Autonomous critical care systems and integrated combat casualty care systems

Inventors

Darrah, Mark • Gradilla, Cesar • Elson, John • Miller, Ellen

Assignees

ATHENA GTX Inc

Abstract

Systems, devices, and methods for monitoring and treating a patient on route to a medical facility are disclosed. The system comprises a critical care unit; at least one patient monitoring device coupled to the critical care unit, wherein the critical care unit obtains physiological data about the patient from each patient monitoring device; at least one patient treatment device coupled to the critical care unit, wherein the critical care unit provides treatment instructions to each patient treatment device; a two way communications device coupled to the critical care unit; and a remote communications terminal in communication with the two way communications device. The critical care unit preferably sends the physiological data to the remote communications terminal and receives the treatment instructions from the remote communications terminal via the two way communications device.

Core Innovation

The invention relates to autonomous, portable critical-care systems for monitoring and treating a patient en route to a medical facility. A critical care unit links patient monitoring devices and patient treatment devices with two-way communications to a remote communications terminal, and the critical care unit sends physiological data to the remote communications terminal and receives treatment instructions from the remote communications terminal via the two-way communications device.

The system uses a critical care unit that has a single hinge adapted to fold the critical care unit from a backpack configuration into a configuration adapted to be coupled underneath a patient transport litter. The critical care unit is transportable separately from the patient transport litter and includes a coupling device adapted to attach the critical care unit to the patient transport litter, thereby supporting in-transit monitoring and treatment while maintaining patient access.

The critical care unit is adapted to automatically recognize and configure each linked peripheral device through at least one peripheral device linkage. In parallel, the critical care unit obtains physiological data about the patient from the at least one patient monitoring device, transmits instructions to the patient monitoring device, provides treatment instructions to the at least one patient treatment device, and receives feedback from the patient treatment device.

The described configuration supports autonomous, portable critical care during manned or unmanned transport and integration with multiple medical modalities through peripheral device interfaces and linked device types. Visual communications devices can transmit images of the patient to an offsite medical care giver and provide images of the offsite medical care giver to the patient.

Claims Coverage

The document provides two independent claims. Across the independent claim set, the inventive coverage centers on a foldable, under-litter coupled critical care unit for en-route patient monitoring and treatment, combined with automatic peripheral recognition/configuration and two-way communications for physiological data and treatment instruction exchange.

Overall, the independent claims cover a portable critical care architecture for en-route use that combines a foldable single-hinge under-litter coupled critical care unit, automatic peripheral recognition/configuration, and two-way communications with a remote communications terminal for physiological data transmission and receipt of treatment instructions, while using monitoring devices and treatment devices with feedback.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications