Patent Application
20170053525
1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates generally to alarms, and more particularly to monitors to configured to display the time remaining prior to an alarm being triggered.
2. Description of Related Art
Many pharmaceutical substances are temperature sensitive, and will undergo chemical alteration, will lose potency or have a diminished shelf life if exposed to temperatures over or under the manufacturers' required temperature storage range. Administering a drug that has been chemically altered or that has lost potency will typically not have the anticipated efficacy.
Pharmaceutical companies want to place consigned inventory in locations where it will be effective, used and therefore sold. Typically consigned inventory is placed on the shelves in hospitals and a local company representative manages that inventory. As such, pharmaceutical companies are reluctant to relocate aging, unused inventory to another customer facility or back to a central warehouse as this process places excess temperature stress on the inventory. Not knowing how much temperature stress the inventory item may still experience and remain viable can prevent field representatives from making informed choices as to whether to relocate inventory.
Such conventional methods and systems have generally been considered satisfactory for their intended purpose. However, there is still a need in the art for improved alarm monitoring devices and methods. The present disclosure provides a solution for this need.
An alarm monitoring device includes a portable monitor. The portable monitor includes a user interface and a display coupled thereto. A sensor is disposed within the monitor. A processor is disposed within the monitor and in electric communication with the user interface, display and sensor. A memory disposed within the monitor is in communication with the processor. The processor having program instructions to receive data from the sensor and display the time remaining until an alarm is triggered.
The memory can also include program instructions to store a predetermined condition defined by the monitor being exposed to an ambient condition for a duration of time. The processor can be programmed to divide the duration of time into equal time segments such that the time remaining can be defined by a sum of equal time segments remaining prior to the alarm being triggered. In certain embodiments, the time remaining can be displayed as a percentage of the duration of time until the alarm is triggered.
The user interface can include an activation button operatively connected to the processor to display the time remaining on the display screen. In certain embodiments, a triggered alarm may be continuously displayed. It is also contemplated that the device may include more than one alarm wherein the time remaining for each alarm can be displayed.
A method for monitoring time remaining for an alarm includes sensing a condition by a sensor disposed within a monitor and displaying on a display coupled to the monitor time remaining prior to an alarm being triggered. The method can further include inputting a predetermined condition into a memory of the monitor and activating the monitor by a user interface coupled to the monitor. The duration of time of the predetermined condition may also be divided into equal time segments by the processor such that the time remaining is defined by a sum of the equal time segments remaining prior to the alarm being triggered. At a later time interval a user may initial time remaining update such that the steps of sensing, initiating and displaying may be repeated until the alarm has triggered. In certain embodiments, more than one predetermined condition may be inputted into the memory. In this instance, the time remaining for each alarm can be displayed by cycling through the status for each alarm.
These and other features of the systems and methods of the subject disclosure will become more readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the drawings.
So that those skilled in the art to which the subject disclosure appertains will readily understand how to make and use the devices and methods of the subject disclosure without undue experimentation, preferred embodiments thereof will be described in detail herein below with reference to certain figures, wherein:
Reference will now be made to the drawings wherein like reference numerals identify similar structural features or aspects of the subject disclosure. For purposes of explanation and illustration, and not limitation, a partial view of an exemplary embodiment of the alarm monitoring device in accordance with the disclosure is shown in
At least one predetermined condition is stored within a memory 112 of the monitor 100. In embodiments, memory 112 may be disposed external to monitor 100. Once the predetermined condition is met, the monitor 100 displays that an alarm is triggered. More specifically, the predetermined condition is defined by the sensor 108 of the monitor 100 being exposed to an ambient condition for a duration of time. The predetermined condition, for example, can include a minimum temperature and a duration such as number of weeks. Once the sensor 108 is exposed to any temperature greater than the minimum for the designated number of weeks, the alarm will trigger.
The processor 110 is adapted to receive data from the sensor 108 and display on the display screen 104 the time remaining until an alarm is triggered. In other words, the display screen 104 will show the amount of time left before the predetermined condition is met. To achieve this, the processor 110 is programmed to divide the duration of time of the predetermined condition into ten equal time segments. Using the previous example, if the minimum temperature is 8° C. with a duration of 60 weeks, and the sensor 108 has been exposed to temperatures greater than 8° C. for 30 weeks, the display screen 104 will show that 5 time segments or 50% of time remains prior to the alarm being triggered. In certain embodiments, the time remaining is defined by a sum of the equal time segments remaining. For example, a 1 and 4 may be displayed on the display screen indicating that 5 time segments are remaining. In certain embodiments, a percentage may be shown to indicate the time remaining. Any other suitable display to notify the user of the time remaining can be used. Displaying the time remaining in this manner, prior to the condition being met and the alarm being triggered, gives notice to the user of the quality and efficacy of the substances within the vicinity of the device 10. Moreover, as the memory 112 may be programmed with more than one predetermined condition, the device 10 can monitor several varying substances at one time and/or can monitor a single substance on multiple criteria at one time.
d illustrate a specific example of the alarm monitoring system. In this example, the memory 112 is pre-programmed with two predetermined conditions that once met will indicate the respective alarm has triggered. The first condition includes a maximum temperature of negative 18° C. for a duration of 48 weeks. If the monitor 100 is exposed to temperatures less than −18° C. (<−18° C.) for 48 weeks the first condition is satisfied and the first alarm is triggered. The second condition includes a minimum temperature of 8° C. for 65 weeks. If the monitor 100 is exposed to temperatures greater than 8° C. (>8° C.) for 65 weeks, the second condition is satisfied and the second alarm is triggered. The two predetermined conditions may relate to one substance being monitored or may include the desired temperature ranges for several substances.
At room temperature, 22° C., the first condition will never accrue any time against the first alarm. The second condition will begin accruing time as soon as the monitor is activated. Once programmed, the processor 110 divides the two durations into ten equal time segments. For the first condition, 4.8 weeks and for the second condition 6.5 weeks.
After the monitor 100 is positioned as desired in the vicinity of a pharmaceutical substance, the monitor 100 is activated by the user interface 102, which can be a button on the monitor 100. For example, a user may press a start button, as shown in
Assuming the monitor remains at a constant room temperature (22° C.) for 7 weeks, neither alarm will trigger. However, the second condition will begin accruing time against the duration specified in the predetermined condition. Since 7 weeks is greater than one 6.5 week time segment, the second condition is less one time segment.
With reference to
The methods and systems of the present disclosure, as described above and shown in the drawings, provide for an alarm monitoring system with superior properties including displaying the time remaining until an alarm is triggered. While the apparatus and methods of the subject disclosure have been shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that changes and/or modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the subject disclosure.
This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/993,800, filed on May 15, 2014, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2015/029430 | 5/6/2015 | WO | 00 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61993800 | May 2014 | US |
