Remote User Interfaces for Dialysis Systems

• US 20180036469A1
• Filed: 08/05/2016
• Published: 02/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Holdings Incorporated (Fresenius Medical Care AG)
• Original Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Holdings Incorporated (Fresenius Medical Care AG)
• Inventors: Crnkovich, Martin Joseph, Yuds, David
• Application Number:
  US15/229,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20180036469A1
• 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 1/267 used for pumping
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/28 Peritoneal dialysis ; Other peritoneal treatment, e.g. oxygenation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/18 with alarm
• 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 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/502 User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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: H04B 1/3833 Hand-held transceivers
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Mobile electronic devices can be used as remote user interfaces for medical devices such as dialysis machines. For example, this disclosure describes various ways mobile electronic devices can be networked with medical devices, and various ways users can remotely control the medical devices via the mobile electronic devices.

Claims

1. A dialysis machine comprising:

one or more processing units configured to transmit control data;

a pump configured to pump medical fluid to and from a patient based at least in part on control data received from the one or more processing units; and

a wireless communications interface configured to receive data from a mobile electronic device using a wireless communications protocol,

wherein the one or more processing units are configured to;

process input received from the wireless communications interface, and

determine the control data based on the processed input.

2. The dialysis machine of claim 1, wherein the one or more processing units are configured to cause a transmission, using the wireless communications interface, of user interface data to the mobile electronic device that enables the mobile electronic device to function as a remote user interface for the dialysis machine.

3. The dialysis machine of claim 2, wherein the user interface data enables the mobile electronic device to display, on a hardware display of the mobile electronic device, one or more selectable elements that correspond to respective selectable elements on a user interface display of the dialysis machine.

4. The dialysis machine of claim 3, wherein the one or more selectable elements comprise a selectable element for stopping the pump.

5. The dialysis machine of claim 3, wherein the one or more selectable elements comprise a selectable element for muting an alarm of the dialysis machine.

6. The dialysis machine of claim 2, wherein the user interface data enables the mobile electronic device to display, on a hardware display of the mobile electronic device, one or more parameters representing a current state of the dialysis machine.

7. The dialysis machine of claim 1, wherein the data received from the mobile electronic device includes data indicative of one or more particular positions on a user interface display of the dialysis machine.

8. The dialysis machine of claim 7, wherein the one or more processing units are configured to cause a cursor or pointer to be displayed on the user interface display of the dialysis machine at the one or more particular positions in response to receiving the data indicative of the one or more particular positions.

9. The dialysis machine of claim 7, wherein the data received from the mobile electronic device includes data indicative of a selection of a selectable element located at a particular position of the one or more particular positions, and wherein the one or more processing units are configured to cause a selection of the selectable element in response to receiving the data indicative of a selection of a selectable element.

10. A computer readable medium storing computer executable instructions that, when executed by a hardware processor of a mobile electronic device, carry out operations comprising:

receiving, from a dialysis machine, data representing a current state of the dialysis machine;

displaying, on a hardware display of the mobile electronic device, a user interface that enables control of the dialysis machine, based on the data representing a current state of the dialysis machine;

receiving, at the user interface, user input representing a command to be executed by the dialysis machine; and

transmitting, using a wireless communication protocol, data representing the command to be executed by the dialysis machine.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the user input represents a command to de-activate an alarm of the dialysis machine.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the user input represents a command to stop a pump of the dialysis machine.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the user interface comprises one or more selectable elements that correspond to respective selectable elements on a user interface display of the dialysis machine.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the user interface comprises one or more parameters representing the current state of the dialysis machine.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 10, the operations comprising:

receiving, at the user interface, user input representing movement of a pointer or cursor location on the user interface; and

transmitting, using the wireless communication protocol, data representing the movement to be executed by the dialysis machine.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 10, the operations comprising one or more operations that facilitate pairing the mobile electronic device and the dialysis machine.

17. A mobile electronic device comprising:

a hardware processor;

a wireless communications interface configured to transmit data using a wireless communications protocol; and

a movement sensor,

wherein the hardware processor is configured to receive data from the movement sensor representing movement of the mobile electronic device and, based on the received data, use the wireless communications interface to transmit, to a dialysis machine, data usable by the dialysis machine to affect a position of a cursor on a user interface of the dialysis machine.

18. The mobile electronic device of claim 17, wherein the hardware processor is configured to facilitate pairing of the mobile electronic device and the dialysis machine such that wireless communications can occur using the wireless communications protocol.

19. The mobile electronic device of claim 17, wherein the movement sensor comprises at least one of a gyroscope or an accelerometer.

20. The mobile electronic device of claim 17, further comprising a hardware display coupled to the hardware processor, wherein the hardware processor is configured to receive data representing a user input made to the hardware display and to transmit, to the dialysis machine, data usable by the dialysis machine for selecting a selectable element displayed on the user interface of the dialysis machine.

21. A dialysis machine comprising:

one or more processing units configured to transmit control data;

a pump configured to pump medical fluid to and from a patient based at least in part on control data received from the one or more processing units; and

a wireless communications interface configured to receive data from a mobile electronic device using a wireless communications protocol, wherein the data received from the mobile electronic device includes data indicative of one or more particular positions on a user interface display of the dialysis machine, and

wherein the one or more processing units are configured to cause a cursor or pointer to be displayed on the user interface display of the dialysis machine at the one or more particular positions in response to receiving the data indicative of the one or more particular positions.

22. The dialysis machine of claim 21, wherein the data received from the mobile electronic device includes data indicative of a selection of a selectable element located at a particular position of the one or more particular positions, and wherein the one or more processing units are configured to cause a selection of the selectable element in response to receiving the data indicative of a selection of a selectable element.

23. A dialysis system comprising:

a first dialysis machine comprising;

one or more first processing units configured to transmit control data;

a first pump configured to pump medical fluid to and from a first patient based at least in part on first control data received from the first one or more processing units; and

a first wireless communications interface configured to receive data from a mobile electronic device using a wireless communications protocol,

wherein the first one or more processing units are configured to process input received from the first wireless communications interface and to determine the first control data based on the processed input;

a second dialysis machine comprising;

one or more second processing units configured to transmit control data;

a second pump configured to pump medical fluid to and from a second patient based at least in part on control data received from the one or more processing units; and

a second wireless communications interface configured to receive data from a mobile electronic device using a wireless communications protocol,

wherein the second one or more processing units are configured to process input received from the second wireless communications interface and to determine the second control data based on the processed input; and

the mobile electronic device comprising a hardware processor and a third wireless communications interface configured to transmit data to the first and second dialysis machines using the wireless communications protocol.

24. The dialysis system of claim 23, wherein at least one of the first and second dialysis machines comprises a hemodialysis machine.

25. The dialysis system of claim 23, wherein at least one of the first and second dialysis machines comprises a peritoneal dialysis machine.

26. The dialysis system of claim 23, wherein the mobile electronic device is configured to transmit data associated with a first user interface of the first dialysis machine and configured to transmit data associated with a second user interface of the second dialysis machine.