeter the piece that clips to the patient’s finger and senses and transmits their pulse to the capital equipment is an example of the patient monitoring device component.
The patient monitoring device collects important patient data, that data is then sent to the equipment where it is processed, stored, and displayed. The equipment that processes, stores and display this data is called the capital equipment.
Most capital equipment deployed in patient monitoring apply a complex interconnect system of connectors, PCBs, and wire harnesses as well as some kind of screen/monitor where the data is shared in a useable format. A computer screen that exhibits the information of a patient’s ECG P-Wave is an example of the capital equipment used in a patient monitoring system.
The Software
After the patient data is transmitted from the device to the capital equipment, it needs to be processed. While the hardware gathers the data, the software makes the data useable. The drivers, applications, and programs that process, store, and visually transform the information are vital parts of any patient monitoring system.
There are a number of applications where patient monitoring systems are used.
Patient monitoring systems are crucial to any surgical operation inside hospital and clinical walls.
During an operation, the surgeon must have continuous access to a patient’s vital signs to mitigate the risk of something negative happening. In an operating room, you will typically find some form of thermometer to track a patient’s temperature, a pulse oximeter to measure oxygen levels, a capnography machine for monitoring CO2 levels, and a sphygmomanometer to measure blood pressure.
After an operation, many of these same monitoring devices are used by doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers to ensure that post-operative recovery is going smoothly. Beyond the clinical setting, remote patient monitoring systems are used in a variety of applications, such as diabetes care.
Glucose monitoring devices have been used outside of the hospital by diabetes patients for years, enabling both the patient and their physician to prevent dangerous health events.