System and method for managing medical databases for patient care devices

• US 20060026205A1
• Filed: 07/30/2004
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carefusion 303 Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: Carefusion 303 Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Butterfield, Robert D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,359,338 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/20 relating to practices or guidelines

Abstract

A system and method for creating, managing and loading selected configuration datasets used to program a patient care device to have a selected behavior is provided. A common configuration database includes medical treatment guidelines and device operating characteristics for a plurality of patient care device types. A processor operatively connected to the configuration database is programmed to construct at least one device-specific configuration dataset for a selected device behavior from the common configuration database and load the device-specific dataset into the memory of a patient care device. Further, the device-specific configuration datasets may contain device communication information, including communication protocols and data structures, for a plurality of patient care devices types and behaviors to enable communication between patient care devices.

Claims

1. A patient care system, comprising:

a plurality of patient care devices capable of being programmed to operate in accordance with a specific behavior, each device including a memory for storing at least one device-specific configuration dataset for controlling the patient care device in accordance with the specific behavior;

a universal configuration database containing operating information for a plurality of device behaviors;

a processor operatively connected to the universal configuration database and configured to load at least one device-specific configuration dataset associated with a selected device behavior into the memory of at least one of the patient care devices to program the at least one patient care device in accordance with the operating information contained in the device-specific dataset; and

a communication system operatively connecting each of the plurality of devices to the processor.

2. The patient care system of claim 1, wherein each specific behavior corresponds to a different infusion pump system.

3. The patient care system of claim 1, wherein the operating information includes medical treatment guidelines.

4. The patient care system of claim 1, wherein the operating information includes device operating characteristics.

5. The patient care system of claim 1, wherein the operating information further includes communication protocols and data structures for a plurality of types of patient care devices to enable communication between the types of patient care devices.

6. The patient care system of claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to load a plurality of device-specific configuration datasets into the memory of one of the patient care devices, wherein each of the device-specific configuration datasets includes a plurality of device operating parameters representing the medical treatment guidelines.

7. The patient care system of claim 6, further comprising:

means for activating one of the loaded device-specific configuration datasets to program the patient care device to operate in accordance with a desired behavior in response to patient-specific information communicated to the patient care device.

8. A patient care system, comprising:

a plurality of patient care devices each having a memory for storing at least one device-specific configuration dataset;

a configuration database containing operating information including medical treatment guidelines and device operating characteristics associated with a plurality of a plurality of device behaviors;

editing means for editing the medical treatment guidelines, wherein the medical treatment guidelines that are common to multiple device behaviors are automatically edited for each of the corresponding device behaviors; and

loading means for selectively loading at least one device-specific configuration datasets into at least one of the patient care devices in accordance with a desired device behavior.

9. A system for creating device-specific configuration datasets for each of a plurality of desired device behaviors, comprising:

a common configuration database containing medical treatment guidelines and device operating characteristics for a plurality of device behaviors; and

a processor operatively connected to the common configuration database and configured to construct a device-specific configuration dataset for a selected device behavior from the common configuration database and load the device-specific dataset into a memory of at least one patient care devices to control the patient care device in accordance with the selected device behavior.

10. A patient care system comprising:

a plurality of patient care devices having a memory for storing a configuration dataset and a first processor configured to operate the patient care device in accordance with the stored configuration dataset;

a common configuration database in which is stored device communication information comprising communication protocols and data structures for a plurality of types of patient care devices;

a second processor operatively connected to the common configuration database and configured to load the database into the memory of a selected patient care device to enable communication between the selected patient care device and other patient care devices representing different device types than the selected patient care device; and

a network operatively connecting each of the plurality of devices to the second processor.

11. A method for creating device-specific configuration dataset for each of a plurality of device types, comprising:

storing operating information representing a plurality of patient care device behaviors in a common configuration database, wherein the operating information includes medical treatment guidelines, each guideline including a plurality of device operating parameters for programming a patient care device to have a selected behavior;

editing the device operating parameters for the medical treatment guidelines, wherein the parameters that are common to multiple device behaviors are automatically edited for each of the corresponding device behaviors;

constructing at least one device-specific configuration dataset from the common configuration database, the device-specific configuration database including only the medical information from the common configuration database associated with a selected device behavior; and

,

loading the at least one device-specific configuration dataset into a memory of a patient care device.

12. A system for recognizing medical treatment devices and for loading device specific information into a recognized medical treatment device to configure the device, comprising:

a communication module for establishing communication with a medical treatment device;

a recognition module configured to query the medical treatment device and determine an identification of the medical treatment device; and

a loading module configured to communicate with the medical treatment device, to construct a dataset from a plurality of stored datasets in accordance with the identification of the medical treatment device and to communicate the constructed dataset to the medical treatment device and load the dataset into the medical treatment device to configure the medical treatment device.