US 2,003,052,787 · Filed 2002-08-02
The Hospital Bedside Computer That Put Patient Data Where Doctors Need It
Imagine a computer screen built right into a hospital room or clinic, connected to the internet so doctors can pull up your medical records instantly instead of hunting through filing cabinets or running to a distant workstation. That's what this patent covers—putting the computer where the patient is, not making the patient (or doctor) go find the computer.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a computer system designed specifically for use at a patient's bedside or examination area, consisting of a display screen positioned in that location, a computer connected to it, and a network connection that lets the computer pull medical information from distant databases or servers. What's protected is the combination of having all three elements—the local display, the local computing device, and the remote network access—working together as an integrated point-of-care setup.
Why it matters
Before systems like this became standard, hospital staff had to walk away from patients to access records, or rely on paper charts that could be lost, outdated, or hard to read. Putting computing power directly at the bedside reduced delays, cut down on errors from transcribing data by hand, and let doctors make faster decisions with current information. This patent represents a foundational shift in how healthcare facilities organize their technology around patient care rather than around IT convenience.
Real-world use
When a nurse checks your vital signs and immediately enters them into a bedside monitor connected to the hospital network, that data syncs instantly to your doctor's records without anyone walking to a separate computer station.
Original USPTO abstract
A point-of-care computer system includes a display positioned in a point-of-care location, a computer coupled to the display, and a network coupled to the computer to enable the computer to access information stored in a remote location.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 2,003,052,787
- Filing date
- 2002-08-02
- Grant date
- Application — not yet granted
- Assignee
- Zerhusen Robert Mark / Reeder Ryan A. / Vogel John D. / Cerimele Michael E. / Riley Carl W. / Wildman Timothy D.
- Inventor(s)
- ZERHUSEN ROBERT MARK, REEDER RYAN A., VOGEL JOHN D., CERIMELE MICHAEL E., RILEY CARL W., WILDMAN TIMOTHY D.
- CPC class
- G16H40/63
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