PHYSIOLOGICAL TEST CREDIT METHOD

• US 20140129702A1
• Filed: 11/04/2013
• Published: 05/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Willow Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cercacor Laboratories
• Inventors: Lamego, Marcelo M., Poeze, Jeroen
• Granted Patent: US 9,787,568 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/028 Arrangements to prevent overuse, e.g. by counting the number of uses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/145 Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring

Abstract

A physiological test credit method determines if test credits are available to the monitor and checks if a Wi-Fi connection is available. If test credits are less than a test credit threshold, the monitor connects to a test credit server, processes server commands so as to download test credits and disconnects from the server. In various embodiments, the monitor is challenged to break a server code, the server is challenged to break a monitor code. The server validates monitor serial codes, and saves monitor configuration parameters.

Claims

1. A physiological test credit method programmatically initiates wireless communications between a physiological monitor and a remote server in response to available test credits falling below a predetermined threshold so as to download additional test credits from the server to the monitor and therefore enable the monitor to perform additional physiological parameter spot-checks on a per test credit basis, the physiological test credit method comprises:

establishing a threshold for test credits stored in an optical sensor attached to a corresponding physiological monitor;

securely connecting a server to the monitor when remaining test credits fall below the threshold; and

downloading test credits from the server to the monitor.

2. The physiological test credit method according to claim 1 further comprising:

defining a quantum of test credits; and

downloading an amount of test credits equal to the quantum each time the remaining test credits fall below the threshold.

3. The physiological test credit method according to claim 2 further comprising:

defining a download frequency according to the number of times remaining test credits fall below the threshold in a given period of time; and

adjusting the threshold according to the download frequency.

4. The physiological test credit method according to claim 2 further comprising adjusting the quantum according to the download frequency.

5. The physiological test credit method according claim 3 further comprising adjusting the threshold and the quantum according to the download frequency.

6. The physiological test credit method according to claim 4 further comprising exchanging challenges between the server and the monitor so as to verify both the server and the monitor.

7. The physiological test credit method according to claim 6 wherein exchanging challenges comprising:

sending a server challenge code to the monitor;

breaking the server challenge code with the monitor;

sending a monitor challenge code to the server; and

breaking the monitor challenge code with the server.

8. The physiological test credit method according to claim 7 further comprising validating the monitor via sales data.

9. The physiological test credit method according to claim 8 wherein validating the monitor comprises:

sending a server request for device serial numbers to the monitor; and

matching the serial numbers to sales data.

10. The physiological test credit method according to claim 9 wherein validating the monitor further comprises:

sending a server request for a zip code to the monitor; and

matching the zip code to the monitor account.

11. A physiological test credit method comprising:

determining a test credit quantity associated with a physiological sensor;

comparing the test credit quantity to a threshold;

wirelessly connecting a physiological monitor to a server if the test credit quantity is below the threshold;

processing server commands so as to download additional test credits to the monitor;

transferring the additional test credits to the physiological sensor; and

disconnecting the physiological monitor from the server.

12. The physiological test credit method according to claim 11 further comprising:

tracking the frequency of test credit downloads; and

at least periodically adjusting the amount of additional test credits downloaded according to the frequency.

13. The physiological test credit method according to claim 12 further comprising at least periodically adjusting the threshold according to the frequency.

14. The physiological test credit method according to claim 11 further comprising challenging the monitor to break a server code before any test credits are downloaded to the monitor.

15. The physiological test credit method according to claim 14 further comprising challenging the server to break a monitor code before any test credits are downloaded to the monitor.

16. A physiological test credit method comprising:

establishing a wireless connection between a monitor and a server;

downloading a file of test credits from the server to the monitor;

transferring the test credits to a sensor in communications with the monitor;

performing a physiological test on a person using the sensor;

displaying a result of the physiological test on the monitor;

deducting a test credit from the sensor in response to the test; and

downloading an additional file of test credits from the server to the monitor in response to the number of test credits remaining in the sensor falling below a threshold.

17. The physiological test credit method according to claim 16 further comprising:

defining a quantity of test credits contained in the additional file; and

adjusting the quantity of test credits according to the time between the downloading of the file and the downloading of the additional file.

18. The physiological test credit method according to claim 17 further comprising adjusting the threshold according to the time between the downloading of the file and the downloading of the additional file.

19. The physiological test credit method according to claim 18 further comprising performing a two-way challenge between the monitor and the server before downloading a file of test credits.

20. The physiological test credit method according to claim 19 wherein the two-way challenge comprises:

sending a server challenge code to the monitor;

breaking the server challenge code at the monitor;

sending a monitor challenge code to the server; and

breaking the monitor challenge code at the server.

21. The physiological test credit method according to claim 20 further comprising:

sending the sensor and the monitor serial numbers to the server; and

matching the serial numbers with sales data available to the server.

22. The physiological test credit method according to claim 21 further comprising saving monitor configuration parameters on the server.