SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATIC CONTINUOUS AND RELIABLE PATIENT IDENTIFICATION FOR ASSOCIATION OF WIRELESS MEDICAL DEVICES TO PATIENTS

• US 20090184842A1
• Filed: 09/19/2005
• Published: 07/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Müsch, Guido, Baldus, Heribert, Klabunde, Karin, Such, Olaf
• Granted Patent: US 8,308,640 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.70
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/65 stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

The medical communication system comprises a plurality of medical identification devices (12). Each identification device (12) is attached to one particular patient (14). A registration processor generates a unique patient identification data that is stored in an electronic patient identification code memory (54). Each identification device (12) includes an intra-body wireless communication device (16) which transmits the patient'"'"'s identification on the patient'"'"'s body. A medical device (22), which is linked to the patient (14) to measure a vital function, periodically automatically receives the patient'"'"'s identification code to continually ensure association to a correct patient.

Claims

1. A medical communications system comprising:

a plurality of medical identification devices, each connected with one patient and including;

an electronic patient identification code memory, and

short-range, wireless communication device for communicating the patient identification; and

at least one medical device which is linked to a patient, each medical device including;

a means for automatically associating the medical device with the electronic patient identification code of the medical identification device connected to the same patient, and

a means for automatically verifying the association of the medical device to the patient.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the short-range communication device includes:

an intra-body communications transmitter that transmits the electronic patient identification code on the patient'"'"'s body, and

the medical device includes;

an intra-body communication receiver for receiving the patient identification code being transmitted on the patient'"'"'s body.

3. The system as set forth in claim 2, wherein the medical device further includes:

a means for causing the associating means to trigger storing the received patient identification code in a second ID code memory.

4. The system as set forth in claim 2, wherein the medical device further includes:

a second ID code memory in which the associating means stores the patient'"'"'s identification code received by the receiver.

5. The system as set forth in claim 4, wherein the medical device further includes:

a verification means for comparing the patient identification code stored in the second ID code memory and patient identification codes subsequently received by the receiver.

6. The system as set forth in claim 5, wherein the identification device periodically triggers the transmitter to retransmit the patient identification code stored in the ID code memory.

7. The system as set forth in claim 5, wherein the medical device periodically requests to transmit the ID code stored in the ID code memory.

8. The system as set forth in claim 5, further including:

a means for terminating the association of the medical device to the communication device when one of;

the received identification code is different from the stored patient'"'"'s identification code,

the identification code is not received within a pre-specified time period, and

manual actuation.

9. The system as set forth in claim 1, further including:

a means for generating an electronic patient identification code based on at least a record data of the patient in an information database and loading the electronic patient code into the identification code memory of the identification device to be connected with the patient.

10. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the medical device further includes:

a means for one of measuring a vital function and administering a medication.

11. A communication method comprising:

assigning a wireless patient identification device to a selected patient which identification device is encoded with an electronic patient identification code that uniquely identifies the selected patient which it is assigned to;

automatically associating the wireless patient identification device to at least one medical device which is linked to the selected patient to measure at least a vital function; and

automatically verifying the association of the medical device to the selected patient.

12. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein the assigning step includes:

generating a unique electronic identification code for the patient based on at least a record data of the patient in an information database; and

storing the patient identification code in a communication device ID code memory.

13. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein the associating step includes:

periodically wirelessly transmitting the patient identification code from the patient identification device.

14. The method as set forth in claim 13, further including:

receiving a first transmitted patient identification code at the medical device; and

storing the first received patient identification code in an ID code memory of the medical device.

15. The method as set forth in claim 14, wherein the verifying step includes:

periodically receiving the patient identification codes subsequently transmitted by the patient identification device; and

comparing the stored patient identification code and the subsequently received patient identification codes.

18. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein the communication device is attached to the patient.

19. The method as set forth in claim 11, further including:

communicating the electronic patient identification code to the medical device via an intra-body communication sensor.

20. A patient identification system for performing the method of claim 11.

16. The method as set forth in claim is, further including:

terminating the association of the medical device to the patient when one of;

the received identification code is different from the stored identification code,

the identification code is not received within a pre-specified time period, and

manual actuation.

17. The method as set forth in claim 16, wherein the termination step includes:

erasing the patient identification code from the medical device ID code memory; and

reporting the termination to at least one of a bedside monitor and a central station.