Associating dialysis accessories using near field communication

• US 9,800,663 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2015
• Issued: 10/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Holdings Incorporated (Fresenius Medical Care AG)
• Original Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Holdings Incorporated (Fresenius Medical Care AG)
• Inventors: Arrizza, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Strange, Aaron
• Application Number:
  US14/640,364
• Publication Number:
  US 20160261974A1
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/14 Dialysis systems; Artificial kidneys; Blood oxygenators semi-permeable membranes characterised by the material, manufacturing processes therefor B01D71/00 ; Reciprocating systems for treatment of body fluids, e.g. single needle systems for hemofiltration or pheresis
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/1603 Regulation parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3569 sublocal, e.g. between console and disposable
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3584 using modem, internet or bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/48 Transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• 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 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A method comprising: establishing a wireless connection between a first medical device and a second medical device, comprising: receiving, by the first medical device, via a short-range wireless technology protocol, connection information related to the second medical device; and establishing, by the first medical device, a wireless connection with the second medical device based on the connection information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing a wireless connection between a dialysis machine and a dialysis machine accessory device, comprising;

receiving, by the dialysis machine, via a Near Field Communication (NFC) protocol, a wireless identifier unique to the dialysis machine accessory device, wherein the dialysis machine receives the wireless identifier from the dialysis machine accessory device as a result of detecting that the dialysis machine and the dialysis machine accessory device are in physical proximity to each other; and

establishing, by the dialysis machine, a wireless connection with the dialysis machine accessory device based on the wireless identifier using a communication protocol other than the NFC protocol, wherein the dialysis machine accessory device is granted permission to control functions of the dialysis machine and deliver data to the dialysis machine using the wireless connection.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by a connection device, from the dialysis machine accessory device, via the NFC protocol, the wireless identifier; and

providing, by the connection device, to the dialysis machine, via the NFC protocol, the wireless identifier.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the connection device is a wand.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the connection device is a smartphone.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the dialysis machine accessory device, via the NFC protocol, connection information related to the dialysis machine.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending, from the dialysis machine, a request to establish the wireless connection with the dialysis machine accessory device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the dialysis machine and the dialysis machine accessory device are positioned at a sufficient distance relative to each other for the dialysis machine and the dialysis machine accessory device to be close enough to communicate via the NFC protocol.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the dialysis machine receives the wireless identifier from the dialysis machine accessory device as a result of the dialysis machine and the dialysis machine accessory device making physical contact with each other.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein at least one of the dialysis machine and the dialysis machine accessory device includes an accelerometer configured to detect the physical contact.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the dialysis machine and the dialysis machine accessory device each includes a component configured to communicate via NFC.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the component includes an inductor.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the dialysis machine is electrically isolated from the dialysis machine accessory device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the dialysis machine accessory device comprises a blood pressure cuff.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless connection comprises a Bluetooth connection.

15. A method comprising:

establishing a wireless connection between a dialysis machine and a dialysis machine accessory device, comprising;

receiving, by the dialysis machine, a wireless identifier associated with the dialysis machine accessory device, the wireless identifier being communicated by a connection device according to a first wireless communication protocol and the wireless identifier being associated with a second wireless communication protocol other than the first wireless communication protocol; and

using the wireless identifier associated with the dialysis machine accessory device, establishing, by the dialysis machine and the dialysis machine accessory device, a wireless connection using the second wireless communication protocol; and

communicating medical data between the dialysis machine and the dialysis machine accessory device using the second wireless communication protocol, wherein the dialysis machine accessory device is granted permission to control functions of the dialysis machine and deliver data to the dialysis machine using the second wireless communication protocol.

16. A system comprising:

a dialysis machine comprising;

an NFC antenna configured to receive a wireless identifier related to a dialysis machine accessory device via an NFC protocol; and

an antenna configured to establish a wireless connection with the dialysis machine accessory device via a communication protocol other than the NFC protocol using the wireless identifier, wherein the dialysis machine accessory device is granted permission to control functions of the dialysis machine and deliver data to the dialysis machine using the wireless connection.