Safety Features for Medical Devices Requiring Assistance and Supervision

Abstract

An automatic locking system for a medical treatment device helps to ensure that an assistant is present during treatment of a patient. Among the features disclosed biometric authentication to verify that a trained assistant is present, a presence detector to ensure the assistant is continuously present during treatment, and warning and recovery processes that allow intermittent lapses in the continuous presence of the assistant.

1 . A medical device, comprising:
 a medical treatment component;   a monitoring system configured to receive data from sensors to confirm the status of a patient or a helper, where the patient receiving treatment by the medical treatment component and the helper is a different person from the patient;   the monitoring system including a video camera positioned to view a scene containing a helper or a patient; and   a controller programmed to implement an image classification engine to process video images from the video camera during a time when the medical treatment component is operative to deliver therapy to a patient;   the controller being programmed to classify said processed video images to identify specific conditions and generate a signal indicative of an abnormal condition in response thereto.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein one of the specific conditions includes a presence or non-presence of a helper. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein one of the specific conditions includes a pattern of presences or non-presences of a helper over a period of time. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1  wherein one of the specific conditions includes a predetermined body temperature profile pattern. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1  wherein one of the specific conditions includes a patient breathing rate. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1  wherein one of the specific conditions includes a pathological condition of a patient. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1  wherein one of the specific conditions includes a helper falling asleep. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is programmed to create a cell phone message in response to said signal. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is programmed to an alarm in response to said signal. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is programmed to recognize a face of the helper. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein the controller is programmed to prevent use of the medical treatment component responsively to failing to recognize a face of a helper. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the pattern of presences is determined by a stored schedule based on time of day.