REMOTE MONITORING OF MEDICAL DEVICES

• US 20140025809A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 01/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cepheid (Danaher Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cepheid (Danaher Corporation)
• Inventors: Steuperaert, Jan
• Application Number:
  US13/828,741
• Publication Number:
  US 20140025809A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/40 for data related to laboratory analysis, e.g. patient specimen analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/06 Generation of reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• 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

Abstract

A remote monitoring system for medical data collection can include a data-flagging process embeds authorization and settings information into a file containing the test results. Such data flagging can occur at a medical device or testing site, and may be based in policy settings received from a remote system. A file containing the test results can also include data category information that can be used to protect sensitive information by preventing such information from being communicated to the wrong server.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for processing test results of a medical device, the method comprising:

receiving, via a communication interface, settings information indicative of one or more authorization levels associated with an entity, wherein each of the one or more authorization levels is indicative of a type of data, from the test results of the medical device, to include in reporting information;

obtaining the test results from the medical device;

creating, with a processor, a file comprising the reporting information, wherein the reporting information includes information indicative of;

the entity,

the one or more authorization levels associated with the entity, and

at least a portion of the test results; and

sending the file via the communication interface.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing a user with an interface configured to receive an input; and

adjusting at least one of the one or more authorization levels based, at least in part, on the input.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising adjusting, based on the settings information, at least one of the following settings of the medical device:

a number of tests reported in a certain period of time,

a type of test to include in the reporting information, or

a starting date to provide the reporting information.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least the portion of the test results includes:

a first data set associated with a first authorization level; and

a second data set associated with a second authorization level.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the settings information includes scanning a particular data location for the settings information.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein sending the reporting information includes storing the reporting information in a particular data location for transmittal.

7. The method of claim 1 further including formatting the reporting information in a meta-language.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the reporting information further includes an identifier of the medical device.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein creating the file further comprises including, in the reporting information, a cartridge identifier related to the at least the portion of the test results.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein creating the file further comprises including, in the reporting information, data category information related to at least a portion of the reporting information.

11. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions embedded thereon for processing test results of a medical device, the computer-readable storage medium including instructions for:

receiving settings information indicative of one or more authorization levels associated with an entity, wherein each of the one or more authorization levels is indicative of a type of data, from the test results of the medical device, to include in reporting information;

obtaining the test results from the medical device;

creating a file comprising the reporting information, wherein the reporting information includes information indicative of;

the entity,

the one or more authorization levels associated with the entity, and

at least a portion of the test results; and

sending the file via the communication interface.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 further comprising instructions for:

providing a user interface configured to receive an input; and

adjusting at least one of the one or more authorization levels based, at least in part, on the input.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 further comprising instructions for adjusting, based on the settings information, at least one of the following settings of the medical device:

a number of tests reported in a certain period of time,

a type of test to include in the reporting information, or

a starting date to provide the reporting information.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 further comprising instructions for formatting the reporting information such that:

a first data set of the at least the portion of the test results is associated with a first authorization level; and

a second data set of the at least the portion of the test results is associated with a second authorization level.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 wherein the instructions for sending the reporting information include instructions for storing the reporting information in a particular data location for transmittal.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 further including instructions for formatting the reporting information in a meta-language.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 further including instructions for including, in the reporting information, an identifier of the medical device.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 wherein the instructions for creating the file further comprise instructions for including, in the reporting information, a cartridge identifier related to the at least the portion of the test results.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 wherein the instructions for creating the file further comprise instructions for including, in the reporting information, data category information related to at least a portion of the reporting information.

20. A computer-implemented method for reporting test results from a medical device, the method comprising:

receiving, via a communication interface, reporting information indicative of the test results from the medical device, wherein the reporting information includes information indicative of;

an entity,

one or more authorization levels associated with the entity, wherein each of the one or more authorization levels is indicative of a type of data from the test results of the medical device, and

at least a portion of the test results;

receiving a request to report the test results, the request associated with the entity;

determining, with a processor, a subset of the at least the portion of the test results to report based, at least in part, on;

the one or more authorization levels, and

the entity; and

providing a report based, at least in part, on the subset.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the report is provided via a web-based portal.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the reporting information further includes an identifier of the medical device, the method further comprising:

determining a location associated with the medical device based, at least in part, on the identifier; and

providing an indication of the location in the report.

23. The method of claim 20 further including sending, via the communication interface, settings information indicative of the one or more authorization levels associated with the entity.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein the report is based, at least in part, on test results from a plurality of medical devices.

25. A system for reporting medical test results, the system comprising:

a first server configured to send settings information indicative of one or more authorization levels associated with an entity;

at least one medical device configured to;

receive the settings information;

create reporting information regarding test results of a test conducted by the at least one medical device, wherein creating the reporting information includes embedding the reporting information with information indicative of;

the entity,

the one or more authorization levels associated with the entity, and

at least a portion of the test results; and

send the reporting information; and

a second server configured to;

receive the reporting information from the at least one medical device;

receive a request to report the test results of the at least one medical device, the request associated with the entity;

determine a subset of the at least the portion of the test results to report, based on the reporting information; and

provide a report based, at least in part, on the subset.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the report is provided via a web-based portal.

27. The system of claim 25 wherein:

the at least one medical device is configured to include, in the reporting information, an identifier of the at least one medical device; and

the second server is further configured to;

determine a location associated with each of the at least one medical device, at least in part, on the identifier; and

provide an indication of the location in the report.

28. The system of claim 25 wherein the second server is the same server as the first server.

29. The system of claim 25 wherein the first server is configured to send settings information regarding at least one of the following settings of the at least one medical device:

a number of tests reported in a certain period of time,

a type of test to include in the reporting information, or

a starting date to provide the reporting information.