Associating dialysis accessories using wireless communication

• US 10,305,992 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2018
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Holdings Incorporated (Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA)
• Original Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Holdings Incorporated (Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA)
• Inventors: Arrizza, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Yun, Eugene
• Application Number:
  US16/158,378
• Publication Number:
  US 20190116226A1
• Time in Patent Office: 228 Days
• Field of Search: 455 411
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/14 Dialysis systems; Artificial kidneys; Blood oxygenators semi-permeable membranes characterised by the material, manufacturing processes therefor B01D71/00; Reciprocating systems for treatment of body fluids, e.g. single needle systems for hemofiltration or pheresis
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1603 Regulation parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3569 sublocal, e.g. between console and disposable
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3584 using modem, internet or bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/20 characterised by the transmission technique; characterised by the transmission medium
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/48 Transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• 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: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A method comprising: establishing a wireless connection between a first medical device and a second medical device, comprising: receiving, by the first medical device, via a short-range wireless technology protocol, connection information related to the second medical device; and establishing, by the first medical device, a wireless connection with the second medical device based on the connection information.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a mobile device;

a dialysis machine comprising;

a first antenna configured to receive a wireless identifier related to the mobile device via a short-range wireless technology protocol; and

a second antenna configured to communicate with the mobile device via a communication protocol other than the short-range wireless technology protocol; and

a server configured to communicate with one or both of the mobile device or the dialysis machine, the server configured to cause a wireless connection to be established between the mobile device and the dialysis machine, using the wireless identifier, to allow the mobile device and the dialysis machine to communicate with each other via the communication protocol;

wherein the mobile device is granted permission to deliver data to the dialysis machine using the wireless connection.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first antenna receives the wireless identifier from the mobile device as a result of detecting that the dialysis machine and the mobile device are positioned within a communication range of the short-range wireless technology protocol.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first antenna receives the wireless identifier from the mobile device as a result of the dialysis machine and the mobile device making physical contact with each other, and one or both of the dialysis machine and the mobile device includes an accelerometer configured to detect the physical contact.

4. The system of claim 1, comprising a connection device, wherein the connection device is configured to:

receive, from the mobile device, via the short-range wireless technology protocol, the wireless identifier; and

provide, to the first antenna, via the short-range wireless technology protocol, the wireless identifier.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the connection device is a wand or a smartphone.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the connection device is configured to provide the wireless identifier to the server.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is configured to receive, via the short-range wireless technology protocol, connection information related to the dialysis machine.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the short-range wireless technology protocol is a Near Field Communication (NFC) protocol or a Bluetooth protocol.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless identifier is unique to the mobile device.

10. A method comprising:

establishing a wireless connection between a mobile device and a dialysis machine, the method comprising;

receiving, by the dialysis machine, via a short-range wireless technology protocol, a wireless identifier related to the mobile device;

communicating, by the dialysis machine, via a communication protocol other than the short-range wireless technology protocol, with the mobile device; and

establishing, by the dialysis machine, a wireless connection with the mobile device using the wireless identifier, the wireless connection for allowing the mobile device and the dialysis machine to communicate with each other via the communication protocol, wherein a server is configured to communicate with one or both of the mobile device or the dialysis machine and cause the wireless connection to be established;

wherein the mobile device is granted permission to deliver data to the dialysis machine using the wireless connection.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the wireless identifier is received from the mobile device as a result of detecting that the dialysis machine and the mobile device are positioned within a communication range of the short-range wireless technology protocol.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the wireless identifier is received from the mobile device as a result of the dialysis machine and the mobile device making physical contact with each other, and one or both of the dialysis machine and the mobile device includes an accelerometer configured to detect the physical contact.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein a connection device is configured to:

receive, from the mobile device, via the short-range wireless technology protocol, the wireless identifier; and

provide, to the dialysis machine, via the short-range wireless technology protocol, the wireless identifier.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the connection device is a wand or a smartphone.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the connection device is configured to provide the wireless identifier to the server.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the mobile device is configured to receive, via the short-range wireless technology protocol, connection information related to the dialysis machine.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the short-range wireless technology protocol is a Near Field Communication (NFC) protocol or a Bluetooth protocol.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the wireless identifier is unique to the mobile device.