Method and mobile unit updating the configuration of a medical technology apparatus without an internet connection

• US 10,148,767 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2017
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthineers AG (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GMBH (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Blum, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daxin
• Application Number:
  US15/422,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20170220756A1
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1074 for supporting data block transmission mechanisms file transfer H04L67/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

A mobile unit with a memory is temporarily connected to a medical technology apparatus is temporarily connected to a central storage device for data transmission. When the mobile unit is connected to the medical technology apparatus, a real configuration of the medical technology apparatus is compared with a local virtual image of the configuration of the medical technology apparatus held in the memory of the mobile unit. Depending on this comparison, the local configuration and/or the real configuration are updated. When the mobile unit is connected to the central storage device, the local configuration is compared with a central virtual image of the configuration of the medical technology apparatus. Depending on this comparison, the central configuration and/or the local configuration are updated. Via the indirect route of the local configuration this enables the real configuration and the central configuration to be mutually updated.

Claims

1. A method for updating at least one of a real configuration of a medical technology apparatus or a central virtual image of the configuration of a medical technology apparatus stored in a central storage data base, said method comprising:

(a) temporarily connecting a mobile communication unit, comprising a memory in which a local virtual image of a configuration of a medical technology apparatus is stored, to said medical technology apparatus having a real configuration, and temporarily connecting said mobile communication unit to a central storage data base in which a central virtual image of the configuration of the medical technology apparatus is stored;

(b) while said mobile communication unit is connected to said medical technology apparatus, transferring the real configuration from the medical technology apparatus to the mobile communication unit and comparing, in said mobile communication unit, the real configuration of the medical technology apparatus to said virtual image of a configuration of the medical technology apparatus in the memory of the mobile communication unit, obtaining a first comparison result and, dependent on said first comparison result, updating at least one of said local virtual image or said real configuration and matching said local virtual image and said real configuration; and

(c) while said mobile communication unit is temporarily connected to said central storage data base transferring the central virtual images of the configuration of the medical technology apparatus from the central storage data base to the mobile communication unit and, comparing, in said mobile communication unit, the local virtual image in the memory of the mobile communication unit with the central virtual image in said central storage data base, obtaining a second comparison result and, dependent on said second comparison result, updating at least one of said central virtual image or said local virtual image, matching said central virtual image and said local virtual image, and matching said central virtual image and said real configuration.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising connecting said mobile communication unit for data communication to each of said medical technology apparatus and said central storage data base via a peer-to-peer connection.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising connecting said mobile communication unit to said central storage data base via a link to a computer network for said data transmission.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said mobile communication unit comprises a processor and, when said mobile communication unit is temporarily connected to said medical technology apparatus, using said processor to communicate with said medical technology apparatus as said central storage data base, and when said mobile communication unit is temporarily connected to said central storage device, using said processor to communicate with said central storage data base as said medical technology apparatus.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4 comprising implementing said data connection between said mobile communication unit and said medical technology apparatus wirelessly and, via said mobile communication unit, autonomously establishing said data communication connection with said medical technology apparatus as soon as said mobile communication unit, relative to the wireless data connection to the medical technology apparatus, is brought within range of the medical technology apparatus.

6. A method as claimed in claim 4 comprising implementing said data connection between said mobile communication unit and said central storage data base wirelessly, and, with said mobile communication unit, autonomously establishing said data connection with the medical technology apparatus as soon as the mobile communication unit, relative to the wireless data connection to the central storage data base, is brought within range of the central storage data base.

7. A mobile communication unit for updating at least one of a real configuration of a medical technology apparatus or a central virtual image of the configuration of a medical technology apparatus stored in a central storage data base, said mobile communication unit comprising:

a memory in which a local virtual image of a configuration of a medical technology apparatus is stored;

an interface configured to temporarily connect said memory to said medical technology apparatus having a real configuration, and to temporarily connect said memory to a central storage data base in which a central virtual image of the configuration of the medical technology apparatus is stored;

a processor configured, while said mobile communication unit is connected to said medical technology apparatus, to transfer the real configuration from the medical technology apparatus to the mobile communication unit and to compare the real configuration of the medical technology apparatus to said virtual image of a configuration of the medical technology apparatus in the memory of the mobile communication unit, obtaining a first comparison result and, dependent on said first comparison result, to implement a first update of at least one of said local virtual image or said real configuration and matching said local virtual image and said real configuration; and

said processor being configured, while said mobile communication unit is temporarily connected to said central storage data base, to transfer the central virtual images of the configuration of the medical technology apparatus from the central storage data base to the mobile communication unit and to compare the local virtual image in the memory of the mobile communication unit with the central virtual image in said central storage data base, obtaining a second comparison result and, dependent on said second comparison result, to implement a second update of at least one of said central virtual image or said local virtual image, matching said central virtual image and said local virtual, image and matching said central virtual image and said real configuration.

8. A mobile communication unit as claimed in claim 7 wherein said interface is configured to connect said mobile communication unit for data communication to each of said medical technology apparatus and said central storage data base via a peer-to-peer connection.

9. A mobile communication unit as claimed in claim 7 wherein said interface is configured to connect said mobile communication unit to said central storage data base via a link to a computer network for said data transmission.

10. A mobile communication unit as claimed in claim 7 wherein said interface is configured to implement said data connection between said memory and said medical technology apparatus wirelessly and to autonomously establish said data communication connection with said medical technology apparatus as soon as said mobile communication unit, relative to the wireless data connection to the medical technology apparatus, is brought within range of the medical technology apparatus.

11. A mobile communication unit as claimed in claim 7 wherein said interface is configured to implement said data connection between said memory and said central storage data base wirelessly autonomously establish said data connection with the medical technology apparatus as soon as the mobile communication unit, relative to the wireless data connection to the central storage data base, is brought within range of the central storage data base.

12. A mobile communication unit as claimed in claim 7 configured as at least one of a smartphone, a tablet PC, a notebook, a laptop, and a PC.