Method for generating a medical network

• US 20130059536A1
• Filed: 10/23/2012
• Published: 03/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care Inc. (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Froech, Sybille, Roesicke, Bernd
• Granted Patent: US 9,923,644 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 13/005 Transmission systems in which the medium consists of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A method for setting up a medical network for carrying out at least one medical function is disclosed. The medical network comprises network nodes and the network nodes are set up for communicating with one another by an initialization step, wherein the network nodes exchange initialization information that includes information characterizing the network nodes and a self-organization step where the network nodes define their role distribution. A work step where the network carries out the medical function and the two network nodes interact in the role of distribution defined in the self-organization step.

Claims

1. A method for setting up a medical network for carrying out at least one medical function with the medical network including at least two network nodes set up for communicating with one another, comprising:

at least one initialization step, wherein at least two network nodes exchange at least one item of initialization information in the initialization step, wherein the initialization information includes at least one item of information characterizing the network nodes;

at least one self-organization step, wherein the network nodes define a role distribution of the network nodes;

at least one work step, wherein the network carries out the at least one medical function in the work step, wherein at least two of the network nodes interact in accordance with the role distribution defined in the self-organization step,

wherein in the self-organization step at least two of the network nodes define the role distribution of the medical network.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein the role distribution is defined by making use of the at least one item characterizing the network nodes.

3. The method as in claim 2, further comprising a comparison of the at least one item of information characterizing the network nodes, wherein the definition of the role distribution of network nodes at least partly is based on a result of this comparison.

4. The method as in claim 1, wherein the self-organization step is carried out in such a way that the role distribution comprises a determination of at least one network node as master node and a determination of at least one network node as slave node.

5. The method as in claim 4, wherein the network node having the most powerful hardware resources is defined as the master node.

6. The method as in claim 4, wherein the network node having the most time-critical function is defined as the master node.

7. The method as in claim 4, wherein at least two network nodes are capable of taking over the role of the master node.

8. The method as in claim 1, wherein the role distribution relates to at least one of, a division of resources;

a reciprocal control;

a communication among one the network nodes;

a communication with at least one element outside the medical network.

9. The method as in claim 1, wherein the method is adapted to change the role distribution of the network nodes during operation of the medical network.

10. The method as in claim 1, wherein in the medical function of the network comprises at least one of the following functions, a sensor function for detecting at least one measurement variable of a body of a user;

or an actuator function for exerting at least one effect on a body of a user.

11. The method as in claim 10, wherein the variable of a body of a user is a diagnostic function and the effect on the body of the user is a medication function.

12. The method as in claim 1, wherein at least one of the network nodes is set up for carrying out at least one of the following node functions, a sensor function;

an actuator function;

a communication function for exchanging items of information with at least one element not assigned to the network;

a communication function for exchanging items of information with at least one user;

a data processing function;

a data storage function;

an energy obtaining function for generating energy from an environment of the network node;

or a clock function for providing a real time.

13. The method as in claim 1, wherein at least two of the network nodes are set up for communicating with one another via a body of a user as signal transmission medium.

14. The method as in claim 1, wherein, in the initialization step, at least one network node which is to be newly inserted into the network is physically assigned to the network, wherein the network node which is to be newly inserted exchanges the initialization information with at least one network node already present in the network.

15. The method as in claim 14, wherein the initialization information comprises at least one of the following items of information, an item of information about a type of one of the network nodes;

an item of information about a function of one of the network nodes;

an item of information about a configuration of hardware resources of one of the network nodes;

an item of information about a communication protocol of one of the network nodes;

an information about a pre-configuration.

16. The method as in claim 15, wherein the item of information about a type of one of the network nodes is a medical function;

the item of information about a configuration of hardware resources of one of the network nodes is a data storage device or a data processing device of a network node; and

, the information about a pre-configuration is an information on a calibration or a mathematical set-up.

17. The method as in claim 1, wherein the self-organization step is carried out in such a way that the role distribution comprises an interaction of at least two network nodes for carrying out at least one function which cannot be achieved individually by the network nodes.

18. The method as in claim 17, wherein the self-organization step is carried out in such a way that the role distribution comprises a dynamically adaptable set of role distributions.

19. The method as in claim 17, wherein the self-organization step is carried out in such a way that the role distribution comprises a utilization of at least one resource of a first network node by at least one second network node.

20. The method as in claim 17, wherein, in the self-organization step, at least one item of information about the role distribution is stored in at least one data storage device of at least one of the network nodes.

21. The method as in claim 20, wherein the data storage device is data storage devices in a plurality of network nodes.

22. The method as in claim 17, wherein the self-organization step is controlled by one of the following, a pre-definition of boundary conditions;

or a confirmation of at least one result of the self-organization step by at least one superordinate authority.

23. The method as in claim 17, further comprising at least one log-off step to remove one network node;

and, after the log-off step, the self-organization step is carried out again in order to newly define a role distribution of the remaining network.

24. The method as in claim 17, wherein a warning is issued to a user if, in the renewed self-organization step, it is identified that a sufficient functionality of the remaining network no longer exists.

25. The method as in claim 17, wherein at least two of the network nodes are in each case set up for performing at least one node function, and wherein the self-organization step and the work step are carried out in such a way that the function of the network comprises at least one further function going beyond the sum of the node functions.

26. The method as in claim 1, wherein the at least one further function comprises at least one of the following functions,

provision of an item of information, wherein the information is generated by combination of at least two measurement variables of at least two network nodes;

driving of at least one first network node by at least one second network node;

a control function, wherein at least one first network node with an actuator function is subjected to open-loop and/or closed-loop control by the comparison of at least one measurement value of at least one second network node with a measurement function with at least one desired value.

27. The method as in claim 1, further comprising at least one monitoring step, wherein the monitoring step is set up for monitoring at least one result of the self-organization step or of the work step and for carrying out at least one fault routine upon identification of a standard deviation.