Systems and methods for enforcing cleaning of medical devices

Abstract

A system and method for forcibly cleaning a medical device is disclosed. The method includes receiving an indication that the medical device has been exposed to contamination, providing an instruction to deactivate the medical device in response to receiving the indication, receiving cleaning information indicating an attempt to clean the medical device after sending the instruction, identifying a predetermined cleaning program corresponding to the medical device and the contamination, determining based on the cleaning information that the medical device is cleaned according to the predetermined cleaning program corresponding to the medical device and the contamination, and enabling the medical device in response to determining that the medical device is cleaned according to the predetermined cleaning program.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority to non-provisional application U.S. Application No. 62 / 891,890, filed on August 26, 2019, entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FORENFORCING CLEANING OF A MEDICAL DEVICE,” the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates generally to enforcing cleaning of medical devices in healthcare facilities. Background Art

[0004] Medical devices used in treating patients may be contaminated by allergens, diseases, and / or infections affecting the patient and / or the clinician treating the patient. Contamination of medical devices may increase the risk of contamination spreading to other clinicians, patients, and / or medical devices in the healthcare facility. Thus, failure to successfully clean contaminated medical devices increases health risks for patients and healthcare facility staff. Summary of the invention

[0005] One concern of healthcare facilities includes ensuring that medical devices used in the healthcare facility are properly cleaned (e.g., disinfected, sterilized, etc.) for subsequent use. However, existing devices are unable to detect whether they have been exposed or properly cleaned. In addition, existing systems are unable to identify all medical devices that have interacted with a patient or contaminated individual, and are unable to track and identify whether each medical device associated with a patient or interacted with a clinician treating the patient has been cleaned. Therefore, the subject technology disclosed herein includes systems, devices, and methods that can be used to implement a cleaning regimen and enforce and verify that a medical device is properly cleaned before reuse.

[0006] The subject technology further provides systems and methods that can track and identify medical devices associated with a patient or interacting with a clinician treating the patient, determine whether the medical device is properly cleaned, and dynamically adjust one or more functions of the medical device until proper cleaning has been verified. Such systems and methods effectively reduce the risk of exposure to contamination of medical devices, patients, and / or personnel in a healthcare facility.

[0007] According to some embodiments, the method includes determining a contaminated medical device based on infection data associated with at least one of a patient or a clinician. The method includes sending an instruction to the contaminated medical device to deactivate the contaminated medical device. The method includes receiving identification information of a cleaning solution from the contaminated medical device. The method includes determining whether the cleaning solution is correct based on the identification of the cleaning solution. The method includes, in response to determining that the cleaning solution is correct, causing one or more cleaning steps to be displayed on a display device associated with the contaminated medical device. Other aspects include corresponding systems, devices, and computer program products for implementing the method.

[0008] According to some embodiments, the system includes a memory storing instructions and one or more processors coupled to the memory, the one or more processors being configured to execute the instructions to cause the system to determine a contaminated medical device based on infection data associated with at least one of a patient or a clinician, send instructions to the contaminated medical device to deactivate the contaminated medical device, receive identification information of a cleaning solution from the contaminated medical device, determine whether the cleaning solution is correct based on the identification of the cleaning solution, and when the cleaning solution is correct, send one or more cleaning steps to be displayed on a display device associated with the contaminated medical device. Other aspects include corresponding systems, devices, and computer program products for implementing the system.

[0009] According to some embodiments, the device management server includes one or more processors and a memory storing one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are configured to be executed by the one or more processors. The one or more programs include instructions for performing the operations of any method described in this application. According to some embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores instructions such that when executed by a server system, the instructions cause the server system to perform the operations of any method described in this application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] For a better understanding of the various embodiments described, reference should be made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the following drawings. Throughout the drawings and description, like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts.

[0011] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a network architecture for enforcing cleaning of one or more medical devices in accordance with an illustrative embodiment.

[0012] Figure 2 According to an illustrative embodiment, Figure 1 Block diagram of an exemplary server system of the architecture.

[0013] Figure 3 According to an illustrative embodiment, Figure 1 A block diagram of an exemplary client device of the architecture.

[0014] Figure 4 is an example medical device that can interact with clinicians within a healthcare facility.

[0015] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A closer view of a portion of the medical device is shown.

[0016] Figure 6 is a flow chart of an exemplary process for identifying one or more contaminated medical devices and enforcing cleaning of the contaminated medical devices in accordance with an illustrative embodiment.

[0017] Figure 7 is a flow chart of determining whether a medical device is sufficiently cleaned and sending instructions to enable the medical device according to an illustrative embodiment.

[0018] In one or more embodiments, all of the illustrated components in each figure may not be required, and one or more embodiments may include additional components not shown in the figures. Without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, the arrangement and type of components may be changed. Additional components, different components, or fewer components may be used within the scope of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The detailed description set forth below is intended to be a description of the various configurations disclosed by this subject, rather than being intended to represent the only configuration that can be practiced by this subject disclosure. The accompanying drawings are incorporated herein and constitute a part of the detailed description. The detailed description includes specific details, so as to provide a thorough understanding of this subject disclosure. However, it is clear to those skilled in the art that this subject disclosure can be implemented without these specific details. In some cases, structures and components are shown in the form of block diagrams to avoid blurring the concepts disclosed by this subject. For ease of understanding, similar components are marked with the same element numbers.

[0020] The subject technology identifies the use of a medical device for a certain type of patient (e.g., an infected patient) or a care area (e.g., an infected environment). As will be further described, if a patient associated with the medical device is known to be infectious, or a clinician associated with the medical device is known to be ill, the system can automatically adjust (e.g., lock, power off, etc.) the medical device so that a new patient or clinician cannot interact with the medical device until the affected medical device is cleaned. In this regard, the medical device is out of service. In some embodiments, all devices that have been touched by infected patients or clinicians are disabled (e.g., electronically locked). The system can then notify staff located in all known locations where the device is located, touched, or programmed that the device is contaminated and has been out of service.

[0021] According to various embodiments, the disclosed system is configured to track a medical device as it is used throughout a healthcare facility, including where the device is used and for which patients. The system can store a record of each device, and when a clinician interacts with the device, the record can be updated to record the interaction. Each interaction with a patient can also be recorded. For example, when a clinician logs into a medical device (e.g., by swiping or moving an RFID-tagged badge storing his or her credentials to log into a pump), the medical device can add the clinician to the record and prompt the clinician to enter relevant information about the patient to add to the record. The hospital data system may include admission information and other identifying information about the patient and / or the patient's current location in the healthcare facility. This information can be cross-indexed using the clinician's or patient's identification and added to the record associated with the device.

[0022] Patient information (such as from electronic medical records) can include the patient's health status and / or potential contamination carried by the patient. When a patient is associated with a medical device (e.g., by a clinician entering or scanning a patient identifier), the system can access the medical record, identify the potential contamination associated with the patient, and update the device record. In some embodiments, contamination can be inferred by identifying other patients who may have been close to the device, for example, by being in the same room with the patient assigned to the device, and / or being in the same room with the drug administered or dispensed by the medical device. In such an embodiment, the patient's identity or patient-specific medical records may not be added to the record or used to determine the cleanliness status of the medical device. As used herein, "contamination" may include undesirable biological substances (e.g., viruses, bacteria or other cellular substances) or non-biological substances (e.g., chemical compounds, hazardous substances or other particles), and it may be located or suspected of being located in a specific location, or affecting patients associated with the medical device and / or clinicians interacting with the medical device or clinicians exposed to the medical device.

[0023] According to various embodiments, when a clinician is identified as being exposed to contamination, all devices used by the exposed clinician can be deactivated (e.g., electronically locked). For example, the system can measure the time period from exposure to an infected patient, the proximity to an infected patient, the number of interactions with a patient over a period of time, and determine whether a medical device is infected based on a comparison of the measured values ​​with one or more thresholds. The contamination status of a clinician can be assessed based on one or more of the following: specific patient interactions recorded in an electronic medical record system (or other health information system), medications administered by the clinician, the clinician's designated care area, or other information stored in the system. The system (e.g., a server) can send a signal to all affected devices indicating that they will be cleaned and instructing them to limit operation until such cleaning is verified.

[0024] Some medical devices include functional modules. The disclosed system can identify and deactivate the medical device based on the exposed functional modules. For example, the medical device can include an infusion module used by an infected patient or clinician. Each module can include an electromagnetic connector with an identifier. When a module is inserted (e.g., inserted into a medical device) and the system cannot verify that the module has been cleaned since exposure, the system can deactivate (e.g., electronically lock) or otherwise adjust the medical device and / or functional module.

[0025] According to various aspects, the disclosed system can enforce the cleaning of the device or module until it is put back into use. In order to meet the cleaning requirements, the system may require receiving certain information about the cleaning of the device before resuming the full operation of the device. For example, the system may require that the medical device or functional module be identified (e.g., by a global positioning system (GPS) or a wireless connection) as being in a specific position corresponding to the cleaning position, and the technician responsible for cleaning the device is identified as being associated with the device at the cleaning position. The cleaning technician may have a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag that interacts with the device (e.g., by touching or brushing an RFID transceiver located on the device). When the device is deactivated due to contamination, the device can report all login requests and send login requests from the technician (except the login location) to the system. The cleaning solution may also have an RFID tag that identifies the solution, which can also be scanned by the technician and reported to the system by the medical device.

[0026] Each medical device and / or contamination may require a specific cleaning procedure (e.g., solvent, time, area of ​​the device to be cleaned, verification requirements (e.g., evidence, scans, culture tests, etc.), etc.) to be performed before the device is enabled (e.g., electronically unlocked). Cleaning procedures can be specified based on the medical device, potential patient or clinician contamination, or other detectable characteristics of the medical device, the patient treated by the medical device, or the clinician using the medical device. The medical device can be programmed to require a cleaning technician to input and verify which cleaning procedure was performed. Once the system verifies that the cleaning procedure has been performed, the medical device and / or functional module can be electronically re-enabled for use. This can include electronically unlocking the device. Therefore, the aforementioned automatic enforcement improves cleaning practices and reduces the spread of infection throughout the healthcare facility.

[0027] The terms used in the description of the various embodiments described herein are only for describing specific embodiments, not for limiting. As used in the description of the various described embodiments and the appended claims, the singular forms "one", "an" and "the" are also intended to include plural forms, unless the context clearly states otherwise. It should also be understood that the term "and / or" used herein refers to and covers any and all possible combinations of one or more related listed terms. It will also be understood that although the terms "first" and "second" are used to describe various elements in this article, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element. It should also be understood that when used in the specification, the terms "include" and / or "include" specify the presence of the features, steps, operations, elements and / or parts, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, parts and / or their combinations. Clinicians can include licensed or unlicensed individuals responsible for operating, maintaining, servicing, delivering medical devices or otherwise interacting with medical devices, which are provided in, by or for medical institutions. As used herein, examples of healthcare facilities include hospitals, long-term care facilities, nursing homes, outpatient treatment centers, storefront retail treatment centers, pharmacies, community clinics, non-acute care facilities, acute care facilities, and the like.

[0028] Figure 11 is a block diagram of a network architecture 100 according to some embodiments. In the depicted example, the network architecture 100 includes one or more medical devices 104-1, 104-2, ..., 104-n, collectively referred to herein as medical devices 104. The one or more medical devices 104 may be communicatively coupled to a device management server 108 and / or one or more third-party servers 110-1, 110-2, ..., 110-m, collectively referred to herein as third-party servers 110, via one or more communication networks 106. Examples of the one or more communication networks include, but are not limited to, an intranet, the Internet, a cellular telephone network, a mobile data network, a wide area network, a local area network, a metropolitan area network, and the like. In some implementations, the one or more communication networks 106 include a public communication network (e.g., the Internet and / or a cellular data network), a private communication network (e.g., a private LAN or leased line), or a combination of these communication networks. The device management server 108 may be configured to communicate with the medical devices 104 and / or the third-party servers 110.

[0029] The device management server 108 may be configured to receive and / or transmit clinician-related data from and to the medical device 104 or the third-party server 110. Examples of clinician-related data include, but are not limited to, clinician identifiers, clinician record information, and the like.

[0030] In some embodiments, the device management server 108 may be a single computing device (such as a computer server), while in other embodiments, the device management server 108 is implemented by multiple computing devices that work together to perform the actions of a server system (e.g., cloud computing). According to various embodiments, the device management server 108 may include or be connected to a hospital information server and may include or access patient medical records and / or other information that may be helpful in tracking / tracing contaminated medical devices, as disclosed herein. Figure 2 Additional details of the device management server 108 are described. In some implementations, the healthcare server system 108 .

[0031] The medical device 104 may include one or more input devices (e.g. Figure 3), which is configured to receive input to the medical device 104. Clinicians, such as users 102-1, 102-2, ..., 102-n (collectively referred to herein as users 102) can interact with one or more medical devices 104 via one or more input devices. The user 102 can use the medical device 104 to access the device management server 108 and / or the third-party server 110 to participate in the corresponding services provided by the device management server 108 and / or the third-party server 110. For example, the medical device 104 may include a network interface operably connected to the device management server 108, and a user interface for receiving user interaction to communicate with the server.

[0032] Now turn to Figure 2 , a block diagram depicting a device management server 108 according to some embodiments is shown. The device management server 108 typically includes one or more processing units (processors or cores) 202, one or more network or other communication interfaces 204, a memory 206, and one or more communication buses 208 for interconnecting these components. The communication bus 208 optionally includes circuits (sometimes referred to as a chipset) that interconnect and control communications between system components. In some embodiments, the device management server 108 may include a display device 212. In some embodiments, the device management server 108 may include an input device, such as a keyboard, a mouse, a touchpad, and / or input buttons. In some embodiments, the display device 212 may include a touch-sensitive surface, in which case the display is a touch-sensitive display.

[0033] The memory 206 may be a high-speed random access memory (e.g., DRAM, SRAM, DDR, RAM) or other random access solid-state storage device, and may include non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic disk storage devices, optical disk storage devices, flash memory devices, and / or other non-volatile solid-state storage devices. In some embodiments, the memory 206 includes one or more storage devices located away from the processor 202. The memory 206 or alternatively the non-volatile storage device within the memory 206 includes a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium. In some embodiments, the memory 206 or the computer-readable storage medium of the memory 206 stores programs, modules, and / or data structures that can be used to perform one or more operations of the server system 108. For example, the memory 206 may include programs, modules, and / or data structures for an operating system 226, a network communication module 228, a clinician information module 230, a clinician tracking module 232, and an access device module 238.

[0034] In some embodiments, the operating system 226 module may include processes for handling various basic system services and for performing hardware-related tasks. The network communication module 228 may be configured to connect the server system 108 to other computing devices via one or more communication network interfaces 204 (wired or wireless) and one or more communication networks 106. The clinician information module 230 may be configured to store data related to clinicians, including but not limited to clinician identifiers, clinician record information, care, etc. The clinician tracking module 232 may be configured to track information related to interactions between clinicians and medical devices 104. In this regard, the medical device 104 may be connected to the communication interface 204 via a network and report interactions performed at the medical device to the tracking module 232 via the communication interface 204. The clinician tracking module 232 may track the care areas visited by clinicians. The clinician tracking module 232 may be configured to track clinician interactions over a predetermined time period (e.g., several days). References herein Figure 5 and Figure 6 Other details of identifying contaminated medical devices and determining the cleanliness of medical devices are described. The access module 238 can be configured to authorize, deny and / or modify access to the server system 108 and / or one or other computing systems or devices communicatively coupled to the server system 108. Access can be granted based on a received clinician's identifier and comparing the clinician's access permissions to an access control list. The access control list can identify specific devices, modules, servers, or functions thereof that are accessible to clinicians with associated access permissions (e.g., roles or identifiers).

[0035] Now go to Figure 3 , a block diagram depicting a medical device 104 is shown. The medical device 104 may include one or more processors 302, one or more network or communication interfaces 304, a memory 306, one or more communication buses 308, a user interface unit 310, a transmitter device 322, and a sensor device 323. The one or more processors 302, the one or more network or communication interfaces 304, the memory 306, and the user interface unit 310 may be configured to communicate with each other via one or more communication buses 308. In some embodiments, the communication bus 308 may include circuits (sometimes referred to as a chipset) that interconnect and control communications between components of the medical device 104. In some embodiments, the medical device 104 may include an image / video capture device 324, such as a camera.

[0036] The user interface unit 310 may include a display 312, one or more input devices 316 (such as a keyboard or mouse), one or more audio output devices 318 and / or one or more audio input devices 320. In some embodiments, the display 312 may include a touch-sensitive display or surface 314, which is configured to receive touch-based input from the user 102. For example, the display 312 may implement a resistive or capacitive sensing mechanism, or other sensing mechanisms. In some embodiments, the display 312 sensing mechanism may be configured to sense the pressure level of the user's touch and respond differently based on the amount of pressure applied. One or more audio output devices 318 may include, but are not limited to, speakers, interfaces, etc., which are configured to transmit audio-related data to a device configured to deliver audio. One or more input devices 320 may include, but are not limited to, microphones, interfaces, which are configured to receive audio-related data from a device configured to receive audio.

[0037] The memory 306 includes a high-speed random access memory (such as DRAM, SRAM, DDR RAM) or other random access solid-state memory devices; and may include non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic disk storage devices, optical disk storage devices, flash memory devices, or other non-volatile solid-state memory devices. In some embodiments, the memory 306 includes one or more storage devices located away from the processor 302. The memory 306 or alternatively the non-volatile storage device within the memory 306 includes a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. In some embodiments, the memory 306 or the computer-readable storage medium of the memory 306 stores programs, modules, and data structures that can be used to perform the operation of the medical device 104 and to perform the techniques described herein for enforcing the cleaning of the medical device 104. The memory 306 may include an operating system 326, a network communication module 328, an image / video capture module 330, an audio input / output module 332, a clinician information module 334, and the like.

[0038] The operating system 326 may be configured to execute processes for the execution of various system services of the medical device 104, including but not limited to hardware and software related tasks. The network communication module 328 may be configured to execute instructions to connect the medical device 104 to one or more other computing devices, such as a healthcare server system 108, a third-party server 110, etc., via one or more communication interfaces 304 and a communication network (e.g., a communication network 106). The image / video capture module 330 may be configured to execute instructions to capture an image or a continuous stream of images. The audio input module 332 may be configured to process received input data and send instructions and / or related data to one or more other components of the medical device 104. The access module 338 may be configured to authorize, deny, and / or modify access to the medical device 104. For example, the access module 338 may be configured to authorize or deny access to the medical device 104 based on the received login credentials of the medical device 104.

[0039] As described above and / or in the method described in this application (for example, computer-implemented method and other information processing methods described herein), the modules and applications identified above may correspond to a group of executable instructions for performing one or more functions of the subject technology. One or more modules may be implemented as specific hardware devices with appropriate input and output signal paths. In various embodiments, these modules may be combined or otherwise rearranged. In some embodiments, memory 206 and / or memory 306 store the modules and data structures identified above. In some embodiments, memory 206 and / or memory 306 store additional modules and data structures not described above.

[0040] Figure 4 is an exemplary medical device that can interact with a clinician within a healthcare facility. Figure 4 The medical device 104 shown can be configured to be connected to one or more functional modules, such as four fluid infusion pumps 22, 24, 26 and 28, each pump being operatively engaged with a corresponding fluid administration kit 30, 32, 34 and 36. Fluid sources 38, 40, 42 and 44 can take various forms, but in this case are shown as bottles, which are inverted and suspended above the pumps. Fluid sources can also take the form of bags or other types of containers. Medical device 104 and fluid sources 38, 40, 42 and 44 are all mounted to roller racks or rods 46. Specific fluid sources and their orientations in the care area (e.g., mounting position, mounting height, mounting type, etc.) can generate one or more interaction records. For example, the interaction record of the kit can be generated in part by detecting a scannable code associated with the kit before use. Once scanned, the interaction record can be recorded for use as described herein.

[0041] like Figure 4 As shown in the exemplary embodiment of, each administration kit 30,32,34 and 36 is connected between corresponding fluid sources 38,40,42 and 44 and the same patient 48, so that the patient can receive fluids in all fluid sources. The administration kit can be actively identified by, for example, a clinician's scan, or passively identified by, for example, wireless or optical detection of the administration kit. As with the fluid source, once identified, an interaction record can be generated that identifies the administration kit and the clinician, programming module, pump, administration kit positioning (e.g., one or more of the administration position (e.g., left forearm, right upper arm, etc.).

[0042] Each infusion pump 22, 24, 26 and 28 can be used to infuse each fluid from the fluid source into the patient. The infusion pump is a flow control device that acts on the corresponding tubing or fluid conduit of the fluid administration kit to move the fluid from the fluid source through the conduit to the patient 48. Because separate pumps are used, each pump can be individually set with pumping or operating parameters that are required to infuse a specific medical fluid from the corresponding fluid source into the patient at a specific rate specified by the clinician for the fluid. The activities performed by the pump or clinician for infusing a specific medical fluid can be associated with one or more interactions, which can be recorded and processed as described.

[0043] Typically, a medical fluid administration kit has Figure 4 More parts are shown. Many have check valves, drip chambers, valve ports, connectors and other devices well known to those skilled in the art. These other devices are not included in the drawings to maintain clarity of the description.

[0044] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A closer view of a portion of the medical device is shown. Figure 5Two fluid infusion pumps mounted on both sides of the programming module are shown, as well as the display and control keys of each pump, and the programming module is capable of programming two infusion pumps. The pump 22 includes a door 50 and a handle 52, which is operated to lock the door in a closed position for operation, and unlock and open the door to approach the internal pumping and sensing mechanism and load the dosing kit of the pump. When the door 50 is open, the tubing can be connected to the pump 22. When the door 50 is closed, the tubing is engaged with the pumping mechanism, the upstream and downstream pressure sensors, and other equipment of the pump. In this embodiment, a display 54 (e.g., an LED display) is located in a plan view on the door, and can be used to visually convey various information related to the pump 22, such as an alarm indication (e.g., an alarm message). There is a control key 56 for programming and controlling the operation of the infusion pump as needed. In some embodiments, the control key can be omitted and presented on the display 54 (e.g., a touch screen display) as an interactive element. The infusion pump 24 also includes an audio alarm device (not shown) in the form of a speaker.

[0045] exist Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, the programming module 60 is attached to the left side of the infusion pump 24. Figure 4 As shown, other devices or modules, including another infusion pump, can be attached to the right side of the infusion pump 24. In such a system, each attached pump represents a pump channel of the entire medical device 20. In one embodiment, the programming module is used to provide an interface between the infusion pump 24 and external devices, as well as provide most of the operator interface for the infusion pump 24. Note that U.S. Pat. No. 5,713,856 to Eggers et al., entitled "Modular Patient Care System," is incorporated herein by reference, wherein the programming module is described as a high-level interface unit.

[0046] Back to Figure 5, the programming module 60 includes a display 62 for visually conveying various information, such as operating parameters and alarm indications and alarm messages of the pump 24. The programming module 60 may also include a speaker to provide an audible alarm. The programming module 60 may also include one or more input devices, such as control keys 64 or a barcode scanner (not shown), for scanning information related to infusion, patients, clinicians, etc. In some embodiments, the display 62 may be implemented as a touch screen display (e.g., display 312). In such an embodiment, the control keys 64 may be omitted or reduced in number by providing corresponding interactive elements via a graphical user interface presented on the display 62. The programming module 60 may include a communication system (not shown) through which the programming module 60 can communicate with an external device (such as a medical facility server or other computer), and communicate with a portable processor (such as a handheld communication device or a portable computer) or other information devices to which a clinician may have to transmit information and download a drug library to the programming module 60 or pump. The communication module can be used to transmit access and interactive information to a clinician who encounters a programming module or a device (e.g., pump 22 or a barcode scanner) connected to the programming module. The communication system may include one or more radio frequency (RF) systems, optical systems such as infrared, BLUETOOTH TM System or other wired or wireless system. The barcode scanner and communication system can alternatively be integrated with the infusion pump 24, for example without the use of a programming module, or in addition to the programming module 60. In addition, the information input device does not need to be hardwired to the medical device, and the information can also be transmitted through a wireless connection.

[0047] Figure 5 The illustrated embodiment includes a second pump module 26 connected to a programming module 60. Figure 4 As shown, more pump modules can be connected. In addition, other types of modules can be connected to the pump module or to the programming module, such as a syringe pump module, an oximeter reading module, a patient-controlled analgesia module, etc. Each module can generate an interaction record of one or more interaction types. The interaction record may include an identifier of the module or device that interacted. The identifier may include a device type identifier, a model or series identifier, or a unique identifier for a specific device.

[0048] Now go to Figure 6 , a flowchart illustrating a process of identifying one or more contaminated medical devices and enforcing cleaning of the contaminated medical devices is shown. For the sake of clarity of the example, reference is made to Figure 1 The components of the network architecture 100 shown and described, reference Figure 2 The components of the device management server 108 shown and described, and reference Figure 3The components of the medical device 104 shown and described may be used to describe a process of identifying one or more contaminated medical devices and enforcing cleaning of the contaminated medical devices.

[0049] Method 600 includes receiving, by a processor 202 of a device management server 108, health information associated with one or more patients and / or treatments and / or one or more clinicians (block 601). The device management server 108 may receive health information associated with one or more patients from one or more patient information systems (e.g., a patient's medical record provided from an electronic medical record system). Similarly, the device management server 108 may receive health information associated with one or more clinicians from a clinician or employee information system. In some embodiments, the processor 202 may store the received health information of each patient and / or clinician in association with the corresponding identifiers of the patient and clinician. The received health information of each patient and / or clinician may indicate contamination (e.g., one or more allergens, diseases, and / or infections) that affects the patient and / or clinician. For example, if a patient or clinician is affected by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), one or more fields and / or combinations thereof of the received health information may indicate that the patient is affected by MRSA. As described further below, clinicians may be associated with contamination due to association with patients with allergens or disease or infection.

[0050] The processor 202 identifies one or more patients and / or clinicians affected by a certain class of allergens, diseases, and / or infections (block 602). The device management server 108 may be configured with a set of rules that classify various allergens, diseases, and / or infections into various categories of allergens, diseases, and / or infections, and each category of allergens, diseases, and / or infections may indicate a different level of health risk to humans. In some embodiments, the set of rules may classify allergens, diseases, and / or infections into different categories based at least on whether the allergens, diseases, and / or infections are contagious. Based on the set of rules and the health information received at block 601, the processor 202 may be configured to identify one or more patients and / or clinicians affected by a certain category. In some embodiments, the set of rules may specify a health risk score (e.g., a number ranging between 0 and 100) for each of the different categories of allergens, diseases, and / or infections, and the processor 202 may be configured to identify patients affected by the category of allergens, diseases, and / or infections that meet a threshold health risk score. For example, if the threshold health risk score is 80, the processor 202 can be configured to identify one or more patients affected by a class of allergens, diseases, and / or infections having a health risk score greater than and / or equal to 80. The health risk score can be based on the number of interactions the clinician has with the infected patient (e.g., increases as the number of interactions increases). The health risk score can be based on the proximity or distance of the clinician to the infected patient (e.g., whether within a predetermined threshold distance).

[0051] The processor 202 identifies one or more medical devices associated with one or more identified patients (block 603). The device management server 108 may receive a unique identifier for each medical device used for the patient, and the processor 202 may store the unique identifier of the medical device associated with the patient's identifier in a data storage system associated with the device management server 108. In some embodiments, the device management server 108 may receive data related to one or more medical devices used for the patient, including but not limited to the identifier of the medical device, which may be received from one or more patient information systems and / or health information systems of a healthcare facility. The processor 202 may identify one or more medical devices associated with one or more identified patients based on the identifiers of these patients and the one or more devices stored in association with the patient. The identification at block 603 may limit the number of devices identified by limiting the time of use. For example, contamination of a device during a visit a year ago may not be as relevant as a device that was interacted with in the past seven days.

[0052] The processor 202 identifies one or more clinicians interacting with one or more identified patients (block 604). In some embodiments, the clinician interacting with the patient can log in to the medical device associated with the patient, and the device management server 108 can receive a unique identifier associated with the clinician from the login information provided to the clinician of the medical device associated with the patient. In this way, the device management server 108 can receive data related to one or more clinicians interacting with the patient from a patient information system (e.g., an electronic medical record system), and the processor 202 of the device management server 108 can store the received data related to one or more clinicians associated with the patient. For example, the received clinician data can be stored in a data storage system associated with the device management server 108 in association with the patient's identifier. In some embodiments, for each of the one or more clinicians interacting with the patient, the device management server 108 can receive a unique identifier of the clinician, and the processor 202 can store the unique identifier in association with the patient's identifier in a data storage system associated with the device management server 108. Similar to block 603, in block 604, time can be used to improve the efficiency and accuracy of clinician interaction identification.

[0053] The processor 202 identifies one or more medical devices interacting with one or more clinicians (box 605). One or more clinicians can be identified as clinicians who are affected by a certain class of allergens, diseases, and / or infections. For example, the device management server 108 (and the processor 202) can receive an indication that the clinician is treating a patient by logging into the medical device by the clinician, the medical device being a medical device (e.g., an infusion pump) that is currently administering medication to the patient, or a medical device (e.g., an automatic dispensing device) that provides medication for delivery to the patient, or a medical device (e.g., a medication preparation workstation) that is used to prepare medication for delivery to the patient. The clinician can log into the medical device by providing an identifier to the medical device to interact with the medical device (e.g., by swiping a badge and sending an identifier using RFID technology), and when the clinician provides a unique identifier to the medical device, the device management server 108 can receive the clinician's identifier from the medical device. For each medical device that interacts with the clinician, the processor 202 can store the clinician's unique identifier in association with the identifier of the medical device in a data storage system associated with the device management server 108. The processor 202 may be configured to identify one or more medical devices interacting with the one or more clinicians based on the one or more clinician identifiers and associations between the one or more clinician identifiers and the one or more medical devices.

[0054] Upon identifying potential contamination of one or more medical devices, the processor 202 sends an instruction to deactivate (e.g., electronically lock) each of the one or more identified medical devices (block 606). The processor 202 may update the current status and / or current state of the identified medical device to deactivate (e.g., "locked") in response to sending the instruction to the identified medical device. The status or state may cause the device management server 108 to prevent the clinician from logging into the medical device unless certain criteria are met (e.g., the clinician is a cleaning technician, the medical device is located in a predetermined cleaning area, etc.). The processor 202 sends a message to each of the one or more identified medical devices, the message being used to move them to a predetermined area (block 607). The device management server 108 causes the sent message to be displayed on a display device associated with the identified medical device (e.g., a display device of the identified medical device). The medical device may be configured to display the message received from the device management server 108 on a display device associated with the medical device. Deactivating a medical device may include activating a physical element of the medical device to prevent further use. For example, the actuator can cause the pin to engage the handle 52 to prevent the door 50 of the affected pump from opening. As another example, the fluid pump may include a blocking mechanism to prevent fluid flow channel tubing. The instruction can engage the blocking mechanism, thereby blocking the pumping path of the fluid pump and preventing new tubing from being loaded into the pump. As another example, the pumping module 60 can provide electricity or other resources to the connected modules. The deactivation instruction may include a control signal for deactivating the electricity provided by the pumping module 60. The control signal can reduce the voltage provided or disconnect the power circuit with the connected module until appropriate cleaning is performed. In some embodiments, the medical device or mounting element (e.g., a rod) may include motorized components, such as wheels and motors. In such an embodiment, the instruction can navigate the medical device to a predetermined area.

[0055] In some embodiments, the device management server 108 can be configured to receive location data of the medical device, and the processor 202 can determine whether the medical device is within a predetermined area based on the received location data of the medical device. The location of the medical device can be determined by a (Global Positioning System) GPS locator system within the medical device, or by identifying that the medical device is currently transmitting through or connecting to a specific WiFi transceiver at a known location.

[0056] The hospital facility may include a plurality of predetermined care areas, including intensive care units (ICUs), operating rooms, emergency rooms, obstetric wards, general wards, and the like. In some embodiments, a medical device (or functional module) may be identified as being contaminated by being located in an area identified as a contaminated area. Based on the fact that a patient living in the area has been infected by a predetermined contamination or infection source, the area may be identified as being contaminated. The area may be identified based on identifying that a patient has moved to or passed through the area, or the threshold number of interactions of a nursing staff who has a threshold number of interactions with an infected patient through the area may be used to identify the area. In some embodiments, the device management server 108 may receive an indication that an area of ​​a medical facility has been contaminated, and issue an instruction (e.g., via a network) to deactivate (e.g., electronically lock) all medical devices (and / or functional modules) in the contaminated area.

[0057] In some embodiments, the processor 202 can be configured to determine whether the identified medical device has been moved to the predetermined area within a threshold amount of time since a message was sent to move the medical device to the predetermined area and / or since an instruction was sent to deactivate (e.g., electronically lock) the medical device. For example, once the device is marked as contaminated, the processor (or the device management server 108) can monitor the location of the device to ensure that it is moved to the predetermined cleaning area. The cleaning for cleaning the device can be determined based on the type of contamination. If the processor 202 determines that the identified medical device has not been moved to the predetermined area within a threshold amount of time, the processor 202 can send a message to the user of the medical device (e.g., a cleaning staff) to move the identified medical device to the predetermined area. In some embodiments, the processor 202 can send an instruction to the medical device to cause the medical device to generate an audible alarm and / or display a visual alarm on a display device associated with the medical device, indicating that the medical device has not been moved to the predetermined area within a threshold amount of time.

[0058] As described further below, the device management server 108 can be configured to send an instruction to the medical device to unlock the medical device in response to determining that the medical device is sufficiently clean. Figure 7 Additional details of determining whether a medical device is adequately cleaned and sending instructions to the medical device to unlock the medical device are described.

[0059] Now go to Figure 7 , a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process of determining whether a medical device is sufficiently cleaned and sending an instruction to enable (eg, electronically unlock) the medical device is shown. To illustrate an example, refer to Figure 1 The components of the network architecture 100 shown and described, reference Figure 2 The components of the device management server 108 shown and described and referenced Figure 3The components of the medical device 104 shown and described may be used to describe a process of determining whether the medical device is adequately cleaned and sending an instruction to unlock the medical device.

[0060] In the depicted example, the method 700 includes receiving, by the processor 202 of the device management server 108, identification information associated with a cleaning solution applied to an identified medical device (block 701). The identification information may be received directly from a database (via an index based on the device type), from a medical device, or in some embodiments, via a device associated with a technician responsible for cleaning the medical device. In this regard, the processor 202 (or system 108) may enforce a specific type of solution for a specific type of infection (e.g., blood spills, chemical spills, or normal dirt). When a device is designated for cleaning, the technician may be prompted (e.g., by a medical device) to enter a cleaning solution for cleaning the medical device. The input may be by entering an identification of the cleaning solution by an input device 316 or 320. In some embodiments, the input may be by prompting the technician to place the cleaning solution near the capture device 324 by the medical device so that the cleaning solution can be optically identified by an optical sensor associated with the medical device. Optical identification may be, for example, by scanning a barcode on a cleaning solution container or by image recognition of a cleaning solution container. In some embodiments, the identification may be facilitated by a technician selecting a cleaning solution from a plurality of cleaning solution options presented on a menu on a display of the medical device.

[0061] As described above, in response to receiving an instruction to deactivate the medical device from the device management server 108, the identified medical device is placed in a deactivated (e.g., electronically locked) state. In some embodiments, in response to the device management server 108 receiving identification information associated with the cleaning solution, the processor 202 may determine whether the identified medical device is in a predetermined area of ​​the medical care facility associated with the cleaning medical device, as shown in block 711. As described above, the device management server 108 may receive location data of the medical device (e.g., from a GPS within the medical device or based on input or scanning of the device received by a technician), and the processor 202 may determine whether the medical device is in a predetermined area based on the received location data. If the processor 202 determines that the medical device is not in the predetermined area, the processor 202 may continue to periodically determine whether the medical device is in the predetermined area until the medical device is determined to be in the predetermined area. If the processor 202 determines that the medical device is in the predetermined area, the method 700 may proceed to block 702.

[0062] Processor 202 determines whether the cleaning solution is correct (frame 702). In some embodiments, a medical device may be associated with one or more cleaning solutions, wherein the associated one or more cleaning solutions may be predetermined to be suitable and / or suitable for the medical device based on the type of medical device and / or the type of allergen, disease and / or infection currently associated with the medical device. For example, a medical device including a display device may be associated with a predetermined cleaning solution, which is configured to clean the display device without damaging the display device. Similarly, a medical device may include a pumping module and / or include a pump, and the medical device may be associated with a cleaning solution configured to clean a pump component. In some embodiments, a set of rules may specify one or more cleaning solutions for different allergens, diseases and / or infections, and / or for different categories of allergens, diseases and / or infections. For example, a set of rules may specify one or more cleaning solutions for MRSA, and the set of rules may specify one or more different cleaning solutions for different allergens, diseases and / or infections. Processor 202 may be configured to determine whether the cleaning solution is correct based on one or more cleaning solutions associated with the identified medical device. In some embodiments, processor 202 can determine whether a cleaning solution is correct based on whether the cleaning solution is appropriate for the allergens, diseases, and / or infections of the patient associated with the medical device and / or the allergens, diseases, and / or infections of the clinician interacting with the medical device.

[0063] If the processor 202 determines that the cleaning solution is incorrect ("No" at box 702), the method 700 proceeds to box 703. The processor 202 sends a message to the identified medical device indicating that the cleaning solution is incorrect (box 703). In some embodiments, the processor 202 identifies one or more correct cleaning solutions based on one or more cleaning solutions associated with the identified medical device and / or the allergens, diseases, and / or infections of the patient associated with the identified medical device and / or the allergens, diseases, and / or infections of the clinician interacting with the medical device. In some embodiments, the processor 202 can identify one or more correct cleaning solutions based on a set of rules that specify one or more cleaning solutions for different medical devices and / or different allergens, diseases, and / or infections and / or different categories of allergens, diseases, and / or infections. The set of rules can be stored in a data storage system associated with the device management server 108.

[0064] If the processor 202 determines that the cleaning solution is correct ("yes" at box 702), the method 700 proceeds to box 704. The processor 202 identifies one or more cleaning steps associated with the cleaning process of the identified medical device (box 704). According to various embodiments, the device management server system 108 may include a data repository storing predetermined cleaning procedures required for cleaning medical devices. Each type of medical device and each type of contamination (e.g., infection, disease, and / or allergen) can be associated with one or more stored cleaning procedures. In this regard, as described above, once a medical device is identified for cleaning (e.g., electronically locked), the correct cleaning procedure can be identified based on the type or serial number of the medical device, and / or based on the contamination associated with the medical device.

[0065] Based on one or more components (e.g., display device) and / or one or more functional modules (e.g., pump module) of the medical device, the medical device can be associated with one or more cleaning processes. For example, a medical device including a display device can be associated with a cleaning process including one or more cleaning steps for cleaning the display device of the medical device. Similarly, a medical device including and / or connected to a pump module can be associated with a cleaning process including one or more cleaning steps for cleaning the pump module. In some embodiments, the processor 202 can be configured to identify a cleaning process for the medical device based on one or more functional modules connected to the medical device. For example, if the medical device is connected to a large-volume pump module and a syringe module, the processor 202 can identify one or more cleaning processes associated with cleaning the large-volume pump module and the syringe module. In some embodiments, contamination (such as allergens, diseases and / or infections and / or a class of allergens, diseases and / or infections) can be associated with one or more cleaning steps, and the processor 202 can identify one or more cleaning steps based on contamination (such as allergens, diseases and / or infections) that affects patients associated with the medical device and / or clinicians interacting with the medical device. Contamination can also include hazardous substances handled or stored by medical devices.

[0066] The processor 202 sends the one or more identified cleaning steps to the identified medical device (block 705). The processor 202 may send the one or more identified cleaning steps to the identified medical device so that the identified medical device displays the one or more identified cleaning steps on a display device associated with the identified medical device. As described above, in some embodiments, the medical device 104 may include one or more modules, and the processor 202 may send the one or more identified cleaning steps to at least one of the one or more modules so that the identified cleaning steps are displayed on a display device of the at least one module. For example, the medical device 104 may include a core patient care unit (PCU) module, such as Figure 4 The programming module 60 shown, and the processor 202 can send one or more identified cleaning steps to the PCU module (e.g., the programming module 60) for display on the display device of the PCU module.

[0067] In some embodiments, the processor 202 may send one or more identified cleaning steps to a device (e.g., a mobile computing device, a mobile phone, etc.) associated with a user (e.g., a biomedical technician, a cleaning technician, etc.) who is assigned the task of cleaning the identified medical device so that one or more identified cleaning steps are displayed on a display device associated with the device. The processor 202 receives a message indicating that the cleaning of the identified medical device is complete (box 706). The message may be received from a technician performing the cleaning by a user's input at an input device 316 or 320. For example, a technician may input that the cleaning is performed. In some embodiments, the message may include sensor data collected by a medical device. For example, a medical device (such as a drug preparation workstation) may include a camera that may be used to capture an image of at least a portion of the workstation during cleaning. Images may be included, and in some cases, image recognition or other machine learning algorithms may be used to analyze the image to assess the cleaning.

[0068] The processor 202 determines whether the medical device is sufficiently cleaned (box 707). In some embodiments, it is determined that the cleaning is completed and the device is sufficiently cleaned and is performed simultaneously (e.g., in the same action). For example, when the technician provides an input that the cleaning has been performed, the processor 202 may perform a series of internal checks to confirm that all cleaning steps are performed according to a predetermined cleaning program based on the cleaning information received via the user input or through its sensor. As another example, the processor 202 can confirm that the appropriate cleaning solution identifier is entered into the system, and that the cleaning is started within a predetermined appropriate time since the device is marked as clean (e.g., a period of time from the detection of infection), and the technician performing the cleaning is authenticated for the medical device, and is authorized to perform cleaning for the infection type and / or is authorized to use the cleaning solution type used on the medical device. In some embodiments, after the cleaning step is completed, the processor 202 can receive a message indicating that the cleaning step is completed from the identified medical device 104, and for one or more cleaning steps for which the processor 202 does not receive a message indicating completion, the processor 202 can identify those cleaning steps as unfinished. In some embodiments, based on the received message, the processor 202 may update the status of the corresponding cleaning step to indicate its completion, and may store the updated status associated with the cleaning step in one or more data storage units associated with the device management server 108. The evaluation may include analyzing information contained in the received message, such as analyzing images captured during the cleaning process.

[0069] In some embodiments, the processor 202 may be configured to determine whether the medical device is adequately cleaned based on electronic sensing, which is related to whether each functional module connected to the identified medical device is actually cleaned. Electronic sensing may include detecting one or more signals from a sensor in communication with the processor 202. For example, if the medical device includes a touch-sensitive display screen 314, a cleaning program corresponding to the medical device may instruct the processor to electronically verify through the touch-sensitive display screen that all (or certain) areas of the display screen are actually cleaned. The technician may start cleaning by powering on the device and scanning his or her badge. The processor 202 may be programmed to recognize that cleaning has begun based on the current location of the device, the technician's login, and / or specific information related to cleaning input to the device. When the cleaning process begins, the display screen may prompt the technician to clean the display screen, and then the medical device may begin sensing on the screen to verify that each part of the display screen is touched. In this regard, touching the display screen at all predetermined cleaning areas may indicate that the screen is properly cleaned. In some embodiments in which the display screen responds to pressure application, the processor 202 may require that a predetermined threshold amount of pressure be applied at each relevant position of the screen for a predetermined amount of time before confirming that the display screen is cleaned.

[0070] In some embodiments, the processor 202 can make the display screen identify each area to be cleaned by a graphic indicator at a specific cleaning position on the screen. When it is determined that each position has been fully cleaned, the graphic indicator can move. The cleaning position and the amount of cleaning required for a given position can be determined based on the interaction with the medical device. For example, if the medical device saves a history of clinician interactions, which shows a large amount of use of buttons or interface elements in the lower left part of the medical device, the lower left part may need more cleaning than the upper right part. In some embodiments, the graphic indicator can identify the wipe or gesture to be performed. For example, it may be desirable to use a diagonal wipe from one corner to another and then move to a spiral or other shape to clean. In some embodiments, the processor 202 can make the entire screen change a specific color (e.g., red), and when the screen senses that it is being cleaned (e.g., by touch and / or predetermined pressure), the color changes to indicate that it has been fully cleaned (e.g., green). In some embodiments, when all pixels of the screen are associated with a touch action, or when a predetermined amount of pressure is applied during a certain period of time after the technician starts cleaning, cleaning can be identified as completed. In some embodiments, cleaning is identified as complete when the entire screen is subject to touch and / or pressure, and the device has recognized one or more predetermined wiping actions or movements in conjunction with the applied touch or pressure.

[0071] The processor 202 can determine whether a functional module connected to the medical device is cleaned based on a message or signal received from the functional module indicating that the functional module is cleaned. For example, a pump module may include a sensor that detects when a pump component area is approached and / or when a pump component is removed (e.g., to be cleaned). The detection can be collected as cleaning data for analyzing (e.g., by the processor 202) whether the pump module (or medical device) has been sufficiently cleaned. In some embodiments, the sensor can detect the flow of fluid through components of the medical device and / or functional module, and determine whether the medical device and / or functional module is cleaned based on the flow detection. In some embodiments, the medical device forwards the received cleaning information to the device management server 108, and based on the cleaning information, the device management server 108 determines whether the medical device is sufficiently cleaned.

[0072] In some embodiments, the functional module of the identified medical device can be disconnected from the identified medical device and connected to a second medical device, and the device management server 108 can receive information indicating that the functional module is connected to the second medical device. In such an embodiment, in response to receiving the information indicating the connection of the functional module, the processor 202 can determine whether the functional module is cleaned. For example, the memory of the functional module can store a flag indicating whether the device is cleaned, and the processor 202 can read the flag. In some embodiments, the memory can store a timestamp associated with the time when the functional module was last cleaned, and the processor 202 can verify that the timestamp is after the time when the functional module (or the medical device to which the functional module was previously attached) was identified as needing cleaning (e.g., infected or exposed to contamination). In some embodiments, the medical device or functional module may need to be cleaned regularly, and the timestamp can indicate whether a threshold time period has been exceeded since the medical device or functional module was last cleaned.

[0073] If the processor 202 determines that the functional module is not cleaned, the processor 202 may send one or more instructions to the second medical device to deactivate one or more features of the functional module. In such an embodiment, if the processor 202 determines that the functional module is cleaned, the processor 202 updates the status of the functional module in a data storage system associated with the device management server 108 to indicate that the functional module is cleaned.

[0074] At box 707, if the processor 202 determines that the medical device has not been adequately cleaned ("No" at box 707), the method 700 proceeds to box 708. The processor 202 can identify one or more uncompleted cleaning steps in the cleaning steps associated with the cleaning process (box 708). As described above, in some embodiments, for one or more cleaning steps for which the processor 202 has not received a message indicating completion, the processor 202 can identify those cleaning steps as uncompleted. For example, if the cleaning process is associated with three cleaning steps, including steps of cleaning a large volume pump of the identified medical device 104 and / or a large volume pump connected to the identified medical device, the user of the medical device 104 (e.g., a biomedical technician, a cleaning technician, etc.) can provide input to the identified medical device 104 to send a message to the device management server 108 indicating that the step of cleaning the large volume pump is completed, and the processor 202 can identify the remaining two steps of the cleaning process as uncompleted until the processor 202 receives one or more messages indicating that these steps are completed.

[0075] In some embodiments, the identified medical device 104 can be configured to determine whether the cleaning step is completed and send a message to the device management server indicating that the cleaning step is completed. For example, as described above, the medical device 104 may include and / or be connected to a display device that is configured to receive touch input and is configured to detect touches at various parts of the display device, and based on a touch of a predetermined threshold pressure amount at a predetermined part of the detected display device, the medical device 104 can determine whether the step of cleaning the display device is completed. If the medical device 104 determines that the step of cleaning the display device has been completed, the medical device 104 can automatically send a message to the device management server 108 indicating that the step of cleaning the display device has been completed. The processor 202 identifies the step of cleaning the display device as completed and identifies other cleaning steps (if any) of the cleaning process as incomplete until a message indicating that the cleaning step is completed is received.

[0076] The processor 202 sends a message to the identified medical device indicating one or more identified uncompleted steps (block 709). In some embodiments, the processor 202 may send the message and / or indicate in the message that the identified medical device 104 is not adequately cleaned. In some embodiments, the processor 202 may send one or more messages indicating that one or more functional modules of the medical device are not cleaned. The method 700 proceeds to block 706.

[0077] Returning to box 707, if the processor 202 determines that the medical device is sufficiently cleaned ("yes" at box 707), the method 700 proceeds to box 710. The processor 202 sends one or more instructions to the identified medical device to enable (e.g., electronically unlock) the medical device (box 710). The processor 202 may update the state or condition of the identified medical device in a data storage system associated with the device management server 108 to indicate that the medical device is cleaned. In some embodiments, the processor 202 updates the state of one or more functional modules connected to the identified medical device in a data storage system associated with the device management server 108 to indicate that the one or more functional modules are cleaned. The processor 202 may additionally or alternatively adjust the medical device to allow further operation. The adjustment may include allowing the handle 52 to operate, retracting the occluder, connecting the power circuit, etc.

[0078] Although some of the various figures show multiple logical stages in a particular order, stages that are not dependent on order may be reordered, and other stages may be combined or split. Although some reordering or other groupings are specifically mentioned, other reorderings or other groupings are clear to those of ordinary skill in the art, and thus the ordering and groupings given herein are not an exhaustive list of alternatives. In addition, it should be appreciated that the stages may be implemented in hardware, firmware, software, or any combination thereof.

[0079] For purposes of explanation, the foregoing description has been described with reference to specific embodiments. However, the illustrative discussion above is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of the claims to the precise forms disclosed. In light of the above teachings, many modifications and variations are possible. These embodiments were chosen in order to best explain the rationale for the claims and their practical application, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to best use the embodiments with various modifications to suit the specific intended use.

[0080] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the various illustrative blocks, modules, elements, parts, methods and algorithms described herein can be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software or a combination of the two. In order to illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, various illustrative blocks, modules, elements, parts, methods and algorithms have been generally described above according to their functions. Whether this function is implemented as hardware or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the entire system. For each specific application, the described functions can be implemented in different ways. Various components and blocks can be arranged differently (e.g., arranged in different orders, or divided in different ways), all of which do not depart from the scope of the subject technology.

[0081] It should be understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the disclosed process is an illustration of an exemplary method. Based on design preferences, it is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the process can be rearranged. Some steps can be performed simultaneously. The attached method claims present the elements of the various steps in an exemplary order and are not meant to be limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented.

[0082] Description of this subject technology

[0083] For convenience, various examples of various aspects of the present disclosure are described as numbered clauses (1, 2, 3, etc.). These are provided as examples and do not limit the subject technology. The identification of the figures and figure numerals is provided below only as an example for the purpose of illustration, and the clauses are not limited by these identifications.

[0084] Clause 1. A method comprises: receiving, by one or more computing devices, an indication that a medical device has been exposed to a predetermined contamination; in response to receiving the indication, providing a first instruction for the medical device to the medical device, wherein, in response to the medical device receiving the first instruction, one or more operations of the medical device are disabled; after sending the first instruction, receiving, by one or more computing devices, cleaning information indicating that cleaning of the medical device is performed; identifying, by one or more computing devices, a predetermined cleaning procedure corresponding to the medical device and the contamination; determining, by one or more computing devices based on the cleaning information, that cleaning of the medical device is performed according to a predetermined cleaning procedure corresponding to the medical device and the contamination; and in response to determining that the medical device is cleaned according to the predetermined cleaning procedure, providing, by one or more computing devices, a second instruction to the medical device, wherein, in response to the medical device receiving the second instruction, one or more operations of the medical device are enabled.

[0085] Clause 2. The method according to clause 1 further includes: receiving user input associated with the medical device, the user input indicating a cleaning solution used to clean the medical device; determining from a predetermined cleaning procedure whether the cleaning solution used to clean the medical device is a correct cleaning solution for cleaning the medical device; in response to determining that the cleaning solution is correct, causing one or more cleaning steps to be displayed on a display device associated with the medical device; in response to determining that the cleaning solution is incorrect, identifying a correct cleaning solution for the medical device, and sending information related to the correct cleaning solution to the medical device.

[0086] Clause 3. The method of clause 2, wherein the cleaning step includes graphically identifying locations on the display screen that require cleaning.

[0087] Item 4. The method according to Item 3 further includes: sensing whether a touch signal is received at a corresponding position in combination with a position identified by a graphic; and determining whether the medical device is cleaned according to a predetermined cleaning procedure based on one or more touch signals received on the display screen.

[0088] Clause 5. The method according to Clause 1 further includes: identifying one or more modules connected to a medical device; determining whether the one or more modules are connected to a second medical device; in response to determining that the one or more modules are connected to the second medical device, determining whether the one or more modules are cleaned after being connected to the medical device; and in response to determining that the one or more modules are not cleaned, sending an instruction to the second medical device to deactivate one or more features of the one or more modules.

[0089] Clause 6. The method of clause 5, further comprising: identifying one or more cleaning steps based on the one or more connected modules.

[0090] Clause 7. The method according to Clause 1 further includes: determining whether the medical device is located in a predetermined area of ​​the facility based on the location information of the medical device; and in response to determining that the medical device is not located in the predetermined area of ​​the facility, displaying a message to move the medical device to the predetermined area of ​​the facility.

[0091] Clause 8. A method according to clause 1, wherein receiving cleaning information further comprises: receiving, at a server, one or more messages from the medical device regarding steps taken to clean the medical device; and in response to determining that the medical device was cleaned according to a predetermined cleaning procedure, sending one or more instructions over a network to enable the medical device.

[0092] Clause 9. The method of Clause 8, wherein each of the one or more messages indicates that at least one component of the medical device is cleaned.

[0093] Clause 10. The method of clause 8, further comprising: in response to determining that the medical device is cleaned according to a predetermined cleaning procedure, updating a status of the medical device in a data storage system to indicate that the medical device is cleaned.

[0094] Item 11. A system comprising: a memory storing instructions; and one or more processors connected to the memory and configured to execute the instructions so that the system: receives an indication that a medical device has been exposed to a predetermined contamination; in response to receiving the indication, provides a first instruction to the medical device, wherein, in response to the medical device receiving the first instruction, one or more operations of the medical device are disabled; after sending the instruction, receives cleaning information indicating that cleaning of the medical device has been performed; identifies a predetermined cleaning procedure corresponding to the medical device and the contamination; based on the cleaning information, determines that the medical device is cleaned according to the predetermined cleaning procedure corresponding to the medical device and the contamination; and in response to determining that cleaning of the medical device has been performed according to the predetermined cleaning procedure, provides a second instruction to the medical device to the medical device, wherein, in response to the medical device receiving the second instruction, one or more operations of the medical device are enabled.

[0095] Clause 12. A system according to clause 11, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute instructions to cause the system to: receive user input associated with the medical device and indicating a cleaning solution used to clean the medical device; determine from a predetermined cleaning program whether the cleaning solution used to clean the medical device is a correct cleaning solution for cleaning the medical device; when the cleaning solution is correct, cause one or more cleaning steps to be displayed on a display device associated with the medical device; when the cleaning solution is incorrect, identify the correct cleaning solution for the medical device and send information related to the correct cleaning solution to the medical device.

[0096] Clause 13. The system of clause 12, wherein the cleaning step includes graphically identifying locations on the display screen that require cleaning.

[0097] Clause 14. A system according to clause 13, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute instructions to cause the system to: sense whether a touch signal is received at a corresponding location in conjunction with a location identified by a graphic; and determine whether the medical device is cleaned according to a predetermined cleaning procedure based on one or more touch signals received on the display screen.

[0098] Clause 15. A system according to clause 11, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute instructions to cause the system to: identify one or more modules connected to a medical device; determine whether the one or more modules are connected to a second medical device; when the one or more modules are connected to the second medical device, determine whether the one or more modules are cleaned after being connected to the medical device; and when the one or more modules are not cleaned, send instructions to the second medical device to deactivate one or more features of the one or more modules.

[0099] Clause 16. The system of clause 15, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute instructions to cause the system to: identify one or more cleaning steps based on the one or more connected modules.

[0100] Clause 17. A system according to Clause 11, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute instructions to enable the system to: determine whether the medical device is located in a predetermined area of ​​the facility based on location information of the medical device; and when the medical device is not located in the predetermined area of ​​the facility, cause a message to move the medical device to the predetermined area of ​​the facility to be displayed on a display device associated with the medical device.

[0101] Clause 18. A system according to clause 11, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute instructions to cause the system to: receive one or more messages from the medical device at the server regarding steps taken to clean the medical device; and send one or more instructions over the network to enable the medical device when the medical device is cleaned according to a predetermined cleaning procedure.

[0102] Clause 19. The system of Clause 18, wherein each of the one or more messages indicates that at least one component of the medical device is cleaned.

[0103] Clause 20. The system of clause 18, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute instructions to cause the system to: when the medical device is cleaned according to a predetermined cleaning program, update a status of the medical device in the data storage system to indicate that the medical device is cleaned.

[0104] Item 21. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations, the operations comprising: receiving an indication that a medical device has been exposed to a predetermined contamination; in response to receiving the indication, providing a first instruction to the medical device, wherein, in response to the medical device receiving the first instruction, one or more operations of the medical device are disabled; after sending the instruction, receiving cleaning information indicating that cleaning of the medical device has been performed; identifying a predetermined cleaning procedure corresponding to the medical device and the contamination; based on the cleaning information, determining that the medical device has been cleaned according to the predetermined cleaning procedure corresponding to the medical device and the contamination; and in response to determining that cleaning of the medical device has been performed according to the predetermined cleaning procedure, providing a second instruction to the medical device to the medical device, wherein, in response to the medical device receiving the second instruction, one or more operations of the medical device are enabled.

[0105] Further considerations

[0106] In some embodiments, any of the clauses herein may be subordinate to any of the independent clauses or any of the dependent clauses. In one aspect, any clause (e.g., a dependent or independent clause) may be combined with any other one or more clauses (e.g., a dependent or independent clause). In one aspect, a claim may include some or all of the words (e.g., steps, operations, methods, or parts) cited in a clause, sentence, phrase, or paragraph. In one aspect, a claim may include some or all of the words cited in one or more clauses, sentences, phrases, or paragraphs. In one aspect, some of the words in each clause, sentence, phrase, or paragraph may be removed. In one aspect, additional words or elements may be added to clauses, sentences, phrases, or paragraphs. In one aspect, the subject technology may be implemented without utilizing some of the components, elements, functions, or operations described herein. In one aspect, the subject technology may be implemented utilizing additional components, elements, functions, or operations.

[0107] The foregoing description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various aspects described herein. The foregoing description provides various examples of the subject technology, and the subject technology is not limited to these examples. Various modifications to these aspects will be easily clear to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other aspects. Therefore, the claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but to conform to the full scope consistent with the language claims, wherein, unless otherwise stated, the reference to the elements in the singular form is not intended to refer to "one and only one", but "one or more". Unless otherwise stated, the term "some" refers to one or more. Positive pronouns (such as his) include negative and neutral genders (such as her and its), and vice versa. Titles and subtitles, if any, are used only for convenience and do not limit the present invention described herein.

[0108] The term website as used herein may include any aspect of a website, including one or more web pages, one or more servers for hosting or storing web-related content, etc. Therefore, the term website may be used interchangeably with the terms web page and server. The predicates "configured to," "operable to," and "programmed to" do not imply any specific tangible or intangible modification to the subject matter, but are intended to be used interchangeably. For example, a processor configured to monitor and control operations or components may also mean a processor programmed to monitor and control operations or a processor operable to monitor and control operations. Similarly, a processor configured to execute code may be interpreted as a processor programmed to execute code or operable to execute code.

[0109] The term "automatically" as used herein may include being performed by a computer or machine without user intervention; for example, by a computer, machine or other initiating mechanism in response to an instruction of a predicate action. The word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example or illustration." Any aspect or design described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs.

[0110] Phrases such as "aspects" do not mean that such aspects are essential to the subject technology, or that such aspects apply to all configurations of the subject technology. Disclosures related to aspects may apply to all configurations, or to one or more configurations. An aspect may provide one or more examples. Phrases such as aspects may refer to one or more aspects, and vice versa. Phrases such as "embodiments" do not mean that such embodiments are essential to the subject technology, or that such embodiments apply to all configurations of the subject technology. Disclosures related to embodiments may apply to all embodiments, or to one or more embodiments. An embodiment may provide one or more examples. Phrases such as "embodiments" may refer to one or more embodiments, and vice versa. Phrases such as "configurations" do not mean that such configurations are essential to the subject technology, or that such configurations apply to all configurations of the subject technology. Disclosures related to configurations may apply to all configurations, or to one or more configurations. A configuration may provide one or more examples. Phrases such as "configurations" may refer to one or more configurations, and vice versa.

Claims

1. A method comprising: Determining that a patient or clinician is exposed to a class of contaminants based on health information received from the patient or clinician; identifying, by one or more computing devices, that a medical device associated with a patient or clinician is exposed to the class of contaminants based on a time at which the medical device was used and an identifier of a patient or clinician associated with the medical device, the patient identifier being entered or scanned by the clinician and the clinician identifier being entered when the clinician logs into the medical device; In response to determining that the medical device is associated with a patient or clinician who is affected by the certain type of contaminant, sending, by the one or more computing devices, a first instruction to the medical device for electronically locking the medical device, wherein, in response to the medical device being locked, one or more operations of the medical device are disabled and the medical device cannot be used by a new patient until the medical device is cleaned; receiving, by the one or more computing devices, cleaning information indicating that cleaning of the medical device was performed after locking the medical device; Based on the identification of the medical device and the identified contamination, identifying, by the one or more computing devices, a predetermined cleaning procedure corresponding to the medical device and the identified contamination; Based on the cleaning information, determining, by the one or more computing devices, that the medical device was cleaned according to a predetermined cleaning procedure corresponding to the medical device and the contamination; and In response to determining that the medical device is cleaned according to the predetermined cleaning program, a second instruction is sent by the one or more computing devices to the medical device, wherein in response to the medical device receiving the second instruction, the medical device is unlocked and one or more operations of the medical device are enabled.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: receiving a user input associated with the medical device, the user input indicating a cleaning solution for cleaning the medical device; determining whether the cleaning solution used to clean the medical device is a correct cleaning solution for cleaning the medical device according to the predetermined cleaning program; responsive to determining that the cleaning solution is correct, causing one or more cleaning steps to be displayed on a display device associated with the medical device; In response to determining that the cleaning solution is incorrect, a correct cleaning solution for the medical device is identified and information associated with the correct cleaning solution is sent to the medical device.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The cleaning step includes graphically identifying a location on a display screen of the medical device that requires cleaning.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising: in combination with identifying the position in a graphical manner, sensing whether a touch signal is received at the corresponding position; as well as Based on one or more touch signals received on the display screen, it is determined whether the medical device is cleaned according to the predetermined cleaning program.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: identifying one or more modules connected to the medical device; determining whether the one or more modules are connected to a second medical device; In response to determining that the one or more modules are connected to the second medical device, determining whether the one or more modules are cleaned after being connected to the medical device; and In response to determining that the one or more modules are not cleaned, sending instructions to the second medical device to deactivate one or more features of the one or more modules.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising: identifying, based on the one or more modules, a signal detectable by the medical device, the signal indicating completion of one or more cleaning steps, Wherein, based at least in part on the signal, it is determined whether one or more modules are cleaned.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: determining, based on the location information of the medical device, whether the medical device is located in a predetermined area of ​​a facility; as well as In response to determining that the medical device is not located in a predetermined area of ​​the facility, a message is displayed to move the medical device to the predetermined area of ​​the facility.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein: Receiving the cleaning information further includes: receiving, at a server, one or more messages from the medical device regarding steps taken to clean the medical device; and In response to determining that the medical device is to be cleaned according to the predetermined cleaning program, one or more instructions are sent over the network to enable the medical device.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein: Each of the one or more messages indicates that at least one component of the medical device is cleaned, the method further comprising: In response to determining that the medical device is cleaned according to the predetermined cleaning procedure, a status of the medical device is updated in a data storage system, the status indicating that the medical device is cleaned.

10. A system comprising: a memory for storing instructions; as well as one or more processors coupled to the memory and configured to execute the instructions to cause the system to: Determining that a patient or clinician is exposed to a class of contaminants based on health information received from the patient or clinician; identifying that a medical device associated with a patient or clinician is exposed to the class of contaminants based on a time at which the medical device was used and an identifier of a patient or clinician associated with the medical device, the patient identifier being entered or scanned by the clinician and the clinician identifier being entered when the clinician logs into the medical device; In response to determining that the medical device is associated with a patient or clinician who is affected by the certain type of contaminant, sending a first instruction to the medical device for electronically locking the medical device, wherein in response to the medical device being locked, one or more operations of the medical device are disabled and the medical device cannot be used by a new patient until the medical device is cleaned; After locking the medical device, receiving cleaning information indicating that cleaning of the medical device has been performed; Based on the identification of the medical device and the identified contamination, identifying a predetermined cleaning procedure corresponding to the medical device and the identified contamination; Based on the cleaning information, determining that cleaning of the medical device has been performed according to a predetermined cleaning procedure corresponding to the medical device and contamination; and In response to determining that cleaning of the medical device has been performed according to the predetermined cleaning program, a second instruction is sent to the medical device, wherein in response to the medical device receiving the second instruction, the medical device is unlocked and one or more operations of the medical device are enabled.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein: The one or more processors are configured to execute instructions to cause the system to: receiving a user input associated with the medical device and indicating a cleaning solution for cleaning the medical device; determining whether the cleaning solution used to clean the medical device is a correct cleaning solution for cleaning the medical device according to the predetermined cleaning program; causing one or more cleaning steps to be displayed on a display device associated with the medical device when the cleaning solution is correct; When the cleaning solution is incorrect, a correct cleaning solution for the medical device is identified and information associated with the correct cleaning solution is sent to the medical device.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein: The cleaning step includes graphically identifying locations on the display screen that require cleaning.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein: The one or more processors are configured to execute instructions to cause the system to: in combination with identifying the position in a graphical manner, sensing whether a touch signal is received at the corresponding position; as well as Based on one or more touch signals received on the display screen, it is determined whether the medical device is cleaned according to the predetermined cleaning program.

14. The system according to claim 10, wherein: The one or more processors are configured to execute instructions to cause the system to: identifying one or more modules connected to the medical device; determining whether the one or more modules are connected to a second medical device; When the one or more modules are connected to the second medical device, determining whether the one or more modules are cleaned after being connected to the medical device; and When the one or more modules are not cleaned, instructions are sent to the second medical device to deactivate one or more features of the one or more modules.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein: The one or more processors are configured to execute instructions to cause the system to: after the one or more modules are connected to the second medical device, determining that the second medical device recognizes a signal indicating completion of one or more cleaning steps, Wherein, whether the one or more modules are cleaned is determined based at least in part on the signal.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein: The one or more processors are configured to execute instructions to cause the system to: determining, based on the location information of the medical device, whether the medical device is located in a predetermined area of ​​a facility; and When the medical device is not located in the predetermined area of ​​the facility, a message to move the medical device to the predetermined area of ​​the facility is displayed on a display device associated with the medical device.

17. The system according to claim 10, wherein: The one or more processors are configured to execute instructions to cause the system to: receiving, at a server, one or more messages from the medical device regarding steps taken to clean the medical device; as well as When the medical device is cleaned according to the predetermined cleaning program, one or more instructions are sent over the network to activate the medical device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein: Each of the one or more messages indicates that at least one component of the medical device is cleaned.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein: The one or more processors are configured to execute instructions to cause the system to: When the medical device is cleaned according to the predetermined cleaning program, a status of the medical device is updated in a data storage system, the status indicating that the medical device is cleaned.

20. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: Determining that a patient or clinician is exposed to a class of contaminants based on health information received from the patient or clinician; identifying that a medical device associated with a patient or clinician is exposed to the class of contaminants based on a time at which the medical device was used and an identifier of a patient or clinician associated with the medical device, the patient identifier being entered or scanned by the clinician and the clinician identifier being entered when the clinician logs into the medical device; In response to determining that the medical device is associated with a patient or clinician who is affected by the certain type of contaminant, sending a first instruction to the medical device for electronically locking the medical device, wherein in response to the medical device being locked, one or more operations of the medical device are disabled and the medical device cannot be used by a new patient until the medical device is cleaned; After locking the medical device, receiving cleaning information indicating that cleaning of the medical device is performed; Based on the identification of the medical device and the identified contamination, identifying a predetermined cleaning procedure corresponding to the medical device and the identified contamination; Based on the cleaning information, determining that cleaning of the medical device has been performed according to a predetermined cleaning procedure corresponding to the medical device and contamination; and In response to determining that cleaning of the medical device was performed according to the predetermined cleaning program, a second instruction for the medical device is sent to the medical device, wherein in response to the medical device receiving the second instruction, the medical device is unlocked and one or more operations of the medical device are enabled.

Images