COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM AND PROTOCOL FOR MEDICAL ENVIRONMENT
First Claim
1. A method for establishing a wireless communications link between a pair of medical communications devices, wherein the pair is associated with a mobile hospital bed for relaying patient information to a health care provider, the method comprising:
- requesting creation of the wireless communications link in response to a user input at a first medical communications device of the pair;
responding to the request if a user input occurs at a second medical communications device of the pair within a predetermined amount of time after making the request; and
failing to establish the wireless communications link upon detecting an attempt to create the link by a third medical communications device, wherein the attempt is detected prior to establishing the link.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A communications system and protocol are described for wirelessly interconnecting a pair of bed and wall units that communicate the patient information, including bed exit alerts, from the patient supporting equipment to the hospital nurse call system. A linking procedure is provided for establishing a communications link to interconnect the pair of units, wherein the communications link fails upon detection of a third communications device simultaneously undergoing the link attempt mode. In one embodiment, the system provides for advanced collision detection by monitoring corruption of the end-of-packet byte within the periodic check-in message sequences between the linked units to prevent data corruption and future collisions. To ensure prompt interconnection of units, embodiments of the invention provide for a link reminder to alert the health care provider to initiate the steps for linking the bed and wall units whenever two or more unlinked units are in proximity.
52 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method for establishing a wireless communications link between a pair of medical communications devices, wherein the pair is associated with a mobile hospital bed for relaying patient information to a health care provider, the method comprising:
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requesting creation of the wireless communications link in response to a user input at a first medical communications device of the pair; responding to the request if a user input occurs at a second medical communications device of the pair within a predetermined amount of time after making the request; and failing to establish the wireless communications link upon detecting an attempt to create the link by a third medical communications device, wherein the attempt is detected prior to establishing the link. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A network for establishing a wireless communications link between a pair of medical communications transceivers, the network comprising:
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a first transceiver attached to a mobile hospital bed for relaying patient information to a second transceiver separated from the mobile hospital bed, the second transceiver communicating the patient information to a health care provider; one of the transceivers including a transmitter for requesting establishment of the wireless communications link between the pair of transceivers; and at least one of the transceivers including a receiver for failing to establish the communications link upon detecting an attempt to establish a different wireless communications link for relaying the patient information. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A medical communications device for wirelessly relaying patient information from a mobile hospital apparatus to a fixed site, the medical communications device comprising:
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a housing secured to the mobile hospital apparatus; a user interface for receiving user inputs; a transceiver for supporting the wireless communications link with the fixed site; a controller connected to the user interface and the transceiver for cooperating with the fixed site in order to (1) initiate an attempt at establishing the wireless communications link in response to a user input and (2) fail completion of the link when the attempt to establish the link overlaps an attempt to establish another link originating from a source other than either the device or the fixed site. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A fixed medical communications device for communicating patient information between the device and a mobile unit via a wireless communications link, where the mobile unit is associated with a hospital apparatus, the fixed medical communications device comprising:
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a user interface for receiving user inputs; a transceiver supporting the wireless communications link with the mobile unit; and a controller connected to the user interface and the transceiver for cooperating with the mobile unit in order to (1) initiate an attempt at establishing the wireless communications link in response to a user input and (2) fail completion of the link when the attempt to establish the link overlaps an attempt to establish another link originating from a source other than either the fixed medical communications device or the mobile unit. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification