Body area network pairing improvements for clinical workflows

• US 8,957,777 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2010
• Issued: 02/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Inventors: Baker, Steven D., Lathrop, Braxton L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): OBINIYI, PAULSON IDOWU
• Application Number:
  US12/827,817
• Publication Number:
  US 20120001751A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,693 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/539.12, 340/539.3, 340/538.15, 340/538.16, 340/538.17, 340/539.11, 340/539.19, 340/539.21, 340/539.23, 340/539.24, 600/301, 600/336, 600/407, 600/481, 607/60, 607/61, 607/62, 607/64, 607/65
• US Class Current: 340/539.12
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0204 of power management
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0214 of power generation or supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0475 Special features of memory means, e.g. removable memory cards
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0223 Magnetic field sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0257 Proximity sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/166 the sensor is mounted on a specially adapted printed circuit board
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0024 for multiple sensor units attached to the patient, e.g. using a body or personal area network
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7285 for synchronising or triggering a physiological measurement or image acquisition with a physiological event or waveform, e.g. an ECG signal A61B6/5205, A61B6/541, A61B8/5207, A61B8/543 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7425 Displaying combinations of multiple images regardless of image source, e.g. displaying a reference anatomical image with a live image geometric transforms for image registration G06T3/14; enhancement using image fusion G06T5/50; algorithms for registration of images G06T7/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A method for establishing a connection between a first electronic computing device and a second electronic computing device includes moving the second electronic computing device so that it is proximal to the first electronic computing device. When the first electronic computing device detects the proximity of the first electronic computing device relative to the second electronic computing device, a radio on the first electronic device is set to a connectable and discoverable state. A wireless connection is automatically established between the first electronic computing device and the second electronic computing device. Data is transmitted between the first electronic computing device and the second electronic computing device.

Claims

1. A method implemented on a first electronic computing device for establishing a connection to a second electronic computing device, the method comprising:

moving the first electronic computing device so that the first electronic computing device is proximal to the second electronic computing device, the first electronic computing device being a medical sensor device that is placed on a patient to measure a physiological parameter associated with the patient, wherein the first electronic computing device includes a proximity detector including a first magnet and a magnet detector, the magnet detector configured to sense a presence of a second magnet within a certain proximity of the magnet detector, wherein the first magnet is recessed in the housing and positioned flush to a side of the housing;

detecting, using the proximity detector, the proximity of the first electronic computing device relative to the second electronic computing device;

upon detection, automatically setting a radio on the first electronic computing device to a connectable and discoverable state;

establishing a wireless connection from the first electronic computing device to the second electronic computing;

upon the establishment of the wireless connection, exiting the discoverable state;

upon the establishment of the wireless connection, allowing a clinician to verify that the medical sensor device is to be associated with the patient; and

when a determination is made that the medical sensor device is to be associated with the patient;

establishing an association between an identifier of the patient and data transmitted from the first electronic device; and

transmitting the data from the first electronic computing device to the second electronic computing device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

verifying that the first electronic computing device is operationally compatible with the second electronic computing device.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

powering on the first electronic computing device as a response to the proximity detection.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

powering on the radio on the first electronic computing device as a response to the proximity detection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the proximity of the first electronic device relative to the second electronic device further comprises activating the magnet detector in the first electronic computing device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically establishing a wireless connection between the first electronic computing device and the second electronic computing device further comprises:

receiving pairing information from the second electronic computing device, the pairing information being received over a wireless interface at the first electronic computing device.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein verifying that the first electronic computing device is compatible with the second electronic computing device further comprises sending a model and version number of the first electronic device to the second electronic device and confirming that the first electronic device is compatible with the first electronic device.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising setting a first connection mode providing a first class of error condition response.

9. The method of claim 2, further comprising setting a second connection mode providing a second class of error condition response, the second class of error condition response providing that an equipment alert is generated at the second electronic computing device when one or more error conditions occur at the first electronic computing device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more error conditions include a loss of the wireless connection between the first electronic computing device and the second electronic computing device, the determination that one or more items of physiological data are above or below a predetermined threshold, an equipment error at the first electronic computing device, and the determination by the second electronic computing device that no physiological data has been received from the first electronic computing device within a predetermined time interval.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein when one of the one or more error conditions occur, the logical connection between the first electronic computing device and the second electronic computing device is broken and pairing information between the first electronic computing device and the second electronic computing device is deleted at the first electronic computing device.

12. The method of claim 2, further comprising setting a third connection mode providing a third class of error condition response, the third class of error condition response providing that a lock is set on the first electronic device such that when the lock is set, the first electronic device is only able to connect to one or more specified electronic computing devices.

13. A medical sensor device, the medical sensor device including:

a system memory;

a processing unit;

a physiological sensor, the physiological sensor configured to be attached to a patient, the physiological sensor monitoring one or more types of physiological data from the patient;

a radio device, the radio device establishing a wireless connection to a patient monitoring device, the physiological data from the patient being transmitted from the medical sensor device to the patient monitoring device via the wireless connection;

a housing;

a printed circuit board;

a proximity detector comprising a first magnet and a magnet detector,

wherein the magnet detector is configured to sense a presence of a second magnet within a certain proximity of the magnet detector; and

wherein the first magnet is recessed in the housing and positioned flush to a side of the housing; and

a power source, the power source configured to switchably provide power to the medical sensor device,

wherein actuation of the proximity detector causes the radio device to be placed in a connectable state.

14. The medical sensor device of claim 13, wherein the magnet detector is capable of detecting a magnetic field from a source external to the medical sensor device and triggering when the magnetic field reached a predetermined threshold.

15. The medical sensor device of claim 13, wherein the magnet detector is connected to the printed circuit board and wherein the magnet is mounted on an external surface of the housing.

16. The medical sensor device of claim 13, wherein the magnet detector is one of a reed relay, a reed switch, a Hall effect sensor, a Hall effect switch, a giant magnetoresistance sensor or a giant magnetoresistance switch.

17. A patient monitoring device, the patient monitoring device including:

a system memory;

a processing unit;

a display unit, the display unit displaying medical data from one or more patients in a medical facility;

a radio device, the radio device capable of establishing a wireless connection to at least one physiological sensor device for a patient in the medical facility, the radio device receiving physiological data from the patient via the wireless connection;

a network interface to a server computer, the physiological data from the patient being transmitted to the server computer via the network interface;

a housing;

a printed circuit board; and

a proximity detector, the proximity detector including a first magnet and a magnet detector, the magnet detector configured to sense a presence of a second magnet within a certain proximity of the magnet detector,

wherein the first magnet is recessed in the housing and positioned flush to a side of the housing, and

wherein the radio device establishes the wireless connection to the physiological sensor device after the proximity detector actuates upon sensing the second magnet at a predetermined threshold.

18. The patient monitoring device of claim 17, wherein the magnet detector is connected to the printed circuit board.

19. The patient monitoring device of claim 17, wherein the proximity detector is comprised of:

a radio capable of providing ranging information; and

a trigger that actuates when the range between two radios reaches a predetermined threshold.