DEDICATED REMOTE CONTROL OF A PLURALITY OF MEDICAL APPARATUSES

• US 20180001010A1
• Filed: 05/11/2017
• Published: 01/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Deutschland GmbH (Fresenius Medical Care AG)
• Original Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Deutschland GmbH (Fresenius Medical Care AG)
• Inventors: Blmler, Holger, Klewinghaus, Jrgen
• Granted Patent: US 10,625,006 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/14 Dialysis systems; Artificial kidneys; Blood oxygenators semi-permeable membranes characterised by the material, manufacturing processes therefor B01D71/00 ; Reciprocating systems for treatment of body fluids, e.g. single needle systems for hemofiltration or pheresis
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1601 Control or regulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/28 Peritoneal dialysis ; Other peritoneal treatment, e.g. oxygenation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3569 sublocal, e.g. between console and disposable
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3592 using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/502 User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6063 Optical identification systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/30 User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/50 Receiving or transmitting feedback, e.g. replies, status updates, acknowledgements, from the controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/71 Directional beams
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/92 Universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/04 using light waves, e.g. infrared
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture
• 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 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/76 Group identity

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for contactlessly establishing a coupling between a medical apparatus (e.g., a hemodialysis apparatus or a peritoneal dialysis apparatus) and a remote control apparatus. An optical coupling signal is exchanged between the involved communication entities, in order to establish bijective, data-processing coupling between the remote control apparatus and the medical apparatus. Only after successful coupling is a remote control procedure initiated for remote control of the medical apparatus.

Claims

1. A method for contactlessly establishing a coupling between a mobile remote control apparatus and a medical apparatus from a group of medical apparatuses for dedicated remote control of the medical apparatus on the remote control apparatus, comprising:

exchanging a directed optical coupling signal between the remote control apparatus and the medical apparatus, in order to initiate a bijective coupling between the remote control apparatus and the medical apparatus; and

establishing the bijective coupling between the remote control apparatus and the medical apparatus.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

establishing a control channel for exchanging control signals for the dedicated remote control of the medical device by the remote control apparatus.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein exchanging the directed optical coupling signal between the remote control apparatus and the medical apparatus comprises:

transmitting a directed optical prompt signal by the remote control apparatus to the medical apparatus;

or

receiving an identification code, which identifies the medical apparatus, on the remote control apparatus.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the optical prompt signal comprises a request command for requesting parameters which represent characteristics of the medical apparatus.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein a control channel is based on a different transmission mechanism than the optical prompt signal.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, after exchanging the directed optical coupling signal between the remote control apparatus and the medical apparatus, the medical apparatus transmits a confirmation signal to the remote control apparatus so as to facilitate reception of the confirmation signal being acknowledged by an acknowledgement signal and a control channel being established after the acknowledgement signal has been output.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein an identification code or a confirmation signal is received and decoded on the remote control apparatus in order to identify the medical apparatus to be remote controlled and to determine a command set for remote control purposes.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein during an established coupling a coupling state is detected and output on the medical apparatus and/or on the remote control apparatus.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the coupling state is represented by a coupling state signal, a remote control signal and/or a multiple remote control signal.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein for remote control of the medical apparatus, the user interface of the medical apparatus is transferred to the remote control apparatus.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the remote control of the medical apparatus is configured to be limited or extended in response to a detected authorization signal, which represents an authorization scope of a user of the remote control apparatus, and/or in response to a confirmation signal or an identification code of the medical apparatus.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein different command sets for performing remote control of the medical apparatus are stored and a specific command set is determined based on a detected authorization level of the user.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein an input command of a command set for remote control of the medical apparatus by a first user is configured to be overwritten by a second user in response to a detected correction command of the second user if the authorization level of the second user is higher than that of the first user.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein a multiple remote control functionality for remote control of the medical apparatus is configured to be activated or deactivated sequentially and/or in parallel by a plurality of remote control apparatuses.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein, during an established coupling between the medical apparatus and a first remote control apparatus, further coupling to a second remote control apparatus is configured to be effected in response to a multiple remote control criterion having been successfully verified.

16. A remote control apparatus for remote control of a medical apparatus of a multiplicity of medical apparatuses, the remote control apparatus comprising:

an interface, configured to exchange a directed optical coupling signal with the medical apparatus in order to establish bijective coupling between the remote control apparatus and the medical apparatus; and

a processor, configured to initiate a remote control procedure after the bijective coupling between the remote control apparatus and the medical apparatus has been established.

17. The remote control apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the remote control apparatus further comprises:

a user interface, configured for remote control of the medical apparatus.

18. The remote control apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the remote control apparatus further comprises:

an authorization level meter and/or an identifier.

19. The remote control apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the interface comprises a transmitter, configured to transmit a directed optical prompt signal to the medical apparatus for establishing bijective coupling between the remote control apparatus and the medical apparatus.

20. The remote control apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the interface comprises a detector, configured to receive an identification code which identifies the medical apparatus.

21. A medical apparatus, comprising:

a signal exchanger, configured to facilitate establishment of a bijective coupling between a remote control apparatus and the medical apparatus via a directed optical coupling signal; and

a processor, configured to establish a coupling between the remote control apparatus and the medical apparatus.

22. A remote control system for medical apparatuses, the remote control system comprising:

a group of medical apparatuses, wherein all or selected ones of the medical apparatuses comprise a signal exchanger and a processor; and

at least one remote control apparatus, configured for remote control of at least one of the medical apparatuses, wherein the at least one remote control apparatus comprises an interface and a processor.

23. The remote control system according to claim 22, wherein the interface of the remote control apparatus comprises a detector, configured to receive an identification code which identifies a respective medical apparatus and wherein the signal exchanger of the respective medical apparatus comprises an optical identification code on the respective medical apparatus and wherein the processor of the remote control apparatus is configured to decode the identification code of the respective medical apparatus for establishing a bijective coupling between the remote control apparatus and the respective medical apparatus.

24. The remote control system according to claim 22, wherein the interface of the remote control apparatus comprises a transmitter configured to transmit a directed optical prompt signal to a respective medical apparatus, and wherein the signal exchanger of the respective medical apparatus comprises a transceiver configured to receive the prompt signal and subsequently to transmit an optical identification code to the remote control apparatus, wherein the processor of the remote control apparatus is configured to receive and decode the identification code for establishing bijective coupling between the remote control apparatus and the medical apparatus.