Distributed Patient Monitoring System

1 . A distributed patient monitoring system for visually monitoring patients and patient parameters using a plurality of portable processing devices in different remote locations, comprising:

a monitoring processor responsive to user initiated commands from a plurality of different portable processing devices in different remote locations and including,

an input processor for acquiring vital sign parameters and associated video and audio data and for controlling the selected viewing of said data representative of plurality of sequences of video images of a corresponding plurality of different patients; and

a data processor for processing said vital sign parameters and associated video data to provide,

processed first video data representing an image sequence including a composite image including a first area showing live video of a selected first patient and a second area presenting vital sign parameters of said selected first patient and

processed second video data representing an image sequence including a composite image including a first area showing live video of a selected second patient and a second area presenting vital sign parameters of said selected second patient; and

a communication network of bandwidth sufficient to communicate said processed first video data and second video data to first and second portable processing devices respectively of said plurality of different portable processing devices in different remote locations in response to commands received from said first and second portable processing devices respectively.

2 . A system according to claim 1 , wherein

said data processor processes said vital sign parameters and associated video data to provide processed first and second video data by encoding said video data with a compression function.

3 . A system according to claim 2 , wherein

said compression function is compatible with at least one of, (a) MPEG-4, (b) MPEG-2 and (c) DIVX.

4 . A system according to claim 1 , wherein

said input processor acquires audio data of said plurality of different patients,

said data processor processes said audio data to provide processed audio data and

said communication network is of bandwidth sufficient to communicate said processed first video data and second video data and audio data to said first and second portable processing devices respectively.

5 . A system according to claim 4 , wherein

said input processor acquires said audio data from a plurality of different microphones in patient rooms associated with said plurality of different patients.

6 . A system according to claim 4 , wherein

said data processor processes said audio data to provide processed audio data by encoding said audio data with a compression function.

7 . A system according to claim 1 , wherein

said input processor acquires said vital sign parameters from patient monitoring devices attached to said plurality of different patients.

8 . A system according to claim 1 , wherein

said input processor acquires said associated video data from a plurality of different cameras in patient rooms associated with said plurality of different patients.

9 . A system according to claim 1 including

a rules processor for applying rules to said vital sign parameters to identify an alert condition indicating a significant patient clinical condition or change of clinical condition and wherein

said data processor processes data representing said alert condition for inclusion in said processed first video data and said composite image includes an image element indicating said alert condition.

10 . A system according to claim 1 , wherein

said data processor provides said processed first video data and processed second video data for concurrent viewing by users of said first and second portable processing devices respectively.

11 . A system according to claim 1 , wherein

said data processor provides said processed first video data and processed second video data for concurrent viewing of the same patient by users of said first and second portable processing devices respectively.

12 . A system according to claim 1 , wherein

said data processor enables a user to select and manipulate video image capture and display.

13 . A distributed patient monitoring system for monitoring patients via visual and audio means and for viewing and monitoring patient parameters using a plurality of portable processing devices concurrently in different remote locations over distributed wired or wireless networks, comprising:

a monitoring processor responsive to user initiated commands from a plurality of different portable processing devices in different remote locations and including,

an input processor for acquiring vital sign parameters and associated video data representative of plurality of sequences of video images of a corresponding plurality of different patients; and

a data processor for processing said vital sign parameters and associated video data to provide processed video data representing an image sequence including a composite image including a first area showing live video of a selected patient and a second area presenting vital sign parameters of said selected patient in response to user selection of an image element associated with said selected patient in a display image provided by a clinical information application; and

a communication network of bandwidth sufficient to communicate said processed video data to first and second portable processing devices respectively of said plurality of different portable processing devices in different remote locations in response to commands received from said first and second portable processing devices respectively.

14 . A system according to claim 13 , wherein

said image element associated with said selected patient comprises a hyperlink.

15 . A system according to claim 13 , wherein

said image element associated with said selected patient is presented in a list of different patients in said display image provided by said clinical information application.

16 . A system for use by a portable processing device operating in a distributed patient monitoring system for visually monitoring patients and patient parameters using a plurality of portable processing devices in different remote locations, comprising:

an authentication processor enabling a user to obtain access authorization to access patient data in response to entry of identification data using any portable processing device of said plurality of portable processing devices in different remote locations;

a user interface, in response to said access authorization, enabling a user to,

initiate execution of a clinical information application providing a user with a clinical application display image identifying a plurality of different patients in a corresponding plurality of different locations and

select a particular patient of said plurality of different patients in said clinical application display image; and

a display processor for initiating generation of data representing an image sequence for presentation in a composite image including a first area showing live video of a selected particular patient and a second area presenting vital sign parameters of said particular patient in response to user selection of an image element associated with said particular patient of said plurality of different patients in said clinical application display image.

17 . A system according to claim 16 , including

a rules processor for applying rules to said vital sign parameters to identify an alert condition indicating a significant patient clinical condition or change of clinical condition and wherein

said composite image includes an image element indicating said alert condition.

18 . A system for use by a plurality of portable processing devices in different remote locations operating in a distributed patient monitoring system for visually monitoring patients and patient parameters, comprising:

an authentication processor enabling a user to obtain access authorization to access patient data in response to entry of identification data using any portable processing device of said plurality of portable processing devices in different remote locations;

a first portable processing device of said plurality of portable processing devices, having a user interface enabling a user, in response to said access authorization, to,

initiate execution of a clinical information application providing a user with a clinical application display image identifying a plurality of different patients in a corresponding plurality of different locations,

select a first patient of said plurality of different patients in said clinical application display image and

display an image sequence including a composite image comprising a first area showing live video of said first patient and a second area presenting vital sign parameters of said first patient; and

a second portable processing device of said plurality of portable processing devices, having a user interface enabling a user, concurrently with operation of said first portable processing device and in response to said access authorization, to,

initiate execution of a clinical information application providing a user with a clinical application display image identifying a plurality of different patients in a corresponding plurality of different locations,

select a second patient of said plurality of different patients in said clinical application display image and

display an image sequence including a composite image comprising a first area showing live video of said second patient and a second area presenting vital sign parameters of said second patient.

19 . A distributed patient monitoring system for visually monitoring patients and patient parameters using a plurality of portable processing devices in different remote locations, comprising:

a monitoring processor responsive to user initiated commands from a plurality of different portable processing devices in different remote locations and including,

an input processor for acquiring vital sign parameters and associated video data representative of plurality of sequences of video images of a corresponding plurality of different patients; and

a data processor for processing said vital sign parameters and associated video data to provide,

processed first video data representing an image sequence including a first image including an area displaying user selectable image elements individually associated with corresponding individual patients of said plurality of different patients; and

processed second video data representing an image sequence including a composite image including a first area showing live video of a selected first patient and a second area presenting vital sign parameters of said selected first patient in response to user selection of an image element associated with said first patient in said first image; and

a communication network of bandwidth sufficient to communicate said processed first video data and second video data to first and second portable processing devices respectively of said plurality of different portable processing devices in different remote locations in response to commands received from said first and second portable processing devices respectively.