Wireless relay module for remote monitoring systems having power and medical device proximity monitoring functionality

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9020419-B2
Application number	US-201213353565-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 19, 2012
Priority date	Jan 14, 2011
Publication date	Apr 28, 2015
Grant date	Apr 28, 2015

Abstract

Wireless relay modules for networked communications between a medical device and a remote monitoring device via wireless relay networks and/or internet-accessible wireless communications networks. The wireless relay module includes a receiver, a first transmitter coupled to the wireless relay network, a second transmitter coupled to the internet-accessible wireless communication network, a controller and a display. The controller is coupled to the first and second transmitters, and controls the wireless relay module to select one of the transmitters for transmitting medical device data over one of the two respective networks. The controller generates an alarm signal and stores storing wirelessly-received medical device data in a memory of the wireless relay module upon detecting a changed characteristic for a power source of the wireless relay module. The controller also generates an alarm upon detecting a change in a characteristic of a signal transmitted by the medical device.

First claim

We claim:

1. A wireless relay module comprising:
an electrical connector configured to receive primary power from a power source;
a battery configured to provide secondary power upon a changed characteristic of primary power;
a first receiver capable of wirelessly receiving medical device data over a wireless relay network from at least one medical device;
a first transmitter capable of wirelessly transmitting medical device data over the wireless relay network;
a second transmitter capable of wirelessly transmitting medical device data over an Internet-accessible wireless communications network;
a processor coupled to the first and second transmitters, said processor capable of controlling said wireless relay module to select one of said first or second transmitter for transmitting medical device data received by said first receiver; and
said processor further capable of producing a power alarm signal upon the changed characteristic of the primary power, determining whether at least a second wireless relay module communicating on the same wireless relay network is accessible to receive a message, and sending the power alarm signal to at least the second wireless relay module for proliferation of the power alarm signal over the network if it is determined that the second wireless relay module is accessible.

2. The wireless relay module of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of a visual display or speaker coupled to the processor and configured to provide a visual and/or audio alert.

3. The wireless relay module of claim 1 , wherein the second transmitter is configured to transmit an alert signal to a remote monitoring device over the internet-accessible wireless communications network.

4. The wireless relay module of claim 1 , wherein the processor is capable of transmitting an alarm signal when a charge state of the battery falls below a particular charge level.

5. The wireless relay module of claim 4 , wherein the processor is configured to modulate the alarm signal to be indicative of the state of charge of the battery between a low charge state and a zero charge state.

6. The wireless relay module of claim 1 further comprising a sensor capable of detecting disconnection of the connector from the power source.

7. The wireless relay module of claim 6 , wherein the processor is capable of transmitting an alarm signal when the sensor detects disconnection of the connector from the power source.

8. The wireless relay module of claim 1 further comprising: a memory electrically connected to said controller, said memory capable of storing said received medical device data.

9. The wireless relay module of claim 8 wherein at least one of the first or second transmitters is configured to transmit the stored medical device data upon restoration of the primary power.

10. The wireless relay module of claim 1 wherein said first transmitter is configured to, upon generation of the alarm signal, send a notice to the medical device or to another wireless relay module indicating that the primary power has been disrupted.

11. The wireless relay module of claim 10 wherein said first transmitter is further configured to, upon restoration of the primary power, send a notice to the medical device or to the other wireless relay module indicating that the primary power has been restored.

12. The wireless relay module of claim 1 wherein said processor is capable of transmitting to the remote monitoring device at least one of the medical data or an acknowledgement signal in response to receipt of a particular signal transmitted by the remote monitoring device.

13. The wireless relay module of claim 1 wherein the wireless relay network is a mesh network and the processor includes a network interface for communicating over the mesh network.

14. The wireless relay module of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to store the device data in a memory prior to loss of power when a voltage level is below a near-death voltage.

15. The wireless relay module of claim 1 wherein the wireless relay is capable of producing an alarm in response to loss of AC power and is capable of producing an alarm in response to a low battery voltage level.

16. The wireless relay module of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to determine if an audible portion of the alarm has been muted and, if so, to transmit a message to clear the alarm.

17. A wireless relay module comprising: an electrical connector configured to receive power from a power source;
a first receiver capable of wirelessly receiving medical device data over a wireless relay network from at least one medical device;
a first transmitter capable of wirelessly transmitting medical device data over the wireless relay network;
a second transmitter capable of wirelessly transmitting data over an internet-accessible wireless communications network;
and a processor coupled to the first and second transmitters, said processor capable of controlling said wireless relay module to select one of said first and second transmitter for transmitting the medical device data received by said first receiver; and
said processor further capable of producing a power alarm signal upon a changed characteristic of the received power, determining whether at least a second wireless relay module communicating on the same wireless relay network is accessible to receive a message, and sending the power alarm signal to at least the second wireless relay module for proliferation of the power alarm signal over the network if it is determined that the second wireless relay module is accessible.

18. The wireless relay module of claim 17 , further comprising at least one of a visual display or speaker coupled to the processor and configured to provide a visual and/or audio alert.

19. The wireless relay module of claim 17 , wherein the second transmitter is configured to transmit an alert signal to a remote monitoring device over the internet-accessible wireless communications network.

20. The wireless relay module of claim 17 , wherein said power source is a battery and the processor is capable of transmitting an alarm signal when the charge state of the battery falls to or below a particular charge level.

21. The wireless relay module of claim 20 , wherein the processor is configured to modulate the alarm signal to be indicative of the state of charge of the secondary power source between a low charge state and a zero charge state.

22. The wireless relay module of claim 17 further comprising: a memory electrically connected to said controller, said memory capable of storing said received medical device data.

23. The wireless relay module of claim 22 wherein at least one of the first and second transmitters is configured to transmit the stored medical device data based upon the characteristic of received power.

24. The wireless relay module of claim 17 wherein said first transmitter is configured to, upon generation of the alarm signal, send a notice to the medical device or to another wireless relay module.

25. The wireless relay module of claim 17 wherein said processor is capable of transmitting to a remote monitoring device at least one of the medical device data and an acknowledgement signal in response to receipt of a particular signal transmitted by the remote monitoring device.

26. A process for operating a relay module in a medical device wireless network, the relay modu

Assignees

• Gaines Robert B
• Holste John
• Breitweiser Kenneth M
• Wiesner Joel D
• Covidien Lp

Inventors

• Gaines Robert B
• Holste John
• Breitweiser Kenneth M
• Wiesner Joel D

Classifications

• G08B21/0453 Primary

  worn on the body to detect health condition by physiological monitoring, e.g. electrocardiogram, temperature, breathing (detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00) · CPC title

• G16H40/67

  for remote operation · CPC title

• A61B5/02

  Detecting, measuring or recording for evaluating the cardiovascular system, e.g. pulse, heart rate, blood pressure or blood flow · CPC title

• A61B2560/0271

  using a remote monitoring unit · CPC title

• G08B21/0277

  Communication between units on a local network, e.g. Bluetooth®, piconet, Zigbee®, Wireless Personal Area Networks [WPAN] · CPC title