Medical Device Wireless Network Architectures

• US 20120182924A1
• Filed: 01/14/2011
• Published: 07/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kpr U.S., LLC (Cardinal Health, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Healthcare Group LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Gaines, Robert B., Wiesner, Joel D., Holste, John
• Granted Patent: US 8,897,198 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/315
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

An architecture for networked communications between a series of medical devices and a remote monitoring device. An interface circuit coupled to each medical device communicates with one of a plurality of relay modules via a wireless relay network. The relay modules communicate with the remote monitoring device over an internet-accessible wireless communication network. Each relay module includes a receiver coupled to the wireless relay network, a first transmitter coupled to the wireless relay network, a second transmitter coupled to the internet-accessible wireless communications network; and a controller. The controller determines a status of the internet-accessible wireless communications network. When the status indicates that the internet-accessible wireless communications network is accessible to the wireless relay module, the second transmitter is selected for transmitting medical device data. When the internet-accessible wireless communications network is not accessible, the first transmitter is selected for transmitting the data to another wireless relay module.

Claims

1. A wireless relay network for providing communications between a medical device and a remote device connected to the internet comprising:

at least one interface circuit coupled to a respective medical device and capable of transmitting medical device data over a wireless relay network;

at least first and second relay modules;

each of said relay modules comprising;

a first receiver capable of wirelessly receiving medical device data over a wireless relay network;

a first transmitter capable of wirelessly transmitting medical device data to a second wireless relay module over the wireless relay network;

a second transmitter capable of wirelessly transmitting data over an internet-accessible wireless communications network; and

a controller coupled to the first and second transmitters.

2. The wireless relay network of claim 1, wherein said controller is capable of determining a status of said internet-accessible wireless communications network and of selecting one of said first or second transmitter for transmitting said medical device data based on said status.

3. The wireless relay network of claim 2, wherein said controller is configured to transmit said medical device data over said communications channel by said second transmitter if said status satisfies a particular criteria;

and is configured to transmit said medical device data by said first transmitter in communication with said wireless relay network if said status fails to satisfy said particular criteria.

4. The wireless relay network of claim 1, further comprising a second receiver capable of receiving instructions and/or data from said internet-accessible wireless communications network, wherein said first transmitter is further capable of transmitting the instructions and/or data to said at least one medical device.

5. The wireless relay network of claim 4, wherein said at least one relay module further comprises:

a memory electrically connected to said controller, said memory capable of buffering said received instructions and/or data destined for respective ones of said medical devices, wherein said controller controls the order and/or priority for transmission of said instructions and/or data to said respective ones of said medical devices.

6. The wireless relay network of claim 4, wherein said at least one relay module further comprises:

a memory electrically connected to said controller, said memory capable of buffering said received instructions and/or data destined for respective ones of said medical devices, wherein said controller controls transmission of said instructions and/or data to all or a subset of said medical devices.

7. The wireless relay network of claim 1, wherein said wireless relay network is a ZIGBEE network.

8. The wireless relay network of claim 1, wherein said internet-accessible wireless communications network is a mobile communications network.

9. The wireless relay network of claim 8, wherein said mobile communications network is a CDMA or GSM-based network.

10. The wireless relay network of claim 1, wherein said interface device comprises:

a transmitter capable of wirelessly transmitting said medical device data over said wireless relay network.

11. The wireless relay network of claim 1, wherein said interface device further comprises:

a receiver capable of wirelessly receiving instructions over said wireless relay network for execution by said medical device.

12. A process for operating a wireless medical device relay network, comprising the steps of:

a. receiving at a first relay module via a wireless relay network medical device data transmitted by at least one interface circuit coupled to a respective medical device;

b. determining a first relay module status of access by said first relay module to an internet-accessible communications network;

c. transmitting said medical device data by said first relay module over said internet-accessible communications channel when said status satisfies a particular criteria, and

d. transmitting said medical device data by said first relay module to a second relay module over the wireless relay network when said status parameter does not satisfy said particular criteria.

13. The process of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

e. determining a second relay module status of access by said second relay module to the internet-accessible communications network;

f. transmitting said medical device data by said second relay module over said internet-accessible communications channel when said second relay module status satisfies the particular criteria, and

g. transmitting said medical device data by said second relay module to a third relay module over the wireless relay network when said second relay module status does not satisfies said particular criteria.

14. The process of claim 12 further comprising the steps of:

receiving medical device instructions and/or data over the internet-accessible wireless communications network intended for at least one of said medical devices; and

transmitting said received instructions and/or data via at least first relay module to said intended ones of said at least one medical device.

15. The process of claim 14 further comprising the steps of:

buffering by said first relay module said received instructions and/or data destined for respective ones of said medical devices; and

controlling the order and/or priority of transmitting said instructions and/or data to said respective ones of said medical devices.

16. The process of claim 14 further comprising the step of:

transmitting said received instructions and/or data destined for respective ones of said medical devices to all or a subset of all of said medical devices.

17. The process of claim 12 further comprising the step of:

providing an indication of potential communications over said wireless communications network during a power-up sequence of said first relay module.

18. The process of claim 12 further comprising the step of:

providing an indication of potential communications over said wireless relay network during a power-up sequence of said relay module.

19. The process of claim 12, wherein said wireless relay network is a ZIGBEE network.

20. The process of claim 12, wherein said wireless relay network is a relay enabled Bluetooth network.

21. The process of claim 12, wherein said wireless communications network is a communications channel of a mobile communications network.

22. The process of claim 21, wherein said mobile communications network is a CDMA or GSM-based network.

23. The process of claim 12, wherein the determining step further comprises the steps of:

measuring a state of said wireless communications network; and

determining said status of said wireless communications network as a function of said measured state of said wireless communications network.

24. The process of claim 12, wherein said status is determined as a function of a value stored by a storage element of said relay module.