METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MONITORING AND CONTROLLING A MEDICAL DEVICE USING A WIRELESS MOBILE COMMUNICATION DEVICE

• US 20110081888A1
• Filed: 10/01/2009
• Published: 04/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: WANISS, Amgad Mofied
• Granted Patent: US 9,035,744 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72421 with automatic activation of emergency service functions, e.g. upon sensing an alarm

Abstract

A medical device connector is provided for facilitating monitoring and control of a medical device by at least one of a plurality of wireless mobile communication devices. The medical connector includes a memory, a communication subsystem for exchanging messages with at least one of the wireless mobile communication devices. The medical connector further includes a microprocessor for authenticating the wireless mobile communication device, assigning a role to the wireless mobile communication device and transmitting a confirmation to the wireless communication device via the communication subsystem. If the wireless mobile communication device is not authenticated then the microprocessor transmits a request failure to the wireless mobile communication device via the communication subsystem. The connector also includes a data port for monitoring data from the medical device and controlling the medical device in response to control actions received from the wireless mobile communication device.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring and controlling at least one medical device using at least one of a plurality of wireless mobile communication devices, comprising:

transmitting an add request to one of said plurality of wireless mobile communication devices, said add request including an ID and a request key;

receiving a device-ID and authentication key from said one of said plurality of wireless mobile communication devices;

processing said authentication key to determine if said wireless mobile communication device is an authenticated wireless mobile communication device and if said wireless mobile communication device is authenticated then assigning a role to said wireless mobile communication device, storing said device-ID, authentication key and role in a list of authenticated wireless mobile communication devices, and transmitting a confirmation to said wireless communication device, wherein said role includes permissions for monitoring and controlling said at least one medical device, and if said wireless mobile communication device is not authenticated then transmitting a request failure to said wireless mobile communication device; and

enabling at least one of monitoring data from said at least one medical device and controlling said at least one medical device by said authenticated wireless mobile communication device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said monitoring further comprises:

receiving a request from said wireless mobile communication device for data relating to said at least one medical device, said request including said device-ID and authentication key;

checking said list to determine if said device-ID and authentication key indicate that said wireless mobile communication device is one of said authenticated wireless mobile communication devices; and

if said the wireless mobile communication device is one of said authenticated wireless mobile communication devices then collecting said data from said at least one medical device and wirelessly transmitting said data to said wireless mobile communication device, and otherwise transmitting an authentication error to said wireless mobile communication device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said controlling further comprises:

receiving a control action from said wireless mobile communication device for controlling said at least one medical device, said control action including device-ID and authentication key;

checking said list to determine if said device-ID and authentication key indicate that said mobile communication device is one of said authenticated wireless mobile communication devices and said role includes a permission to take said control action; and

if said mobile communication device is one of said authenticated wireless mobile communication devices and said role includes permission to take said control action then transmitting said control action to said at least one medical device, collecting said data from said at least one medical device following said control action, and wirelessly transmitting said data to said wireless mobile communication device, and otherwise transmitting an error message to said wireless mobile communication device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one medical device is an insulin pump, said monitoring of data includes monitoring blood glucose level and said controlling includes administering insulin via said insulin pump.

14. The method of claim 3, further comprising regulating said transmitting of said control action according to predetermined governance criteria to prevent a race condition between said control action and any other pending control action.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said governance criteria includes at least one of a threshold for accumulative dose intake, or acknowledgement of completion of said pending control action.

5. A medical device connector for facilitating monitoring and control of a medical device by at least one of a plurality of wireless mobile communication devices, comprising:

a memory;

a communication subsystem for transmitting an add request to one of said plurality of wireless mobile communication devices, said add request including an ID and a request key, and receiving a device-ID and authentication key from said one of said plurality of wireless mobile communication devices;

a microprocessor executing a software application for processing said authentication key to determine if said wireless mobile communication device is an authenticated wireless mobile communication device and if said wireless mobile communication device is authenticated then assigning a role to said wireless mobile communication device, storing said device-ID and authentication key in a list of authenticated wireless mobile communication devices within said memory, and transmitting a confirmation to said wireless communication device, said role including permissions for monitoring and controlling said medical device, and if said wireless mobile communication device is not authenticated then transmitting a request failure to said wireless mobile communication device via said communication subsystem; and

a data port for monitoring data from said medical device and transmitting data received from said authenticated wireless mobile communication device via said communication subsystem for controlling said medical device.

6. The medical device connector of claim 5 wherein said communication subsystem includes one or more receivers, transmitters, antennas, signal processors and other components associated with wireless communications.

7. The medical device connector of claim 5 wherein said data port is a serial port.

8. A method of operating a wireless mobile communication device for monitoring and control of at least one medical device connected to a medical device connector, comprising:

receiving an add request from said medical device connector, said add request including an ID and a request key;

processing said add request and in response generating a device-ID and authentication key;

transmitting said device-ID and authentication key to said medical device connector;

receiving one of either a confirmation that said wireless mobile communication device has been authenticated by said medical device connector, said confirmation including a medical connector device-ID and a role assigned to said wireless mobile communication device, or a request failure in the event said wireless mobile communication device is not authenticated by said medical device connector; and

in the event of receipt of said confirmation then storing said medical device connector ID assigned role and authentication key in a list of authenticated medical device connectors;

or

in the event of receipt of said request failure then logging said failure.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

transmitting a request to said medical device connector for data relating to said medical device, said request including said device-ID and authentication key; and

receiving and displaying one of either data collected from said medical device by said medical device connector in the event said wireless mobile communication device has been authenticated by said medical device connector or an authentication error in the event said wireless mobile communication device is not authenticated by said medical device connector.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

transmitting a control action to said medical device connector for controlling said at least one medical device, said control action including device-ID and authentication key; and

receiving and displaying one of either data collected from said medical device by said medical device connector in the event said wireless mobile communication device has been authenticated by said medical device connector, said role includes permission to take said control action, and said control action has been successfully implemented, or an authentication error in the event said wireless mobile communication device is not authenticated by said medical device connector or said role does not include permission to take said control action.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein said at least one medical device is an insulin pump, said data collected from said medical device includes blood glucose level and said control action includes administering insulin via said insulin pump.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising regulating said transmitting of said control action according to predetermined governance criteria to prevent a race condition between said control action and any other pending control action.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said governance criteria includes at least one of a threshold for accumulative dose intake, or acknowledgement of completion of said pending control action.

12. A mobile communication device for facilitating monitoring and control of at least one medical device via a medical device connector, comprising:

a memory;

a communication subsystem for receiving an add request from said medical device connector, said add request including an ID and a request key;

a microprocessor executing a software application for processing said add request and in response generating a device-ID and authentication key, transmitting said device-ID and authentication key to said medical device connector and receiving via said communication subsystem one of either a confirmation that said wireless mobile communication device has been authenticated by said medical device connector, said confirmation including a medical connector device ID and a role assigned to said wireless mobile communication device, or a request failure in the event said wireless mobile communication device is not authenticated by said medical device connector, and storing said one of either said confirmation and authentication key or said request failure in said memory.

13. The mobile communication device of claim 12 wherein said communication subsystem includes one or more receivers, transmitters, antennas, signal processors and other components associated with wireless communications.