Medical device communication method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2026058905-A1
Application number	US-202519279961-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 24, 2025
Priority date	Mar 6, 2013
Publication date	Feb 26, 2026
Grant date	—

Abstract

A medical device communication method that may be implemented within a variety of medical devices including but not limited to infusion pumps. The method may be implemented with a protocol stack for at least intra-device communication. Embodiments provide connection-oriented, connectionless-oriented, broadcast and multicast data exchange with priority handling of data, fragmentation, and reassembly of data, unique static and dynamic address assignment and hot swap capability for connected peripherals or subsystems.

First claim

1 .- 20 . (canceled)

21 . A medical device communication system for connecting a first medical device system with a second medical device system, the medical device communication system comprising a controller configured to:
receive a first message comprising a request for an address from a first medical device system; determine in a stored table that there is no entry corresponding to the first medical device system; generate a connection identifier for the first medical device system based on the determination; and transmit the connection identifier to the first medical device system.

22 . The communication system of claim 21 , wherein the controller is further configured to facilitate transmission of a second message from the first medical device system to an additional hardware, wherein the first medical device system and the additional hardware are not directly connected.

23 . The communication system of claim 22 , wherein the second message is transferred between a plurality of message layers by copying a pointer and without copying said second message itself.

24 . The communication system of claim 22 , wherein a session layer communication is made independent of bus topology.

25 . The communication system of claim 21 , wherein the controller is further configured to transmit the connection identifier to a second medical device system that replaces the first medical device system.

26 . The communication system of claim 21 , wherein a fragmented message is reassembled into a complete message in an application buffer.

27 . The communication system of claim 21 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine that a size of data to transfer is larger than a predetermined fragmentation value; and pack said data in a plurality of messages independent of an underlying data bus width.

28 . The communication system of claim 21 , wherein the controller is further configured to request memory from a buffer comprising non-uniform sizes.

29 . The communication system of claim 21 , wherein the first medical device system is connected with the controller without altering an application of the first medical device system.

30 . The communication system of claim 21 , wherein the controller manages connection requests from a plurality of medical device systems.

31 . A method for connecting hardware components of an medical device system, the method comprising:
storing a first connection identifier as an address associated with a first medical device system; receiving a second message corresponding to a second request for an address from a second medical device system; determining that the second medical device system has replaced the first medical device system; changing the association of the first connection identifier from the first medical device system to the second medical device system; and transmitting the first connection identifier to the second medical device system, wherein the second medical device system is further configured to update its identity with the first connection identifier.

32 . The method of claim 31 , further comprising facilitating transmission of a second message from the first medical device system to an additional hardware, wherein the first medical device system and the additional hardware are not directly connected.

33 . The method of claim 31 , further comprising transmitting messages between hardware components by copying a pointer and without copying the messages.

34 . The method of claim 31 , wherein a session layer communication is made independent of bus topology.

35 . The method of claim 31 , wherein a fragmented message is reassembled into a complete message in an application buffer.

36 . The method of claim 31 , further comprising determining that a size of data to transfer is larger than a predetermined fragmentation value and packing said data in a plurality of messages independent of an underlying data bus width.

37 . The method of claim 31 , further comprising requesting memory from a buffer comprising non-uniform sizes.

Assignees

• Icu Medical Inc

Inventors

• Jha Prakash Kumar Arvind
• Cudney James
• Herr Benjamin
• Lee Mark I
• Picinich Matteo D

Classifications

• G16H40/67

  for remote operation · CPC title

• H04L69/162

  involving adaptations of sockets based mechanisms (secure socket layer H04L63/168) · CPC title

• H04L69/32

  Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level · CPC title

• G16H40/63

  for local operation · CPC title

• G16H20/17

  delivered via infusion or injection · CPC title