Apparatus and method for synchronizing a wireless remote control to a central control unit so as to allow remote control of a medical device over a secure wireless connection

• US 20060116667A1
• Filed: 10/31/2005
• Published: 06/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Original Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Inventors: Hamel, Andrew J., Wells, Brannon P., Hilldoerfer, Michael G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,846,150 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00016 using wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00059 provided with identification means for the endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00017 Electrical control of surgical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00199 with a console, e.g. a control panel with a display
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00973 pedal-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/10 Furniture specially adapted for surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/13 Trolleys, e.g. carts
• 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 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0492 by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security

Abstract

A system for controlling one or more medical devices by a remote console. The remote console communicates wirelessly with a central control unit that connects to one or more of the medical devices. To minimize the possibility that a medical device will be activated by a stray or unauthorized wireless command signal, the central control unit must synchronize with the remote console and establish a secure communication link with it before the central control unit will respond to a wireless command signal transmitted by the remote console.

Claims

1. A system for controlling at least one medical device by a secure wireless connection, comprising:

a remote console having at least one user-operable control and configured to wirelessly transmit console command signals indicating a state of the at least one user-operable control and an identification code unique to the remote console;

an identification device associated with the remote console and programmed with the identification code with which the identification device is associated;

a central controller in communication with and controlling at least one medical device in response to console command signals wirelessly transmitted by the remote console; and

an identification reader associated with the central controller which places the central controller and remote console in a synchronized state when the remote console is brought within a predetermined distance of the central controller so as to permit the identification reader to wirelessly retrieve the identification code programmed in the identification device;

wherein the central controller will only process console command signals associated with an identification code that corresponds to the remote console with which the central controller is synchronized.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the identification device comprises one of a RFID tag, a barcode, an optical transmitter conveying either visible or non-visible light, and a speaker conveying information in acoustic form.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the console command signals comprise generic control signals that the central controller subsequently translates into device control signals having a specified format and protocol compatible with the selected medical device being controlled.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the remote console is a first remote console and the system further includes a second remote console, with both the first and second remote console existing concurrently in a synchronized state with the central controller.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the first synchronized remote console and second synchronized remote console control the same medical device.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one user-operable control comprises a first control and a second control, with the first control controlling a first medical device in communication with the central controller, and the second control controlling a second medical device in communication with the central controller.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the user can select, by the at least one user-operable control on the remote console, which medical device or devices to control from a plurality of medical devices in communication with the central controller.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the user selects which medical device to control from the plurality of medical devices in communication with the central controller by one of repeated activation of the at least one user-operable control to cycle between available devices, by an amount of time the at least one user-operable control remains in an activated state, and a number of times the at least one user-operable control is activated within a predefined period of time.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one medical device connects to the central controller by one of a direct connection, connection by a common wired communication medium, and wireless connection.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the remote console and central controller communicate with one another using one of the following wireless technologies, including WUSB, 900 MHz RF, Bluetooth, 802.11a/b/g, Ultra-Wide Band (UWB), Zigbee, infrared (IR) and laser.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the remote console further comprises at least one of a rechargeable battery and non-rechargeable battery.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the remote console further comprises at least one rechargeable battery that is chargeable by one of a direct connection and electromagnetic induction.

13. The system according to claim 12, further comprising a docking station for removably holding the remote console and charging the at least one rechargeable battery when the docking station removably holds the remote console.

14. The system according to claim 1, wherein the central controller further comprises at least one of a visual indicator and audible indicator to communicate various information to a user, including medical device selected, medical device settings, and device command signals being issued by the central controller to the medical device.

15. The system according to claim 1, wherein the remote console is operated by one of a hand and a foot.

16. The system according to claim 1, wherein the central controller initiates all wireless communication with the synchronized remote console by polling the synchronized remote console at a predefined interval of time.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the central controller places a controlled medical device into a safe state if the central controller fails to receive a valid wireless communication from the synchronized remote console in control of the medical device within a predetermined amount of time.

18. A system for controlling at least one medical device by a secure wireless connection, comprising:

a wireless console providing remote control of at least one function of at least one medical device, comprising;

a first microcontroller having an assigned unique identification code;

at least one user-operable control whose state is monitored by the first microcontroller;

a first wireless transceiver operated by the first microcontroller and configured to wirelessly communicate the unique identification code of the first microcontroller in combination with one or more console command signals indicating a state of the at least one user-operable control;

an identification device configured to identify the wireless console based on the unique identification code of the first microcontroller;

a central controller in communication with at least one medical device, comprising;

a second microcontroller;

a second wireless transceiver operated by the second microcontroller and configured to wirelessly communicate with the first wireless transceiver of the wireless console;

an identification device reader in communication with the second microcontroller and configured to synchronize the wireless console with the central controller by retrieving the unique identification code of the first microprocessor when the identification device of the wireless console is brought within a predefined proximity to the identification device reader;

wherein the central controller accepts console command signals from the wireless console only after the wireless console is synchronized with the central controller, wherein accepted console command signals are translated by the central controller into device control signals of an appropriate format and protocol understood by the at least one medical device.

19. A method of controlling at least one medical device by a secure wireless connection, comprising the steps of:

providing a remote console associated with a unique identification code and having at least one user-operable control for remotely controlling at least one function on at least one medical device;

connecting the at least one medical device to a central controller capable of communicating wirelessly with the remote console;

wirelessly synchronizing the remote console with the central controller by placing the remote console within a predetermined distance of the central controller;

generating with the synchronized remote console at least one wireless remote console command signal that is indicative of a state of the at least one user-operable control and which includes the identification code unique to that remote console; and

preventing the central controller from processing any other wireless remote console control signals unless they include the identification code that is unique to the remote console that is synchronized with the central controller.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the step of synchronizing the remote console with the central controller further comprises the steps of:

providing the remote console with an identification device which is programmed with the identification code unique to the remote console with which the identification device is associated;

providing the central controller with an identification reader; and

wirelessly retrieving the identification code from the identification device when the remote console is placed within a predefined distance of the identification reader.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the wireless control signals generated by the remote console are generic control signals that the central controller subsequently translates into device control signals having a specified format and protocol compatible with the selected medical device being controlled.

22. The method according to claim 19, wherein the remote console is a first remote console, and further comprising the steps of:

providing a second remote console; and

wirelessly synchronizing the second remote console with the central controller after the first remote console has been synchronized with the central controller.

23. The method according to claim 19, wherein the at least one user-operable control comprises a first control and a second control, and further comprises the steps of:

controlling a first medical device in communication with the central controller with the first control; and

controlling a second medical device in communication with the central controller with the second control.

24. The method according to claim 19, further comprising the step of selecting a medical device to control from a plurality of medical devices in communication with the central controller by one of the steps of:

cycling between available medical devices in communication with the central controller by repeatedly activating the at least one user-operable control;

activating the at least one user-operable control for a predetermined amount of time; and

activating the at least one user-operable control a predetermined number of times within a predefined period of time.

25. A method of controlling at least one medical device by a secure wireless connection, comprising the steps of:

placing at least one medical device in communication with a central controller;

wirelessly synchronizing the central controller with a remote console by retrieving from the remote console an associated unique identification code and storing the identification code within the central controller;

encoding data wirelessly exchanged between the central controller and synchronized remote console with a password;

preventing the central controller from translating wireless remote console signals it receives into medical device control signals unless the wireless remote console signals the central controller receives are encoded with the password and associated with a stored identification code.

26. The method according to claim 25, further comprising the step of placing the remote console into one of a NOT BOUND state if the remote console has not been synchronized with the central controller since the remote console has been powered up, a BOUND state if the remote console is synchronized with the central controller, and a WAS BOUND state if communication between the remote console and central controller is disrupted after the remote console has been synchronized with the central controller.