Medical system organized and operating to adjust for delays associated with patients proceeding through the system

• US 6,421,649 B1
• Filed: 05/17/1999
• Issued: 07/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Rattner, Manfred
• Primary Examiner(s): RIMELL, SAMUEL G
• Application Number:
  US09/313,470
• Time in Patent Office: 1,156 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/2, 705/9, 700/100
• US Class Current: 705/2
• 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

Abstract

A medical system has a number of data processors which are allocated to medical organizational units of a similar type or of different types, these data processors being connected for data exchange. The medical system is operated such that data related to the medical system concerning time sequences for the flow of material and/or persons between the organizational units can be entered at individual or at all data processing units of the medical system, and can be retrieved immediately by each data processing means of the medical system, so that pre-planned flow sequences can be adjusted, as needed.

Claims

1. A medical system comprising:

a plurality of organizational units adapted for respectively performing procedures, at respective predetermined times, in a predetermined sequence of procedures relating to a treatment of a patent;

a plurality of data processing units respectively associated with said organizational units;

a communication network connecting all of said data processing units for data exchange therebetween;

at least one of said data processing units having an input unit allowing entry of an input of a time increment delay which effects the respective times at which the respective procedures in at least some of the other organizational units in said predetermined sequence, said time increment delay input being immediately retrieved by the respective data processing units via said communication network; and

a control computer, connected to said communication network, which overrides all of said data processing units receiving and processing said time increment delay input, said control computer producing processed information relating to said time increment delay and immediately making said processed information available to all of said data processing units via said communication network, said control computer interrogates at least some of said data processing units as to whether said predetermined sequence can be maintained, and processing any time increment delays entered via the respective data processing units and adjusts said predetermined sequence dependent on said time increment delays to produce an updated sequence, and said control computer makes said updated sequence immediately available to all of said data processing units via said communication network.

2. A medical system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control computer cyclically interrogates said data processing units as to whether said predetermined time sequence can be maintained.

3. A medical system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control computer transmits a control command to respective data processing units of respective organizational units prior to an occurrence of a procedure at the respective organizational unit in said predetermined sequence, said control command prompting the data processing unit which receives said control command to emit a humanly perceptible signal as an indication of said occurrence of said procedure.

4. A medical system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said organizational units comprise units selecting from the group consisting of operating rooms, nursing stations, and anesthesia stations, patient transport units, and medical material management units.