Communicating medical event information

• US 7,231,258 B2
• Filed: 12/26/2002
• Issued: 06/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Physio-Control Incorporated (Stryker Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Physio-Control Corp. (Stryker Corporation)
• Inventors: Silver, Ward A., Moore, Mark P.
• Primary Examiner(s): LAYNO, CARL HERNANDZ
• Application Number:
  US10/330,808
• Publication Number:
  US 20040127774A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,629 Days
• Field of Search: 607/2, 607 4- 5, 607/32, 607/60, 128903-904
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3925 Monitoring; Protecting
• 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 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/903 Radio telemetry

Abstract

In general, the invention provides techniques for wireless communication of medical event information between medical devices that treat a particular patient. In general, medical event information describes the condition and treatment of a patient. A medical device may detect another medical device via a wireless communications medium, and establish a local wireless communication session the other device in order to receive medical event information stored by the other device for a patient. The wireless communications medium may be a radio frequency communications medium, and the medical devices may establish a local wireless communication session according to any of a number of local wireless data communication standards. The medical event information received from the other medical device may be used to select a therapy, or to generate a report or patient chart detailing the condition and treatment of the patient.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting a device via a wireless communication medium;

determining whether the detected device is a medical device and is associated with a patient;

establishing a local wireless communication session with the device based on the determination;

receiving medical event information from the detected device; and

generating at least one of a run report or a patient chart based on the received medical event information,

in which detecting a device includes performing a wireless inquiry and response procedure, and establishing a local wireless communication session comprises establishing an ad hoc wireless networking session with the detected device based on the procedure.

2. A method comprising:

detecting a device via a wireless communication medium;

determining whether the detected device is a medical device and is associated with a patient;

establishing a local wireless communication session with the device based on the determination;

receiving medical event information from the detected device; and

generating at least one of a run report or a patient chart based on the received medical event information,

in which determining whether the detected device is a medical device comprises receiving a device type indication from the detected device, and determining whether the detected device is associated with a patient comprises receiving a device identification from the detected device and comparing the device identification to a user input.

3. The method of claim 2, in which detecting the detected device comprises broadcasting messages and receiving a response to a broadcast message from the detected device via the wireless medium, and the response includes at least one of the device type indication and the device identification.

4. A method comprising:

detecting a device via a wireless communication medium;

determining whether the detected device is a medical device and is associated with a patient;

establishing a local wireless communication session with the device based on the determination;

receiving medical event information from the detected device;

selecting a therapy to deliver to the patient based on the received medical event information;

delivering the selected therapy to the patient;

generating additional medical event information as a function of the delivery of the selected therapy; and

storing the generated medical event information with the received medical event information,

in which detecting the device comprises detecting a first medical device via a second medical device, selecting the therapy comprises selecting the therapy via the second medical device, and delivering the selected therapy comprises delivering the selected therapy via the second medical device.

5. A method comprising:

detecting a device via a wireless communication medium;

determining whether the detected device is a medical device and is associated with a patient; and

establishing a local wireless communication session with the device based on the determination,

wherein detecting the device comprises detecting a first medical device via a second medical device, the method further comprising;

receiving medical event information from the first medical device via the local wireless communication session; and

coordinating delivery of therapy to the patient by the first and second medical devices via the local wireless communication session,

in which coordinating delivery of therapy to the patient comprises sending a message from the second medical device to the first device that directs the first device to suspend delivery of therapy.

6. A method comprising:

detecting a device via a wireless communication medium;

determining whether the detected device is a medical device and is associated with a patient;

establishing a local wireless communication session with the device based on the determination;

receiving medical event information from the detected device; and

generating at least one of a run report or a patient chart based on the received medical event information,

in which the detected device comprises a first medical device and the local wireless communication session comprises a first local wireless communication session, the method further comprising providing the received medical event information to at least one of a computing device or a second medical device via a second local wireless communication session with at least one of the computing device or the second medical device.

7. The method of claim 6, in which the second medical device is an external defibrillator.

8. A device comprising:

a transceiver to transmit and receive signals via a wireless medium; and

a processor to detect another device via the transceiver and the wireless medium, determine whether the detected device is a medical device and is associated with a patient, establish a local wireless communication session with the detected device based on the determination, receive medical event information from the detected device, and generate at least one of a run report or a patient chart based on the received medical event information.

9. The device of claim 8, in which the medical event information includes at least one of an electrocardiogram of the patient, a capnograph of the patient, a plethysmograph of the patient, a heart rate of the patient over time, a pulse rate of the patient over time, a blood oxygen saturation of the patient over time, a blood pressure of the patient over time, end tidal carbon dioxide measurements of the patient, measurements of the fraction of carbon dioxide in air inspired or expired by the patient, one or more therapies delivered to the patient, times at which the one or more therapies were delivered to the patient, or an audio recording.

10. The device of claim 8, in which the detected device is an external defibrillator.

11. The device of claim 8, in which the wireless medium is a radio frequency medium, and the wireless communication session is a radio frequency communication session.

12. The device of claim 8, in which the processor detects the device by performing a wireless inquiry and response procedure, and establishes a local wireless communication session with the detected device by establishing an ad hoc wireless networking session with the detected device based on the procedure.

13. The device of claim 8, further comprising a user interface, wherein the processor determines whether the detected device is a medical device by receiving a device type indication from the detected device via the transceiver, and determines whether the detected device is associated with a patient by receiving a device identification from the detected device via the transceiver and comparing the device identification to a user input received via the user interface.

14. The device of claim 13, in which the processor detects the device by broadcasting messages and receiving a response to a broadcast message from the device via the transceiver, and the response includes at least one of the device type indication and the device identification.

15. The device of claim 8, in which the processor sends medical event information to the detected device via the transceiver and the local wireless communication session.

16. The device of claim 8, in which the detected device comprises a first medical device and the local wireless communication session comprises a first local wireless communication session, and the processor provides the received medical event information to at least one of a computing device or a second medical device via a second local wireless communication session with at least one of the computing device or the second medical device.

17. The device of claim 16, in which the second medical device is an external defibrillator.

18. A device comprising:

a transceiver to transmit and receive signals via a wireless medium; and

a processor to detect another device via the transceiver and the wireless medium, determine whether the detected device is a medical device and is associated with a patient, establish a local wireless communication session with the detected device based on the determination, receive medical event information from the detected device, coordinate delivery of therapy to the patient with the detected device via the transceiver and the local wireless communication session by sending a message to the detected device via the transceiver and the local wireless communication session that directs the detected device to suspend delivery of therapy.

19. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions that cause a processor to:

detect a device via a wireless communications medium;

determine whether the detected device is a medical device and is associated with a patient;

establish a local wireless communication session with the detected device based on the determination;

receive medical event information from the detected device; and

generate at least one of a run report or a patient chart based on the received medical event information,

in which the instructions that cause a processor to detect a device comprise instructions that cause the processor to perform a wireless inquiry and response procedure, and the instructions that cause a processor to establish a local wireless communication session comprise instructions that cause the processor to establish an ad hoc wireless networking session with the detected device based on the procedure.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, in which the instructions that cause a processor to determine whether the detected device is a medical device comprise instructions that cause a processor to receive a device type indication from the detected device, and the instructions that cause a processor to determine whether the detected device is associated with a patient comprise instructions that cause a processor to:

receive a device identification from the detected device; and

compare the device identification to a user input.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, in which the instructions that cause a processor to detect the detected device comprise instructions that cause a processor to:

broadcast messages; and

receive a response to a broadcast message from the detected device, wherein the response includes at least one of the device type indication and the device identification.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, further comprising instructions that cause a processor to send medical event information to the detected device.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, in which the detected device comprises a first medical device and the local wireless communication session comprises a first local wireless communication session, the medium further comprising instructions that cause a processor to provide the received medical event information to at least one of a computing device or a second medical device via a second local wireless communication session with at least one of the computing device or the second medical device.

24. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions that cause a processor to:

detect a device via a wireless communications medium;

determine whether the detected device is a medical device and is associated with a patient;

establish a local wireless communication session with the detected device based on the determination;

receive medical event information from the detected device; and

select a therapy for delivery to the patient based on the received medical event information;

control delivery of the selected therapy to the patient;

generate additional medical event information as a function of the delivery of the selected therapy; and

store the generated medical event information with the received medical event information,

in which the instructions that cause a processor to detect the device comprise instructions that cause a processor of a first medical device to detect a second medical device, the instructions that cause a processor to select the therapy comprises instructions that cause the processor of the first medical device to select the therapy, and the instructions that cause a processor to deliver the selected therapy comprise instructions that cause the processor of the first medical device to deliver the selected therapy.

25. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions that cause a processor to:

detect a device via a wireless communications medium;

determine whether the detected device is a medical device and is associated with a patient;

establish a local wireless communication session with the detected device based on the determination; and

receive medical event information from the detected device,

wherein the instructions that cause a processor to detect the device comprises instructions that cause a processor of a first medical device to detect a second medical device,

the medium further comprising instructions that cause the processor of the first medical device to coordinate the delivery of therapy to the patient by the first and second medical devices via the local wireless communication session, and

in which the instructions that cause the processor of the first medical device to coordinate the delivery of therapy to the patient comprise instructions that cause the processor of the first medical device to send a message to the second medical device that directs the second medical device to suspend delivery of therapy.

26. A method comprising:

receiving medical event information from a first medical device via a second medical device and a local wireless communication session between the first and second medical devices;

selecting a therapy to deliver to a patient based on the medical event information via the second medical device; and

delivering the selected therapy to the patient via the second medical device,

in which receiving medical event information comprises the second medical device receiving the medical event information, selecting the therapy comprises the second medical device selecting the therapy, and delivering the selected therapy comprises the second medical device delivering the therapy.

27. The method of claim 26, in which the medical event information includes at least one of an electrocardiogram of the patient, a capnograph of the patient, a plethysmograph of the patient, a heart rate of the patient over time, a pulse rate of the patient overtime, a blood oxygen saturation of the patient over time, a blood pressure of the patient over time, end tidal carbon dioxide measurements of the patient, measurements of the fraction of carbon dioxide in air inspired or expired by the patient, one or more therapies delivered to the patient, times at which the one or more therapies were delivered to the patient, or an audio recording.

28. The method of claim 26, in which the first and second medical devices comprise external defibrillators.

29. The method of claim 26, in which the wireless medium is a radio frequency medium, and the wireless communication session is a radio frequency communication session.

30. A method comprising:

receiving medical event information from a first medical device via a second medical device and a local wireless communication session between the first and second medical devices;

selecting a therapy to deliver to a patient based on the medical event information via the second medical device;

delivering the selected therapy to the patient via the second medical device; and

coordinating delivery of therapy to the patient by the first and second medical devices via the local wireless communication session and the second medical device.

31. The method of claim 30, in which coordinating delivery of therapy to the patient comprises sending a message to the first device that directs the first device to suspend delivery of therapy, and the message is sent via the second device.

32. A device comprising:

a transceiver to provide a local wireless communication session with a medical device;

a circuit coupled to the patient; and

a processor to receive medical event information from the medical device via the local wireless communication session and the transceiver, select a therapy to deliver to a patient based on the medical event information, deliver the therapy to the patient via the circuit, and coordinate delivery of therapy to the patient with the medical device via the local wireless communication session and the transceiver.

33. The device of claim 32, in which the processor sends a message to the medical device that directs the medical device to suspend delivery of therapy.

34. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions that cause a processor to:

receive medical event information from a medical device via a local wireless communication session with the medical device;

select a therapy to deliver to a patient based on the medical event information;

deliver the selected therapy to the patient; and

coordinate delivery of therapy to the patient with the medical device via the local wireless communication session.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, in which the instructions that cause a processor to coordinate delivery of therapy to the patient comprise instructions that cause a processor to send a message to the medical device that directs the medical device to suspend delivery of therapy.