Medical system having plug and play function

• US 9,101,306 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2011
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care Inc. (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diagnostics International AG (Roche Holding AG), Roche Diagnostics Operations Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Bernini, Nicole, Buck, Harvey B. Jr., Eberhart, Andreas, Froech, Sybille, Gaa, Otto, Marquant, Michael, Rasch-Menges, Juergen, Roesicke, Bernd, Scherer, Joerg
• Primary Examiner(s): WINAKUR, ERIC FRANK
• Application Number:
  US13/240,092
• Publication Number:
  US 20120245438A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,419 Days
• Field of Search: 600/300, 600/301, 600/309, 600/310, 600/344
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0406 specially shaped apparatus housings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/045 with a separable interface unit, e.g. for communication
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0015 characterised by features of the telemetry system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0024 for multiple sensor units attached to the patient, e.g. using a body or personal area network
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14503 invasive, e.g. introduced into the body by a catheter or needle or using implanted sensors A61B5/1459, A61B5/1464, A61B5/1473, A61B5/1482, A61B5/14865 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14546 for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4839 combined with drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7271 Specific aspects of physiological measurement analysis A61B5/316, A61B5/349 and A61B5/374 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/74 Details of notification to user or communication with user or patient indicating measured values G01D7/00; user input means input or output arrangements for computers G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/98 using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37235 Aspects of the external programmer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/445 by mutual authentication, e.g. between devices or programs
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A medical system is disclosed, which can be useable in particular for monitoring and/or controlling at least one bodily function of a user. The medical system comprises a control device and at least one medical user element embodied separately from the control device. The medical user element and the control device are designed to exchange data wirelessly. The medical system is designed to enable an automatic assignment step, wherein an exchange of personal data between the medical user element and the control device is enabled by the automatic assignment step. The medical system is furthermore designed to automatically initiate the automatic assignment step by means of an assignment coupling between the medical user element and the control device. The medical system is furthermore designed to enable a separation of the assignment coupling for medical operation of the medical system after the assignment step.

Claims

1. A medical system for monitoring and/or controlling at least one bodily function of a user, comprising:

a control device; and

,

at least one medical user element embodied separately from the control device,

wherein the medical user element and the control device are configured to exchange data wirelessly,

wherein the medical system exchanges personal data between the medical user element and the control device in response to an automatic assignment step,

wherein the medical system automatically initiates the automatic assignment step in response to an assignment coupling between the medical user element and the control device, and

wherein the medical system is operable to perform a medical operation when the medical user element is uncoupled from the control device and personal data is exchanged during a medical operation;

wherein the assignment coupling comprises a temporary predefined coupling alignment between the medical user element and the control device and the alignment coupling is different than an alignment during a medical operation, wherein the medical user element and the control device have external shapes configured to create the temporary predefined coupling alignment there between, and the control device has a housing and the housing has at least one depression or an elevation corresponding to an external shape of the medical user element and the medical user element is temporarily introduced into the depression or can be applied to the elevation to create the assignment coupling.

2. The medical system as in claim 1, wherein the assignment coupling additionally comprises one or more of the following couplings between the medical user element and the control device,

a temporary physical coupling connection between the medical user element and the control device, via a coupling interface, a docking station, a wire-based connection, a wireless near-field connection or an infrared connection;

and

an indirect assignment coupling via at least one coupling element, wherein the medical user element and the control device can be temporarily connected to the coupling element simultaneously or successively.

3. The medical system as in claim 1,

wherein the medical system is configured to exchange at least one assignment identification via the assignment coupling, and

wherein the control device is configured to assign, in the medical operation, personal data, communicated by the medical user element on the basis of the assignment identification to said medical user element.

4. The medical system as in claim 1,

wherein the control device and the medical user element each have a detection device for detecting a biometric feature of the user,

wherein the assignment coupling additionally comprises a handling of the medical user element and of the control device by the user, and

wherein the medical system is configured to initiate the assignment step upon recognition of the same biometric feature by the detection devices.

5. The medical system as in claim 1,

wherein the medical system is configured to automatically start the medical operation upon or after successful completion of the assignment step.

6. The medical system as in claim 1,

wherein a plurality of medical user elements are provided and the control device and the medical user elements form a medical network.

7. The medical system as in claim 1,

wherein the medical system is configured to enable an automatic inclusion of further medical user elements by means of further automatic assignment steps.

8. The medical system as in claim 1, wherein the control device comprises at least one data processing device and the data processing device is configured to process the personal data at least in part.

9. The medical system as in claim 1, wherein the control device has at least one measurement function independent of the medical user element.

10. The medical system as in claim 1,

wherein the medical user element comprises one or more of the following elements,

a sensor for detecting at least one analyte in a body fluid that can be implanted into a body tissue,

a measuring device for detecting at least one bodily function;

an insulin pump, and a medical actuator device comprising at least one actuator for controlling a bodily function.

11. The medical system as in claim 1,

wherein the medical system is furthermore configured to enable an automatic separating step, and

wherein a further exchange of personal data between the medical user element and the control device is prevented by the automatic separating step.

12. The medical system as in claim 1,

wherein the medical system is configured to exchange complementary data records at least upon repeated momentary establishment of proximity between the control device and the medical user element in the medical operation.

13. A method for operating a medical system, comprising:

exchanging data wirelessly between a medical user element and a control device;

initiating an assignment step automatically with an assignment coupling between the medical user element and the control device;

exchanging personal data between the medical user element and the control device in response to the assigning step; and

separating the assignment coupling for subsequently medical operation of the medical system, wherein the assignment coupling comprises a temporary predefined coupling alignment between the medical user element and the control device and the alignment coupling is different than an alignment during the subsequent medical operation, wherein the medical user element and the control device have external shapes configured to create the temporary predefined coupling alignment there between, and the control device has a housing and the housing has at least one depression or an elevation corresponding to an external shape of the medical user element and the medical user element is temporarily introduced into the depression or can be applied to the elevation to create the assignment coupling.

14. The method as in claim 13, further comprising,

coupling temporarily physically between the medical user element and the control device, using one or more of a coupling interface, a docking station, a wire-based connection, a wireless near-field connection or an infrared connection;

and

assigning indirectly coupling with at least one coupling element, wherein the medical user element and the control device can be temporarily connected to the coupling element simultaneously or successively.

15. A medical system for monitoring and/or controlling at least one bodily function of a user, comprising:

a control device;

a medical user element embodied separately from the control device;

means for exchanging data wirelessly between the medical user element and the control device;

means for automatic assignment to exchange personal data between the medical user element and the control device;

means for automatic initiation with assignment coupling between the medical user element and the control device; and

means for performing a medical operation of the medical system after the assignment step and after the separation of the assignment coupling

wherein the assignment coupling comprises a temporary predefined coupling alignment between the medical user element and the control device and the alignment coupling is different than an alignment during the medical operation, wherein the medical user element and the control device have external shapes which define the temporary predefined coupling alignment there between, and the control device has a housing and the housing has at least one depression or an elevation corresponding to an external shape of the medical user element and the medical user element is temporarily introduced into the depression or can be applied to the elevation to create the assignment coupling.

16. The method as in claim 15, the assignment coupling further comprising

means for temporary physical coupling connection between the medical user element and the control device via a coupling interface, a docking station, a wire-based connection, a wireless near-field connection or an infrared connection;

and,

means for an indirect assignment coupling via at least one coupling element, wherein the medical user element and the control device can be temporarily connected to the coupling element simultaneously or successively.