SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COMMUNICATING OVER A NETWORK WITH A MEDICAL DEVICE

• US 20110179123A1
• Filed: 01/11/2011
• Published: 07/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eVent Medical Incorporated (Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: eVent Medical Incorporated (Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Company Limited)
• Inventors: Chamblee, Brent, Chan, Johnny Yat Ming
• Granted Patent: US 8,171,094 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A device is provided for connecting a medical apparatus to a network. The device collects data from the medical apparatus and performs a variety of processing functions, such as trending, protocol translation, generating reports, etc. related to the collected data. The device then transmits the collected data over a network to interested parties. In some implementations, the device can transmit the collected data as an email message.

Claims

1. A device for connecting a medical apparatus to a network, the device comprising:

a first port for physically connecting the device to the medical apparatus;

a second port for connecting the device to the network;

a data storage system for storing medical data received from the medical apparatus; and

a computing system programmed to perform protocol translation of the medical data, store the medical data, and at least one of generate a report related to the medical data, generate an applet for viewing the medical data, and perform trending on the medical data.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the computing system is further programmed to generate an email including the medical data.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the computing system is further programmed to generate the applet for viewing the data and transmit the applet along with the email including the medical data to the network.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the second port is connected to a different network and the medical data is received from the medical apparatus and transmitted to the second network without reconfiguring the medical apparatus .

5. A computer-implemented method of communicating with a network device over a network, the method comprising:

receiving data over the network from the network device, the data comprising an email message including the medical data and an applet or plug-in for displaying the medical data; and

outputting the medical data for display using the applet or plug-in;

wherein the network device is physically connected to a medical apparatus and the network device generates the email message including the medical data and the applet or plug-in for viewing the medical data.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the network device further generates reports related to the medical data and performs trending analysis on the medical data.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the network device is located within a medical institution.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the medical institution includes a firewall.

9. A device for connecting a medical apparatus to a network, the device comprising:

a first port for physically connecting the device to the medical apparatus;

a second port for connecting the device to the network;

a data storage system for storing medical data received from the medical apparatus; and

a computing system programmed to perform protocol translation of the medical data, store the medical data, and generate an email message comprising the medical data.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the computing system is further programmed to generate a report based on the medical data.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the computing system is further programmed to generate an applet for viewing the medical data and transmit the applet along with the email message including the medical data to the network.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the second port is connected to a different network and the medical data is received from the medical apparatus and transmitted to the second network without reconfiguring the medical apparatus.

13. The device of claim 9, wherein the computing system is further programmed to perform trending on the medical data.

14. A computer-implemented method of communicating with a client system over a network, the method comprising:

receiving, by a network device and from the client system over the network, an email message comprising a command;

performing protocol translation on the received email message so that the command can be communicated to the medical apparatus;

transmitting the command to the medical apparatus, wherein the network device is physically connected to the medical apparatus;

receiving a response from the medical apparatus after the medical apparatus has processed the command;

generating a response email message comprising the received response; and

transmitting the response email message to the client system over the network.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the medical apparatus is a ventilator.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the network device is located within a medical institution.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the medical institution includes a firewall.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising storing the received response in a data storage located within the network device.