Medical device communications network

• US 20060140139A1
• Filed: 12/29/2004
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Innovations LLC (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Depuy Products Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: DiSilvestro, Mark R., Sherman, Jason T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,001,975 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/310
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/00 Computer-aided surgery; Manipulators or robots specially adapted for use in surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0028 Body tissue as transmission medium, i.e. transmission systems where the medium is the human body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/90 Identification means for patients or instruments, e.g. tags
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 13/005 Transmission systems in which the medium consists of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services

Abstract

A medical device communications network comprises a plurality of medical devices including either or both of a first number of surgical instruments and a second number of implants configured for subcutaneous implantation in a biological body. A corresponding plurality of wireless communication circuits are each mounted to a different one of the plurality of medical devices. Each of the plurality of wireless communication circuits is configured to broadcast medical device information relating to the medical device to which it is mounted and to receive information relating to any other of the plurality of medical devices. The network may or may not include a master wireless communications circuit configured to receive the medical device information broadcast by any of the plurality of slave wireless communication circuits and to broadcast the information relating to any other of the plurality of medical devices.

Claims

1. A medical device communications network comprising:

a plurality of medical devices including either or both of a first number of surgical instruments and a second number of implants configured for subcutaneous implantation in a living biological body, and

a corresponding plurality of wireless communication circuits each mounted to a different one of the plurality of medical devices, each of the plurality of wireless communication circuits configured to broadcast medical device information, relating to the medical device to which it is mounted, and to receive information relating to any other of the plurality of medical devices.

2. The medical device communications network of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of wireless communication circuits is a slave wireless communication circuit,

and further including a master wireless communication circuit configured to receive the medical device information broadcast by any of the plurality of slave wireless communication circuits and to broadcast the information relating to any other of the plurality of medical devices.

3. The medical device communications network of claim 1 wherein the information relating to any other of the plurality of medical devices includes the medical device information broadcast by any other of the plurality of medical devices.

4. The medical device communications network of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of wireless communications circuits includes a visual indicator, each of the plurality of wireless communications circuits controlling operation of its corresponding visual indicator based on the information relating to any other of the plurality of medical devices.

5. The medical device communications network of claim 4 wherein each of the plurality of wireless communication circuits is operable to activate its corresponding visual indicator if the medical device to which it is mounted is incompatible with any other of the plurality of medical devices.

6. The medical device communications network of claim 4 wherein each of the plurality of wireless communication circuits is operable to activate its corresponding visual indicator if the medical device to which it is mounted is being used out of order relative to an established medical device usage sequence.

7. The medical device communications network of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of wireless communications circuits includes an audible indicator, each of the plurality of wireless communications circuits controlling operation of its corresponding audible indicator based on the information relating to any other of the plurality of medical devices.

8. The medical device communications network of claim 7 wherein each of the plurality of wireless communication circuits is operable to activate its corresponding audible indicator if the medical device to which it is mounted is incompatible with any other of the plurality of medical devices.

9. The medical device communications network of claim 7 wherein each of the plurality of wireless communication circuits is operable to activate its corresponding audible indicator if the medical device to which it is mounted is being used out of order relative to an established medical device usage sequence.

10. The medical device communications network of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first number of surgical instruments is controlled by a computer aided surgery device.

11. The medical device communications network of claim 1 further including an additional wireless communication circuit introduced into the network, the additional wireless communication circuit configured to become a master wireless communication circuit when introduced into the network with the existing plurality of wireless communication circuits each becoming slave wireless communication circuits, the master wireless communication circuit configured to receive the medical device information broadcast by any of the plurality of slave wireless communication circuits and to broadcast the information relating to any other of the plurality of medical devices.

12. The medical device communications network of claim 2 further including an additional wireless communication circuit introduced into the network, the additional wireless communication circuit configured to become the master communication circuit when introduced into the network with the existing master wireless communication circuit then becoming another of the slave wireless communication circuits.

13. A medical device communications network comprising:

a plurality of medical devices including either one or both of a first number of surgical instruments and a second number of implants configured for subcutaneous implantation in a living biological body,

a corresponding plurality of slave wireless communication circuits each mounted to a different one of the plurality of medical devices, each of the plurality of slave wireless communication circuit configured to broadcast information relating to the medical device to which it is mounted and to receive information relating to any other of the plurality of medical devices, and

a master wireless communication circuit configured to receive the information broadcast by any of the plurality of slave wireless communication circuits and to broadcast the information relating to any other of the plurality of medical devices.

14. The medical device communications network of claim 13 wherein each of the plurality of slave wireless communications circuits includes a visual indicator, each of the plurality of slave wireless communications circuits controlling operation of its corresponding visual indicator based on the information relating to any other of the plurality of medical devices.

15. The medical device communications network of claim 14 wherein each of the plurality of slave wireless communication circuits is operable to activate its corresponding visual indicator if the medical device to which it is mounted is incompatible with any other of the plurality of medical devices.

16. The medical device communications network of claim 14 wherein each of the plurality of slave wireless communication circuits is operable to activate its corresponding visual indicator if the medical device to which it is mounted is being used out of order relative to an established medical device usage sequence.

17. The medical device communications network of claim 13 wherein each of the plurality of slave wireless communications circuits includes an audible indicator, each of the plurality of slave wireless communications circuits controlling operation of its corresponding audible indicator based on the information relating to any other of the plurality of medical devices.

18. The medical device communications network of claim 17 wherein each of the plurality of slave wireless communication circuits is operable to activate its corresponding audible indicator if the medical device to which it is mounted is incompatible with any other of the plurality of medical devices.

19. The medical device communications network of claim 17 wherein each of the plurality of slave wireless communication circuits is operable to activate its corresponding audible indicator if the medical device to which it is mounted is being used out of order relative to an established medical device usage sequence.

20. The medical device communications network of claim 13 wherein the master wireless communications circuit includes a visual indicator, the master wireless communications circuit controlling operation of the visual indicator based on the information broadcast by any of the plurality of slave wireless communication circuits.

21. The medical device communications network of claim 20 wherein the master wireless communication circuit is operable to activate the visual indicator if any of the plurality of medical devices are incompatible with each other.

22. The medical device communications network of claim 20 wherein the master wireless communication circuit is operable to activate the visual indicator if any of the plurality of medical devices are used out of order relative to an established medical device usage sequence.

23. The medical device communications network of claim 13 wherein the master wireless communications circuit includes an audible indicator, the master wireless communications circuit controlling operation of the audible indicator based on the information broadcast by any of the plurality of slave communication circuits.

24. The medical device communications network of claim 23 wherein the master wireless communication circuit is operable to activate the audible indicator if any of the plurality of medical devices are incompatible with each other.

25. The medical device communications network of claim 23 wherein the master wireless communication circuits is operable to activate the audible indicator if any of the plurality of medical devices are used out of order relative to an established medical device usage sequence.

26. The medical device communications network of claim 13 wherein at least one of the first number of surgical instruments is controlled by a computer aided surgery device.

27. The medical device communications network of claim 13 further including an additional wireless communication circuit introduced into the network, the additional wireless communication circuit configured to become the master communication circuit when introduced into the network with the existing master wireless communication circuit then becoming another of the slave wireless communication circuits.

28. A medical device communications network comprising:

a plurality of medical devices including either or both of a first number of surgical instruments and a second number of implants configured for subcutaneous implantation in a living biological body, and

a corresponding plurality of wireless communication circuits each mounted to a different one of the plurality of medical devices, each of the plurality of wireless communication circuits configured to broadcast medical device information, relating to the medical device to which it is mounted, and to receive the medical device information broadcast by any other of the plurality of wireless communication circuits.

29. The medical device communications network of claim 28 wherein each of the plurality of wireless communications circuits includes a visual indicator, each of the plurality of wireless communications circuits controlling operation of its corresponding visual indicator based on the information relating to any other of the plurality of medical devices.

30. The medical device communications network of claim 29 wherein each of the plurality of wireless communication circuits is operable to activate its corresponding visual indicator if the medical device to which it is mounted is incompatible with any other of the plurality of medical devices.

31. The medical device communications network of claim 29 wherein each of the plurality of wireless communication circuits is operable to activate its corresponding visual indicator if the medical device to which it is mounted is being used out of order relative to an established medical device usage sequence.

32. The medical device communications network of claim 28 wherein each of the plurality of wireless communications circuits includes an audible indicator, each of the plurality of wireless communications circuits controlling operation of its corresponding audible indicator based on the information relating to any other of the plurality of medical devices.

33. The medical device communications network of claim 32 wherein each of the plurality of wireless communication circuits is operable to activate its corresponding audible indicator if the medical device to which it is mounted is incompatible with any other of the plurality of medical devices.

34. The medical device communications network of claim 32 wherein each of the plurality of wireless communication circuits is operable to activate its corresponding audible indicator if the medical device to which it is mounted is being used out of order relative to an established medical device usage sequence.

35. The medical device communications network of claim 28 wherein at least one of the first number of surgical instruments is controlled by a computer aided surgery device.

36. The medical device communications network of claim 28 further including an additional wireless communication circuit introduced into the circuit, the additional wireless communication network configured to become a master wireless communication circuit when introduced into the network with the existing plurality of wireless communication circuits each becoming slave wireless communication circuits, the master wireless communication circuit configured to receive the medical device information broadcast by any of the plurality of slave wireless communication circuits and to broadcast the information relating to any other of the plurality of medical devices.