Medical device payment system

• US 9,076,187 B1
• Filed: 08/07/2014
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Uro-Solutions, LLC (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Advanced Uro-Solutions, LLC (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Laing, Brent, Green, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Lavert, Nicole F
• Application Number:
  US14/453,844
• Time in Patent Office: 334 Days
• Field of Search: 607 39- 44, 607/59, 607/144
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5035 Several programs selectable
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0456 Specially adapted for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation [TENS]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0502 Skin piercing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0551 Spinal or peripheral nerve electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36017 with leads or electrodes penetrating the skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3603 Control systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3606 adapted for a particular treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37247 User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/145 Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/22 Payment schemes or models
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/26 Debit schemes, e.g. "pay now"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/28 Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3223 Realising banking transactions through M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms

Abstract

Methods of providing payment for use of a medical device on a per-treatment session basis are disclosed. The methods include downloading treatment credits to the device linked to a customer account and activating the medical device when the number of available treatment credits is greater the one. The number of treatment credits downloaded to the device is based on at least one of a credit limit provided to the customer account and a number of prepaid treatment credits purchased by the customer. In other embodiments, the medical device monitors the number of treatment sessions performed and activates the device only when a customer'"'"'s account is current.

Claims

1. A method of providing payment for use of a medical device on a per-treatment session basis, the method comprising:

providing a customer computer system having a customer interface;

providing a medical device computing unit including a microcontroller for monitoring a number of treatment sessions available to the medical device and for activating the medical device when the number of treatment sessions available is at least one, the number of treatment sessions available determined based on at least one of a credit limit provided to the customer for postpaid treatment sessions and a number of prepaid treatment credits purchased by the customer;

receiving a treatment credit request transmitted through the customer interface, the treatment credit request having purchase information including at least one of payment of a number of postpaid treatment sessions already performed and payment for a number of prepaid treatment credits;

transmitting the treatment credit request from the customer computer system to a central payment server for validation;

receiving at the customer computer system validation information, the validation information corresponding to at least one of the number of postpaid treatment sessions paid for and the number of prepaid treatment credits purchased;

connecting the microcontroller of the medical device computing unit to the customer computer system;

transmitting the validation information from the customer computer system to the microcontroller; and

adjusting the number of treatment sessions available to the medical device based on the validation information.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether the number of treatment sessions available is at least one; and

activating the medical device based on a treatment session request when it is determined that the number of treatment sessions available is at least one.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting usage information from the microcontroller to the customer computer system, the usage information including a number of treatment sessions performed;

monitoring the usage information of the medical device through the customer computer system; and

providing the usage information to the customer through the customer interface of the customer computer system.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the microcontroller communicates with the customer computer system through one of radio frequency, Bluetooth, infrared, and a wireless Internet connection.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the microcontroller communicates with the customer computer system through a universal serial bus connection.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the medical device includes the customer interface of the customer computer system and a communicator to communicate directly with the central payment server.

7. A method of providing payment for use of a medical device on a per-treatment session basis, the method comprising:

providing a customer computer system having a customer interface;

linking the medical device to a customer account, the customer account for monitoring a number of treatment sessions available to the customer account;

providing a medical device computing unit including a microcontroller for monitoring usage information directed to a number of treatment sessions performed by the medical device, for updating a number of treatment credits available to the medical device based on the number of treatment sessions performed by the medical device, and for activating the medical device upon a treatment session request when the number of treatment credits available to the medical device is at least one;

connecting the medical computing unit to the customer computer system for transmitting at least one of the number of treatment sessions available to the customer account to the microcontroller, each of the number of treatment sessions available transmitted to the microcontroller corresponding to one treatment credit available to the medical device; and

updating the number of treatment credits available to the medical device based on the number of treatment sessions available to the microcontroller transmitted from the customer account.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising receiving a treatment credit request transmitted through the customer interface, the treatment credit request including payment for a number of prepaid treatment credits, each prepaid treatment credit corresponding to one treatment session available to the customer account.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the linking step further includes linking a credit limit to the customer account, the credit limit providing a number of postpaid treatment credits available to the customer account, each postpaid treatment credit corresponding to one treatment session available to the customer account.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

receiving payment information including payment of at least a portion of the postpaid treatment credits; and

updating the number of treatment sessions available to the customer account based on the payment information.

11. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

transmitting the usage information from the microcontroller to the customer computer system;

monitoring the usage information of the medical device through the customer computer system; and

providing the usage information to the customer through the customer interface of the customer computer system.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the microcontroller is connected with the customer computer system through one of radio frequency, Bluetooth, infrared, and a wireless Internet connection.

13. The method of claim 7 wherein the microcontroller is connected with the customer computer system through a universal serial bus connection.

14. The method of claim 7 wherein the medical device includes the customer interface of the customer computer system.

15. A method for providing payment for use of a medical device on a per-treatment session basis, the method comprising:

providing a computer system having a customer interface and a central payment server;

linking the medical device to a customer account;

providing the medical device with a medical device computing unit including a microcontroller for monitoring usage information directed to a number of treatment sessions performed by the medical device and a communicator for communicating with the computer system;

providing a user with a time certificate having an expiration date, the time certificate operable to be transmitted to the microcontroller, and the microcontroller operable to be activated upon an activation request based on the expiration date of the time certificate;

receiving at the computer system the usage information from the medical device computing unit;

billing the customer account for the number of treatment sessions performed by the medical device; and

updating the expiration date of the time certificate based on receiving payment for the number of treatment sessions performed by the medical device.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the microcontroller communicates with the customer computer system through one of radio frequency, Bluetooth, infrared, and a wireless Internet connection.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the microcontroller communicates with the customer computer system through a universal serial bus connection.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the medical device includes the customer interface of the customer computer system and a communicator to communicate directly with the central payment server.