MEDICAL DEVICE MANAGEMENT AND THEFT INHIBITOR TECHNIQUES

• US 20160045661A1
• Filed: 07/08/2015
• Published: 02/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fresenius KABI USA LLC (Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA)
• Original Assignee: Ivenix, Inc. (Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA)
• Inventors: Gray, George W., McQuaid, William C.
• Granted Patent: US 10,002,235 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/90 Identification means for patients or instruments, e.g. tags
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/27 preventing use
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3584 using modem, internet or bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3592 using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6018 providing set-up signals for the apparatus configuration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14 Infusion devices, e.g. infusing by gravity; Blood infusion; Accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/142 Pressure infusion, e.g. using pumps
• 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 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A healthcare enterprise has an associated management resource that manages operation of one or more medical devices in the healthcare enterprise. To determine what functionality to enable in a respective medical device, the respective medical device establishes a communication link to communicate in a network environment. Subsequent to establishing the communication link, the medical device initiates communications over the communication link from the medical device to the remotely located management resource. The communications include a unique identifier value assigned to the medical device. Depending upon feedback (such as granting or denial of authorization) from the management resource with respect to the unique identifier value, the medical device operates in one of multiple different operational modes such as a fully functional mode or a reduced functionality mode.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

in a medical device;

initiating communications over a communication link from the medical device to a remotely located management resource; and

selectively operating the medical device in one of multiple different operational modes depending on whether the medical device receives authorization or, if disconnected, previously received authorization from the management resource.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein the medical device is a medical infusion pump configured to support first functionality and second functionality, the method further comprising:

in response to receiving authorization from the management resource;

enabling both the first functionality and the second functionality in the medical infusion pump.

3. The method as in claim 1, wherein the medical device is a medical infusion pump configured to support first functionality and second functionality, the method further comprising:

in response to being denied authorization from the management resource;

i) enabling the medical infusion pump to execute the first functionality, and ii) preventing execution of the second functionality in the medical infusion pump, and iii) causing a notification to be presented to any subsequent user of the medical device.

4. The method as in claim 3, wherein the first functionality supports pumping fluid from the medical infusion pump to a recipient;

and

wherein the second functionality supports retrieval of drug information over a network connection from a remote server resource disparately located with respect to the medical infusion pump.

5. The method as in claim 1, wherein selectively operating the medical device in one of multiple different operational modes includes disabling a less-than-all portion of functionality configured in the medical device.

6. The method as in claim 1, wherein the communication link is a wireless communication link, the method further comprising:

establishing the wireless communication link in response to detecting activation of the medical device to perform an operation.

7. The method as in claim 1, wherein the management resource resides in a private network of a medical service provider, the management resource accessible by the medical device during conditions in which the medical device resides within a wireless communication range of the private network, the method further comprising:

limiting operation of the medical device in response to a denial of authorization from the management resource in the private network.

8. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

in response to detecting a condition in which the medical device is denied authorization from the management resource via communications over the communication link, providing notification to an operator of the medical device, the notification indicating a medical service provider to which the medical device belongs.

9. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

in response to detecting a condition in which the medical device is denied authorization from the management resource, producing the notification to indicate that at least a portion of functionality of the medical device is disabled based on an inability of the medical device to register use of medical device with the management resource.

10. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

accessing configuration information assigned to the medical device, the configuration information indicating whether the medical device is assigned a lock mode in which the medical device requires confirmation by the management resource that the medical device resides within a corresponding private network to execute particular functionality in the medical device.

11. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

obtaining a unique identifier value assigned to the medical device; and

communicating the unique identifier value over the communication link to the management resource.

12. The method as in claim 11, wherein the unique identifier value is assigned to an organization to which the medical device belongs.

13. The method as in claim 1, wherein establishing the communication link further comprises:

obtaining network information specifying a name of a private network in the network environment, the network information including a password to obtain access to the management resource through the private network; and

utilizing the name of the private network and the password to establish the communication link through a wireless access point of the private network.

14. The method as in claim 13 further comprising:

obtaining a unique identifier value assigned to the medical device;

forwarding the unique identifier value over the communication link to the management resource; and

receiving a response from the management resource verifying the medical device, the response indicating that the medical device is authorized to operate with full functionality.

15. A method comprising:

from a medical device, establishing a communication link;

via communications over the communication link, initiating verification of use of the medical device with a management server; and

in response to detecting denial of authorization of the medical device by the management server, preventing activation of at least a portion of functionality in the medical device.

16. The method as in claim 15, wherein the medical device is an infusion pump;

and

wherein disabling the use of functionality in the medical device further includes;

disabling a first portion of functionality associated with medical device while enabling a second portion of functionality associated with medical device.

17. The method as in claim 15, wherein the preventing activation includes disabling a less-than-all portion of the functionality supported by the medical device.

18. The method as in claim 15 further comprising:

establishing the wireless communication link in response to detecting activation of a function in the medical device.

19. The method as in claim 15, wherein the management server resides in a private network of a medical service provider;

and

wherein initiating registration of the medical device includes attempting to communicate with the management server in the private network; and

wherein detecting the inability of the medical device to verify the use with the management resource includes failing to communicate with the management server and the private network because the medical device resides outside of the private network.

20. A computer system comprising:

computer processor hardware; and

a hardware storage resource coupled to the computer processor hardware, the hardware storage resource storing instructions that, when executed by the computer processor hardware, causes the computer processor hardware to perform operations of;

initiating communications over a communication link from a medical device to a remotely located management resource; and

selectively operating the medical device in one of multiple different operational modes depending on whether the medical device receives, or previously received, authorization of use from the management resource.

21. The computer system as in claim 20, wherein the medical device is a medical infusion pump configured to support first functionality and second functionality, the computer processor hardware further performing operations of:

at a first instance in time, in response to receiving authorization from the management resource;

enabling both the first functionality and the second functionality in the medical infusion pump.

22. The computer system as in claim 21, wherein the computer processor hardware further performs operations of:

at a second instance in time, subsequent to the first instance in time, in response to being denied authorization of the medical device;

i) enabling the medical infusion pump to execute the first functionality, and ii) preventing execution of the second functionality in the medical infusion pump.

23. The computer system as in claim 22, wherein the first functionality supports pumping fluid from the medical infusion pump to a recipient;

and

wherein the second functionality supports retrieval of drug information over a network connection from a remote server resource disparately located with respect to the medical infusion pump.

24. The computer system as in claim 20, wherein disabling use of the functionality includes disabling a less-than-all portion of functionality configured in the medical device.

25. The computer system as in claim 20, wherein the communication link is a wireless communication link, the computer processor hardware further performing operations of:

establishing the wireless communication link in response to detecting activation of the medical device.

26. The computer system as in claim 20, wherein the management resource resides in a private network of a medical service provider, the management resource accessible by the medical device during conditions in which the medical device resides within wireless communication range of the private network, the computer processor hardware further performing operations of:

limiting operation of the medical device in response to being denied authorization from the management resource in the private network.

27. The computer system as in claim 20, wherein the computer processor hardware further performs operations of:

in response to detecting a condition in which the medical device is denied authorization, providing notification to an operator of the medical device, the notification indicating a medical service provider to which the medical device belongs.

28. The computer system as in claim 20, wherein the computer processor hardware further performs operations of:

in response to detecting a condition in which the medical device is denied authorization, producing the notification to indicate that at least a portion of functionality of the medical device is disabled based on the denial of the authorization.

29. The computer system as in claim 20, wherein selectively operating the medical device in one of multiple different operational modes further comprises:

accessing configuration information assigned to the medical device, the configuration information indicating whether the medical device is assigned a lock mode in which the medical device requires authorization by the management resource to execute particular functionality in the medical device.

30. The computer system as in claim 20, wherein the computer processor hardware further performs operations of:

obtaining a unique identifier value assigned to the medical device; and

communicating the unique identifier value over the communication link to verify use of the medical device with the management resource.

31. Computer-readable hardware storage having instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when carried out by computer processor hardware, causes the computer processor hardware to perform operations of:

initiating communications over a communication link from the medical device to a remotely located management resource; and

selectively operating the medical device in one of multiple different operational modes depending on whether the medical device receives authorization, or was previously authorized, from the management resource.