WO2018091387A1

WO2018091387A1 - System and method for communicating data in a healthcare environment

Info

Publication number: WO2018091387A1
Application number: PCT/EP2017/078984
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alaster JONES
Original assignee: Fresenius Vial Sas
Priority date: 2016-11-16
Filing date: 2017-11-13
Publication date: 2018-05-24

Abstract

A system for communicating data in a healthcare environment (1), the healthcare environment (1) comprising a multiplicity of predefined, spatially separated zones (10-13) comprises at least one medical device (2) located within a zone of the multiplicity of zones (10-13) of the healthcare environment (1), and a server (4) connected to the at least one medical device (2) via a communication network (5) providing for a data connection between the medical device (2) and the server (4) for transferring operational data from the medical device (2) to the server (4). Herein, it is provided that the at least one medical device (2) is constituted to adjust a data throughput setting for the transfer of data to the server (4) based on the zone (10-13) the at least one medical device (2) is located in. In this way, a system for communicating data in the healthcare environment is provided, the system allowing to reduce or organize data traffic within the healthcare environment.

Description

System and method for communicating data in a healthcare environment

Description

The invention relates to a system for communicating data in a healthcare environment according to the preamble of claim 1 and to a method for communicating data in a healthcare environment. A system of this kind comprises at least one medical device located within a zone of the multiplicity of zones of the healthcare environment. A server is connected to the at least one medical device via a communication network providing for a data connection between the medical device and the server for transferring operational data from the medical device to the server.

The healthcare environment may for example be a hospital. A zone of the hospital herein may correspond for example to specific functional unit of the hospital, such as an intensive care unit of the hospital or a ward of the hospital. The medical devices may be infusion devices such as syringe pumps or volumetric (peristaltic) infusion pumps serving to administer a medical fluid - such as a medication, a nutritional fluid for the enteral or parenteral feeding of a patient or another medical solution - to a patient. A medical device of this kind may for example also be a rack serving to organize infusion devices for example at the bedside of a patient, the rack serving as a communication link for the infusion devices arranged on the rack and connecting the infusion devices to a hospital communication network. The communication network may for example be a communication network internal to the healthcare environment, such as an intranet making use of the Internet protocol (TCP/IP).

Medical devices such as infusion devices distributed throughout a healthcare environment such as a hospital frequently communicate with a central server of the healthcare environment. In particular, the server may transfer configuration data to the medical devices, such as drug library data for configuring the medical devices and for supporting the programming of for example infusion devices by a user to carry out an infusion operation. A drug library may for example pose boundaries for the infusion rate, the infusion volume, the infusion time and the like for particular drugs such that the programming of an infusion device by a user is limited and governed by the drug library data, hence improving the safety of infusion operations. During actual infusion operations, in turn, infusion devices may send operational data to the server, for example to report about the progress of an infusion, to update patient records or to report about events that have occurred during an infusion operation.

Overall, the multiplicity of medical devices present in a healthcare environment, for ex- ample a hospital, and the frequency of data transfer leads to a substantial strain of the communication network of the healthcare environment, due to all medical devices using the same network confined to the healthcare environment.

It is an object of the instant invention to provide a system and a method for communi- eating data in the healthcare environment, the system and method allowing to reduce or organize data traffic within the healthcare environment.

This object is achieved by a system comprising the features of claim 1. Accordingly, the at least one medical device is constituted to adjust a data throughput setting for the transfer of data to the server based on the zone the at least one medical device is located in.

Within the system, hence, the medical device may adjust its configuration based on a location information. In particular, based on the zone the medical device is located in the medical device is configurable and adjustable in its data throughput setting, such that medical devices in different zones may communicate with the server applying a different data throughput setting.

In one aspect, each zone of the multiplicity of zones may be assigned a dedicated data throughput setting, wherein the at least one medical device is constituted to apply the data throughput setting assigned to the zone the at least one medical device is located in. Herein, for example different classes of data throughput settings may exist, wherein each zone may be assigned to a particular class. For example, there may be zones in a healthcare environment, for example a hospital, which should allow for a communication with a high data throughput. Such zones may have a higher priority and may be for example intensive care units of a hospital or the like, in which a fast data communication may be essential for the operation of the medical devices in the zone. Other zones may exist having a lower priority, for example a general ward of a hospital. Medical devices located in such a zone may communicate with a reduced priority and hence may have a reduced data throughput.

In this way, thus, it is made sure that the overall data traffic may be throttled according to a data throughput setting of the medical devices based on the location of the medical devices in the healthcare environment. Hence, a medical device located in a zone of the healthcare environment generally attributed with a high priority should be given a high priority for its data communication and hence should have a data throughput setting allowing for a data communication with a large throughput. In turn, a medical device located within a zone being attributed with a low priority should be given a reduced priority for its data communication.

The data throughput setting may for example determine a data rate, a bandwidth and/or a periodicity for transferring data from the medical device to the server. Medical devices located in a zone of a high priority may for example communicate using a high data rate, a large bandwidth and/or a small periodicity. Medical devices located in a zone having a low priority, in contrast, may communicate using a small data rate, a small bandwidth and/or a large periodicity for transferring data to the server.

For example, a first data throughput setting assigned to a first zone may determine that a data set comprising operational data of the at least one medical device is transferred from the at least one medical device to the server upon occurrence of an event. According to this data throughput setting, hence, the data communication takes place in an event-triggered manner. Upon occurrence of a particular event, the medical device transfers operational data substantially immediately or with a small delay to the server. Such a data throughput setting may for example be assigned to a zone having a high priority, in which it should be made sure that upon occurrence of a specific event data is immediately transmitted to the server. For example, an infusion device may transfer op- erational data occurring for example during an infusion operation upon occurrence of specific events to the server, such that the progress of an infusion operation may be monitored at the server.

In another example, a second data throughput setting may be assigned to a second zone, the second data throughput setting determining that a data set comprising operational data of the at least one medical device is transferred from the at least one medical device to the server at a predefined time interval after transfer of a prior data set. Hence, data sets are transferred from the medical device to the server at periodic intervals, for example every minute, every 5 minutes, every hour, or even only every 24 hours.

Hence, the data transmission from the medical device to the server takes place in a periodical fashion, hence reducing the data communication between the medical device and the server. This data throughput setting may for example be applied to medical devices in a zone having a lower priority and, for example a general ward of a hospital. It is conceivable, that, in a particular zone, different data is communicated applying different data throughput settings. For example, time critical data may be communicated on an event-triggered basis and hence effectively in real time. For example, if during an infusion operation a critical event such as an occlusion in an infusion line occurs, this may be immediately reported by the medical device to the server. For low priority data, for example for periodic data updates relating for example to configuration changes, for general reporting purposes or for administrative updates or history data for fleet management, in contrast, a different data throughput setting may be applied, for example effecting a transmission of data on a periodic basis, for example only every hour or even every 24 hours. Other data may exist having a mid-level priority, for example data relat- ing to the feeding of a patient data management system. This data may be transferred periodically, however applying a shorter time interval such that this data is transferred for example every minute or every 5 minutes.

The configuration of the medical device, for example an infusion device, may be effect- ed automatically by the server dependent on the location of the medical device in the healthcare environment. For example, the server may be constituted to transfer configuration data to the medical device dependent on its location. The configuration data here- in includes the data throughput setting which shall be applied by the medical device, such that the medical device is configured, by means of the configuration data transferred to it by the server, for its data communication. The configuration data may be transmitted from the server to the medical device for example upon entrance of the medical device into a specific zone. If it is detected that a medical device is brought into a specific zone, the server transmits automatically the configuration data assigned to that zone to the medical device, such that the medical device applies that configuration data for its future communication with the server.

Generally, the location of a medical device in a healthcare environment may be detected or tracked in different ways. For example, it may be detected in which zone a medical device currently is located by monitoring which access point the medical device uses to connect to the communication network of the hospital. The medical device herein may for example use a wireless connection, such as a Wi-Fi connection, to communicate with the communication network. The access point in this case may be a wireless router, for example a Wi-Fi router, to which the medical device connects in a particular zone. Each zone herein may be assigned one or multiple access points. Alternatively, a location tracking system may be employed to track the location of a medical device in a hospital. For example, a medical device may be tracked when it is transferred from one zone to another. For this, the medical device for example may comprise an identification tag, for example an RFID tag, which is detected by a suitable reader device when the medical device is transferred into a particular zone.

Alternatively, when a medical device is brought into a particular zone, it may be required to scan a barcode on the medical device, upon which the medical device is registered to the zone. The object is also achieved by a method for communicating data in a healthcare environment, the healthcare environment comprising a multiplicity of predefined, spatially separated zones. The method herein comprises: transferring data from at least one medical device located within a zone of the multiplicity of zones of the healthcare environment to a server connected to the at least one medical device via a communication network for communicating data between the medical device and the server. Herein, the at least one medical device adjusts a data throughput setting for the transfer of data to the server based on the zone the at least one medical device is located in. The advantages and advantageous embodiments described above for the system equally apply also to the method, such that it shall be referred to the above.

The idea underlying the invention shall subsequently be described in more detail with regard to the embodiments shown in the figures. Herein:

Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of a healthcare environment, for example a hospital, comprising a multiplicity of spatially separated zones, relating for ex- ample to different wards or different units of the healthcare environment;

Fig. 2 shows a schematic drawing of a communication network providing for a data communication between a server and medical devices of the healthcare environment;

Fig. 3 shows a schematic drawing of a medical device upon entering a zone;

Fig. 4A shows a diagram of an event triggered data communication; and Fig. 4B shows a diagram of a periodic data communication.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic drawing of a healthcare environment 1 , for example a hospital, which may be confined to a building or an arrangement of buildings. The healthcare environment 1 is spatially separated into a multiplicity of zones 10-13, the zones 10-13 for example relating to functional units of the healthcare environment 1 such as wards of a hospital or other units, such as an intensive care unit or a surgical unit.

In each zone 10-13, multiple medical devices 2 such as infusion devices, monitoring devices or the like may be placed, for example in different rooms at the bedside of dif- ferent patients. The medical devices 2 herein may be distributed throughout a zone 10- 13, wherein a group of medical devices 2 such as infusion devices may be organized for example on a rack to which the medical devices 2 are fastened, the rack herein by itself representing a medical device 2 serving as a communication link for other medical devices 2 arranged thereon.

As illustrated in Fig. 2, the medical devices 2 in different zones 10-13 of the healthcare environment 1 are in communication connection with a central server 4 of the healthcare environment 1 . The communication herein may be established via a communication network 5 such as an internal intranet network, wherein the medical devices 2 in a zone 10-13 may for example establish a wireless connection, for example a Wi-Fi connection, to an access point 6 associated with the zone 10-13, the access point 6 being connect- ed to the communication network 5 and hence allowing for a communication between the medical devices 2 and the server 4.

Generally, the location of a medical device 2 in a healthcare environment 1 may be detected and tracked throughout the different zones 10-13 of the healthcare environment 1 . For this, it may for example be detected to which access point 6 a medical device 2 is currently connected, such that, for example according to the MAC address of the access point 6, it can be determined in which zone 10-13 the medical device 2 is currently located. In addition or alternatively, it is possible to use a real time location tracking system by which the location of a medical device 2 is tracked throughout the healthcare environment 1 . Such real-time tracking location system may employ for example, as illustrated in Fig. 3, a location tracking device 3 for example placed at or near a gate for entering a particular zone 10-13, the location tracking device 3 interacting with the medical device 2, in particular an identification tag of the medical device 2 such that it can be detected when a medical device 2 is brought through the gate associated with the location tracking device 3 into a particular zone 10-13. The identification tag, in one embodiment, may for example be an RFID tag which electromagnetically interacts with a suitable reading device, such that it can be detected when the medical device 2 passes the reading de- vice and enters into the area of a particular zone 10-13.

Additionally or alternatively, a medical device 2, such as an infusion device, may for example carry a barcode, which may be scanned upon bringing the medical device 2 into a particular zone 10-13. By scanning the barcode the medical device 2 may be registered to the zone 10-13, such that the location of the medical device 2 may be known and stored at the server 4.

Generally, within a healthcare environment 1 a large number of medical devices 2 may at the same time carry out a data communication with the server 4. Hence, the commu- nication network 5 of the healthcare environment 1 may be subjected to a heavy traffic load. In order to organize data communication traffic and to throttle data communication according to its priority, it is proposed to configure medical devices 2 for their data communication in dependence on their location in the healthcare environment 1 . In particular, the configuration of a medical device 2 may be adjusted based on the zone 10-13 the medical device 2 currently is located in.

In particular, dependent on the zone 10-13 the medical device 2 is located in a throughput setting of the medical device 2 may be adjusted. The throughput setting may in particular define a data rate, a bandwidth and/or a periodicity by which the medical device 2 communicates with the server 4. Herein, different zones 10-13 may be assigned different priority settings, wherein a medical device 2 located in a zone 10-13 having a high priority may apply a different data throughput setting than a medical device 2 located in a zone 10-13 having a lower priority. For example, a zone 10-13 corresponding to an intensive care unit of a hospital may have a high priority, such that medical devices 2, for example infusion devices, placed in this zone 10-13 may be assigned a larger data rate or bandwidth for their communication with the server 4. The data traffic of medical devices 2 in a high priority zone 10-13 hence has an increased priority. In contrast, a medical device 2 located in a zone 10-13 corresponding to a general ward of a hospital may communicate with a lower priority, such that the medical device 2 applies a smaller data rate or smaller bandwidth.

For example, a medical device 2 located in a zone 10-13 having a high priority may apply an event-triggered communication, in which data transmissions (such as single or multiple data sets) relating to operational data of the medical device 2 are transmitted to the server 4 substantially immediately or only with a small delay after occurrence of a particular event. For example, if during the infusion operation of a medical device 2 in the shape of an infusion device a malfunction is detected, this may lead to an immediate reporting to the server 4.

This is illustrated in Fig. 4A. Upon occurrence of events E at times tO, t1 and t2 data transmissions D1 , D2, D3 are immediately transferred from the medical device 2 to the server 4, the data transmissions D1 , D2, D3 comprising data for example reporting about the event E.

A medical device 2 located in a low priority zone, in contrast, may apply a periodical transfer of data transmissions, as it is illustrated in Fig. 4B. For such medical devices 2 it may be provided that, upon occurrence of events at times to, t1 , t2, a data transmission is not transmitted immediately, but data transmissions D4, D5 are transmitted from the medical device 2 to the server 4 only at a predefined periodical interval T, for example every 5 minutes, every hour or even only every 24 hours.

In between the transfer of different data transmissions D4, D5 the communication of the medical device 2 may be switched off entirely, such that no communication between the medical device 2 and the server 4 takes place. Communication hence is silent in between the transfer of data transmissions D4, D5, such that a communication between the medical device 2 at the server 4 takes place only periodically, with no load on the communication system in between the transfer of data transmissions D4, D5.

In this regard it should be noted that the term "data transmission" or "data set" in the context of this text should not be understood as a single data communication such as a single file or the like, but as a data transmission process. Communication shall take place periodically using a predefined time span T between subsequent data transmissions D4, D5. During a data transmission D4, D5, in principle also multiple data sets such as files or the like could be transferred, in between data transmissions the communication however being silent.

The amount of data transferred during a data transmission D4, D5 could, in another aspect, vary. For example, the data transmission D4, D5 may comprise a non-variable portion and a variable portion, wherein the non-variable portion comprises data always to be transmitted during a data transmission D4, D5, whereas the variable portion is only transmitted if necessary and requested. For transmission of the variable portion, a medical device 2 may for example request the server 4 to command whether there is another action to perform, such as a data set to be transmitted. If the server 4 responds that another data set shall be transferred, the medical device 2 does so. If the server 4 in contrast responds that no further action shall be performed, the medical device 2 shuts down its communication and resumes communication only after the time period T has passed.

The maximum number of data sets to be transferred or commands to be performed during a data transmission D4, D5 could for example be stored in a configuration file at the server 4. It is conceivable herein that a medical device 2 within a particular zone 10-13 may apply different data throughput settings for the transmission of different data. For example, data having a high urgency, for example data relating to an infusion operation and their progression, in particular data relating to a malfunction during an infusion operation such as an occlusion in an occlusion line, may be reported immediately in an event-triggered fashion, as illustrated in Fig. 4A. In contrast, administrative data or the like having a reduced urgency may be transferred for the purpose of updating the data on the server 4 only in a periodical fashion, for example every hour or every 24 hours, as illustrated in Fig. 4B.

Herein, again different medical devices 2 in different zones 10-13 may apply different settings. For example, low priority data, such as administrative data, may be sent to the server 4 applying a rather small interval T, for example every 5 minutes, in a zone 10-13 having a high priority, whereas medical devices 2 in a low priority zone 10-13 may apply a fairly long interval T, for example 24 hours, for transmission of their low-priority data.

The configuration data including the data throughput setting may be transferred from the server 4 to the medical device 2 upon entrance of the medical device 2 into a particular zone 10-13. The server 4 registers the new location of the medical device 2 and trans- mits the configuration data including the data throughput setting assigned with the zone 10-13 to the medical device 2.

The medical device 2 may comprise a logic in its communication equipment, for example its Wi-Fi component, the logic controlling the priority-based communication with the server 4 according to the data throughput setting transferred to it.

Prior to entering a particular zone 10-13, for example when entering from an area of the healthcare environment 1 not assigned to a particular zone 10-13, the medical device 2 may have a default configuration having a default data throughput setting. Upon en- trance into a particular zone 10-13, the configuration data is replaced with the configuration data assigned to the particular zone 10-13, this configuration data being sent to the medical device 2 via the communication network 5 by the server 4.

In another aspect, it is also possible to configure the medical device 2 to apply the data throughput setting associated with the zone 10-13 the medical device 2 currently is located in, or alternatively the communication of the medical device 2 may be switched off completely in a zone 10-13 having a reduced priority. If the communication of the medi- cal device 2 is switched off, it will not communicate data to the server 4. Only once a user, for example manually via a user interface of the medical device 2, initiates a data transfer, the medical device 2 will start communication and communicates data sets to the server 4, such data sets possibly including all relevant data which have been col- lected at the medical device 2 in the prior time period of no communication. Once communication is initiated by a user, the medical device 2 could then also check for a change in configuration, such that the server 4 may transfer communication data including also a data throughput setting to the medical device 2. In another aspect, the zone settings applicable for the different zones 10-13 could be set by the server 4, or by a separate utility application which is in communication with the server 4. Such utility application could for example obtain rules applying to the different zones 10-13 from the server 4 or from a different communication entity comprising a common database.

In principle, there may be a multiplicity of different zones and a multiplicity of different priority settings associated with different data throughput settings. In particular, there may be (much) more than four different zones 10-13 and (much) more than four different priority settings. Also, within a particular zone 10-13 multiple different priority settings may apply to different medical devices 2.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but may be implemented in an entirely different fashion. By means of the configuration of the communication capabilities of a medical device dependent on its location in a healthcare environment, the data communication within the healthcare environment, for example a hospital, may be fine-tuned and organized such that excessive data traffic leading to an overload of the communication network is avoided. The fine-tuning herein may be varying over time, such that the data throughput setting assigned to the different zones may be adjusted dependent on the traffic load in the communication network, for example. List of Reference Numerals

1 Hospital

10-13 Zones

2 Medical device

3 Location tracking device

4 Server

5 Communication network

6 Access point

D1 -D5 Data set

E Event

t0-t4 Point in time

T Time interval

Claims

Claims:

System for communicating data in a healthcare environment (1 ), the healthcare environment (1 ) comprising a multiplicity of predefined, spatially separated zones (10- 13), the system comprising:

- at least one medical device (2) located within a zone of the multiplicity of zones (10-13) of the healthcare environment (1 ), and

- a server (4) connected to the at least one medical device (2) via a communication network (5) providing for a data connection between the medical device (2) and the server (4) for transferring operational data from the medical device (2) to the server (4), characterized in that the at least one medical device (2) is constituted to adjust a data throughput setting for the transfer of data to the server (4) based on the zone (10-13) the at least one medical device (2) is located in.

System according to claim 1 , characterized in that each zone (10-13) of the multiplicity of zones (10-13) is assigned a dedicated data throughput setting, wherein the at least one medical device (2) is constituted to apply the data throughput setting assigned to the zone (10-13) the at least one medical device (2) is located in.

System according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the data throughput setting determines a data rate, bandwidth and/or a periodicity for transferring data to the server (4).

System according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that a first data throughput setting assigned to a first zone (10-13) determines that a data set comprising operational data of the at least one medical device (2) is transferred from the at least one medical device (2) to the server (4) upon occurrence of an event.

5. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a second data throughput setting assigned to a second zone (10-13) determines that a data set comprising operational data of the at least one medical device (2) is transferred from the at least one medical device (2) to the server (4) at a predefined time inter- val (T) after transfer of a prior data set.

6. System according to claim 5, characterized in that the time interval (T) has a value in the range between 30 seconds and 48 hours, for example between 5 minutes and 24 hours.

7. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the server (4) is constituted to transfer configuration data to the at least one medical device (2) located within a zone (10-13) of the multiplicity of zones (10-13), the configuration data including the data throughput setting assigned to the zone (10-13).

8. System according to claim 7, characterized in that the server (4) is constituted to transfer the configuration data to the at least one medical device (2) upon entrance of the at least one medical device (2) into the zone (10-13).

9. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one medical device (2) is connected via a wireless connection to the communication network (5).

10. Method for communicating data in a healthcare environment (1 ), the healthcare en- vironment (1 ) comprising a multiplicity of predefined, spatially separated zones (10-

13), the method comprising:

- transferring data from at least one medical device (2) located within a zone of the multiplicity of zones (10-13) of the healthcare environment (1 ) to a server (4) connected to the at least one medical device (2) via a communication network (5) for communicating data between the medical device (2) and the server (4), characterized in that the at least one medical device (2) adjusts a data throughput setting for the transfer of data to the server (4) based on the zone (10-13) the at least one medical device (2) is located in.