System of medical devices and method of controlling the same

• US 10,290,371 B1
• Filed: 01/30/2018
• Issued: 05/14/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Pekarske, Matthew Richard, Friedman, Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Curtis J
• Application Number:
  US15/883,942
• Time in Patent Office: 469 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0443 Modular apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0008 Temperature signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0024 for multiple sensor units attached to the patient, e.g. using a body or personal area network
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0026 characterised by the transmission medium
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

A medical device system includes a first patient monitor having a proximity beacon that communicates compatibility information and a medical device associated with the same patient as the first patient monitor. The medical device includes a device proximity detector that detects a proximity beacon when the first patient monitor is within a predetermined proximity range of the medical device, and a device workflow module executable on a processor to receive compatibility information and determine whether the first patient monitor is a compatible device. If so, then a direct communication channel is established with the first patient monitor and a device workflow is identified that corresponds with a monitor workflow executable by the first patient monitor. The medical device then communicates with the first patient monitor via the direct communication channel to execute the identified device workflow until a termination condition is reached.

Claims

1. A medical device system comprising:

a first patient monitor configured to measure a physiological parameter from a patient, the first patient monitor including a proximity beacon, wherein the proximity beacon communicates compatibility information;

a medical device associated with the patient, the medical device including;

a device proximity detector configured to detect the proximity beacon when the first patient monitor is within a predetermined proximity range of the medical device;

a processor;

a device workflow control module executable on the processor to;

receive, via the device proximity detector, the compatibility information from the first patient monitor;

determine based on the compatibility information whether the first patient monitor is a compatible device with the medical device;

if the first patient monitor is a compatible device, establish a direct communication channel with the first patient monitor;

identify one of a set of available device workflows executable by the medical device that corresponds with one of a set of available monitor workflows executable by the first patient monitor;

determine at least one termination condition for the identified device workflow; and

communicate with the first patient monitor via the direct communication channel so as to execute the identified device workflow until the termination condition is reached.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the compatibility information includes at least one of a medical device type, a make of the medical device, a model of the medical device, a serial number of the medical device, and a patient identifier for the patient, and the determination of compatibility includes determining whether the compatibility information matches compatibility criteria stored in a compatibility database.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first patient monitor further comprises a device proximity detector and the medical device further comprises a proximity beacon communicating compatibility information for the medical device, processor and a monitor workflow control module executable on the processor to:

receive the compatibility information from the medical device;

determine based on the compatibility information whether the medical device is a compatible device with the first patient monitor;

if the first patient monitor is a compatible device, establish the direct communication channel with the medical device;

identify one of the set of available monitor workflows that corresponds with one of the set of available device workflows executable by the medical device;

determine at least one termination condition for the identified monitor workflow; and

communicate with the medical device via the direct communication channel so as to execute the identified monitor workflow until the termination condition is reached.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the medical device is a treatment delivery device configured to administer treatment to the patient and the identified device workflow is a treatment delivery workflow for controlling administration of the treatment, and wherein the first patient monitor is at least one of an ECG monitor, an SPO2 monitor, an NIBP monitor, a temperature monitor, and an EEG monitor.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising a workflow log accessible by the first patient monitor, and wherein the monitor workflow control module is further executable on the processor to, upon identifying the identified monitor workflow that corresponds with the device workflow, log initiation of the identified monitor workflow in the workflow log.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the treatment delivery device is a drug delivery device, and wherein the monitor workflow control module executing the identified monitor workflow is further executable on the processor to:

receive a drug delivery amount from the drug delivery device via the direct communication channel;

adjust an alarm threshold for the first patient monitor based on the drug delivery amount; and

log the alarm threshold adjustment and the drug delivery amount in the workflow log.

7. The system of claim 4, further comprising a workflow log accessible by the treatment delivery device, and the wherein the device workflow control module is further executable on the processor to, upon identifying the treatment delivery workflow that corresponds with the monitor workflow, log initiation of the identified treatment delivery workflow in a workflow log.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the treatment delivery device is a drug delivery device, and wherein the device workflow control module executing the identified treatment delivery workflow is further executable on the processor to:

receive physiological parameter data from the first patient monitor via the direct communication channel;

adjust drug delivery based on the physiological parameter data; and

log the drug delivery adjustment in the workflow log.

9. The system of claim 3, wherein the treatment delivery device is a temperature regulation device and the first patient monitor measures a body temperature of the patient, and wherein the device workflow control module executing the treatment delivery workflow is further executable on the processor to:

receive temperature data from the first patient monitor; and

adjust the temperature regulation device based on the temperature data.

10. The system of claim 3, further comprising a video camera, wherein the monitor workflow control module executing the identified monitor workflow is further executable on the processor to:

detect with the device proximity detector in the medical device that the video camera is within a proximity range of the medical device;

establish a second direct communication channel with the video camera; and

upon detection of an alarm condition, communicate an instruction to the video camera via the second direct communication channel to video record the patient.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the medical device is a second patient monitor and the device workflow is a second monitor workflow, wherein the device workflow control module executing the second monitor workflow is further executable on the processor to:

adjust at least one of a physiological parameter measured, a measurement interval, and an alarm threshold for the second patient monitor to allocate physiological parameter measurements between the first patient monitor and the second patient monitor.

12. The system of claim 1, the medical device further comprising a compatibility database accessible by the medical device containing compatibility information for already-identified compatible and/or incompatible devices;

and

wherein the device workflow control module is further configured to if the first patient monitor is not a compatible device, add the compatibility information received from the first patient monitor to the compatibility database as an already-identified incompatible device.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the proximity detector is one of an NFC device, an RFID device, or a Bluetooth device, and wherein the direct communication channel is one of an Ethernet communication channel, a Wi-Fi communication channel, a WMTS communication channel, or a Bluetooth communication channel.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the termination condition includes discontinued detection of the first patient monitor within the proximity range by the device proximity detector in the medical device.

15. A method of controlling a system of medical devices connected to a patient, the method comprising:

in a first patient monitor configured to monitor a physiological parameter of the patient, detecting with a device proximity detector that a medical device is within a proximity range of the first patient monitor;

receiving compatibility information from the medical device;

determining, based on the compatibility information, whether the medical device is compatible with the first patient monitor;

if the medical device is compatible, establishing a direct communication channel with the patient monitor;

communicating with the medical device via the direct communication channel to identify one of a set of available monitor workflows executable by the patient monitor that corresponds with one of a set of available device workflows executable by the medical device;

determining at least one termination condition for the identified monitor workflow; and

communicating with the medical device via the direct communication channel so as to execute the identified monitor workflow until the termination condition is reached.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the medical device is a treatment delivery device configured to administer treatment to the patient, and further comprising:

receiving treatment delivery information from the treatment delivery device; and

adjusting at least one of a physiological parameter measured, a measurement interval, and an alarm threshold for the patient monitor based on the treatment delivery information.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

at the first patient monitor, transmitting physiological parameter data to a drug delivery device via the direct communication channel;

at the drug delivery device;

receiving physiological parameter data from the patient monitor; and

adjusting drug delivery to the patient based on the physiological parameter data.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the drug delivery device delivers medication and the at least one termination condition includes receipt of physiological parameter data indicating achievement of a desired effect of the medication;

wherein the method further includes, at the drug delivery device;

controlling delivering the medication to the patient;

determining that the physiological parameter data indicates achievement of the desired effect of the medication;

terminating the treatment delivery workflow; and

logging the termination of the treatment delivery workflow in a workflow log.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

detecting with the device proximity detector that a video camera is within a proximity range of the first patient monitor;

establishing a second direct communication channel with the video camera;

determining that a physiological parameter measured from the patient has crossed an alarm threshold;

communicating an instruction to the video camera via the second direct communication channel to video record the patient if physiological parameter data crosses the alarm threshold.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the compatibility information includes at least one of a medical device type, a make of the medical device, a model of the medical device, a serial number of the medical device, and a patient identifier for the patient, and the determination of compatibility includes determining whether the compatibility information matches compatibility criteria stored in a compatibility database.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the medical device is a second patient monitor monitoring a different physiological parameter than the first patient monitor, the method further comprising:

at the first patient monitor, receiving physiological parameter information from the second patient monitor; and

adjusting at least one of a physiological parameter measured, a measurement interval, and an alarm threshold for the first patient monitor based on the physiological parameter information from the second patient monitor.