Remote medical device access

• US 7,103,578 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2001
• Issued: 09/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care Inc. (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Beck, Timothy L., Young, Morris J., Meek, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Winter, John M.
• Application Number:
  US09/866,260
• Publication Number:
  US 20020178126A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,929 Days
• Field of Search: 705/75, 705/1, 434/236, 600/300, 128/920
• US Class Current: 705/75
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/60 relating to nutrition control, e.g. diets
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0421 Anonymous communication, i.e. the party's identifiers are hidden from the other party or parties, e.g. using an anonymizer
• 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: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/92 Computer assisted medical diagnostics

Abstract

Systems, client computing devices, server computing devices, and methods are disclosed for accessing medical devices, providing remote access to medical devices and/or remotely accessing medical devices. In one exemplary embodiment, client computing devices utilize protocol components that may be obtained from a server computing device via a network to communicate with medical devices in a communications protocol supported by the medical device.

Claims

1. A first computing device for accessing a medical device operably coupled to a second computing device via a network, the first computing device comprising:

a storage device comprising a plurality of protocol components that configure the second computing device to communicate with a plurality of medical devices in accordance with communications protocols supported by the plurality of medical devices;

a memory comprising a plurality of instructions;

a network interface adapted to communicate with the second computing device via the network; and

a processor operably coupled to the storage device, the memory, and the network interface and adapted to execute the plurality of instructions to cause the processor

to receive from the second computing device via the network interface identification information from which a medical device type of the medical device coupled to the second computing device is determined,

to provide protocol component information to the second computing device via the network interface which identifies the protocol component from the plurality of protocol components for the second computing device to use to communicate with the medical device, and

to receive measurement data from the medical device via the network interface in response to the second computing device communicating with medical device via the protocol component identified by the protocol component information.

2. The first computing device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, further causes the processor to transfer the protocol component identified by the protocol component information to the second computing device via the network interface prior to receiving the measurement data.

3. The first computing device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, further causes the processor to

transfer to the second computing device via the network interface, the protocol component identified by the protocol component information if the second computing device does not have a copy of the protocol component identified by the protocol component information.

4. The first computing device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, further causes the processor to

receive authentication information from the second computing device via the network interface, and

store the measurement data received from the medical device in the storage device such that the measurement data is associated with any previously received data associated with the authentication information.

5. The first computing device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, further causes the processor to

analyze the measurement data received from the medical device to obtain results data in a markup language format, and

provide the second computing device via the network interface with the results data in the markup language format.

6. The first computing device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the processor, further causes the processor to

receiving measurement data from the medical device via the network interface that is indicative of at least one blood glucose measurement.