Medical device alarm modeling

1. A patient monitor, comprising:

a medical device interface suitable for operable connection to a sensor;

a display configured to display patient physiological data based on input received from the sensor and to display a graphical representation of representative physiological data;

a graphical user interface configured to receive a user input that alters existing alarm limits for the patient physiological data; and

an alarm modeling feature configured to analyze the representative physiological data to identify alarm conditions corresponding to the altered alarm limits and configured to display indicators that identify the alarm conditions associated with the altered alarm limits and that identify the alarm conditions associated with the previously existing alarm limits that no longer represent alarm conditions on the graphical representation.

2. The patient monitor of claim 1 , wherein the patient physiological data and the representative physiological data comprise SpO 2 values and wherein the graphical representation comprises a plethysmographic waveform.

3. The patient monitor of claim 1 , wherein the representative physiological data comprises a historical trend of the patient physiological data.

4. The patient monitor of claim 1 , wherein the representative physiological data comprises sample physiological data included within the alarm modeling feature.

5. The patient monitor of claim 1 , wherein the graphical user interface includes a screen configured to display the graphical representation, the existing alarm limits, and highlighted sections of the graphical representation identifying alarm events corresponding to the existing alarm limits.

6. The patient monitor of claim 1 , wherein the display comprises a touch screen and wherein the indicators comprise touch sensitive graphical elements selectable by a user to alter the alarm limits.

7. The patient monitor of claim 1 , wherein the alarm limits comprise SpO 2 limits, an oxygen saturation pattern detection threshold, or a value specifying a product of magnitude and duration of an oxygen desaturation event, or a combination thereof.

8. The patient monitor of claim 1 , wherein the indicators comprise graphical elements selected by a user to adjust the alarm conditions for a corresponding portion of the graphical representation.

9. The patient monitor of claim 8 , wherein the alarm model feature is configured to determine new alarm limits corresponding to the adjusted alarm conditions.

10. A patient monitoring system, comprising: one or more patient monitors; a central monitoring station coupled to the patient monitors and comprising:

a display configured to display a graphical representation simulating patient physiological data received from the patient monitors; and a graphical user interface comprising alarm indicators configured to be displayed with the graphical representation to indicate alarm conditions for portions of the graphical representation, wherein each alarm indicator is displayed adjacent a specific portion of the graphical representation where a respective alarm condition occurs; an alarm modeling feature configured to modify the display of the alarm indicators in response to a user input altering alarm limits for the patient physiological data and configured to display indicators that identify the alarm conditions associated with the altered alarm limits and that identify the alarm conditions associated with the previously existing alarm limits that no longer represent alarm conditions on the graphical representation.

11. The patient monitoring system of claim 10 , wherein the display is configured to display the patient physiological data received from each of the patient monitors.

12. The patient monitoring system of claim 10 , wherein the graphical representation comprises a historical trend of patient physiological data received from one of the patient monitors.

13. The patient monitoring system of claim 10 , wherein the central monitoring station comprises a communication interface configured to apply the altered alarm limits to the patient monitors.

14. The patient monitoring system of claim 10 , wherein the central monitoring station comprises a touch screen for receiving the user input.

15. A method, comprising:

displaying a graphical representation of patient physiological data;

displaying indicators identifying current alarm events corresponding to sections of the graphical representation based on current alarm limits, wherein each indicator is displayed adjacent a specific section of the graphical representation where a respective current alarm event occurs;

receiving a user input adjusting alarm limits used to determine the current alarm events;

determining new alarm events based on the adjusted alarm limits; and

displaying indicators that identify the alarm conditions associated with the altered alarm limits and identify the alarm conditions associated with the previously existing alarm limits that no longer represent alarm conditions on the graphical representation.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein displaying the graphical representation comprises selecting a plethysmographic waveform from a plurality of stored plethysmographic waveforms based on the alarm limits.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein receiving a user input comprises receiving a user input altering a shape of the graphical representation and determining adjusted alarm limits based on the altered shape.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein receiving a user input comprises receiving a user input highlighting one or more portions of the graphical representation where alarms should occur.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein altering the display of the indicators comprises toggling the indicators between an alarm status and a no alarm status.

20. The method of claim 15 , comprising applying the adjusted alarm limits to one or more patient monitors.