Associating an information reader and a medical device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9996676-B2
Application number	US-201715404503-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 12, 2017
Priority date	Oct 17, 2011
Publication date	Jun 12, 2018
Grant date	Jun 12, 2018

Abstract

A device agent including an information accessor for accessing association information obtained via an information reader. The association information includes medical device information for uniquely identifying the medical device, and device agent information for facilitating in an association between the medical device and the information reader. The device agent also includes an associator for associating the medical device and the information reader based on the association information.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A medical device apparatus comprising:
at least one data processor; and
memory storing instructions which, when executed by the least one data processor, result in operations comprising:
obtaining association information via an information reader, wherein the association information comprises:
medical device information related to identification of a medical device, and
routing information related to facilitation of an association between the medical device and the information reader; and

associating the medical device and the information reader based on the association information,
wherein at least the apparatus and the information reader are different devices.

2. The medical device apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the association information further comprises a data element that is appended to one or more scans after the association of the medical device and the information reader that allow for the one or more scans to be identified as being intended for the medical device.

3. The medical device apparatus of claim 2 , the operations further comprising:
routing subsequent information obtained via the information reader to the medical device using the data element in the one or more scans.

4. The medical device apparatus of claim 1 , the operations further comprising:
routing previously obtained information to the medical device, in response to the association between the medical device and the information reader.

5. The medical device apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the information reader is at least one of: a barcode scanner, an optical scanner, and a radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader.

6. The medical device apparatus of claim 1 , the operations further comprising:
disassociating the association between the medical device and the information reader.

7. The medical device apparatus of claim 6 , the operations further comprising:
determining a distance between the medical device and the information reader,
wherein the medical device and the information reader are disassociated when the determined distance between the medical device and the information reader exceeds a pre-determined maximum distance.

8. A method comprising:
accessing, by a device agent, association information obtained via an information reader, wherein the association information comprises:
medical device information related to identification of a medical device, and
routing information related to facilitation of an association between the medical device and the information reader; and

associating, by the device agent, the medical device and the information reader based on the association information,
wherein at least the device agent and the information reader are different devices.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the association information further comprises a data element that is appended to one or more scans after the association of the medical device and the information reader that allow for the one or more scans to be identified as being intended for the medical device.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:
routing subsequent information obtained via the information reader to the medical device using the data element in the one or more scans.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising:
routing previously obtained information to the medical device, in response to the association between the medical device and the information reader.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the information reader is at least one of: a barcode scanner, an optical scanner, and a radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader.

13. The method of claim 8 further comprising:
disassociating the association between the medical device and the information reader.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:
determining a distance between the medical device and the information reader,
wherein the medical device and the information reader are disassociated when the determined distance between the medical device and the information reader exceeds a pre-determined maximum distance.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions to configure a processor to perform operations comprising:
accessing, by a device agent, association information obtained via an information reader, wherein the association information comprises:
medical device information related to identification of a medical device, and
routing information related to facilitation of an association between the medical device and the information reader; and

associating, by the device agent, the medical device and the information reader based on the association information,
wherein at least the device agent and the information reader are different devices.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the association information further comprises a data element that is appended to one or more scans after the association of the medical device and the information reader that allow for the one or more scans to be identified as being intended for the medical device, and
wherein the operations further comprise:
routing subsequent information obtained via the information reader to the medical device using the data element in the one or more scans.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , the operations further comprising:
routing previously obtained information to the medical device, in response to the association between the medical device and the information reader.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the information reader is at least one of: a barcode scanner, an optical scanner, and a radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , the operations further comprising:
disassociating the association between the medical device and the information reader.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 , the operations further comprising:
determining a distance between the medical device and the information reader,
wherein the medical device and the information reader are disassociated when the determined distance between the medical device and the information reader exceeds a pre-determined maximum distance.

Assignees

• Carefusion 303 Inc

Inventors

• Vik Daniel
• Chandrasenan Sreelal
• Borges Gregory

Classifications

• G16H40/63

  for local operation · CPC title

• G06F16/9554

  by using bar codes · CPC title

• G06K7/10366

  the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications · CPC title

• G06K7/1413

  1D bar codes · CPC title

• G16H40/40

  for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades · CPC title