Dialysis apparatus with versatile user interface and method and computer program therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016292377-A1
Application number	US-201415035546-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 11, 2014
Priority date	Nov 18, 2013
Publication date	Oct 6, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

There is provided an apparatus for performing operation steps of a dialysis process. The apparatus comprises a process controller for controlling the apparatus, monitor process progress of the dialysis process and monitor sensor inputs from sensors of the apparatus, and a user interface, UI, comprising a display, an input device and a UI controller. The UI controller is connected to enable presentation of graphical data on the display. The UI controller is connected to enable user interaction with the graphical data and connected to exchange information with the process controller. The UI controller is configured to represent each of the operation steps by step items. The amount of operation guidance information of an operation step item is selectable by the operator during the dialysis process. A method and computer program are also disclosed.

First claim

1 . An apparatus for performing a plurality of operation steps of a dialysis process, said apparatus comprising:
a process controller for controlling the apparatus to perform the operation steps of the dialysis process, monitor process progress of the dialysis process and monitor sensor inputs from sensors of the apparatus; and a user interface (“UI”) comprising a display, an input device and a UI controller, wherein the UI controller is configured to enable presentation of graphical data on the display, and wherein the UI controller configured to enable user interaction with the graphical data and configured to exchange information with the process controller, wherein the exchanged information is based on the user interaction via the user interface and the process progress of the dialysis process and sensor inputs from the sensors monitored by the process controller, and wherein the UI controller is configured to represent each of the operation steps by one or more operation step items, each of which is a graphical item suitable to be presented on said display, and wherein an amount of operation guidance information of an operation step item is selectable by the operator during the dialysis process to be in one state among a set of states comprising at least a first and a second state, wherein the second state provides a larger amount of guidance than the first state.

2 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein one or more operation step items of said operation step items are recommended by the UI controller to be performed next, and are presented with an indicator representing the recommendation, when in a state other than the first state.

3 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the UI controller is arranged to disable selection of the first state based on a determined skill level of the operator to be lower than a threshold.

4 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the operation step items comprises operation substep items that represent substeps of the at least one operation step by at least one of operation guidance, parameter setting and status information, and wherein the UI controller is arranged to enable display of the operation substep items upon display of the corresponding operation step item when in another state than the first state.

5 . The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the UI controller is arranged to enable display of a subset of the operation substep items upon display of the corresponding operation step item associated with the subset of operation substep items based on an input from the operator, wherein such enabling based on input from the operator overrides any corresponding disabling of the display of the operation substep items by the UI controller when in another state than the first state.

6 . The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the UI controller is arranged to disable the displaying display of a subset of the operation substep items upon display of the corresponding operation step item associated with the subset of operation substep items based on an input from the operator when in the first state.

7 . The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the set of states comprises a third state, wherein the third state provides a larger amount of guidance than the second state, and at least one of the operation substep items comprises operation substep items on a further level of detail that represent operation substeps on a further level of detail of the at least one substep by at least one of operation guidance, parameter setting and status information, and wherein the UI controller is arranged to enable display of the operation substep items on a further level of detail upon display of the corresponding operation substep item when in the third state.

8 . The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the UI controller is arranged to enable the display of the operation substep items on a further level of detail upon display of the corresponding operation substep item based on an input from the operator, wherein such enabling based on input from the operator overrides any corresponding disabling of the display of the operation substep items on a further level of detail by the UI controller when in another state than the third state.

9 . The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the UI controller is arranged to disable the displaying display of a subset of the operation substep items on a further level of detail upon display of the corresponding operation substep item associated with the subset of the operation substep items on a further level of detail based on an input from the operator when in the third state.

10 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the larger amount of guidance includes more operation step items for an operation step than a lesser amount of guidance.

11 . A method of an apparatus for a dialysis process comprising a plurality of operation steps, the method comprising:
representing each of the operation steps as an operation step item being a graphical item suitable to be presented on a display of a user interface (“UI”); enabling (i) one or more of said operation step items of operation steps to be displayed through the UI, and (ii) selection among the operation step items through an input device of the UI; receiving an input from an operator; and selecting, during the dialysis process, an amount of operation guidance information of an operation step item based on the input to be in one of at least a first and a second state, wherein the second state provides a larger amount of guidance than the first state.

12 . The method according to claim 11 , comprising displaying one or more operation step items of said operation step items recommended to be performed next with an indicator representing the recommendation when in another state than the first state.

13 . The method according to claim 11 , comprising disabling selection of the first state based on a determined skill level of the operator to be below a threshold.

14 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein at least one of the operation step items comprises operation substep items that represent operation substeps of the at least one operation step by at least one of operation guidance, parameter setting and status information, and wherein the method comprises enabling display of the operation substep items upon display of the corresponding operation step item when in another state than the first state.

15 . The method according to claim 14 , comprising
receiving an input from the operator; and enabling display of a subset of the operation substep items upon display of the corresponding operation step item associated with the subset of the operation substep items based on the input when in the second state, wherein such enabling based on input from the operator overrides any corresponding disabling of the display of the operation substep items by a controller when in the first state.

16 . The method according to claim 14 , comprising
receiving an input from the operator; and disabling display of a subset of the operation substep items upon display of the corresponding operation step item associated with the subset of the operation substep items based on the input when in another state than the first state.

17 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the at least a first and a second state comprises a third state, wherein the third state provides a larger amount of guidance than the second state, and the operation substep items comprises operation substep items on a further level of detail that

Assignees

• Gambro Lundia Ab

Inventors

• Nilsson Roger

Classifications

• A61M5/168

  Means for controlling media flow to the body or for metering media to the body, e.g. drip meters, counters {; Monitoring media flow to the body (flow control in general G05D7/00)} · CPC title

• A61M5/145

  using pressurised reservoirs, e.g. pressurised by means of pistons · CPC title

• A61M2205/502

  User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards · CPC title

• A61M2205/505

  Touch-screens; Virtual keyboard or keypads; Virtual buttons; Soft keys; Mouse touches · CPC title

• G05B15/02

  electric · CPC title