AU2021101362A4 - A Wireless Networking of Medical Equipment’s on Mobile Application for Paperless Clinic - Google Patents

Abstract

A WIRELESS NETWORKING OF MEDICAL EQUIPMENT'S ON MOBILE APPLICATION FOR PAPERLESS CLINIC The present invention relates to wireless networking of medical equipment's on mobile application for paperless clinic. An interface circuit coupled to each medical device communicates with one of plurality of relay modules via wireless relay network. The relay modules communicate with the remote monitoring device over an internet accessible wireless communication network. Each relay module includes a receiver coupled to the wireless relay network first transmitter coupled to the wireless relay network second transmitter coupled to the internet accessible wireless communications network and controller. The controller determines status of the internet accessible wireless communications network. When the status indicates that the internet accessible wireless communications network is accessible to the wireless relay module the second transmitter is selected for transmitting medical device data. Following invention is described in detail with the help of Figure 1 of sheet 1 showinga schematic diagram of the proposed invention. 3/3 RECEIVE MESSAGE FOR MEDICAL DEVICE OVER 502 WV/AN AT A FIRST RELAY DEVICE DETERMINE WHETHER INTERFACE 504 DEVICE IS IN FACILITY DEVICE IN / DISCARD FACILESAE Y508 DETERMINE WHETHER INTERFACE DEVICE IS51 ACCESSIBLE TO FIRST RELAY DEVICE VIA WJLAN 'WPAN 516 514 i DETERMINE ACCESS y DEVICE STATUS FCRSECOND ACCESSIBLE RELAY MOC JLE VIA TRANSMTWLAN;ViPAN To512 A_ INTERFACE SECOND 518 DEVICE BY FjR ' RELAY I R1 LAY MODULE MODLEACCESSIBLE'-NnULE LN TRANSMIT MESSAGE ISSUE ALARM TO SECOND RELAY 522 NOTIFICATIONBY MODULE VIA WLAN FIRST RELAY WPAN MODULE 520 Figure 3

Description

3/3

RECEIVE MESSAGE FOR MEDICAL DEVICE OVER 502 WV/AN AT A FIRST RELAY DEVICE

DETERMINE WHETHER INTERFACE 504 DEVICE IS IN FACILITY

DEVICE IN / DISCARD FACILESAE

Y508 DETERMINE WHETHER INTERFACE DEVICE IS51 ACCESSIBLE TO FIRST RELAY DEVICE VIA WJLAN 'WPAN 516 514 i DETERMINE ACCESS yDEVICE STATUS FCRSECOND ACCESSIBLE RELAY MOC JLE VIA TRANSMTWLAN;ViPAN

To512 A_ INTERFACE SECOND 518 DEVICE BY FjR ' RELAY I R1 LAY MODULE NnULE MODLEACCESSIBLE'- LN

TRANSMIT MESSAGE ISSUE ALARM TO SECOND RELAY 522 NOTIFICATIONBY MODULE VIA WLAN FIRST RELAY WPAN MODULE 520

Figure 3

A WIRELESS NETWORKING OF MEDICAL EQUIPMENT'S ON MOBILE APPLICATION FOR PAPERLESS CLINIC

Technical field of invention:

[001] Present invention in general relates to the field of wireless networking and medical devices and more specifically to a wireless networkingfor providing networked communications between a series of medical devices and remote monitoring devices via wireless relay networks and intemet-accessible wireless communications networks.

Background of the invention:

[002] The background information herein below relates to the present disclosure but is not necessarily prior art.

[003] In critical care and home care health service centers including hospitals, clinics, assisted living centers and the like, care giver-patient interaction time is at a premium. Moreover, response times by care givers to significant health conditions and events can be critical. Systems of centralized monitoring have been developed to better manage care giver '0 time and patient interaction. In such systems, physiological data from each patient is transmitted to a centralized location. At this centralized location, a single or small number of technicians monitor all of this patient information to determine patient status. Information indicating a patient alarm condition will cause the technicians and/or system to communicate with local care givers to provide immediate patient attention, for example via wireless pagers and/or cell phones, and/or by making a facility-wide audio page.

[004] Implementing such centralized monitoring systems using wireless networks may present a number of difficulties. In order to effectively monitor patient status using information provided by a variety of medical devices that may dynamically assigned to patients in a variety of rooms and on a variety of floors in a facility, it would be desirable to establish communications between the medical devices and the centralized location by means of a local area network such as, for example, a "WiFi" network based on IEEE 802. 1 1 standards. However, as such networks are typically already in place in facilities to support a variety of other functions (for example, physician access to electronic medical records

(EMRs), facility administrative systems and other functions), it is often undesirable to secure sufficient local areanetwork access for the purpose of providing centralized monitoring. Moreover, when a patient is located remotely from a critical care health service center (for example, at home), access to traditional local area network facilities such as a Wi-Fi network may be unavailable or not sufficiently reliable to support critical care monitoring applications.

[005] Clearly, for improved efficiencies in centralized monitoring of critical care and home care health service centers, it may be desirable to provide a single "off-site" centralized monitoring location for monitoring several geographically-dispersed critical care health service centers.

[006] One alternative to conventional Wi-Fi or IEEE 802 11-based local area networks, are ZIGBEE networks based on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard for wireless personal area networks have been used for collecting information from a variety of medical devices in accordance with IEEE 11073 Device Specializations for point-of-care medical device communication, including for example pulse oximeters, blood pressure monitors, pulse monitors, weight scales and glucose meters. See, e.g., ZIGBEE Wireless Sensor Applications for Health, Wellness and Fitness, the ZIGBEE Alliance, March 2009, which is incorporated by reference '0 herein in its entirety. ZIGBEE networks provide the advantage of being dynamically configurable, for example, in "self-healing" mesh configurations, and operating with low power requirements (enabling, for example, ZIGBEE transceivers to be integrally coupled to the medical devices under battery power). However, transmission ranges between individual ZIGBEE transceivers are generally limited to no more than several hundred feet. As a consequence, such networks are generally unusable for centralized monitoring locations located off-site. Also, in accordance with applicable patient data privacy provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), it would be desirable to provide a network architecture that addresses secure transmission of information between the monitored medical devices and the central monitoring location.

[007] Thus, it would be desirable to provide a wireless networking for centralized monitoring of medical devices that couples wireless personal area networks in communication with remote monitored medical devices that overcome the disadvantages of the previously described prior art wireless networking of medical equipment's.

Objective of the invention

[008] An objective of the present invention is to attempt to overcome the problems of the prior art and provide an improved wireless networking of medical equipment's on mobile application for paperless clinic.

[009] These and other objects and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the further disclosure to be made in the detailed description given below.

Summary of the invention:

[0010] Accordingly following invention provides awireless networking of medical equipment's on mobile application for paperless clinic. The proposed invention is directed to network architectures for providing networked communications between a series of medical devices and remote monitoring devices. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, one or more medical devices including, for example, enteral feeding, thermometers, pulse oximeters, respirators, blood pressure monitors, pulse monitors, weight scales and glucose meters) are provided at a patient facility. An interface circuit is coupled to '0 each medical device, and is configured for communicating with one of a plurality of wireless relay modules via a wireless relay network. The wireless relay modules are further configured to communicate with a remote monitoring device over an internet-accessible wireless communication network, and preferably, a wireless wide-area network (WWAN) such as a mobile telephone data network, e.g. 3G or 4G network. Also, for compliance for example with HIPAA regulations, communications over each of the wireless networks are preferably conducted securely.

[0011] Each of the plurality of wireless relay modules includes a receiver capable of wirelessly receiving medical device data from respective interface circuits via the wireless relay network, a first transmitter capable of wirelessly transmitting medical device data to another one of the wireless relay modules over the wireless relay network, a second transmitter capable of wirelessly transmitting data over an internet-accessible wireless communications network; and a controller coupled to the first and second transmitters. The controller is configured to determine access status of the internet-accessible wireless communications network, and to select one of the first or second transmitters based on that status. For example, when the status indicates that the internet-accessible wireless communications network is accessible to the wireless relay module, the controller selects the second transmitter for transmitting medical device data transmitted by the interface circuit to the intemet-accessible wireless communications network. When the status indicates that the intemet-accessible wireless communications network not accessible, the controller selects the first transmitter for transmitting the medical device data to another one of the wireless relay modules. In this manner, additional attempts to transmit the medical device data over the intemet-accessible wireless communication network can be attempted by this other wireless relay module (and potentially additional ones of the wireless relay modules) until a successful transmission is achieved.

Brief description of drawing:

[0012] This invention is described by way of example with reference to the following drawing where,

[0013] Figure 1 of sheet 1 illustrates the proposed invention. Where, '0 01 denotes internet, 02denotes cellular data connection, 10denotes medical device, 15denotes interface circuit, 20denotes patient facility, 30denotes relay module, 40denotes access point, 41denotes web server 42denotes storage server, 43denotes web server, 50denotes broad band network, 61, 62 & 63denotes remote monitoring device.

[0014] Figure 2 of sheet 2 illustrates a flow diagram of first exemplary methodof operation.

[0015] Figure 2 of sheet 2 illustratesa flow diagram of a second exemplary method of operation.

[0016] In order that the manner in which the above-cited and other advantages and objects of the invention are obtained, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be referred, which are illustrated in the appended drawing. Understanding that these drawing depict only typical embodiment of the invention and therefore not to be considered limiting on its scope, the invention will be described with additional specificity and details through the use of the accompanying drawing.

Detailed description of the invention:

[0017] The present invention relates to awireless networking of medical equipment's on mobile application for paperless clinic. The proposed invention provides a wireless networking for providing networked communications between a series of medical devices and remote monitoring devices via wireless relay networks and intemet-accessible wireless communications networks.

[0018] For the purpose of illustrating the present invention, exemplary embodiments are '0 described with reference to FIGs.

[0019] A schematic diagram of an exemplary architecture for a system for monitoring medical devices in accordance with the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1. One or more medical devices are provided at a patient facility for monitoring the medical condition and/or administering medical treatment to one or more patients. Patient facility may comprise a critical care health service center (for example, including hospitals, clinics, assisted living centers and the like) servicing a number of patients, a home facility for servicing one or more patients, or a personal enclosure (for example, a backpack) that may attached to or worn by an ambulatory patient. Associated with each medical device is an interface circuit that includes a transceiver for transmitting and receiving signals in a facility-oriented wireless network such as, for example, a Low-Rate Wireless Personal Area Networks or "LR WPAN," ZIGBEE network or other low-power personal area networks such as the low power Bluetooth networks, e.g., Bluetooth 2.0, existing or presently under development or consideration. It should be understood that interface circuit may be contained within or disposed external to medical device in accordance with the present invention. Also provided within the patient facility are one or more relay modules.

[0020] As described in greater detail with regard to FIG. 3, each module includes a first transceiver for receiving signals from and transmitting signals to the interface circuits in the facility-oriented wireless network. Relay modules as depicted in FIG. 3 correspond to relay modules, and further include a second transceiver for wirelessly transmitting signals to and receiving signals from an access point as shown in FIG. 2 via a wireless wide-area network or "WWAN". Suitable WWANs for use with the present invention include, for example, networks based on a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) or Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) cellular network or associated with the 2G, 3G, 3G Long Term Evolution, 4G, Wi MAX cellular wireless standards of the International Telecommunication Union -Radio communication Sector (ITU-R). For compliance with HIPAA regulations, communications over each of the facility-oriented wireless network and WWAN are preferably conducted securely using, for example, using a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol or a Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol.

[0021] As illustrated in FIG. 1, a suitable access point useable with the present invention may include an inbound web server that incorporates or otherwise has access to a transceiver for '0 communicating with the relay modules over the WWAN. Medical device data received by the inbound web server over the WWAN is forwarded to a secure data storage server, which is configured for example to log the received data in association with identification information of the associated medical devices. An outbound web server is configured, for example, to receive and qualify data retrieval requests submitted by one or more of remote monitoring devices over a broad-band network (for example, over the Internet), to request associated medical device data to be retrieved from the secure data storage server, and to format and transmit the retrieved data to the one or more remote monitoring devices for display on associated device displays. While this disclosed architecture for the access point is illustrated with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, it should be understood that any architecture for the access point that enables the receipt, storage and retrieval of medical device data on a device display of the one or more remote monitoring devices is intended to be included within the scope of the present invention.

[0022] FIG. 2 presents a block diagram that further illustrates exemplary components of the inventive architecture that are located within or otherwise associated with the patient facility of FIG 1. In FIG. 2, a number of interface circuits and relay modules are arranged in a mesh network within the patient facility. The interface circuits and relay modules are configured to communicate with one another via associated wireless links. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention represented in FIG.2, the network is a ZIGBEE mesh network based on IEEE 802.15.4. However, the network may be organized according to a variety of other wireless local area network (WLAN) or WPAN formats including, for example, Wi-Fi WLANs based on IEEE 802.1 1 and BLUETOOTH WPANs based on IEEE 802.15.1.

[0023] In the illustrated ZIGBEE mesh network 16, each of the interface circuits includes a communications interface such as, for example, a wired communications interface, to an associated medical device. In addition, each of the relay modules includes at least one transceiver configured to communicate with other relay modules in the ZIGBEE mesh network. Relay modules further include at least a second transceiver for communicating over the WWAN with the access point.

[0024] The ZIGBEE mesh network provides the advantages of being self-configurable when one or more interface circuits and/or relay modules are added to the network, and self-healing '0 when one or more interface circuits and/or relay modules are removed from or otherwise disabled in the network. Sub-groupings of the interface circuits and relay modules may be provided in a defined geographic space (for example, on an individual floor or within a region of a floor in a multi-floor home or care facility).

[0025] FIG. 3 provides a block diagram illustrating exemplary components of relay module. The relay module of FIG. 3 includes a first transceiver for wirelessly communicating with interface circuits and other relay modules in the WLAN or WPAN network of FIG. 2 via an antenna. The relay module further includes a second transceiver for wirelessly communicating with the access point over the WWAN via an antenna. Each of the transceivers is in communication with a data processing circuit, which is configured to operate under the control of a processor to accept data received by the transceivers and store the received data in a buffer element. In addition, the data processing circuit is further configured to retrieve data from the buffer element under the direction of the processor and provide the retrieved data to a selected one of the transceiver or transceiver for transmission.

In order to make a selection, the processor is configured to communicate with respective status modules of the transceivers in order to determine a communications status of each of the transceivers.

[0026] The processor is also preferably in communication with an input/output circuit, which provides signals to one or more display elements (not shown) of the relay module, for example, for indicating a start-up or current status of the relay module, includingcommunication or connection status with the WLAN or WPAN network and WWAN. The input/output circuit may also be connected to user buttons, dials or input mechanisms and devices of module. The input/output circuit is further usable for providing alarm signals to indicate, for example, A/C power loss or loss of accessibility to the WWAN or wireless relay network.

[0027] Relay module may preferably be provided as a small physical enclosure (not shown) with an integral power plug and power supply circuit, such that the relay module may be directly plugged into and supported by a conventional wall outlet providing commercial A/C power. Relay module may also preferably include a battery back-up circuit (not shown) to provide uninterrupted power in the event of A/C power outage as well as for ambulatory use of the relay module. Alternatively, relay module may be provided with rechargeable and/or '0 replaceable battery power as a primary power source for ambulatory use.

[0028] FIG. 4 presents a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method of operation for the architecture according to FIG. 1 and relay module components of FIGs. 2, 3, relating to the transmission of medical device data obtained from a medical device to the access point. At step 402 of the method 400, the medical device data is received at a first one of the relay modules from one of the interface circuits 15 and/or other relay modules over the ZIGBEE mesh network. At step 404, the processor 34 of the one relay module determines whether the WWAN is accessible by that relay module.

[0029] The determination of step 404 may be carried out in a variety of manners. For example, the processor may interrogate the status module of the transceiver at the time of the receipt of the medical device data to determine a status of access for the transceiver to the WWAN (for example, asthe result of the transceiver detecting an access signal of the WWAN having adequate signal strength). Alternatively, the processor may interrogate the status module at a different time including, for example, at system start-up and/or periodically (for example, hourly), and maintain a status indicator such as in the buffer or another storage element to be retrieved at the time of receipt of the medical data. As yet another alternative, the relay module may be assigned a predetermined, fixed role within the network. For example, relay modules in the network may be assigned a data routing assignments by a controller or "master" relay module. By definition, the WWAN status for relay module that does not possess WWAN access capability shall have a fixed status of "WWAN inaccessible."

[0030] If, as provided for in step 404, the status module indicates that the WWAN is accessible by the transceiver, then the processor will proceed to step 406 to instruct the data processing circuit of the one relay module to retrieve the medical device data from the buffer (as necessary) and forward the medical device data to the transceiver for transmission to the access point over the WWAN.

[0031] Alternatively, in step 404, the status module may indicate that the WWAN is not accessible by the transceiver For example, if the one relay module is located on a basement floor of the building in an area that is substantially shielded with respect to WWAN signals, the WWAN may not be accessible to the one relay module. In this event, at step 408, the '0 processor determines whether a second relay module is accessible via the WLAN or WPAN. Again, this determination may be made in a variety of manners including by instructing the transceiver to send a handshake signal transmission directed to a second relay module and to listen for a reply, or by retrieving a stored status indicator for the second relay module.

[0032] If the second relay module is accessible, then the processor instructs the data processing circuit of the one relay module to retrieve the medical device data from the buffer (as necessary) and forward the medical device data to the transceiver for transmission to the second relay module over the WLAN or WPAN at step 410. Alternatively, if the second relay module is inaccessible in step 408, this portion of the process 400 may preferably be repeated to search for a further relay module that is accessible. Alternatively, or in the event that no other relay module is available, the processor of the one relay module may preferably issue an alarm notification at step 412. Such an alarm notification may, for example, include one or more of local visual and audio alarms as directed by processor via the input/output circuit of the one relay module, alarm messages directed by the processor to another accessible WPAN,

WLAN or WWAN via one or more of the transceivers and/or alarm messages generated by the inbound web server of the access point of FIG. 1 after a specified time period has been exceeded during which a handshake signal of the relay module is due to be received at the inbound web server.

[0033] FIG. 5 presents a flow diagram illustrating another exemplary method of operation 500 for the architecture according to FIG. 1, relating to the transmission of a message from the access point to be received by one of the medical devices. This enables the access point for example, to communicate with medical devices in order to download new firmware or software, to respond to error messages initiated by the medical devices (for example, to re-set a device or remove it from service, or to run device diagnostics), and to operate the medical device (for example, to adjust a flow rate on a feeding pump).

[0034] At step 502 of the method 500, the message is received at the first one of the relay modules from the access point via the WWAN. At step 504, the one relay module determines whether the message is intended to reach one of the interface circuits and/or other relay modules located in the facility. This may be accomplished, for example, by maintaining a list of active devices and modules in the buffer or in a manner otherwise accessible to the one relay module or coding an identifier of the interface circuit or module to include an identity '0 of the facility that is stored in the buffer 35 or is otherwise identifiable to the one relay module. In the alternative, the received message may include a device identifier such as a serial number or an assigned identifier. Such a received message would then be broadcasted to all or a subset of interface circuits in the facility and each interface circuit determines if it was the intended recipient or should otherwise act upon or ignore the message.

[0035] If the one relay module determines at step 506 that the interface circuit or module is not located in the facility, the one relay module may preferably proceed to discard the message at step 508, and/or alternatively alert the access point with a non-delivery message. If the interface circuit is located in the facility, the one relay modular determines at step 510 whether the interface circuit or relay module accessible to the one relay device via the WLAN or WPAN (for example, by consulting a list stored in the buffer or that is otherwise accessible to the one relay module, or by instructing the transceiver to send a handshake or test transmission directed to the interface circuit and to listen for a reply).

[0036] If the one relay module 30a determines at step 512 that the device or relay module is accessible, then at step 514, it transmits the message via network to that device or relay module via the transceiver. If the one relay module alternatively determines at step 512 that the device or relay module is not accessible, it proceeds at step 516 to determine whether a second relay module is accessible via the WLAN or WPAN (for example, by instructing the transceiver to send a handshake or test transmission directed to the second relay module and to listen for a reply). If the second relay module is available, then the one relay module forwards the message to the transceiver 31 for transmission to the second relay module over the WLAN or WPAN. If the second relay module is inaccessible, then this portion of the process 500 may preferably be repeated to search for a third relay module that is accessible. Alternatively, or in the event that no other relay module is available, the one relay module may preferably issue an alarm notification at step 522, preferably in one of the same manners described above in reference to the method 400 of FIG. 4.

[0037] The novel architecture disclosed herein for providing networked communications between a series of medical devices and a remote monitoring device provides a number of distinct advantages in comparison to other monitoring systems. By employing ZIGBEE networks based on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard according to a preferred embodiment for wireless communications between the medical devices and relay modules, power and size '0 requirements can be minimized so that the interface circuits can be easily and inexpensively applied to and/or integrated with the medical devices.

[0038] By introducing relay modules that are part of the ZIGBEE networks and are directly able to access off-site monitoring devices via a WWAN, access to and reliance on existing and potentially unreliable LAN facilities at a facility can be avoided. By incorporating relay features into the relay modules that relay communications from a first relay module 30a to a second relay module in the event that WWAN access to the first relay module has been compromised, the present invention improves reliability and enables the use of conventional, low-cost cellular transceivers in the relay modules for accessing the WWAN.

[0039] By limiting the configuration of cellular transceivers to just the relay modules, costs can be further reduced. In addition, providing the relay modules in a compact enclosure facilitates the relay modules to be easily connected to reliable commercial power sources and easily moved when needed to reconfigure the ZIGBEE networks according to facilities changes.

[0040] It should of course, be understood that while the present invention has been described with respect to disclosed embodiments, numerous variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the claims. For example, the present invention may be based on any of a number of current and future WPAN, WLAN and WWAN standards beyond those explicitly described herein. It should also be understood that it is possible to use exclusively relay modules in the WLAN or WPAN network of FIGs. 1 and 2, with transceivers for communicating with other relay modules as well as over the WWAN.

[0041] In addition, respective interface circuits useable with the present invention may include components of and perform the functions of the module to provide greater flexibility in accordance with the present invention. Further, numerous configurations of components for relay module are useable with the present invention beyond the components shown in FIG. 3. For instance, an input-output buffer may be used with respective switches under control of a processor for directing medical device data to transceivers as needed.

'0 [0042] The many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the detailed specification, and thus, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages of the invention which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and variations will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

Claims (5)

THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1. A system for providing communications between one or more medical devices (10) and a remote device connected to the internet comprising:

at least one interface circuit (15) coupled to one or more of the one or more medical devices (10) and capable of transmitting medical device data using a wireless data connection;

at least two relay modules (30, 30a), each of the at least two relay modules (30, 30a)wirelessly coupled to form a mesh network (16) of wireless relay modules, with each of the atleast two relay modules (30, 30a) comprising:

a first receiver capable of wirelessly receiving medical device data over the wireless data connection;

a first transmitter capable of wirelessly transmitting medical device data to another of the at least two relay modules (30, 30a) over the mesh network (16) of wireless relay modules;

a second transmitter capable of wirelessly transmitting medical device data over an internet accessible wireless communications network; and a processor (34) coupled to the second transmitter to determine if the internet accessible wireless communications network is accessible by the second transmitter and coupled to the first transmitter to transmit the medical device data over the mesh network (16) of wireless relay modules to another of the at least two relay modules (30, 30a) if the intemet-accessible wireless communications network is not accessible by the second transmitter.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said processor is configured to determine the connection status of the intemet-accessible wireless communications network and transmit medical device data over a communications channel by said second transmitter if said connection status satisfies a particular criteria; and is configured to transmit said medical device data by said first transmitter in communication with said mesh network of wireless relay modules if said connection status fails to satisfy said particular criteria.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a second receiver capable of receiving instructions and/or medical device data from said internet-accessible wireless communications network, wherein said first transmitter is further capable of transmitting the instructions and/or medical device data to said at least one medical device.

4. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said at least two relay modules each comprise: a memory electrically connected to said processor, said memory capable of buffering said received instructions and/or medical device data destined for respective ones of said medical devices, wherein said processor controls an order and/or priority for transmission of said instructions and/or medical device data to said respective ones of said medical devices.

5. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said at least two relay modules each comprise: a memory electrically connected to said processor, said memory capable of buffering said received instructions and/or medical device data destined for respective ones of said medical devices, wherein said processor controls transmission of said instructions and/or medical device data to all or a subset of said medical devices.