Safety features for medical devices requiring assistance and supervision
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for verifying proper use of a medical treatment device during a patient treatment session at a treatment location, comprising:
- generating, by a controller, attached to, embedded in, or collocated with said medical treatment device, an enabling signal, based on an authentication of an authorized person other than a patient to be treated using an authentication device attached to said medical treatment device used to treat said patient, to cause said medical treatment device to become operable during said patient treatment session at said treatment location;
generating, by said controller, automatically and at predefined time intervals during said patient treatment session, one or more verification request signals requesting an individual other than said patient to manually input a verification response into a user interface of said controller attached to, embedded in, or co-located with the treatment device;
prompting said individual to input said verification responses into said controller via said user interface;
upon receipt of said verification response from said individual, verifying that said individual is present at said treatment location and identifying that said individual is an authorized individual other than said patient based on said verification response;
generating an alarm signal to indicate an impending termination of the treatment session within a specified time if said verifying failed to confirm that the individual is present at the treatment location and that the individual is the authorized individual;
waiting for the authorized individual to input a verification response within said specified time; and
terminating said treatment session responsively to a lack of confirmation of the presence and identity of said individual at the treatment location after said waiting.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
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.
83 Citations
24 Claims
-
1. A method for verifying proper use of a medical treatment device during a patient treatment session at a treatment location, comprising:
-
generating, by a controller, attached to, embedded in, or collocated with said medical treatment device, an enabling signal, based on an authentication of an authorized person other than a patient to be treated using an authentication device attached to said medical treatment device used to treat said patient, to cause said medical treatment device to become operable during said patient treatment session at said treatment location; generating, by said controller, automatically and at predefined time intervals during said patient treatment session, one or more verification request signals requesting an individual other than said patient to manually input a verification response into a user interface of said controller attached to, embedded in, or co-located with the treatment device; prompting said individual to input said verification responses into said controller via said user interface; upon receipt of said verification response from said individual, verifying that said individual is present at said treatment location and identifying that said individual is an authorized individual other than said patient based on said verification response; generating an alarm signal to indicate an impending termination of the treatment session within a specified time if said verifying failed to confirm that the individual is present at the treatment location and that the individual is the authorized individual; waiting for the authorized individual to input a verification response within said specified time; and terminating said treatment session responsively to a lack of confirmation of the presence and identity of said individual at the treatment location after said waiting. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A medical treatment device being used during a patient treatment session at a treatment location, comprising:
-
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 and at predefined time intervals during the treatment session, generate one or more verification request signals requesting the helper to manually input of a verification response into a user interface of the monitoring system in response to the one or more verification request signals, the verification response verifying that the helper is present at the treatment location, and identifying that the helper is an authorized helper to be at the treatment location; the monitoring system being further configured to confirm a pattern of presences of the helper over a plurality of said predefined time intervals during of said treatment session in which said medical treatment component is operative to deliver therapy to said patient based on said verifying and identifying; and the monitoring system generating a signal indicative of an abnormal condition when the pattern of presences of the authorized 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 (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A method for controlling an extracorporeal blood treatment machine at a treatment location to reduce risk of continuing blood treatment of a patient in the absence of an authorized helper other than the patient received the blood treatment in the immediate vicinity of the extracorporeal blood treatment machine, comprising:
-
prompting, by the extracorporeal blood treatment machine, at predetermined time intervals after starting the treatment, for an input, manually entered by the authorized helper into a user interface of the extracorporeal blood treatment machine, effective to confirm 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 input to determine that the helper is present at the treatment location and that the helper is the helper authorized to be present at the treatment location, continuing the blood treatment process by the extracorporeal blood treatment machine; and (2) responsively to any absence of a receipt and confirmation of the input to determine that the helper is present at the treatment location and that the helper is the helper authorized to be present at the treatment location, implementing a failsafe operational mode 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, by the extracorporeal blood treatment machine, for the input at the predetermined time intervals to receive a subsequent input entered by the authorized helper into the user interface of the extracorporeal blood treatment machine 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 identity and presence of the helper is confirmed. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
-
Specification