Systems and methods for providing remote diagnostics and support for surgical systems

• US 8,005,947 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2008
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Abbott Medical Optics Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Loschy, Robert V., Morris, Wes
• Primary Examiner(s): Boutah; Alina N.
• Application Number:
  US12/235,375
• Publication Number:
  US 20100076453A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,065 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 606/130
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2009/00887 Cataract
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00745 using mechanical vibrations, e.g. ultrasonic
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/008 using laser
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00802 for photoablation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00825 for photodisruption
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades

Abstract

Systems and methods for medical care, and more particularly, systems and methods for providing remote diagnostics and support for surgical systems. A central computer system is communicatively coupled to one or more computer-based surgical machines. The central computer system is programmed to monitor the operation of each of the surgical machines, diagnose any problems that occur with the machines, and notify a technician of potential problems with the machines to provide for an efficient support system that minimizes undesirable downtime of the surgical machines.

Claims

1. A service system for supporting ophthalmic surgical systems, the service system comprising:

a plurality of remotely located ophthalmic surgical machines each configured to transmit diagnostics data;

a plurality of personal digital assistants; and

a central computer system comprising a network connection communicatively coupled to each of the plurality of ophthalmic surgical machines and to each of the plurality of personal digital assistant, the central computer system further comprising a database of system profiles associated with each of the ophthalmic surgical machines, a database of technician profiles associated with each of the personal digital assistants, and a diagnostics engine configured to receive the diagnostics data from the ophthalmic surgical machines, the diagnostics engine including a computer-based algorithm configured to;

detect an operation fault of at least one of the plurality of ophthalmic surgical machines based on the diagnostics data and the database of system profiles, the operation fault indicating a service requirement of the at least one of the plurality of ophthalmic surgical machines; and

notify at least one of the personal digital assistants of the operation fault using the database of technician profiles.

2. The service system of claim 1, wherein the central computer system is configured to send software upgrades to any of the ophthalmic surgical machines upon receiving a request.

3. The service system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of ophthalmic surgical machines comprises one or more ophthalmic laser surgical machines, each of the one or more ophthalmic laser surgical machines configured to produce a total output energy amount during operation;

and wherein the central computer system is further configured to;

monitor the total output energy amount of each of the one or more ophthalmic laser surgical machines; and

detect the operation fault when the total output energy amount of at least one of the one or more ophthalmic laser surgical machines exceeds a threshold energy level.

4. The service system of claim 3, wherein the central computer system comprises a database of profiles for each of the one or more ophthalmic laser surgical machines, the database of profiles based on at least one of the total output energy amount of each of the one or more ophthalmic laser surgical machines, a beam steering error, a coolant level error, a shutter error, a laser diode error, a galvo positioning error, a wavefront measurement, and a voltage measurement, and wherein the central computer system is further configured to predict the service requirement using the database of profiles.

5. The service system of claim 3, wherein the central computer system is further configured to:

determine a rate of change of the total output energy amount of each of the one or more ophthalmic laser surgical machines; and

detect the operation fault when the rate of change of the total output energy amount of at least one of the one or more ophthalmic laser surgical machines exceeds a threshold rate.

6. The service system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of ophthalmic surgical machines comprises one or more phacoemulsification machines, each of the one or more phacoemulsification machines having a rotary vain pump, and wherein the central computer system is further configured to:

monitor a total usage of the rotary vain pump of each of the one or more phacoemulsification machines; and

detect the operation fault when the total usage of the rotary vain pump of at least one of the one or more phacoemulsification machines exceeds a threshold value.

7. The service system of claim 6 wherein the database of system profiles comprises a database of system profiles for each of the one or more phacoemulsification machines, the database of system profiles for each of the one or more phacoemulsification machines based on at least one of the total usage of the rotary vain pump of each of the one or more phacoemulsification machines, an amount of time for priming, a vacuum performance, a power performance, a power error, a temperature error, a computer error, a safety error, a footswitch error, an account warranty status, and a serial/lot number, and wherein the central computer system is further configured to predict the service requirement using the database of system profiles.

8. A support system for a plurality of remotely located ophthalmic surgical machines, the support system comprising:

a plurality of personal digital assistants; and

a central computer system comprising a network connection communicatively coupled to each of the plurality of ophthalmic surgical machines and to each of the plurality of personal digital assistants, the central computer system further comprising a database of system profiles associated with each of the ophthalmic surgical machines, a database of technician profiles associated with each of the personal digital assistants, and a diagnostics engine configured to receive diagnostics data from the ophthalmic surgical machines, the diagnostics engine including a computer-based algorithm configured to;

detect an operation fault of at least one of the plurality of ophthalmic surgical machines based on the diagnostics data and the database of system profiles, the operation fault indicating a service requirement of the at least one of the plurality of ophthalmic surgical machines; and

transmit an alert to at least one of the personal digital assistants using the database of technician profiles, the alert indicating the operation fault.

9. The ophthalmic surgical system of claim 8, wherein the central computer system is further programmed to send software upgrades to any of the ophthalmic surgical machines upon a request.

10. The ophthalmic surgical system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of remotely located ophthalmic surgical machines include one or more ophthalmic laser surgical machines, each producing an amount of total output energy during operation, and wherein the central computer system is configured to:

monitor the amount of total output energy of each of the one or more ophthalmic laser surgical machines; and

notify at least one of the personal digital assistants when the amount of total output energy of one or more ophthalmic laser surgical machines exceeds a threshold energy level.

11. The ophthalmic surgical system of claim 10, wherein the central computer system is further configured to:

calculate a rate of change of the amount of total output energy for each of the one or more ophthalmic laser surgical machines; and

notify at least one of the personal digital assistants when the rate of change of the amount of total output energy for one or more of the ophthalmic laser surgical machines exceeds a threshold rate.

12. The ophthalmic surgical system of claim 8, wherein one or more of the ophthalmic surgical machines are phacoemulsification machines each having a rotary vain pump, and wherein the central computer system is further configured to:

monitor a total usage of the rotary vain pump of each of the one or more phacoemulsification machines; and

notify at least one of the personal digital assistants when the total usage of one of the rotary vain pumps exceeds a threshold value.

13. The ophthalmic surgical system of claim 8, wherein the central computer system is further configured to compare the data with the database of system profiles to predict the service requirement.

14. The ophthalmic surgical system of claim 8, wherein a first ophthalmic surgical machine comprises a plurality of components, wherein the central computer system is further configured to predict the service requirement of a first component of the plurality of components.