Reliable communications for wireless devices

• US 8,923,768 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2013
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Abbott Medical Optics Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Ma, Dung, Lee, Fred
• Primary Examiner(s): HSIEH, PING Y
• Application Number:
  US13/765,537
• Publication Number:
  US 20130149967A1
• Time in Patent Office: 686 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/66.1, 455/450, 455/452.2, 433/77, 433/98
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00973 pedal-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/74 for increasing reliability, e.g. using redundant or spare channels or apparatus replacing by standby devices for amplifiers H03F1/52, H03F1/542
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/22 using redundant apparatus to increase reliability

Abstract

A method and apparatus for connectivity management of a wireless device is provided, such as a wireless medical device. The method comprises providing a wireless connection between at least two medical devices, the at least two medical devices comprising a primary medical device and a secondary medical device, causing the primary medical device to transmit and the secondary medical device to receive state signals wirelessly across a plurality of communication data channels, and reporting a non-active state for one of the plurality of data channels from the primary medical device to the secondary medical device using the plurality of communication data channels.

Claims

1. A method for managing communications between a plurality of medical devices, comprising:

providing a wireless connection between at least two medical devices, the at least two medical devices comprising a primary medical device and a secondary medical device;

causing the primary medical device to transmit and the secondary medical device to receive state signals wirelessly across a plurality of communication data channels, wherein the plurality of communication data channels comprise a primary communication data channel and a backup communication data channel, wherein the state signals are transmitted and received on the primary communication data channel and duplicate state signals are transmitted and received on the backup communication data channel, and wherein the transmission of the state signals and the duplicate state signals alternates so that the primary communication data channel and the backup communication channel are not transmitting the signals at the same time;

monitoring the health and status of the plurality of communication data channels, wherein the health and status of the plurality of communication data channels comprises signal strength and quality for said data channels; and

when signal strength or quality on both data channels drops below a threshold, switching from wireless transmission of the signals to transmission of the signals across a fixed cable.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the primary medical device comprises an optical surgical device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the state signals and the duplicate state signals are transmitted with different protocols on the primary communication data channel and the backup communication data channel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the state signals comprise status of the primary medical device.

5. A connectivity management system, comprising:

a wireless controller configured to communicate over a plurality of communications data channels; and

a wireless medical device configured to communicate over the plurality of communications data channels; and

a fixed wired connection as an alternate communications path between the wireless controller and the wireless medical device,

wherein the wireless controller and wireless medical device are wirelessly connected to exchange state information across said plurality of communications data channels;

the plurality of communication data channels comprise a primary communications data channel and a backup communications data channel;

the wireless controller and wireless medical device are arranged to transmit and receive the state signals on the primary communications data channel, transmit and receive duplicate state signals on the backup communications data channel, and transmit the state signals and the duplicate state signals alternately so that the primary communications data channel and the backup communications data channel are not transmitting the signals at the same time;

and the system is arranged to monitor the health and status of the plurality of communication data channels comprising signal strength or quality on both communications data channels, and to switch from wireless transmission of the signals to transmission of the signals across the fixed cable when the signal strength or quality on both data channels drops below a threshold.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the wireless controller further comprises a connection to a host system, the connection configured to forward wireless medical device state information to the host system.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein said wireless medical device and the wireless controller are arranged to employ a wireless communications protocol enabling a plurality of observed device state parameters to be transmitted between the wireless medical device and the wireless controller.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the wireless controller and the wireless medical device are arranged to transmit the state signals and the duplicate state signals with different protocols on the primary communications data channel and the backup communications data channel.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein the wireless controller further comprises a connection to a host system, the connection configured to forward wireless medical device state information to the host system.

10. The system of claim 5, wherein said wireless medical device is arranged to generate state information indicating a non-active state serving as a fail safe trigger.

11. A method for providing wireless communications for a wireless medical device, comprising:

transmitting observed state information across a communications network comprising at least one primary and one secondary communication data channel, such that the state information is transmitted on the primary communication data channel and duplicate state information is transmitted on the secondary communication data channel, and such that the transmission of the state information and the duplicate state information alternates so that the primary communication data channel and the secondary communication data channel are not transmitting the information at the same time;

monitoring the health and status of the plurality of communication data channels comprising signal strength or quality of both communication data channels; and

switching from wireless transmission of the state information to transmission of the state information across a fixed cable when the signal strength or quality on both communication data channels drops below a threshold.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein transmitting further comprises providing state information comprising status of the wireless medical device for the purposes of controlling a host system.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the wireless communications are between the wireless medical device and a wireless controller, and wherein the method further comprises generating and reporting an independent redundant fail safe trigger from the wireless medical device to the wireless controller.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the state information and the duplicate state information are transmitted with different protocols on the primary communication data channel and the secondary communication data channel.