System for Managing Patient Medical Data Derived from a Plurality of Medical Devices

• US 20060242293A1
• Filed: 04/21/2006
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dragerwerk AG & Company KGaA (FPS Vermögensverwaltung GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Draeger Medical Systems Incorporated (Dragerwerk AG)
• Inventors: Russ, Tomas
• Granted Patent: US 8,001,235 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/045 with a separable interface unit, e.g. for communication
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/00 Measuring for diagnostic purposes radiation diagnosis A61B6/00; diagnosis by ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves A61B8/00; Identification of persons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/33 specially adapted for cooperation with other devices
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• 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 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/92 Computer assisted medical diagnostics
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/923 by comparison of patient data to other data

Abstract

A system for managing patient medical data derived from at least first and second medical devices acquiring respective medical data from a patient includes a proximity detector, for use by the first medical device, for detecting proximity of the second medical device. A command processor responds to the detection of proximity, by initiating generation of signals: (a) to associate patient medical data acquired by the second medical device with patient medical data acquired by the first medical device, and (b) to process patient medical data acquired by the second medical device together with medical data acquired by the first medical device to provide a composite representation of patient medical data.

Claims

1. A system for managing patient medical data derived from a plurality of medical devices acquiring respective medical data from a patient, comprising:

a proximity detector, for use by a first medical device, for detecting proximity of a second medical device; and

a command processor for, in response to said detection of proximity, initiating generation of signals to;

(a) associate patient medical data acquired by said second medical device with patient medical data acquired by said first medical device, and

(b) process patient medical data acquired by said second medical device together with medical data acquired by said first medical device to provide a composite representation of patient medical data.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein:

said first medical device acquires medical data from said patient having a first patient identifier;

said first and second medical devices are attached to the same patient; and

said signal to associate patient medical data acquired by said second medical device with data acquired by said first medical device associates said patient medical data acquired by said second medical device with said first patient identifier.

3. A system according to claim 1 wherein said composite representation of patient medical data comprises a composite image display incorporating said patient medical data acquired by said first and second medical devices.

4. A system according to claim 3 wherein said composite image display comprises merged data incorporating said patient medical data acquired by said first and second medical devices.

5. A system according to claim 1 wherein said composite representation of patient medical data comprises merged data incorporating said patient medical data acquired by said first and second medical devices.

6. A system according to claim 5 further comprising a communication interface for establishing communication with a third device and for communicating said merged data to said third device.

7. A system according to claim 1 wherein said signal to associate patient medical data acquired by said second medical device with data acquired by said first medical device is generated in response to at least one of, (a) detection of a particular physiological signal and (b) detection of a user command.

8. A system according to claim 1 further comprising a communication interface for establishing communication between said first and second medical devices to enable acquisition by said first medical device of patient medical data from said second medical device in response to a signal generated by said command processor.

9. A system according to claim 8 wherein said communication interface establishes communication between said first and second medical devices by establishing a communication link different than a link used in detecting proximity of said second medical device.

10. A system according to claim 8 wherein said communication interface establishes bidirectional communication between said first and second medical devices.

11. A system according to claim 8 further comprising a data processor for processing patient medical data acquired by said first and second medical devices to provide said composite representation of patient medical data in response to said established communication.

12. A system according to claim 11 further comprising a display processor for initiating display of an image including said composite representation of patient medical data.

13. A system according to claim 1 wherein said proximity detector comprises a detector using at least one of:

(a) RFID compatible proximity detection, (b) Bluetooth 802.15 standard compatible proximity detection, (c) an infra-red proximity detector, and (d) GSM/GPRS standard compatible proximity detection.

14. A system for managing patient medical data derived from a plurality of medical devices, comprising:

a proximity detector, for use by a first medical device acquiring medical data from a patient, for detecting proximity of a second medical device acquiring medical data from a patient, said first and second medical devices being attached to the same patient;

a command processor for, in response to said detection of proximity, initiating generation of signals to;

(a) associate patient medical data acquired by said second medical device with data acquired by said first medical device, and

(b) process patient medical data acquired by said second medical device together with medical data acquired by said first medical device to provide a composite representation of patient medical data; and

an interface for establishing communication between said first and second medical devices to enable acquisition of patient medical data acquired by said second medical device for merger with patient medical data acquired by said first medical device in response to a signal generated by said command processor.

15. A system for managing patient medical data derived from a plurality of medical devices, comprising:

a proximity detector, for use by a first medical device acquiring medical data from a patient, for detecting proximity of a second medical device acquiring medical data from a patient;

a command processor for, in response to said detection of proximity, initiating generation of signals to;

(a) associate patient medical data acquired by said second medical device with data acquired by said first medical device, and

(b) process patient medical data acquired by said second medical device together with medical data acquired by said first medical device to provide a composite representation of patient medical data; and

an interface for establishing communication with a third device and communicating said composite representation of patient medical data to said third device.

16. A system according to claim 15 wherein said composite representation of patient medical data comprises merged data incorporating said patient medical data acquired using said first and second medical devices.

17. A system for managing patient medical data derived from a plurality of medical devices, comprising:

a proximity detector, for use by a first medical device acquiring medical data from a patient having a first patient identifier, for detecting proximity of a second medical device acquiring medical data from a patient;

an identifier processor for determining whether a received patient identifier associated with patient medical data acquired by said second medical device corresponds to said patient having said first patient identifier to detect a patient match; and

a command processor for, in response to said detection of proximity and a patient match, initiating generation of signals to;

(a) associate patient medical data acquired by said second medical device with data acquired by said first medical device, and

(b) process patient medical data acquired by said second medical device together with medical data acquired by said first medical device to provide a composite representation of patient medical data.

18. A system according to claim 17 further comprising:

an interface processor for establishing a communication link between said first and second medical devices; and

wherein;

said identifier processor receives said patient identifier associated with patient medical data acquired by said second medical device in a communication from said second medical device.

19. A method for managing patient medical data derived from a plurality of medical devices, comprising the activities of:

detecting proximity of a second medical device acquiring medical data from a patient to a first medical device acquiring medical data from a patient having a first patient identifier said first and second medical devices being attached to the same patient; and

in response to said detection of proximity, initiating generation of signals to;

(a) associate patient medical data acquired by said second medical device with patient medical data acquired by said first medical device, and

(b) process patient medical data acquired by said second medical device together with patient medical data acquired by said first medical device to provide a composite representation of patient medical data.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising the activities of:

establishing a communication link between said first and second medical devices; and

processing respective received patient identifier information associated with patient medical data acquired by said first and second medical devices to verify a proper association of received data with a single patient.