System, Method, and Apparatus for Electronic Patient Care

• US 20130317837A1
• Filed: 05/23/2013
• Published: 11/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deka Products Limited Partnership
• Original Assignee: Deka Products Limited Partnership
• Inventors: Ballantyne, Todd A., Yee, Brian K., Wilt, Michael J., Rosse, Jonathan P.
• Granted Patent: US 11,881,307 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/16 with membranes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1605 Physical characteristics of the dialysate fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1654 Dialysates therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1656 Apparatus for preparing dialysates
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/166 Heating for sterilisation A61M1/1686
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1692 Detection of blood traces in dialysate
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/34 Filtering material out of the blood by passing it through a membrane, i.e. hemofiltration or diafiltration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3621 Extra-corporeal blood circuits single-needle circuits A61M1/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/3627 Degassing devices; Buffer reservoirs; Drip chambers; Blood filters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/12 with interchangeable cassettes forming partially or totally the fluid circuit
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3331 Pressure; Flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3334 Measuring or controlling the flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3368 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/502 User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/505 Touch-screens; Virtual keyboard or keypads; Virtual buttons; Soft keys; Mouse touches
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/113 in other functional devices, e.g. dialysers or heart-lung machines
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/13 by means of a catheter allowing explantation, e.g. catheter pumps temporarily introduced via the vascular system
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/37 Haemodialysis, haemofiltration or diafiltration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/847 : arranged in a cassette
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 : with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 : External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 : for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation

Abstract

A method, related system and apparatus are disclosed. The method is implemented by an operative set of processor executable instructions configured for execution by a processor. The method includes the acts of: determining if a monitoring client is connected to a base through a physical connection; establishing a first communications link between the monitoring client and the base through the physical connection; updating, if necessary, the interface program on the monitoring client and the base through the first communications link; establishing a second communications link between the monitoring client and the base using the first communications link; and communicating data from the base to the monitoring client using the second communications link.

Claims

1. A method implemented by an operative set of processor executable instructions configured for execution by a processor, the method comprising:

determining if a monitoring client is connected to a base through a physical connection;

establishing a first communications link between the monitoring client and the base through the physical connection;

updating, if necessary, an interface program on the monitoring client and the base through the first communications link;

establishing a second communications link between the monitoring client and the base using the first communications link; and

communicating data from the base to the monitoring client using the second communications link.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the base is a patient-care device.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the patient-care device is selected from the group consisting of an infusion pump, a pill dispenser, a microinfusion pump, an ECG monitor, a blood pressure monitor, a pulse oximeter, and a CO2 capnometer, an intravenous bag, a drip-flow meter, and a dialysis machine.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the processor is located on the monitoring client.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the processor is located on the base.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of communicating data from the base to the monitoring client using the second communications link includes transmitting the data, by the base, to the monitoring client using the second communications link.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of communicating data from the base to the monitoring client using the second communications link includes receiving the data, by the monitoring client, using the second communications link.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising displaying data on the monitoring client in accordance with the data communicated from the base.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising initializing treatment of a patient using the monitoring client.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising treating the patient using the base.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the base is a hemodialysis system.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the monitoring client sending a start treatment signal to the base.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising removing the physical connection between the monitoring client and the base.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising continuing to communicate between the monitoring client and the base using the second communications link.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising monitoring a link quality value of the second communications link.

16. The method according to claim 1, further comprising communicating the data between the monitoring client and the base as long as a link quality value is above a predetermined threshold.

17. The method according to claim 1, further comprising entering the monitoring client into a headless state when a link quality value falls below a first predetermined threshold.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the monitoring client displays a message on a user interface in response to the headless state.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the message indicates to a user to move the monitoring client closer to the base.

20. The method according to claim 17, further comprising periodically determining a respective link quality value to determine if the respective link quality value is above the first predetermined threshold.

21. The method according to claim 17, further comprising leaving the headless state when the link quality value is above the first predetermined threshold.

22. The method according to claim 17, further comprising leaving the headless state when the link quality value is above a second predetermined threshold greater than the first predetermined threshold.

23. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of updating, if necessary, the interface program on the monitoring client through the first communications link comprises:

communicating a version number of the interface program from the monitoring client to the base through the first communications link;

determining if the interface program on the monitoring client is the latest version;

retrieving, by the base, an updated version of the interface program from a server; and

overwriting the interface program with the updated version of the interface program.

24. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of establishing the second communications link between the monitoring client and the base using the first communications link comprises:

determining if the base if paired with another monitoring client;

interrupting, if necessary, any pairing between the another monitoring client and the base;

generating, using the base, a configuration file;

communicating the configuration file from the base to the monitoring client using the first communications link;

reading, by the monitoring client, the configuration file received from the base; and

pairing the base to the monitoring client for wireless communications to establish the second communications link between the monitoring client and the base in accordance with the configuration file.

25. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

entering the monitoring client into a headless state when a link quality value falls below a predetermined threshold;

suspending communications of the data between the base and the monitoring client; and

displaying on a graphical user interface a message requesting a user to move the monitoring client closer to the base.

26. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

entering the base into a headless state when a link quality value falls below a predetermined threshold;

suspending communications of the data between the base and the monitoring client; and

indicating that the base has entered into the headless state.

27. A system for communicating between a monitoring client and a base, the system comprising:

a base having a communications component, wherein the communications component is configured to;

communicate data between the monitoring client and the base as long as a link quality value is above a predetermined threshold;

enter into a headless state if the link quality value falls below the predetermined threshold;

remain in the headless state as long as the link quality value remains below the predetermined threshold;

determine if the link quality value returns above the predetermined threshold; and

exit the headless state if the link quality value has returned to above the predetermined threshold.

28. A system for allowing electronic patient care, the system comprising:

a monitoring client connected to a base through a physical connection, at least one of the monitoring client and the base having a processor configured to at least one of;

establish a first communications link between the monitoring client and the base through the physical connection;

update an interface program on the monitoring client and the base through the first communications link; and

establish a second communications link between the monitoring client and the base, the second communication link using the first communications link.

29. The system according to claim 28, wherein the processor is located on the monitoring client.

30. The system according to claim 28, wherein the processor is located on the base.

31. The system according to claim 28, wherein the second communications link transmits the data from the base to the monitoring client.

32. The system according to claim 28, wherein the monitoring client receives the data using the second communications link.

33. The system according to claim 28, wherein at least one of the monitoring client and the base is configured to update the interface program through the first communications link such that at least one of:

the monitoring client is configured to communicate the version number of the interface program to the base through a first communications link;

the monitoring client is further configured to determine if the interface program on the monitoring client is the latest version;

the base client is further configured to determine if the interface program on the monitoring client is the latest version;

the base is configured to retrieve an updated version of the interface program from a server; and

the base is further configured to overwrite the interface program with the updated version of the interface program.

34. The system according to claim 38, wherein the system is configured to establish the second communications link between the monitoring client and the base using the first communications link such that:

the processor is configured to determine if the base if paired with another monitoring client;

the processor is further configured to interrupt, if necessary, any pairing between the another monitoring client and the base;

the base is configured to generate a configuration file;

the first communications link is configured to communicate the configuration file from the base to the monitoring client;

the monitoring client is configured to read the configuration file received from the base; and

the base is paired to the monitoring client for wireless communications, the base paired to the monitoring client for wireless communications to establish the second communications link between the monitoring client and the base in accordance with the configuration file.

35. A tablet, comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory having an operative set of processor executable instructions configured to cause the at least one processor to;

determine if the tablet is connected to a base through a physical connection;

establish a first communications link between the tablet and the base through the physical connection;

update, if necessary, the interface program on the tablet through the first communications link;

establish a second communications link between the tablet and the base using the first communications link; and

communicate data from the base to the tablet using the second communications link.

36. The tablet according to claim 35, wherein the tablet is configured to monitor the operation of the base.

37. The tablet according to claim 35, wherein the tablet is configured to control the operation of the base.