Safety features for medical devices requiring assistance and supervision
First Claim
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1. A method for verifying proper use of a medical treatment device, comprising:
- authenticating an authorized person other than a patient to be treated using an authenticating device attached to said treatment device used to treat said patient, the authorized person enabling said treatment device to be operable during a treatment session at a treatment location;
generating an enabling signal to cause said treatment device to become operable in response to a result of said authenticating by a controller attached to, embedded in, or co-located with the treatment device;
generating, automatically and at predefined time intervals during the treatment session, one or more verification request signals requesting an individual other than said patient to input a verification response into a user interface of the controller in response to the one or more verification request signals, each of the verification responses including;
a first input verifying that said individual is present at the treatment location; and
a second input verifying the identity of said individual present at the treatment location;
prompting said individual to input the verification response into the controller via the user interface;
receiving the verification response to the one or more verification request signals;
verifying that the verification response was received at the user interface and confirming that the verification response was received from the individual other than said patient;
performing a warning procedure responsively to a result of said verifying, said warning procedure including;
generating a first signal to indicate an impending termination of the treatment session within a specified time if the verifying failed to confirm that the verification response was received at the user interface; and
generating a second signal to activate an alarm indicating said impending termination if the verifying failed to confirm that the verification response was received from the individual other than said patient;
waiting for said individual to input a verification response to verify his or her identity and presence at the treatment location within said specified time responsive to the generated first signal; and
terminating said treatment session of said patient responsively to lack of verification of the identity and presence of said individual other than the patient at the treatment location after said waiting.
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Abstract
An automatic locking system for a medical treatment device helps to ensure that an assistant is present during treatment of a patient. Among the features disclosed biometric authentication to verify that a trained assistant is present, a presence detector to ensure the assistant is continuously present during treatment, and warning and recovery processes that allow intermittent lapses in the continuous presence of the assistant.
87 Citations
37 Claims
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1. A method for verifying proper use of a medical treatment device, comprising:
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authenticating an authorized person other than a patient to be treated using an authenticating device attached to said treatment device used to treat said patient, the authorized person enabling said treatment device to be operable during a treatment session at a treatment location; generating an enabling signal to cause said treatment device to become operable in response to a result of said authenticating by a controller attached to, embedded in, or co-located with the treatment device; generating, automatically and at predefined time intervals during the treatment session, one or more verification request signals requesting an individual other than said patient to input a verification response into a user interface of the controller in response to the one or more verification request signals, each of the verification responses including; a first input verifying that said individual is present at the treatment location; and a second input verifying the identity of said individual present at the treatment location; prompting said individual to input the verification response into the controller via the user interface; receiving the verification response to the one or more verification request signals; verifying that the verification response was received at the user interface and confirming that the verification response was received from the individual other than said patient; performing a warning procedure responsively to a result of said verifying, said warning procedure including; generating a first signal to indicate an impending termination of the treatment session within a specified time if the verifying failed to confirm that the verification response was received at the user interface; and generating a second signal to activate an alarm indicating said impending termination if the verifying failed to confirm that the verification response was received from the individual other than said patient; waiting for said individual to input a verification response to verify his or her identity and presence at the treatment location within said specified time responsive to the generated first signal; and terminating said treatment session of said patient responsively to lack of verification of the identity and presence of said individual other than the patient at the treatment location after said waiting. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A medical treatment device, comprising:
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a medical treatment component; and a monitoring system configured to receive data from one or more sensors connected to the monitoring system to confirm the presence of a helper at a treatment location, the helper being different from a patient receiving treatment by the medical treatment component; the monitoring system being further configured to automatically request from the helper during a treatment session to verify a presence of the helper at the treatment location by generating, automatically and at predefined time intervals during the treatment session, one or more verification request signals requesting said helper other than said patient to input a verification response into a user interface of the monitoring system in response to the one or more verification request signals, each of the verification responses including; a first input verifying that said helper is present at the treatment location based on data received from the one or more sensors; and a second input verifying the identity of said helper present at the treatment location; the monitoring system being further configured to prompt said helper to input the verification response into the monitoring system via the user interface and to receive the verification response to the one or more verification request signals; the monitoring system being further configured to verify that the verification response was received at the user interface and to confirm that the response was received from the helper other than said patient; the monitoring system being further configured to confirm a pattern of presences of the helper over a plurality of said predefined time intervals during said treatment session in which the medical treatment component is operative to deliver therapy to the patient based on the verifying; and the monitoring system generating a signal indicative of an abnormal condition when the pattern of presences of the helper is not confirmed, and causing the medical treatment component to go into a failsafe operational mode to reduce risks to said patient during said treatment session. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for controlling an extracorporeal blood treatment machine at a treatment location to reduce risk of continuing a blood treatment by said extracorporeal blood treatment machine without the continuous presence of a helper other than a patient in the immediate vicinity of the extracorporeal blood treatment machine, comprising:
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prompting, by means of the extracorporeal blood treatment machine, for a first input from the helper which is effective to confirm the presence and identity of the helper at the treatment location of the extracorporeal blood treatment machine and, in response to receiving the first input, beginning a blood treatment process of the extracorporeal blood treatment machine; prompting, by the extracorporeal blood treatment machine at predetermined time intervals after confirmation of the first input, for a subsequent input by the extracorporeal blood treatment machine effective to confirm the continued presence and identity of the helper at the treatment location of the extracorporeal blood treatment machine and; (1) responsively to a receipt and confirmation of the subsequent input, continuing the blood treatment process by the extracorporeal blood treatment machine; and (2) responsively to any absence of a receipt and confirmation of the subsequent input, controlling said extracorporeal blood treatment machine to implement a failsafe operational mode thereof which includes discontinuing the normal blood treatment process to cause the extracorporeal blood treatment machine to go into the failsafe operational mode to reduce risks to said patient during said treatment session; and continuing the prompting for the subsequent input at the predetermined time intervals throughout the blood treatment process until the blood treatment process is complete or an absence of a receipt and confirmation of the subsequent input is determined; wherein the subsequent input is of a type that requires an action by the helper such that the attention and presence of the helper is confirmed. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A medical treatment device for verifying proper use of said medical treatment device at a treatment location during a treatment session by confirming of identity and presence of a helper at the treatment location, comprising:
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a medical treatment component; and a monitoring system configured to authenticate an authorized person other than a patient to be treated using an authentication device attached to the medical treatment device used to treat said patient, the authorized person enabling said medical treatment device to be operable to begin said treatment session at said treatment location;
wherein the monitoring system is configured to generate an enabling signal to cause said medical treatment component to become operable in response to a result of said authentication by the monitoring system attached to, embedded in, or collocated with the medical treatment device;the monitoring system configured to receive first input data from one or more sensors connected to the monitoring system to confirm the presence of the helper at the treatment location, the helper being distinct from said patient receiving treatment by the medical treatment component; the monitoring system being further configured to automatically request from the helper during the treatment session to verify the presence of the helper at the treatment location by generating, automatically and at predefined time intervals subsequent to the enabling signal during the treatment session, one or more verification request signals requesting, including by prompting, said helper other than said patient to input a verification response into a user interface of the monitoring system in response to the one or more verification request signals, each of the verification responses including; the first input for confirming that said helper is present at the treatment location based on data received from the one or more sensors; and a second input, that is manually entered by said helper via said user interface, for verifying the identity of said helper and determining the presence of said helper at the treatment location; the monitoring system being further configured to prompt said individual to input the verification response into the monitoring system via the user interface and to receive the verification response to the one or more verification request signals; the monitoring system being further configured to verify that the verification response was received at the user interface and to confirm that the response was received from the helper other than said patient; the monitoring system being further configured to confirm a pattern of presences of the helper over a plurality of said predefined time intervals during the treatment session in which the medical treatment component is operative to deliver therapy to the patient based on the verifying; and the monitoring system generating a signal indicative of an abnormal condition when the pattern of presences of the helper is not confirmed, and causing the medical treatment component to go into a failsafe operational mode to reduce risks to said patient during said treatment session. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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Specification