Modular patient communicator for use in life critical network
First Claim
1. A modular patient communicator for communicating with a physiological sensor and facilitating connectivity with a central authority (CA) via an unsecured network, the communicator comprising:
- a housing;
a processor disposed in the housing;
a user interface coupled to the processor;
a universal communications port supported by the housing and coupled to the processor, the communications port comprising a connector configured to detachably mechanically engage and establish signal connectivity with each of a plurality of disparate modules, wherein at least some of the modules each has a disparate communication protocol that effects communications with a particular physiological sensor;
memory disposed in the housing and coupled to the processor, the memory configured to store medical firmware comprising program instructions for communications with the physiological sensor and life critical network (LCN) software comprising program instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to transmit a request to a network access facility for a connection to the unsecured network, authenticate the communicator to the CA, and facilitate secured communication between the communicator and CA upon successful communicator authentication; and
a power source configured to supply power for components of the communicator.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A modular patient communicator provides for communications with a patient implantable medical device (PIMD) and connectivity with a central authority (CA) via an unsecured network. Medical firmware and a radio facilitate wireless interrogation of the PIMD and acquisition of PIMD data. A universal communications port facilitates mechanical and signal connectivity with one or a multiplicity of disparate detachable modules, some of which provide the communicator with an external communications facility and have disparate communication protocols. The communicator is devoid of an external communications facility other than the radio and universal communications port. Life critical network software is executed in cooperation with an attached module to cause the communicator to transmit a request to a network access facility for a connection to the unsecured network, authenticate the communicator to the CA, and facilitate secured communication between the communicator and CA upon successful communicator authentication.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A modular patient communicator for communicating with a physiological sensor and facilitating connectivity with a central authority (CA) via an unsecured network, the communicator comprising:
-
a housing; a processor disposed in the housing; a user interface coupled to the processor; a universal communications port supported by the housing and coupled to the processor, the communications port comprising a connector configured to detachably mechanically engage and establish signal connectivity with each of a plurality of disparate modules, wherein at least some of the modules each has a disparate communication protocol that effects communications with a particular physiological sensor; memory disposed in the housing and coupled to the processor, the memory configured to store medical firmware comprising program instructions for communications with the physiological sensor and life critical network (LCN) software comprising program instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to transmit a request to a network access facility for a connection to the unsecured network, authenticate the communicator to the CA, and facilitate secured communication between the communicator and CA upon successful communicator authentication; and a power source configured to supply power for components of the communicator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A method for communicating with a physiological sensor and facilitating connectivity with a central authority (CA) via an unsecured network, the method comprising:
-
providing medical firmware and life critical network (LCN) software within a modular patient communicator; mechanically connecting one or more detachable modules of a plurality of disparate detachable modules to a universal communications port of the communicator, wherein at least some of the plurality of detachable modules each has at least one disparate communication protocol that is configured to provide the communicator with an external communications facility, wherein at least one of the one or more detachable modules effects communications with the physiological sensor; establishing signal connectivity between the communicator and the one or more detachable modules; acquiring data from the physiological sensor through the at least one detachable module and in accordance with execution of the medical firmware; and executing the LCN software to cause the communicator to transmit a request to a network access facility for a connection to the unsecured network, authenticate the communicator to the CA, and facilitate secured communication between the communicator and CA upon successful communicator authentication.
-
-
20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon which are executable by a data processing arrangement disposed in a modular patient communicator for performing steps comprising:
-
establishing signal connectivity between a universal communications port of the communicator and at least one detachable module of a plurality of disparate detachable modules when mechanically connected to the universal communications port, wherein at least some of the plurality of detachable modules each has a disparate communication protocol configured to provide the communicator with an external communications facility; acquiring data from a physiological sensor through the at least one detachable module in accordance with execution of medical firmware; and executing life critical network (LCN) software stored on the medium to cause the communicator to transmit a request to a network access facility for a connection to an unsecured network, facilitate authentication of the communicator to a central authority (CA), and facilitate secured communication between the communicator and CA upon successful communicator authentication.
-
Specification