Visual indication of alarms on a ventilator graphical user interface

Abstract

This disclosure describes systems and methods for displaying alarms to a clinician in a ventilatory system. Specifically, embodiments described herein seek to optimize the informative presentation of alarms on a ventilator interface. Embodiments of the present disclosure may provide one or more selection elements, each selection element indicating a ranked alarm event. The ranking of an alarm event may be determined by alarm level. If two alarm events are associated with the same alarm level, the ranking of the alarm events may be determined by parameter priority. Alarm event ranking is communicated by display in a hierarchical structure. When an alarm event ranking changes, the alarm event may shift up or down the hierarchical structure, depending on whether the ranking increased or decreased.

1 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A ventilator system configured with a computer having a processor and a memory, the memory communicatively coupled to the processor and storing instructions that when executed by the processor cause the ventilator system to provide a graphical user interface for accepting commands and for displaying information, the graphical user interface comprising:
 at least one window comprising a scroll bar, the scroll bar displaying:
 a first parameter symbol associated with a first parameter; 
 a first alarm event symbol superimposed on the first parameter symbol, wherein the first alarm event symbol identifies a first alarm event associated with the first parameter, wherein the first alarm event has a first alarm level; 
 a second parameter symbol associated with a second parameter; and 
 a second alarm event symbol superimposed on the second parameter symbol, wherein the second alarm event symbol identifies a second alarm event associated with the second parameter, wherein the second alarm event has a second alarm level, and wherein the second alarm event symbol corresponds to the second alarm level and is different from the first alarm event symbol. 
   
     
     
         22 . The ventilator system of  claim 21 , the at least one window further comprising:
 a first meter element for indicating the first parameter, the first parameter having a first parameter priority level; and   a second meter element for indicating the second parameter, the second parameter having a second parameter priority level.   
     
     
         23 . The ventilator system of  claim 22 , wherein the first alarm level is determined at least in part on the first parameter priority level, and wherein the second alarm level is determined at least in part on the second parameter priority level. 
     
     
         24 . The ventilator system of  claim 21 , wherein the scroll bar further comprises a scroll bar window, wherein the scroll bar window encases at least the first alarm symbol superimposed on the first parameter symbol and the second alarm symbol superimposed on the second parameter symbol. 
     
     
         25 . The ventilator system of  claim 21 , wherein the second parameter has a higher priority than the first parameter. 
     
     
         26 . The ventilator system of  claim 25 , wherein it is determined that the second alarm event is ranked higher than the first alarm event. 
     
     
         27 . The ventilator system of  claim 26 , wherein the second alarm event symbol indicates that the second alarm event is ranked higher than the first alarm event. 
     
     
         28 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions that when executed by a processor cause a ventilator to provide a graphical user interface for accepting commands and for displaying information, the graphical user interface comprising:
 at least one window comprising a scroll bar, the scroll bar displaying:
 a first parameter symbol associated with a first parameter; 
 a first alarm event symbol superimposed on the first parameter symbol, wherein the first alarm event symbol identifies a first alarm event associated with the first parameter, wherein the first alarm event has a first alarm level; 
 a second parameter symbol associated with a second parameter; and 
 a second alarm event symbol superimposed on the second parameter symbol, wherein the second alarm event symbol identifies a second alarm event associated with the second parameter, wherein the second alarm event has a second alarm level, and wherein the second alarm event symbol corresponds to the second alarm level. 
   
     
     
         29 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 28 , the at least one window further comprising:
 a first meter element for indicating the first parameter, the first parameter having a first parameter priority level; and   a second meter element for indicating the second parameter, the second parameter having a second parameter priority level.   
     
     
         30 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 29 , wherein the first alarm level is determined at least in part on the first parameter priority level, and wherein the second alarm level is determined at least in part on the second parameter priority level. 
     
     
         31 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 30 , wherein the scroll bar further comprises a scroll bar window that encases parameter symbols for one or more parameters for which parameter meters are displayed within the at least one window. 
     
     
         32 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 31 , wherein the scroll bar window encases at least the first parameter symbol and the second parameter symbol. 
     
     
         33 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 28 , wherein the scroll bar further displays:
 a third parameter symbol associated with a third parameter; and   a fourth parameter symbol associated with a fourth parameter, wherein a meter element is not displayed within the at least one window for the third parameter or for the fourth parameter.   
     
     
         34 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 33 , wherein the scroll bar further comprises a scroll bar window encasing the first parameter symbol and the second parameter symbol and not the third parameter symbol and the fourth parameter symbol. 
     
     
         35 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 28 , wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is selected from: RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory, solid state memory technology, CD-ROM, DVD, optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, and magnetic disk storage. 
     
     
         36 . A graphical user interface communicatively coupled to a ventilator system, the ventilator system having a processor and a memory for storing instructions that when executed by the processor cause the ventilator system to provide the graphical user interface, the graphical user interface comprising:
 at least one window comprising a scroll bar, the scroll bar displaying:
 a first parameter symbol associated with a first parameter; 
 a first alarm event symbol superimposed on the first parameter symbol, wherein the first alarm event symbol identifies a first alarm event associated with the first parameter, wherein the first alarm event has a first alarm level; 
 a second parameter symbol associated with a second parameter; and 
 a second alarm event symbol superimposed on the second parameter symbol, wherein the second alarm event symbol identifies a second alarm event associated with the second parameter, wherein the second alarm event has a second alarm level that is higher than the first alarm level, and wherein the second alarm event symbol is different from the first alarm event symbol. 
   
     
     
         37 . The graphical user interface of  claim 36 , the at least one window further comprising:
 a first meter element for indicating the first parameter, the first parameter having a first parameter priority level; and   a second meter element for indicating the second parameter, the second parameter having a second parameter priority level.   
     
     
         38 . The graphical user interface of  claim 37 , wherein the first alarm level is based at least in part on the first parameter priority level, and wherein the second alarm level is based at least in part on the second parameter priority level. 
     
     
         39 . The graphical user interface of claim of  claim 37 , wherein the scroll bar further comprises a scroll bar window that encases parameter symbols for one or more parameters for which parameter meters are displayed within the at least one window. 
     
     
         40 . The graphical user interface of  claim 38 , wherein the scroll bar window encases at least the first alarm symbol superimposed on the first parameter symbol and the second alarm symbol superimposed on the second parameter symbol.