System and Method for Automatically Adjusting Medical Displays

Abstract

A system and method for automatically adjusting medical displays is arranged to communicate medical information to a caregiver. The system includes at least one display for displaying medical information, a wireless communication device associated with the display and a wireless communication device associated with the caregiver. The wireless communication device associated with the display is arranged to realize if the wireless communication device associated with the caregiver, and thus the caregiver, is present in a predetermined area near the display. A controller associated with the display is arranged to automatically adjust at least one characteristic of the display based upon the realized presence of the caregiver. According to the method, the presence of the caregiver is detected when the caregiver enters the predetermined area near the display. At lease one characteristic of the display is thus adjusted automatically based upon the detected presence of the caregiver in the predetermined area.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A system for communicating patient/medical information, the system comprising:
 a display that, presents first patient/medical information;   a first wireless communication device associated with a first caregiver of a plurality of caregivers and transmitting a signal indicative of the first caregiver;   a second wireless communication device associated with the display, the second wireless communication device configured to receive the signal from the first wireless communication device, when the first wireless communication device is within a predetermined distance of the display: and   a controller in communication with the second wireless communication device and the display, the controller automatically adjusts the patient/medical information displayed on the display to a predetermined second patient/medical information, based on the received signal, the second patient/medical information comprising data specifically tailored to the first caregiver.   
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21  wherein the first, wireless communication device is further programmed with a plurality of display configurations for the first caregiver, and the signal is indicative of a first display configuration of the plurality. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22  wherein the first wireless communication device further comprises a button, the activation of the button of the first wireless communication device changes the signal from the first wireless communication device to a signal indicative of a second display configuration of the plurality. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 22  wherein a third wireless communication device is associated with a second caregiver of the plurality of caregivers and transmits a signal indicative of the second caregiver, and the predetermined medical information content is based upon a selected signal of the signals from the first and third wireless communication devices. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24  wherein the controller selects between the signals of the first and third wireless communication devices using a programmed hierarchy of received wireless signals based upon the specific caregivers associated with each of the received wifeless signals. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 21  further comprising:
 a third wireless communication device associated with the display and configured to receive the signal from the first wireless communication device; 
 wherein the controller further determines a location of the first caregiver with respect to the display from the first signal received by the second and third wireless communication devices. 
 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 26  wherein the controller automatically adjusts the second patient/medical information, specifically tailored to the first caregiver and displayed on the display, based upon the determined location of the first caregiver. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the signal transmitted by the first wifeless communication device is an identifying signal that uniquely identifies the first caregiver, the second wireless communication device receives the identifying signal, and the controller automatically adjusts the first patient/medical information on the display to the second patient/medical information specific to the uniquely identified first caregiver. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein instructions for the controller to automatically adjust the patient/medical information on the display are programmed on the first communication device and communicated by the first communication device to the controller through the second communication device. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 28 , further comprising a plurality of displays, wherein the controller is arranged to automatically adjust the predetermined patient/medical information of the plurality of displays based upon the identified first caregiver. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the layout of the patient/medical information is automatically adjusted to a stored predetermined layout specific to the first caregiver. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the stored predetermined layout of information comprises previously selected preferences of the uniquely identified first caregiver. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 21 , further comprising a third communication device associated with a second caregiver of the plurality of caregivers,
 wherein the second communication device is arranged to identify if the third communication device, and associated second caregiver, is present within the predetermined distance of the display, and   wherein the controller is arranged to adjust the patient/medical information of the display based upon a predetermined priority between the first and third communication devices.   
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 21 , further comprising a second display, and the controller automatically adjusts the patient/medical information displayed on the second display to the predetermined second patient/medical information. 
     
     
         35 . A system for communicating patient/medical information, the system comprising:
 a display that presents patient/medical information;   a first transceiver coupled to the display, the first wireless communications transceiver being configured to receive wireless signals within a predetermined distance of the display;   a first transponder associated with a first caregiver, the first transponder being programmed to identify a patient/medical information type selected from a plurality of medical information types by the first caregiver wherein the first transponder produces a first wireless communication signal uniquely indicative of the first caregiver and the selected patient/medical information type; and   a controller coupled to the display, and the first transceiver, wherein when the first transceiver receives the first wireless communications signal from the first transponder, the controller receives a signal from the first transceiver uniquely indicative of the first caregiver and the selected patient/medical information type and the controller operates the display to present patient/medical information from the selected patient/medical information type selected by the first caregiver.   
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein the selected patient/medical information type is anesthesiology information. 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein the selected patient/medical information type is cardiology information. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein the selected patient/medical information type is respiratory therapy medical information. 
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 35 , further comprising:
 a second transponder associated with a second caregiver, the second transponder being programmed to uniquely identify the second caregiver and a second patient/medical information type selected from the plurality of patient/medical information types by the second caregiver wherein the second transponder produces a wireless communication signal uniquely indicative of the second caregiver and the selected second medical information type selected by the second caregiver.   
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 39 , wherein the controller operates the display to present patient/medical information from the first patient/medical information type when the first transponder is within the predetermined distance of the display, and the controller operates the display to present patient/medical information from the second patient/medical information type when the second transponder is within the predetermined distance of the display.