Device and method for identifying a user of a medical device

• US 20060132283A1
• Filed: 12/02/2005
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care Inc. (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diagnostics International AG (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Heiniger, Hanspeter, Rufer, Thomas, Imhof, Erich, Eberhart, Andreas
• Granted Patent: US 8,717,141 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.200
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1171 based on the shapes or appearances of their bodies or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1172 using fingerprinting
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/60 with identification means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/201 Glucose concentration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1452 pressurised by means of pistons
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/17 delivered via infusion or injection
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

A medical device, with an operating element for triggering the medical device, includes a safety system for preventing an erroneous triggering of the device. The present invention encompasses a method for controlling the medical device including determining if an operating command is given by a person prior to the device'"'"'s carrying out the command.

Claims

1. A medical device comprising an operating element for triggering an action of the medical device and a safety system for preventing erroneous activation of the device.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the safety system operates to establish whether a person is actuating the operating element.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the safety system comprises at least one of a force sensor, a temperature sensor, an optical sensor, a capacitive sensor, a fingerprint sensor, a touch screen and a transponder.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the safety system is able to identify at least one person.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a database in which information for at least one of the identification of at least one person and for the authorization level of an identified person is stored.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an alignment device, which ensures that a biometric feature of a user of the device is detected with a body part of the user in a prescribed positional relationship with respect to a sensor.

7. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one of an optical and acoustic output device for communicating the operating state of the device.

8. A safety system for use with a medical device, the device operably coupled to the safety system to prevent erroneous actuation of the device.

9. A method for activating a medical device, wherein before an input command is carried out, it is determined whether the command was input by a person and the person is identified.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein whether the person has a previously defined authorization is determined.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein an activation command for a system for checking an input command or a person has to be input before the activation of the system.

12. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein after identification of a person a specific program for the person is carried out.

13. A medical device comprising:

an adjustable operating element configured to receive signals causing the element to deliver a therapeutic action, and to carry out the therapeutic action corresponding to the signals received; and

a safety system for receiving person-specific authorization signals for at least one of adjusting the operating element, enabling the operating element, preventing erroneous adjustment of the operating element, and activating the operating element.

14. The device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the safety system is able to establish whether a person is actuating the operating element.

15. The device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the safety system comprises at least one of a force sensor, a temperature sensor, an optical sensor, a capacitive sensor, a fingerprint sensor, a touch screen and a transponder.

16. The device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the safety system is able to identify at least one person.

17. The device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the safety system is configured to receive a confirmation signal from the identified at least one person that the operating element is to deliver the therapeutic action.

18. The device as claimed in claim 13, further comprising a database in which information for at least one of the identification of at least one person and for the authorization level of an identified person is stored.

19. The device as claimed in claim 13, further comprising an alignment device, which ensures that a biometric feature is detected with a body part in a prescribed positional relationship with respect to a sensor.

20. The device as claimed in claim 13, further comprising at least one of an optical and an acoustic output device for communicating the operating state of the device.

21. The device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the medical device comprises a personal medical device.

22. The device as claimed in claim 13, further comprising a confirmation system for user-confirmation of the delivery of the therapeutic action corresponding to the signals received.

23. The device as claimed in claim 22, wherein said confirmation system requires the receipt of two or more confirmation signals, wherein at least two of said confirmation signals are received from separate input locations on said medical device.

24. The device as claimed in claim 22, wherein said input locations comprise said operating elements.

25. The device as claimed in claim 23, wherein said confirmation signals are required to be input at said two or more input locations simultaneously.

26. The device as claimed in claim 25, wherein said input locations are separated such that said input locations are unable to be operated using a single finger.

27. The device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the safety system is able to identify whether the user is a health professional or non-health professional.

28. A safety system for use with a medical device comprising:

a medical device operating element; and

a safety mechanism associated with said medical device operating element for preventing erroneous actuation of said medical device operating element;

wherein said safety mechanism comprises;

an identification device for receiving user-specific identification data; and

a securing mechanism providing a plurality of securing levels, wherein each of said plurality of securing levels is releasable in response to receiving user-specific authorization data associated with one or more of said plurality of securing levels, release of said one or more of said securing levels providing a secure level of operation of said medical device operating element.

29. The safety system of claim 28, wherein the identification device:

stores user-specific authorization data having associated user-specific identification data;

correlates received user-specific identification data with said stored user-specific authorization data having user-specific identification data; and

sends said user-specific authorization data to said securing mechanism upon correlation of said received and stored user-specific identification data.

30. A method for activating a medical device, wherein before an input command is carried out, said input command is checked by the device to verify the command was input by a person and to determine that the input command has been confirmed by the person.

31. The method as claimed in claim 30, wherein whether the person has a previously defined authorization is checked by the device.

32. The method as claimed in claim 30, wherein an activation command for a system for checking an input command or a person has to be input before the activation of the device.

33. The method as claimed in claim 30, further comprising identifying said person and carrying out an associated person-specific program.