Medical data transport over wireless life critical network employing dynamic communication link mapping

• US 9,848,058 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2008
• Issued: 12/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Johnson, David C., Sievert, Jim, Hoyme, Kenneth, Lalonde, John, Mass, William, Duccini, David V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Najarian, Lena
• Application Number:
  US12/228,915
• Publication Number:
  US 20090063187A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,410 Days
• Field of Search: 705 2, 705 3
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/045 with a separable interface unit, e.g. for communication
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/022 by applying pressure to close blood vessels, e.g. against the skin; Ophthalmodynamometers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0836 Measuring rate of CO2 production
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/145 Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissuemeasuring of blood pressure or blood flow A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/411 Detecting or monitoring allergy or intolerance reactions to an allergenic agent or substance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7232 involving compression of the physiological signal, e.g. to extend the signal recording period
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37282 characterised by communication with experts in remote locations using a network
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• 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 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/308 Route determination based on user's profile, e.g. premium users
• 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 67/30 : Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 : specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 : taking into account QoS or priority requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 : Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 : Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 : Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

A portable source medical device determines communication links of a network presently available to effect communications with a target component when the source medical device is at each of a multiplicity of geographical locations. A profile is generated comprising information about each available communication link and attributes associated with each available communication link for each geographical location. When the source medical device is at a particular geographical location, a profile associated with the particular geographical location is accessed and a network connection is established between the source medical device and the target component using a communication link associated with the particular profile. Medical information is transferred between the source medical device and the target component via the communication link associated with the particular profile.

Claims

1. A method of transporting medical information across a network configured to service a plurality of geographical locations, comprising:

querying the network by a processor of a portable source medical device movable relative to the plurality of geographical locations;

determining, by the processor, communication links of the network presently available to effect communications between the source medical device and a target component when the source medical device is at each of the geographical locations;

generating, by the processor, each of a plurality of profiles, wherein each profile comprises information about each of the available communication links and attributes associated with each of the available communication links for each of the geographical locations;

prioritizing, by the processor, the communication links;

storing all of the plurality of profiles in the source medical device;

accessing, by the processor, when the source medical device is at a particular geographical location of the plurality of geographical locations, a particular profile from the plurality of profiles stored in the source medical device that is associated with the particular geographical location;

selecting, by the processor, a communication link associated with the particular profile based on the prioritization of the communication links;

establishing a network connection between the source medical device and the target component using the selected communication link associated with the particular profile;

receiving medical information, by the processor, from one or more medical devices; and

transferring medical information between the source medical device and the target component via the selected communication link associated with the particular profile.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the prioritization of the communication links is based at least in part on one or more factors concerning the communication link, the one or more factors comprising bandwidth, integrity, and security.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the prioritization of the communication links is based at least in part on one or more factors concerning the communication link, the one or more factors comprising quality of service and level of guaranteed delivery.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the prioritization of the communication links is based at least in part on one or more factors concerning the communication link, the one or more factors comprising cost, profile of a user of the source medical device, and particulars of a service agreement that defines financial and usage terms as between the user of the source medical device and a central authority of the network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the prioritization of the communication links is based at least in part on one or more factors concerning the communication link, the one or more factors comprising priority or urgency of the medical information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the prioritization of the communication links is based at least in part on type of source medical device, the type of source medical device comprising at least an implantable cardiac rhythm management device, a physiologic sensor, and a patient sensor.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising selectively enabling and disabling capabilities of one or both of the communication link and target component services based on one of both of a profile of a user of the source medical device and particulars of a service agreement that defines financial and usage terms as between the user of the source medical device and a central authority of the network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the target component comprises a central authority of the network, and the central authority is configured to establish a communication path via nodes of the network having attributes indicated by the particular profile.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the profile is generated by the source medical device.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising determining the geographical location of the source medical device at least in part using a network implemented locating mechanism.

11. The method of claim 1, comprising determining the geographical location of the source medical device using a mechanism other than a network implemented locating mechanism.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the target component comprises a remote patient monitoring system.

13. A system for transporting medical information across a network configured to service a plurality of geographical locations, comprising:

a source medical device configured for portability relative to the plurality of geographical locations, the source medical device comprising or coupled to a mapping agent and a profile library, the mapping agent comprising;

a processor configured to execute program instructions for querying the network and determining communication links of the network presently available to effect communications between the source medical device and a target component when the source medical device is at each of the geographical locations;

the processor configured to execute program instructions for designating one or more of the geographic locations as a regular destination;

the processor configured to execute program instructions for generating a profile comprising information about each of the available communication links and attributes associated with each of the available communication links for each regular destination, to store each of the profiles in the profile library, and to prioritize the communication links;

the processor configured to execute program instructions for accessing, when the source medical device is at a particular regular destination of the plurality of geographical locations, a particular profile stored in the source medical device that is associated with the particular regular destination, select a communication link associated with the particular profile based on the prioritization of the communication links, establish a network connection between the source medical device and the target component using the selected communication link associated with the particular profile, and transfer medical information between the source medical device and the target component via the selected communication link associated with the particular profile.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to prioritize the communication links based at least in part on one or more factors concerning the communication link, the one or more factors comprising bandwidth, integrity, and security.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to prioritize the communication links based at least in part on one or more factors concerning the communication link, the one or more factors comprising quality of service and level of guaranteed delivery.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to prioritize the communication links based at least in part on one or more factors concerning the communication link, the one or more factors comprising cost, profile of a user of the source medical device, and particulars of a service agreement that defines financial and usage terms as between the user of the source medical device and a central authority of the network.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to prioritize the communication links based at least in part on one or more factors concerning the communication link, the one or more factors comprising priority or urgency of the medical information.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to prioritize the communication links based at least in part on type of source medical device, the type of source medical device comprising at least an implantable cardiac rhythm management device, a physiologic sensor, and a patient sensor.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein a central authority of the network is configured to selectively enable and disable capabilities of one or both of the communication link and target component services based on one of both of a profile of a user of the source medical device and particulars of a service agreement that defines financial and usage terms as between the user of the source medical device and a central authority of the network.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the target component comprises a central authority of the network, and the central authority is configured to establish a communication path via nodes of the network having attributes indicated by the particular profile.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the profile is generated by the source medical device.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein a locating mechanism of the network is configured to determine the geographical location of the source medical device.

23. The system of claim 13, wherein a location sensor integral or coupled to the source medical device is configured to determine the geographical location of the source medical device.

24. The system of claim 13, wherein the target component comprises a remote patient monitoring system.

25. A system for transporting medical information across a network configured to service a plurality of geographical locations, comprising:

a portable source medical device configured to receive medical information from one or more medical devices of a patient, wherein the portable source medical device is movable relative to the plurality of geographical locations and configured to query the network;

means for determining communication links of the network presently available to effect communications between the source medical device and a target component when the source medical device is at each of the geographical locations;

means for generating a profile comprising information about each of the available communication links and attributes associated with each of the available communication links for each of the geographical locations;

means for prioritizing the communication links;

memory configured to store all of the profiles in the source medical device;

means for accessing, when the source medical device is at a particular geographical location of the plurality of geographical locations, a particular profile stored in the source medical device that is associated with the particular geographical location;

means for selecting a communication link associated with the particular profile based on the prioritization of the communication links;

means for establishing a network connection between the source medical device and the target component using the selected communication link associated with the particular profile; and

means for transferring medical information between the source medical device and the target component via the selected communication link associated with the particular profile.