Clearing modes of operation of medical engineering devices

• US 20020144682A1
• Filed: 02/20/2002
• Published: 10/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dragerwerk AG & Company KGaA (FPS Vermögensverwaltung GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Drager Medical AG & Co KG (Dragerwerk AG)
• Inventors: Schmidt, Hartmut, Kruger, Thomas, Wahle, Hans-Georg
• Granted Patent: US 6,968,843 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/204.18
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/024 including calculation means, e.g. using a processor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3569 sublocal, e.g. between console and disposable
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient

Abstract

A process and system are provided for clearing modes of operation of a medical engineering device, especially modes of operation on a respirator (1), such as IMV (Intermittent Mandatory Ventilation, CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) or HFV (High-Frequency Ventilation). The clearing is performed with an external electronic, optical or magnetic storage medium, e.g., a chip card (2), on which data that determine the available modes of operation and optionally the duration of their availability are present. The data on the chip card (2) are read by a writing and reading unit (3) of the respirator (1). The data may be coded, the duration of availability of a mode of respiration may be controlled by keeping a time log (9) on the chip card, and the corresponding time periods are debited from the time log (9) each time a certain mode of operation is used.

Claims

1. A process for clearing modes of operation on a medical engineering device with the following steps:

reading data that specify a number of different available modes of operation on the medical engineering device into an external electronic, optical or magnetic storage medium;

reading the data by a writing and reading unit associated with the medical engineering device; and

determining the clearing of the available modes of operation on the medical engineering device based on the data read by the writing and reading unit.

2. A process in accordance with claim 1, wherein data coded in the storage medium element include a code that must be decoded by the writing and reading unit before reading data determining the clearing of the available modes of operation on the medical engineering device.

3. A process in accordance with claim 1, wherein the data read into the storage medium specify a time period during which a mode of operation is available for a particular mode of operation.

4. A process in accordance with claim 3, wherein the time period specified is present in the storage medium as a time log for each available mode of operation, from which time log time units during which the clearing of the mode of operation in question is performed can be debited.

5. A process in accordance with claim 4, wherein a time log kept in the storage medium is filled up by an external writing unit.

6. A process in accordance with claim 1, wherein the storage medium element is used for a previously selected class of medical engineering devices of the same model or type as the medical engineering device.

7. A process in accordance with claim 1, wherein the data being stored in the storage medium can be transferred by the writing and reading unit into a memory of the medical engineering device.

8. A process in accordance with claim 1, wherein data being stored in the memory of the medical engineering device can be transferred by the writing and reading unit to the storage medium element.

9. A process in accordance with claim 1, wherein the storage medium element is a chip card the external to the medical engineering device.

10. A process in accordance with claim 1, wherein the medical engineering device is a respirator and the modes of operation are modes of respiration.

11. A process for clearing modes of operation on a medical engineering device with the following steps:

providing a medical engineering device with a data storage medium element connection;

providing a separate data storage medium element, the storage medium being any one of electronic, optical or magnetic storage medium;

connecting the separate data storage medium element to the medical engineering device;

reading data that specify a number of different available modes of operation on the medical engineering device into the data storage medium element, the data also determining the clearing of the available modes of operation on the medical engineering device;

reading the data from the data storage medium element by a writing and reading unit associated with the medical engineering device; and

clearing the available modes of operation on the medical engineering device based on the reading of the data from the data storage medium element.

13. A system in accordance with claim 12, wherein data coded in the storage medium element includes a code that must be decoded by the writing and reading unit before reading data determining the clearing of the available modes of operation on the medical engineering device.

14. A system in accordance with claim 12, wherein the data read into the storage medium specify a time period during which a mode of operation is available for a particular mode of operation.

15. A system in accordance with claim 14, wherein the time period specified is present in the storage medium as a time log for each available mode of operation, from which time log time units during which the clearing of the mode of operation in question is performed can be debited.

16. A system in accordance with claim 15, wherein a time log kept in the storage medium is filled up by an external writing unit.

17. A system in accordance with claim 12, wherein the storage medium element is used for a previously selected class of medical engineering devices of the same model or type as the medical engineering device.

18. A system in accordance with claim 12, wherein the data being stored in the storage medium can be transferred by the writing and reading unit into a memory of the medical engineering device.

19. A system in accordance with claim 12, wherein data being stored in the memory of the medical engineering device can be transferred by the writing and reading unit to the storage medium element.

20. A system in accordance with claim 12, wherein the storage medium element is a chip card the external to the medical engineering device and the medical engineering device is a respirator and the modes of operation are modes of respiration.

12. A medical engineering device system, comprising:

a medical engineering device with a separate data storage medium element connection;

a separate data storage medium element, the storage medium being any one of electronic, optical or magnetic storage medium connectable to the medical engineering device, the storage medium element having data that specify a number of different available modes of operation on the medical engineering device, the data also determining the clearing of the available modes of operation on the medical engineering device;

a connection between the data storage medium element and the medical engineering device;

a reading the data from the data storage medium element by a writing and reading unit associated with the medical engineering device; and

medical engineering device processor clearing the available modes of operation on the medical engineering device based on the reading of the data from the data storage medium element.