Hospital Bed Compatibility With Third Party Application Software

• US 20150033295A1
• Filed: 09/30/2014
• Published: 01/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Huster, Keith A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,474,808 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/17 delivered via infusion or injection
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources

Abstract

A system includes a remote computer device and a patient bed in communication with the remote computer device. The patient bed has circuitry operable by a user to obtain at least one software application from the remote computer device. The system also has an authentication software module that verifies that the at least one software application is authorized for use on the patient bed.

Claims

1. A system comprising

a remote computer device,

a patient bed in communication with the remote computer device, the patient bed having circuitry operable by a user to obtain at least one software application from the remote computer device, and

an authentication software module that verifies that the at least one software application is authorized for use on the patient bed, the at least one software module being unusable on the patient bed until verification has occurred.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the authentication software module is stored in the circuitry of the patient bed.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the authentication software module is stored in the remote computer device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the authentication software module uses serial number approval to verify that the at least one software application is authorized for use on the patient bed.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the authentication software module uses secure certificate exchange to verify that the at least one software application is authorized for use on the patient bed.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the authentication software module uses a Dynamic Link Library (DLL) to verify that the at least one software application is authorized for use on the patient bed.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry of the patient bed prioritizes core bed functionality over functionality of the at least one software application.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the circuitry of the patient bed uses a publish/subscribe engine to prioritize messages.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one patient care device located in a patient room with the patient bed, wherein the remote computer device has stored therein device application software associated with the at least one patient care device, and wherein the device application software is downloaded to the circuitry of the patient bed.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the patient bed has a user interface that is used to provide inputs to the device application software for control of the at least one patient care device.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a patient interface that is used by a patient to communicate with the remote computer device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the patient interface is also used to control the patient bed.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one software application comprises an electronic medical records (EMR) software application.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry of the patient bed has a user interface that is used to initiate downloading of the at least one software application to the circuitry of the patient bed.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry of the patient bed has a Universal Serial Bus (USB) to Ethernet interface for direct access to a network.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry of the patient bed has at least one pre-authenticated software module stored therein for at least one of communication and control of a device other than the patient bed.