METHOD AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEM FOR WIRELESS MEDICAL MONITORING AND PATIENT MONITORING DEVICE

摘要

A method for paging/finding a wireless patient-monitoring device in a WLAN network includes the steps of determining the status of a radio module (RM) ( 117 ) of one or more wireless monitoring devices comprising one of a Patient-Wearable Device (PWD) ( 115 a, 115 b) and a Patient-Monitoring Device (PMD) ( 110 a, 110 b) that are adapted for dual-communication with one of or more Access Points ( 104,106 ) and a central-monitoring station in a WLAN. The overall status of the PWD/PMD can be a plurality of meta-states including standby, inactive, active, sleep. After the status is determined, there is a selection of a particular PWD/PMD for receipt of wireless transmission of a signal that is adapted for changing a meta-state of the device to a desired state if the current state of the particular wireless monitoring device is not the desired state. An audial-code function of the particular wireless monitoring device is activated by transmitting an instructional signal to the particular wireless patient-monitoring device to emit a predetermined first audial-code that can be heard at least by a patient being monitored by the particular PWD/PMD, so that the patient is instructed to contact the nurse's station. Alternatively, or in addition thereto, a second audial tone may be broadcast that is emitted at a volume loud enough to permit a clinic or facility personnel to walk around and locate the device by the sound.