Can anybody suggest a make and model of vital-signs (i.e. ECG, SpO2, NIBP, TEMP) or low-level multi-parameter patient monitor (ECG, RESP, SpO2, NIBP, IBP, TEMP) that has the capability of producing near real-time outputs using RS232 or RS422 communications?

Ideally the monitor should supply power from the serial port connector as well and produce e.g. 12s-interval physiological data (rather than trends) of all parameters and possibly alarm-status and time-stamps, etc, etc. The data acquisition needs to be done whilst monitoring in-situ (patient-isolation will not be an issue). If you have any experience of interfacing such monitors and can give me some advice, information, or contacts, then that would be a great help. Thanks.

Sounds interesting....

There is software available to 'printer emulate' if required and capture the output from most medical devices that may not have a dedicated rs232 link, but provide a continuous printed output if hooked up to the printer.

Alternatively RL I do have the odd bit of sourcecode in VB and Quickbasic (ideal for prototyping) if your intending on creating your own application.

I've written the odd bit of communication software to transmit / recieve ascii data from devices (biotek 601 pro) but pretty much any medical device is the same if you can get your hands on a copy of the command set for it.

About 3 years ago, datex were prototyping some continuous monitoring software for their ADU series anaesthetic units to aid servicing, so I'd hazzard a guess that most of their AS3/AS5 multi-paramater units will be suitable for the job provided you could get the protocol off them.

I dont know in what context your wishing to use communications, is it a sleep disorder clinic, personal project, or isolation ward type enviroment that you need it for?

If theres anything I can do to help, dont hesitate to ask

Joe.

Take a look at; http://connected.welchallyn.com/

Thanks for that Joe - I'd thought about the printer link and decided that it was probably easier to use RS232/RS422 rather than create a PCL driver, for example, for the embedded system I'm trying to develop.

I've got the Datax-Ohmeda communications protocol and the physiological data set information as well. Unfortunately getting hold of a compatible monitor for a few months, for development purposes, is going to be difficult.

I'm actually planning to start developing a dedicated interface module (specific to the monitoring in use; doesn't have to be RS232/RS422) and an embedded smart-alarm processing unit with the capability of issuing PC generated MP3 files of developed alarm-sounds.

Effectively real-time processing of physiological data, smart-processing and analysis and production of appropriate alarm sounds (an MP3 player, from scratch).

A sort of thing that is used to test the concepts of human factors in monitoring and an attempt to increase the sensitivity and specificity of alarms, reducing the incidence of false positives i.e. unecessary nuisance alarms to you and I.

A lot of monitoring has sophisticated processing but sometimes the audible alarms leave a lot to be desired from a human factors aspect. It's for a post-grad project. Thanks again.

Thanks Jonathan - It was my intention of contacting soon but I'll try the link first - we have a lot of Welch Allyn monitors on site.

if its just for development / trial then maybe the Ohmeda 3740 pulse oximeter might prove usefull, most hospitals have these kicking around and they output data every 2s through the serial port. They can work under computer control and I do have a copy of the protocol handy if you fancied a play with one of them.

You must be reading my mind Joe - I'm in the process of resurrecting an old 3700 at the moment, from a selection of scrapped components. We have the comms protocols and some associated software but if I have any problems I'll get in touch if you don't mind. Many Thanks.

If anybody else has any suggestions in the meantime they will be gratefully received. I always like to have a plan-B.

Try speaking to Lyn Davies at Stowood Scientific Instruments, Oxon. He has written such software for his Winvisi sleep monitoring system

Thanks for the suggestion - I think I'll be able to manage the software - it's just ideas for a monitor I'm after, cheers.

Like I mentioned RL, i do have the protocols with examples available for the 3740 (from a book "interfacing the IBM PC with medical equipment")

Also, in the same book was the interfacing protocol and examples for use with the graseby 3xxx series infusion pumps.

If your into X-ray then you might be interested in the victoreen xray tester as that has some interface / protocol examples in the tech manual.

All the above ^^ have examples in quickbasic which is ideal to 'get it going' but as with most its not too hard to port these into VB or whichever language you wish to use.

Its one of those things which has interested me for some time, but time being the thing which none of us have much of.