Vital signs monitoring system with wireless pupilometer interface

1. A vital signs monitoring system comprising:

a pupilometer to obtain pupilometer information from a patient, the pupilometer including a first wireless telemetry module to transmit the information; and

a vital signs monitor that is associated with the patent and not associated with any other patients having a second wireless telemetry module to receive the transmitted information.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the wireless telemetry modules includes an infrared telemetry module.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the infrared telemetry module operates according to an IrDA protocol.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the wireless telemetry modules includes a radio frequency (RF) telemetry module;

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the RF telemetry module operates according to one of the IEEE 802.11 protocols and a Bluetooth protocol.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pupilometer information includes pupil dynamic information.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the pupilometer information includes patient identification, date and time.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first telemetry module includes a transmitter to transmit the pupilometer information and a receiver to receive information from the vital signs monitor.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pupilometer is a handheld, battery-powered device.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pupilometer includes a display and a user input device to select one or more patient records containing the pupilometer information for transmission to the vital signs monitor.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vital signs monitor includes a display and a processor to drive the display to present the pupilometer information with other vital signs information.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vital signs monitor includes multiple vital signs modules to receive vital signs information.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the vital signs information includes blood pressure information, pulse oximetry information, and electrocardiogram information.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vital signs monitor is a portable vital signs monitor.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vital signs monitor is selected from a group consisting of:

a bedside monitor; and

a portable monitor.

16. A method for monitoring vital signs of a patient, the method comprising:

obtaining pupilometer information from the patient at a pupilometer;

transmitting the pupilometer information from the pupilometer to a vital signs monitor that is associated with the patent and not associated with any other patients via a wireless telemetry module; and

presenting the pupilometer information via a display associated with the vital signs monitor.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising transmitting the pupilometer information via an infrared telemetry module.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the infrared telemetry module operates according to an IrDA protocol.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising transmitting the pupilometer information via a radio frequency (RF) telemetry module.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the RF telemetry module operates according to one of the IEEE 802.11 protocols and a Bluetooth protocol.

21. The method of claim 16 , wherein the pupilometer information includes pupil dynamic information.

22. The method of claim 16 , wherein the pupilometer information includes patient identification, date and time.

23. The method of claim 16 , further comprising receiving information at the pupilometer from the vital signs monitor via the wireless telemetry module.

24. The method of claim 16 , further comprising selecting one or more patient records containing the pupilometer information for transmission to the vital signs monitor in response to user input.

25. The method of claim 16 , further comprising driving a display associated with the vital signs monitor to present the pupilometer information with other vital signs information.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the other vital signs information includes blood pressure information, pulse oximetry information, and electrocardiogram information.

27. A pupilometer comprising:

an illumination unit to stimulate a pupil of a patient;

a camera to obtain one or more images indicating a reaction of the pupil;

a processor to process the images and generate pupilometer information; and

a wireless telemetry module to transmit the pupilometer information to a vital signs monitor that is associated with the patent and not associated with any other patients via a wireless telemetry module.

28. The pupilometer of claim 27 , wherein the wireless telemetry module includes an infrared telemetry module.

29. The pupilometer of claim 27 , wherein the infrared telemetry module operates according to an IrDA protocol.

30. The pupilometer of claim 27 , wherein the wireless telemetry module includes a radio frequency (RF) telemetry module.

31. The pupilometer of claim 30 , wherein the RF telemetry module operates according to one of the IEEE 802.11 protocols and a Bluetooth protocol.

32. The pupilometer of claim 27 , wherein the pupilometer information includes pupil dynamic information and patient identification, date and time.

33. The pupilometer of claim 27 , wherein the telemetry module includes a transmitter to transmit the pupilometer information and a receiver to receive information from the vital signs monitor.

34. The pupilometer of claim 27 , wherein the pupilometer is a handheld, battery-powered device.

35. The pupilometer of claim 27 , wherein the pupilometer includes a display and a user input device to select one or more patient records containing the pupilometer information for transmission to the vital signs monitor.