PROTOCOL CONVERTER FOR WIRELESS PATIENT MONITORING

• US 20100049005A1
• Filed: 01/08/2008
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Falck, Thomas, Espina Perez, Javier
• Granted Patent: US 8,312,174 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0271 using a remote monitoring unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/145 Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissuemeasuring of blood pressure or blood flow A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7232 involving compression of the physiological signal, e.g. to extend the signal recording period
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local 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: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

The invention relates to a wireless device for medical data transmission that comprises a wireless interface, a processor, and a medical equipment interface arranged to provide connection to an item of medical equipment. The processor is arranged to communicate with the medical equipment interface and the wireless interface, and is also 5 arranged to perform a protocol adaptation. The protocol adaptation takes place from a protocol of incoming data received at the medical equipment interface to a protocol of data to be transmitted through the wireless interface, or vice versa. The protocol adaptation comprises individual or combined filtering, gathering, partitioning, prioritizing, or discarding the incoming data. The processor is further arranged to read a configuration file containing an 10 adaptation specification that pertains to the protocol adaptation; and to perform the protocol adaptation in compliance with the adaptation specification. The invention also relates to a method for setting up the wireless device.

Claims

1. A wireless device for medical data transmission comprising:

a medical equipment interface arranged to provide connection to an item of medical equipment;

a wireless interface;

a processor arranged to

communicate with the medical equipment interface and the wireless interface, and

arranged to perform a protocol adaptation

from a protocol of incoming data received at said medical equipment interface

to a protocol of data to be transmitted through said wireless interface, or vice versa,

said protocol adaptation comprising individual or combined filtering, gathering, partitioning, prioritizing, or discarding said incoming data;

wherein said processor is further arranged to

read a configuration file containing an adaptation specification that pertains to said protocol adaptation; and

to

perform said protocol adaptation in compliance with said adaptation specification.

2. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein said processor is arranged to perform said protocol adaptation bi-directionally.

3. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein said configuration file describes said protocol adaptation in a declarative way.

4. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein said configuration file describes said protocol adaptation by defining at least one mapping between a data pattern at said medical equipment interface and a data pattern at said wireless interface, said mapping comprising a transformation rule defining a transformation from said data pattern at said medical equipment interface to said data at said wireless interface or vice versa.

5. The wireless device claim 1, wherein said configuration file describes said protocol adaptation by defining minimum requirements for processing payload data pertaining to said item of medical equipment.

6. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein said processor is further arranged to read said configuration file from said medical device interface or from said wireless interface.

7. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein said configuration file is received from a configuration file tool.

8. A wireless communication system for medical data transmission comprising a first and a second wireless device of claim 1, wherein said first wireless device and said second wireless device communicate through their respective wireless interfaces.

9. The wireless communication system of claim 8, wherein said second wireless device communicates with a plurality of said first wireless devices.

10. A method for setting up a first wireless device, the first wireless device being arranged

to communicate with an item of medical equipment via a corresponding medical equipment interface of said first wireless device,

to communicate with a second wireless device via a wireless communication path and a corresponding wireless interface of said first wireless device;

and

to perform a protocol adaptation between data received from said item of medical equipment and data to be transmitted to said second wireless device, said protocol adaptation comprising individual or combined filtering, gathering, partitioning, prioritizing, or discarding said incoming data;

the method being characterized in comprising;

running a generic operating program on said first wireless device;

causing said generic program to read a configuration file;

analyzing a content of said configuration file;

storing said content in a memory of said first wireless device, said memory being arranged to be consulted during a definition of said protocol adaptation.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said configuration file describes said protocol adaptation in a declarative way.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said configuration file describes said protocol adaptation by defining at least one mapping between a data pattern at said medical equipment interface and a data pattern at said wireless interface, said mapping comprising a transformation rule defining a transformation from said data pattern at said medical equipment interface to said data at said wireless interface or vice versa.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said configuration file describes said protocol adaptation by defining minimum requirements for processing payload data pertaining to said item of medical equipment.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein said configuration file is read from said medical device interface or from said wireless interface.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein said configuration file is received from a configuration file tool.