Automatic asset identification system

Abstract

An automated asset identification system and method are disclosed. A request to create an identification template for a medical device is received based on a first identifier currently assigned to the medical device and configuration information obtained from an identification server, and the configuration information is received based on the request. An identification template is generated based on the first identifier and the configuration information, and in response to generating the identification template, a visual representation of the identification template is provided to the medical device for display on a display screen of the medical device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates generally to ensuring proper identification of infusion devices. Background Art

[0002] Modern infusion devices are mobile and are capable of administering medications to patients as they move between care areas throughout a healthcare environment, such as a hospital organization. Hospitals are also under increasing pressure to control costs. One impact of this pressure is the need to maintain a current inventory of assets, such as mobile medical devices, that are part of the hospital infrastructure, as well as knowledge of the location of those assets. Hospitals often turn to outside vendors to maintain such an inventory; however, modern vendors continue to use outdated barcodes for asset identification. These physical barcodes are often applied directly to the medical devices and, over time, can degrade or become damaged or destroyed, such as due to cleaning or extended use, or simply due to age. It can be difficult to know which devices are assigned to which identifiers stored in a given vendor's system. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The subject technology provides a system and method for automated asset identification. Unlike traditional systems and processes, the subject technology allows third-party systems to assign their own unique identifiers to assets maintained by local hospital systems. Medical device assets are assigned identification templates, which are mapped to third-party identifiers and provided to the medical devices for display on their screens. The templates themselves can be reconfigured to display in different ways based on third-party requirements.

[0004] In this regard, the subject technology includes a medical information system comprising one or more computing devices configured to: receive a request to create an identification template for a medical device based on a first identifier currently assigned to the medical device and provisioning information obtained from a template server; receive provisioning information based on the request; generate the identification template based on the first identifier and the provisioning information; and, in response to generating the identification template, provide a visual representation of the identification template to the medical device for display on a display screen of the medical device. Other aspects include corresponding devices, methods, and computer program products for implementing corresponding systems and features thereof.

[0005] A machine-implemented method includes receiving a request to create an identification template for a medical device based on a first identifier currently assigned to the medical device and configuration information obtained from an identification server; receiving configuration information based on the request; generating the identification template based on the first identifier and the configuration information; and, in response to generating the identification template, providing a visual representation of the identification template to the medical device for display on a display screen of the medical device. Other aspects include corresponding devices, systems, and computer program products for implementing the corresponding methods and features thereof.

[0006] It should be understood that other configurations of the subject technology will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, wherein various configurations of the subject technology are shown and described by way of illustration. As will be appreciated, the subject technology is capable of other configurations and different configurations, and its several details can be modified in various other respects, all without departing from the scope of the subject technology. Therefore, the drawings and detailed description should be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not restrictive. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] For a better understanding of the various embodiments described, reference should be made to the following detailed description in conjunction with the following drawings. Throughout the drawings and description, like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts.

[0008] Figure 1A Depicted is an example of an institutional patient care system for a healthcare organization in accordance with aspects of the subject technology.

[0009] Figure 1B Describes various aspects of the subject technology Figure 1A A close-up view of a portion of an example patient care system is shown in .

[0010] Figure 2 Depicted are example identification templates and corresponding example displayable representations for identifying a medical device to a plurality of different systems in accordance with aspects of the subject technology.

[0011] Figure 3 Depicted is an example system for generating and displaying identification templates for medical devices according to aspects of the subject technology.

[0012] Figure 4 A first example process for an automatic asset identification system according to aspects of the subject technology is depicted.

[0013] Figure 5 A second example process for an automatic asset identification system according to aspects of the subject technology is depicted.

[0014] Figure 6is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example electronic system for an automatic asset identification system according to aspects of the subject technology. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] Reference will now be made to embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide an understanding of the various described embodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the various described embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components, circuits, and networks have not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring aspects of the embodiments.

[0016] Scanning barcodes to identify infusion devices or their connected modules has become problematic, particularly when the barcode is located on the back of the device or has faded over time. The subject technology provides a system for issuing a customized identification template to a specific medical device, the template being used to visually identify the medical device, assigning an identifier to the template, and causing the device to display a virtual representation of the template in place of the physical identifier.

[0017] Rather than adding a new physical barcode or other identifier to the medical device that must later be scanned or manually entered into an external system to identify the device to that system, the medical device can be activated to request a supplemental identifier from a server that identifies the medical device to the external system. According to various embodiments, the supplemental identifier is specific to the external system and is used, for example, to identify the medical device in an asset tracking system. The supplemental identifier can be requested by activating a control on the medical device or, in some embodiments, using a terminal associated with the external system that is separate from the infusion device.

[0018] Figure 1A An example of an institutional patient care system 100 for a healthcare organization in accordance with aspects of the subject technology is depicted. Figure 1AIn the embodiment of the present invention, patient care devices (or generally "medical devices") 12 are connected to the hospital network 10. The term patient care device (or "PCD") can be used interchangeably with the term patient care unit (or "PCU"), either of which can include various auxiliary medical devices such as infusion pumps, vital signs monitors, medication dispensing equipment (e.g., cabinets, suitcases), medication preparation equipment, automated dispensing equipment, modules coupled to one of the above devices (e.g., syringe pump modules configured to attach to infusion pumps), or other similar devices. Each element 12 is connected to the internal healthcare network 10 via a transmission channel 31. The transmission channel 31 is any wired or wireless transmission channel, such as an 802.11 wireless local area network (LAN). In some embodiments, the network 10 also includes computer systems located in various departments of the hospital. For example, the network 10 optionally includes computer systems associated with the admissions department, billing department, biomedical engineering department, clinical laboratory, central supply department, one or more unit station computers and / or medical decision support system. As further described below, the network 10 can include discrete sub-networks. In the depicted example, network 10 includes a device network 41 through which patient-care devices 12 (and other devices) communicate in accordance with normal operation.

[0019] Additionally, the institutional patient care system 100 may include a separate information system server 30. Furthermore, while the information system server 30 is shown as a separate server, the functionality and programming of the information system server may be incorporated into another computer if desired by the engineers designing the institutional information system. The institutional patient care system 100 may also include one or more device terminals 32 for connecting to and communicating with the information system server 30. The device terminals 32 may include personal computers, personal data assistants, and mobile devices (such as laptops, tablets, augmented reality devices, or smartphones) configured with software for communicating with the information system server 30 via the network 10.

[0020] The patient care device 12 includes a system for providing patient care, such as the system described in Eggers et al., which is incorporated herein by reference for this purpose. The patient care device 12 may include or incorporate pumps, physiological monitors (e.g., heart rate, blood pressure, ECG, EEG, pulse oximeter, and other patient monitors), therapeutic devices, and other drug delivery devices that can be used according to the teachings described herein. In the depicted example, the patient care device 12 includes a control module 14, also referred to as an interface unit 14, connected to one or more functional modules 116, 118, 120, 122. The interface unit 14 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 50 connected to a memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM) 58), and one or more interface devices, such as a user interface device 54, an encoded data input device 60, a network connection 52, and an auxiliary interface 62 for communicating with additional modules or devices. The interface unit 14 also includes a main non-volatile storage unit 56 for storing software and data, such as a hard drive or non-volatile flash memory, and one or more internal buses 64 for interconnecting the aforementioned elements, although this is not required.

[0021] In various embodiments, the user interface device 54 is a touch screen for displaying information to the user and allowing the user to input information by touching a defined area of ​​the screen. Additionally or alternatively, the user interface device 54 may include any device for displaying and inputting information, such as a monitor, printer, keyboard, soft keys, mouse, trackball, and / or light pen. The data input device 60 may be a barcode reader capable of scanning and interpreting data printed in a barcode format. Additionally or alternatively, the data input device 60 may be any device for inputting coded data into a computer, such as a device for reading a magnetic stripe, a radio frequency identification (RFID) device, whereby the digital data encoded in an RFID tag or smart tag (defined below) is captured by the reader 60 via radio waves, a PCMCIA smart card, a radio frequency card, a memory stick, a CD, a DVD, or any other analog or digital storage medium. Other examples of the data input device 60 include a voice activation or recognition device or a portable personal data assistant (PDA). Depending on the type of interface device used, the user interface device 54 and the data input device 60 may be the same device. Although the data input device 60 is shown as being disposed within the interface unit 14, it should be appreciated that the data input device can be integrated within the pharmacy system 34 or located externally and communicate with the pharmacy system 34 via an RS-232 serial interface or any other suitable communication means. The auxiliary interface 62 can be an RS-232 communication interface, however, any other means for communicating with peripheral devices (such as printers, patient monitors, infusion pumps, or other medical devices) can be used without departing from the subject technology. Additionally, the data input device 60 can be a separate functional module (such as modules 16, 18, 20, and 22) and configured to communicate with the controller 14 or any other system on the network using suitable programming and communication protocols.

[0022] The network connection 52 may be a wired connection or a wireless connection, such as via Ethernet, WiFi, BLUETOOTH, an integrated services digital network (ISDN) connection, a digital subscriber line (DSL) modem, or a cable modem. Any direct or indirect network connection may be used, including but not limited to a telephone modem, a MIB system, an RS232 interface, an auxiliary interface, an optical link, an infrared link, a radio frequency link, a microwave link, or a WLAN connection or other wireless connection.

[0023] Functional modules 16, 18, 20, 22 are any devices used to provide care to a patient or monitor the patient's condition. Figure 1AAs shown, at least one of functional modules 16, 18, 20, 22 can be an infusion pump module, such as an intravenous infusion pump for delivering medication or other fluids to a patient. For the purposes of this discussion, functional module 116 is an infusion pump module. Each of functional modules 16, 18, 20, 22 can be any patient treatment or monitoring device, including but not limited to an infusion pump, a syringe pump, a PCA pump, an epidural pump, an enteral pump, a blood pressure monitor, a pulse oximeter, an EKG monitor, an EEG monitor, a heart rate monitor, an intracranial pressure monitor, etc. Functional modules 16, 18, 20 and / or 22 can be a printer, a scanner, a barcode reader, a near field communication reader, an RFID reader, or any other peripheral input, output, or input / output device.

[0024] Each functional module 16, 18, 20 and / or 22 communicates directly or indirectly with the interface unit 14, which provides overall monitoring of the device 12. Figure 1A As shown, or as described by Eggers et al., the functional modules 16, 18, 20 and / or 22 can be physically and electronically connected to one or both ends of the interface unit 14 in a serial manner. However, it will be appreciated that other means for connecting the functional modules to the interface unit may also be utilized without departing from the subject technology. It will also be appreciated that a device that provides sufficient programmability and connectivity, such as a pump or patient monitoring device, may be able to operate as a stand-alone device and may communicate directly with the network without being connected through a separate interface unit or control unit 14. As described above, additional medical devices or peripheral devices may be connected to the patient care device 12 via one or more auxiliary interfaces 62.

[0025] Each functional module 16, 18, 20, 22 may include module-specific components 76 for storing information, a microprocessor 70, volatile memory 72, and non-volatile memory 74. It should be noted that although Figure 1A 14 , but any number of devices may be connected directly or indirectly to the central controller 14 . The number and type of functional modules described herein are intended to be illustrative and in no way limit the scope of the subject technology. Module-specific components 76 include any components required for the operation of a particular module, such as the pumping mechanism of the infusion pump module 116 .

[0026] Although each functional module is capable of at least some degree of independent operation, interface unit 14 monitors and controls the overall operation of device 12. For example, as will be described in more detail below, interface unit 14 provides programming instructions to functional modules 16, 18, 20, 22 and monitors the status of each module.

[0027] Medical devices incorporating aspects of the subject technology can be equipped with a network interface module (NIM) that allows the medical device to participate in a network as a node. Although for clarity, the subject technology will be described as operating in an Ethernet environment using the Internet Protocol (IP), it should be understood that the concepts of the subject technology are equally applicable to other network environments and that such environments are intended to be within the scope of the subject technology.

[0028] Through existing technology, data to and from various data sources can be converted into network compatible data, and the movement of information between medical devices and the network can be achieved by various means. For example, the patient care device 12 and the network 10 can communicate via automatic interaction, manual interaction, or a combination of automatic and manual interaction. Automatic interaction can be continuous or intermittent and can be achieved through a direct network connection 54 (such as Figure 1A The patient care devices 12 and the network 10 may be connected to one or more of the patient care devices 12 and the network 10. The patient care devices 12 may be connected to one or more of the patient care devices 12 and the network 10. The patient care devices 12 may be connected to one or more of the patient care devices 12 and the network 10. The patient care devices 12 may be connected to one or more of the patient care devices 12 and the network 10. The patient care devices 12 may be connected to one or more of the patient care devices 12 and the network 10. The patient care devices 12 may be connected to one or more of the patient care devices 12 and the network 10. The patient care devices 12 may be connected to one or more of the patient care devices 12 and the network 10. The patient care devices 12 may be connected to one or more of the patient care devices 12 and the network 10. The patient care devices 12 may be connected to one or more of the patient care devices 12 and the network 10.

[0029] According to the subject technology, all direct communications with medical devices operating on the network can be performed through an information system server 30, called a remote data server (RDS). According to aspects of the subject technology, a network interface module incorporated into a medical device (such as an infusion pump or a vital sign measurement device) ignores all network traffic that does not originate from an authenticated RDS. The primary responsibility of the RDS of the subject technology is to track the location and status of all networked medical devices with a NIM and to maintain open communication.

[0030] According to various embodiments, the server 30 includes a formulary and / or a pharmacy information system. The pharmacy information system can implement a more secure doctor medication ordering process. The pharmacy website (e.g., provided by the server) can provide the doctor with a list of available medications from which the doctor can select. The pharmacy website may include a drug library with a list of available medications, but may also include and present to the doctor the names of medications associated with recommended doses and dose limits established or adopted by the healthcare facility. In this case, the doctor only needs to select the item from the computer screen, rather than having to manually type in the medication name and administration number associated with the medication administration (such as infusion rate, time, etc.), which should result in more accurate medication processing.

[0031] If the clinical order is for the administration of a specific drug regimen, the order will be transmitted to the facility's pharmacy information system 30. The pharmacy reviews the order, and once the order is ready, it may be transmitted to the nurse's station for matching with the appropriate patient. A prescription set is a list of approved drugs used within a medical facility (e.g., available for patient ordering). Within the prescription set, there may be instructions for use information and / or concentrations and drug ranges approved for the facility. As will be further described, a prescription set can be used to define one or more medical device drug libraries, which can then be provided to the infusion pumps within the hospital network. In the library, there is drug information, such as drug name, concentration, diluent volume, strength, minimum or maximum infusion parameters of the drug, and other parameters. Establishing these parameters and the parameters of the prescription order via the system 30 helps maintain consistency across the entire healthcare environment and ensures that the order is understandable and executed as expected by other devices (e.g., infusion pumps) within the system 30.

[0032] Further references Figure 1A , the patient care device 12 is capable of operating in several different modes or personalities, each personality being defined by a configuration database. The configuration database can be a database 56 internal to the patient care device, or an external database 37. The particular configuration database is selected based at least in part on patient-specific information, such as the patient's location, age, physical characteristics, or medical characteristics. Medical characteristics include, but are not limited to, patient diagnosis, treatment prescription, medical history, medical records, patient care provider identification, physiological characteristics, or psychological characteristics. As used herein, patient-specific information also includes care provider information (e.g., doctor identification) or the location of the patient care device 12 in the hospital or hospital computer network. Patient care information can be entered through the interface device 52, 54, 60, or 62 and can come from anywhere in the network 10, such as, for example, from a pharmacy server, an admissions server, a laboratory server, etc.

[0033] The memory 56, 58 of the interface unit 14 can contain one or more drug libraries, one or more event logs, and pump configuration settings, such as, but not limited to, profiles used in specific practice areas such as the ICU, PED, etc. The memory can be an electronically loadable memory, such as a non-volatile memory (e.g., EEPROM). The drug library stored on the pump (which illustratively contains information such as drug name, delivery parameter value ranges (such as appropriate concentrations), dosage units, and dosage limits) can be used to perform drug-based infusions in a clinical setting.

[0034] The drug library stored in the pump memory may include clinical order settings, such as limits set by the clinical institution for each drug in the library (also referred to herein as "guardrails"). Such limits may take the form of maximum and minimum doses for each drug, which may depend on patient factors or other factors associated with drug delivery. For example, dose limits may vary based on the patient's weight or body surface area ("BSA"), depending on the unit or ward of the medical institution where the drug is used (e.g., neonatal care unit (NCU), intensive care unit (ICU), etc.), and other factors. If a nurse sets the pump to operate outside the limits of a particular drug, an alarm may be provided. In some cases, the alarm may be overridden, while in other cases it may not be overridden. Medical facilities can set "soft" limits for each drug, which can be ignored by the nurse, and "hard" limits, which cannot be ignored by the nurse. In any case of exceeding the limits, a pump data log or other processor communicating with the infusion pump can record each such limit event for subsequent analysis if the attempted setting is higher than the maximum dose or lower than the minimum dose.

[0035] The pump also includes a display for displaying a user interface, including a control panel through which a user can program the programmable controller and a display screen for displaying drug entries from the drug library. Each set of associated drug delivery parameters includes information selected from a set of parameters, including drug concentration, drug delivery rate, drug dose, and bolus size. The electronically loaded drug library contains a list of available mode options that specifies the units in which the drug delivery information can be expressed, and the drug infusion pump provides the user with the list of available mode options from which the user can select when the electronically loaded drug library is in the pump. In the case of a syringe pump, the electronically loaded drug library may include a list of syringe manufacturers identifying syringes that can be used with the drug infusion pump, and the drug infusion pump provides the user with the list of syringe manufacturers from which the user can select when the electronically loaded drug library is in the pump. The loaded drug library may also include a list of syringe sizes identifying syringes that can be used with the drug infusion pump, and the drug infusion pump provides the user with a list of syringe sizes from which the user can select when the electronically loaded drug library is in the pump. In the case of a peristaltic pump, the electronically loaded drug library may include a list of infusion device manufacturers. Loading the drug library may include a set of features, each feature being turned on or off, and when the drug library is electronically loaded in the pump, the pump only provides the turned-on features of the set to the user.

[0036] Figure 1B According to various aspects of the subject technology Figure 1A A close-up view of a portion of an example patient care system is shown in . Figure 1B Two fluid infusion pumps mounted on both sides of the programming module are shown, as well as displays and control keys for each pump, wherein the programming module is capable of programming the two infusion pumps. The infusion device includes a door 5a and a handle 5b, which operates to lock the door in a closed position for operation, and unlocks and opens the door for accessing the internal pumping and sensing mechanism and loading the drug delivery device for the pump. When the door 5a is open, the tube can be connected to the pump 20. When the door 5a is closed, the tube is operatively engaged with the pumping mechanism, upstream and downstream pressure sensors, and other devices of the pump. In this embodiment, a display 5c, such as 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 20, such as an alarm indication (e.g., an alarm message). Control keys 5e-h exist for programming and controlling the operation of the infusion pump as needed. In some embodiments, the control keys can be presented on the display 5c (e.g., a touch screen display) as an interactive element. The infusion device and / or the infusion pump can also include an audio alarm device (not shown) in the form of a speaker.

[0037] The programming module 14 of infusion device 12 comprises display 6a and control keys 6b and 6c, and display 6a is used to visually convey various information, such as the operating parameters and alarm indication and alarm message of the pump being connected, and control keys 6b and 6c are used to select and / or set control parameters and / or options, to control infusion device 12 and the module being connected. Programming module 14 can also comprise loudspeaker, to provide sound alarm. In some embodiments, display 6a can be embodied as touch screen display. In such embodiment, by providing corresponding interactive element via the graphical user interface presented by display 6a, control key 6b can be omitted or reduced in number. In some embodiments, each control key 6b (or 6c) can select the corresponding option displayed in display 6b.

[0038] The programming module 14 may include a communication system (not shown) by which the programming module 14 can communicate with external devices (such as a healthcare facility server or other computer) and with portable processors (such as a handheld communication device or laptop computer) or other information devices that a clinician may need to transfer information and download a drug library to the programming module 16, 18, 20, 22 (such as pump 20). The communication module can be used to transmit access and interactive information to the clinician who encounters the programming module or a device coupled thereto (e.g., pump 20 or barcode scanner). The communication system may include a radio frequency (RF) system, an optical system such as infrared, a BLUETOOTH TM The barcode scanner and communication system may alternatively be integrated with the infusion pump 20, such as in the absence of a programming module, or in addition to being integrated with the programming module 14. Furthermore, the information input device need not be hardwired to the medical device, and information may also be transmitted via a wireless connection. In addition, other types of modules may be connected to the pump module or programming module, such as a syringe pump module, a patient-controlled analgesia module, an end-tidal CO2 monitoring module, an oximeter monitoring module, etc.

[0039] Figure 2 Depicted are an example identification template 200 and corresponding example displayable representations 202, 204 for identifying a medical device 12 to a plurality of different systems in accordance with aspects of the subject technology. As used herein, for purposes of transmitting, receiving, and displaying identification templates or visual representations thereof, the term "medical device" or "medical device 12" may refer to a standalone medical device that does not include a module, such as an infusion pump, or may refer to a PCU 14 with an attached module, or may refer to individual modules 18, 20.

[0040] The depicted template 200 is configured with multiple identifiers, each for a different system and mapped to a single medical device. According to various embodiments, the template 200 can include a primary device identifier (e.g., provided by the manufacturer) and other identification information associated with a particular external (e.g., third-party) system. In addition, each template 200 can include an identifier for a care area or other location within a particular medical organization. In some embodiments, each template can be assigned to a care area or location (e.g., by including a location identifier) ​​and provided to the medical device and / or updated on the medical device 12 based on the current location of the medical device.

[0041] In the depicted example, the example identification template 200 is shown as having three fields (e.g., A, B, C); however, two fields or more than three fields may be provided. The fields may include a first set of numbers for a device serial number and a second set of numbers for an interoperability (or asset) identifier. A third field may include a set of numbers for a location identifier (e.g., a zip code, a care area identifier, or a coordinate location), and a fourth field may include a set of numbers for a pump address (e.g., an APR address). In some embodiments, further information may include date information related to when the device came online or the service date of the device. The numbers may include characters and / or numeric values. Although numeric fields are described, each field may take other representations, including symbols.

[0042] Each template may be specific to a facility or care area within a facility. In this regard, each template may be stored in the database 37 and indexed by facility, care area, or any other identifier associated with or forming part of the template. In this manner, if a device is moved to a new facility or care area, the device may receive a new template based on that facility or care area. For example, a device may be moved from an existing care area (e.g., a general ward) to a new care area (e.g., a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)) and receive a template specific to the new care area. The new template is provided to the device and includes an identifier required to identify the device using a system specific to the facility or care area.

[0043] According to various embodiments, the templates can be further configured by or for the entity (or entities) whose software is used to identify medical devices within a facility or healthcare organization. In this regard, the disclosed system can provide a portal interface (e.g., an internet or web-based portal) hosted by a server associated with the hospital organization and accessible via terminal 32. The portal interface can allow one or more entities (or hospital administrators) to configure templates specific to their systems and add information to the templates in various fields. For example, Company A may wish to utilize a configuration that includes information X, while Company B may wish to have a different configuration that includes information Y. When a request is made to the system associated with that company, the system automatically requests that company's templates. The system can then identify the virtual display templates required by the company and provide them to the corresponding medical devices. When the corresponding medical device is requested to display identification information, it can use the templates to generate the identification information. In some embodiments, the templates can be used to generate identifiers for configuration to the devices, i.e., the devices receive generated identifiers rather than dynamically generated templates. In some embodiments, multiple entities can associate their identifiers with a single template for a given location / care area within the hospital organization.

[0044] In some embodiments, the system may provide a template library. Entries in the library may be associated with an entity (e.g., configured to interoperate with a system associated with the entity). Entries in the library may specify specific information elements and their encodings.

[0045] The system provides information templates for display as visual representations (e.g., graphical representations displayed on a display screen). The visual representations may include, for example, linear or two-dimensional (and in some embodiments, three-dimensional) patterns that can be scanned and recognized and / or converted into digital information. Different devices may receive different visual representations of the identification template. For example, a first device may receive a traditional barcode visual representation 202 (which may, for example, include multiple codes displayed linearly), while a second device may receive a QR code visual representation 204 having a 2D digital pattern of information along the x-axis and y-axis. Both visual representations may include a specific arrangement of the information of the respective templates generated for the specific entity associated with the template.

[0046] When a medical device is first brought online or powered on, the device may send a request for an information template to a server 30 (such as a configuration server) during a self-test. The requested information may include, for example, information templates for use within the device's current care area. The device may forward its serial number and current location, which the server 30 may use to index a database 37 of templates 200 corresponding to that location or an entity serving that location. The device may then make an API (application programming interface) call to the configuration server, indicating that the device requires a template for its current location, populated with information specific to that area and / or scanning software for scanning devices within that area (e.g., for asset tracking purposes). The identification server fills in the template and provides a visual representation of the template back to the device for display on the device's display screen 6a or 5c. The user may then scan the visual representation of the template directly from the display.

[0047] In some embodiments, the medical device can interact directly with the configuration server 30 to request and receive customized templates. In some embodiments, the medical device can provide its information to the configuration server, and the configuration server can communicate with the template server (or identity server) to obtain the template information, create the template, and relay a visual representation of the template back to the medical device. In some embodiments, the medical device can notify the template server, and the template server can provide the template back to the configuration server, which can then distribute the template in the corresponding location to the medical device or multiple medical devices in the corresponding location.

[0048] While the description discusses visual presentation of template information, in some embodiments, a medical device may include a programmable and scannable wireless identifier, such as a near field communication or RFID tag. In this case, the template may identify the encoding format of the message transmitted by the scannable identifier when activated. For example, the template may define a fixed-length field format whereby each field is associated with specific data, such as Figure 2 In other embodiments, the template may define a machine-readable format, such as XML or value-delimited fields, for presenting device identification information.

[0049] Figure 3An example system 300 for generating and displaying identification templates for medical devices according to aspects of the subject technology is depicted. In the depicted example, an infusion device 12 is connected to a provisioning server 30, and the provisioning server 30 is communicatively connected to a template server 34. The template server 34 can associate template information, such as secondary identifiers, with primary identifiers and can provide a web portal interface to entities for modifying templates and associating identifiers created by the entity with existing medical device identifiers. A terminal 32 can include a system located within a hospital organization that executes software provided by the entity to maintain, identify, and / or service medical devices within the hospital organization or within a specific location or care area within the organization. In some embodiments, the terminal 32 is communicatively connected to the provisioning server 30 within the hospital organization. In some embodiments, the terminal 32 is communicatively connected to the template server 34, for example, to update templates and / or assign identifiers created / managed by the entity to existing identifiers for medical devices within the hospital organization.

[0050] In the clinical setting, a user of the scanning software can use a scanner 33 to scan an identifier of the medical device 12. For example, the scanner 33 can be a barcode reader (or other data entry device) that is used to scan a coded label on the back of the device 12. In the depicted example, the identifier is displayed as a graphical visual representation 40 on the display screen 6a of the device 12. According to various embodiments, the visual representation can be a graphical depiction of one or more identifiers, such as a graphic representation of a medical device 12. Figure 2 The displayable templates 202, 204 are depicted. The reader / scanner 33 need not be integrated with the medical device 12. The scanner 33 may be part of a separate device, such as an interoperability terminal 32 (e.g., a part of one or more computing devices), which may be connected to the same network 40 as the infusion device 12 and configured with software to function in the overall workflow involving the infusion device 12.

[0051] The scan may be associated with an inventory process for maintaining and / or tracking hospital organizational assets. In this regard, the scanned information may be used to store the scanned identifier and / or associate the scanned identifier with asset tracking information, or to look up asset information based on the scanned identifier. The scan may be used to associate an infusion device with other devices, such as the medication administered by the device or the patient designated to receive it. The scan may be associated with programming the device or used to identify the device to an EMR (electronic medical record) system to send an automatic programming request (APR) to the medical device 12, for example, to load parameters associated with a medical order.

[0052] Although the process may be described herein with respect to a configuration server 30 and a template server 34, the configuration server and the template server may reside as programming modules on a single server or computing system. Messages transmitted between the terminal 32, the medical device 12, and the servers 30, 34 may be routed differently and / or the process may be performed using multiple or only one server system.

[0053] According to various embodiments, a user initiates the display of a scannable identifier on a medical device 12 to initiate a scanning activity. The identifier can be activated for scanning by activating controls 6b or 6c on the medical device. Although the subject technology is described herein with reference to a medical device 12 (e.g., having a patient control unit 14), the medical device can include other devices such as a dispensing cabinet and equipment, or can be a module connected to a PCU 14. For example, a user can activate controls 5e-h on a medical device module 18, 20 and interact with and / or scan an identifier displayed on display 5c.

[0054] Scanning can initiate a process whereby information related to the device (e.g., a code affixed to the device) is scanned by scanner 33 and automatically sent to a central server via network 40. As will be further described, when the disclosed identifier is scanned by scanner 33, terminal 32 can determine whether the scanned information contains an identifier compatible with the external system. In some embodiments, the external system can include software running on terminal or server 34. In some embodiments, the terminal determines whether the identifier is in a format compatible with the external system or a format corresponding to the current region of device 12. For example, a general ward may require a first format, while a NICU may require a second format. If the scan occurs in the NICU and the scanning system (e.g., terminal 32) determines that the scanned identifier is in the first format, the system can request that the identifier be updated to the second format. When the scanning system determines that an update is required, terminal 32 can obtain the serial number of the device via scanning or manual entry and push the serial number to server 30, 34, requesting that the device be updated with the new identifier for the current location.

[0055] The configuration server 30 receives a message indicating that the medical device is ready to receive an identification template. In some embodiments, the message can be sent by the device 12 when the device is activated (e.g., when first powered on and / or activated). The message can include, for example, an internal identifier of the device 12 (e.g., a serial number). In some embodiments, the input at the terminal 32 can indicate an internal identifier of the device and that the device requires an identification template corresponding to the terminal and / or the location of the device, or an identification template corresponding to a software system running on the terminal (e.g., asset management software for a specific asset management vendor). In some embodiments, the message can include a request for a template that includes information for all entities known to the location (e.g., all companies associated with the service area).

[0056] The configuration server 30 can determine whether a template is available for the medical device based on the current location of the medical device. The location can be determined by the server based on the location data received with the message, or the server 30 can know the location of the medical device based on the current wireless node to which the medical device is connected, the care area entered into the medical device, the care area associated with the clinician who logged into the device (e.g., by scanning an RFID badge), or by querying an EMR server that receives location data and other data when the medical device is used within the hospital organization. If a template is not available (e.g., for that location), the server 30 can generate an identification template based on the configuration information received from the template server 34. In some embodiments, the server 34 can generate a template and provide the template to the server 30.

[0057] According to various embodiments, the configuration server 30 receives a plurality of identification identifiers (or tags) for medical devices and generates a configuration file for Figure 2 The server then generates a visual representation of the template for display on a display screen of the medical device and forwards the visual representation to the medical device for display as needed. When the medical device receives the visual representation, it can be immediately displayed as part of a single workflow (e.g., including a request) or can be activated by a user selecting an appropriate control 6b, 6c. Once displayed, a scanning device 33 can be used to scan the visual representation to selectively read identifiers corresponding to software executed in conjunction with the scanning device.

[0058] Figure 4 An example process flow diagram 400 for an automated asset identification system is depicted. For purposes of explanation, reference is made herein to Figure 1A 、 Figure 1B 、 Figure 2 and Figure 3and related components and / or processes described herein describe various blocks of the example process flow 400. The depicted process is for a terminal of an asset scanning system that initiates a request to receive a visual representation of an identification template. However, as described above and further below, the request can be sent by other systems, such as from a medical device or an associated terminal of a medical device (e.g., a mobile device connected to a medical device). These lines represent the blocks that can be used in Figure 4 One or more messages generated, communicated, or both, between descriptive entities in a .

[0059] In the depicted example, the client device 32 scans a visual representation 40 of an identification template 200 displayed on a display 6a, 5c of the medical device 12 (402). Under normal operating conditions, the fields of the template 200 include identifiers expected by an external system associated with the client device 32 (or software thereon). When a non-confirmed identifier is received / scanned (404), the software can request an updated template for the medical device (406). In this regard, the client device 32 sends a request (406) to the configuration server 30 requesting that the server update the medical device with a new template for the client device. The request includes identification information for the infusion device, such as the location of the device and / or non-compliant identifiers from a previously scanned visual representation of the template (if received). Additionally or alternatively, as previously described, the template can be updated by the user activating a control on the medical device, sending the request from the medical device 12.

[0060] The configuration server 30 requests a template for the current location of the medical device 12 (408). In this regard, the server 30 may query the template server for configuration information based on the location of the medical device. The template server 34 then returns configuration information corresponding to the location of the medical device (410). The configuration information may include, for example, a default template corresponding to the location of the medical device. In some embodiments, the default template may include a second identifier corresponding to the device (e.g., an asset identifier). In some embodiments, the configuration server 30 may generate the second identifier.

[0061] The configuration server 30 generates a final template for the medical device based on the first identifier and the configuration information (412). In some embodiments, the server 30 appends the default template with the first identifier and / or the second identifier of the medical device. The server then generates a visual representation 40 of the template and returns the template visual representation to the medical device (414). When the medical device receives the updated template, it can display an alert or present a visual representation to notify the clinician (416). In some embodiments, the configuration server 30 can directly notify the client device 32 when the visual representation is available for the medical device. The user can then activate or access the medical device to display the visual representation 40 and rescan the updated visual representation (418).

[0062] Figure 5 A first example process 500 for automatically programming a medical device according to aspects of the subject technology is depicted. For purposes of explanation, reference is made herein to Figure 1A 、 Figure 1B 、 Figure 2 、 Figure 3 and Figure 4 The various blocks of the example process 500 are described herein, along with the associated components and / or processes described herein. One or more of the blocks of process 500 may be implemented, for example, by one or more computing devices, including, for example, a configuration server 30, a template server 34, or a client computing device 32. In some embodiments, one or more of the blocks may be implemented based on one or more machine learning algorithms. In some embodiments, one or more of the blocks may be implemented separately from other blocks and implemented by one or more different processors or devices. In addition, for purposes of explanation, while the blocks of the example process 500 are described as occurring serially or linearly, in some embodiments, multiple blocks in the example process 500 may occur in parallel (e.g., blocks 502 and 504 may occur in parallel). In addition, the blocks of the example process 500 need not be executed in the order shown and / or one or more of the blocks of the example process 500 need not be executed.

[0063] According to various embodiments, a configuration server receives a request to create an identification template for a medical device based on a first identifier currently assigned to the medical device and configuration information obtained from an identification server ( 502 ). In some embodiments, the request originates from the medical device 12 .

[0064] A user can activate a device to initiate scanning for a virtual identifier. For example, the user may be performing asset tracking or maintenance on a device and, for this purpose, need to scan a third-party identifier associated with the device. If no virtual identifier is currently stored on the device, the device can send a message to the configuration server 30 indicating that the device is ready to receive an identification template 200. If a template 200 is available, the server sends a visual representation 40 of the template to the device, and the device displays the visual representation for scanning by the scanning device 33. If the template is not available, the server provides an indication that the template is not currently available for the device. The device can then send a request to create a template 200.

[0065] In some embodiments, the medical device 12 can display a default visual representation of the identifier, which is then scanned by the user using the scanner 33. The scanning software can be part of the external system and can determine, when scanning the visual representation 40, that the template does not include the identifier expected by the external system (or its software) and / or does not correspond to the current location of the medical device. Accordingly, the scanning software can present an alert about the missing identifier on the display of the scanning terminal 32. In some embodiments, the scanning software can notify the configuration server 30 that the medical device needs a new template. The scanning software can identify the medical device to the configuration server 30 using the identifier read from the current visual representation, or can provide the visual representation to the configuration server, and the server can determine the medical device based on the identification information within the template corresponding to the visual representation.

[0066] After receiving the request to create an identification template, the server 30 obtains configuration information from the template server 34 (504). According to various embodiments, the configuration information includes identification information related to the specific location of the medical device and / or the entity that requires a secondary identification (e.g., in addition to the primary identification of the device). The entity may be a company, for example, a vendor account associated with asset management. The configuration information may be stored in the database 37 and obtained by querying / indexing the database based on the location of the medical device and / or the identifier associated with the entity.

[0067] After obtaining the configuration information, the configuration server 30 generates the requested identification template based on the first identifier and the configuration information (506). As previously described, the identification template can include an arrangement of multiple codes (e.g., two, three, or more). One code can include a primary identifier for the device, such as a manufacturer serial number, while a second code can include an identifier specific to a location and / or entity. Generating the template can include the server determining the arrangement and values ​​of the codes based on predetermined settings associated with an account associated with a given entity (e.g., a vendor associated with asset management).

[0068] After generating the requested identification template, the configuration server 30 sends a visual representation of the template to the medical device 12. According to various embodiments, the visual representation can be a graphical image displayed on a display screen. In some embodiments, the visual representation is a barcode 202 or a QR code 204 having multiple fields embedded therein. In this regard, when scanned, the scanning device 33 can parse the visual representation and determine the code it requires. For example, a first scanning software package for a first entity can scan the visual representation and utilize the code / identifier in the first field of the visual representation, while a second scanning software package associated with a second entity can scan the same visual representation and utilize the code / identifier in the second field of the visual representation.

[0069] As previously mentioned, the disclosed identification template 200 can be specific to a location, such as a particular facility or care area within a hospital organization. For example, a hospital organization may assign a specific vendor or vendor software for asset management to a given care area or facility location, and the vendor can use the identification template to select their own identification scheme. In this regard, as a device moves within the hospital organization, the system can select a new template for the device, depending on which vendor serves each area of ​​the organization. The system can be configured to update the device's template when the device moves from one location to another (e.g., from a first care unit to a second care unit). When a device 12 moves within the organization and changes care areas or facilities, the device can report the new care area to the server 30. The server 30 receives an indication that the device has moved from the first location to the second location and, in response to receiving the indication, generates an updated identification template based on the second location. The server 30 can then push the visual representation to the medical device or otherwise cause the medical device to update the visual representation with the updated template.

[0070] In some embodiments, an entity may request to update multiple medical devices with an identification template that includes the entity's identity. In this regard, a user of the entity can log in to the configuration server 30 (or template server 34) via a portal and request a list of medical devices associated with a care area or location. The list can then be presented to the user, and the user can select one or more medical devices from the list to receive the new template. The identifiers of the selected medical devices are provided to the template server 34, which assigns information to the identifiers on behalf of the entity. For example, the template server can assign configuration information to each of the medical devices, including a secondary (or asset) identifier associated with the entity. The configuration server then receives the configuration information for each of the medical devices from the template server and then provides a corresponding visual representation of the generated identification template for each corresponding medical device. The configuration server can push the visual representation through the hospital's device network 40, or can provide the visual representation when requested by the device, as described previously herein.

[0071] Many of the above-described example processes 500 and related features and applications can also be implemented as software processes, which are specified as a set of instructions recorded on a computer-readable storage medium (also referred to as a computer-readable medium) and can be automatically executed (e.g., without user intervention). When these instructions are executed by one or more processing units (e.g., one or more processors, processor cores, or other processing units), they cause the one or more processing units to perform the actions indicated in the instructions. Examples of computer-readable media include, but are not limited to, CD-ROMs, flash drives, RAM chips, hard drives, EPROMs, and the like. Computer-readable media do not include carrier waves and electronic signals transmitted over wireless or wired connections.

[0072] The term "software" means, where appropriate, firmware residing in read-only memory or application programs stored in magnetic storage that can be read into memory for processing by a processor. In addition, in some embodiments, multiple software aspects of the subject disclosure can be implemented as sub-parts of a larger program while maintaining different software aspects of the subject disclosure. In some embodiments, multiple software aspects can also be implemented as separate programs. Finally, any combination of independent programs that together implement the software aspects described herein are within the scope of the subject disclosure. In some embodiments, when the software program is installed to operate on one or more electronic systems, the software program defines one or more specific machine implementations that implement and execute the operations of the software program.

[0073] A computer program (also referred to as a program, software, software application, script, or code) may be written in any form of programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, declarative or procedural languages, and may be deployed in any form, including as a stand-alone program or as a module, component, subroutine, object, or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment. A computer program may, but need not, correspond to a file in a file system. A program may be stored in a portion of a file that holds other programs or data (e.g., one or more scripts stored in a markup language document), in a single file dedicated to the program in question, or in multiple coordinated files (e.g., files storing one or more modules, subroutines, or portions of code). A computer program may be deployed for execution on one computer or on multiple computers that are located at one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communications network.

[0074] Figure 6 1-5 . The electronic system 600 may be a computing device for executing software associated with one or more portions or steps of the processes 300, 350, 400, and 500, or the components and methods provided by FIGs. 1-5 , including but not limited to computing hardware within the servers 30, 34, terminals 32, 206, medical devices 12, and / or any computing device or associated module or terminal disclosed herein. The electronic system 600 may be a specially configured personal computer or mobile device, such as a smartphone, tablet computer, laptop computer, PDA, augmented reality device, wearable device (such as a watch or watchband or glasses), or a combination thereof, or other touch screen or television having one or more processors embedded therein or coupled thereto, or similar computer-related electronic devices with a network connection.

[0075] The electronic system 600 may include various types of computer-readable media and interfaces for various other types of computer-readable media. In the depicted example, the electronic system 600 includes a bus 608, a processing unit 612, a system memory 604, a read-only memory (ROM) 610, a permanent storage device 602, an input device interface 614, an output device interface 606, and one or more network interfaces 616. In some embodiments, the electronic system 600 may include or be integrated with other computing devices or circuits specifically configured to operate the various components and methods described previously.

[0076] Bus 608 collectively represents all system, peripheral, and chipset buses that communicatively connect the numerous internal devices of electronic system 600. For example, bus 608 communicatively connects processing unit 612 with ROM 610, system memory 604, and permanent storage device 602.

[0077] From these various memory units, processing unit 612 retrieves instructions to execute and data to process in order to perform the processes of the subject disclosure. In various implementations, the processing unit can be a single processor or a multi-core processor.

[0078] ROM 610 stores static data and instructions required by one or more processing units 612 and other modules of the electronic system. Permanent storage 602, on the other hand, is a read-write memory device. This device is a non-volatile storage unit that can store instructions and data even when the electronic system 600 is turned off. Some embodiments of the subject disclosure use a mass storage device (such as a magnetic or optical disk and its corresponding disk drive) as permanent storage 602.

[0079] Other embodiments use removable storage devices (such as floppy disks, flash drives, and their corresponding disk drives) as permanent storage devices 602. Like permanent storage devices 602, system memory 604 is a read-write storage device. However, unlike storage devices 602, system memory 604 is a volatile read-write memory, such as random access memory. System memory 604 stores some instructions and data needed by the processor at runtime. In some embodiments, the processes disclosed herein are stored in system memory 604, permanent storage devices 602, and / or ROM 610. From these various memory units, processing unit 612 retrieves instructions to be executed and data to be processed in order to perform the processes of some embodiments.

[0080] The bus 408 is also connected to an input device interface 614 and an output device interface 606. The input device interface 614 enables a user to convey information to the electronic system and select commands. Input devices used with the input device interface 614 include, for example, an alphanumeric keyboard and a pointing device (also referred to as a "cursor control device"). The output device interface 606 can, for example, display images generated by the electronic system 600. Output devices used with the output device interface 606 include, for example, a printer and a display device, such as a cathode ray tube (CRT) or a liquid crystal display (LCD). Some embodiments include devices such as a touch screen that serve as both an input and an output device.

[0081] In addition, if Figure 6As shown, bus 608 also couples electronic system 600 to a network (not shown) via network interface 616. Network interface 616 may include, for example, a wireless access point (e.g., Bluetooth or WiFi) or radio circuitry for connecting to a wireless access point. Network interface 616 may also include hardware (e.g., Ethernet hardware or a network interface module) for connecting the computer to a portion of a computer network, such as a local area network ("LAN"), a wide area network ("WAN"), a wireless LAN or intranet, or a network of networks, such as the Internet. Any or all components of electronic system 600 may be specifically configured for use in conjunction with the present disclosure.

[0082] These functions can be implemented in computer software, firmware, or hardware. The technology can be implemented using one or more computer program products. Programmable processors and computers can be included in or packaged as mobile devices. Processes and logic flows can be executed by one or more programmable processors and one or more programmable logic circuits. General-purpose and special-purpose computing devices and storage devices can be interconnected via a communication network.

[0083] Some embodiments include electronic components, such as microprocessors, storage devices, and memories, which store computer program instructions in machine-readable or computer-readable media (also referred to as computer-readable storage media, machine-readable media, or machine-readable storage media). Some examples of such computer-readable media include RAM, ROM, compact disc read-only disk (CD-ROM), compact disc recordable (CD-R), compact disc rewritable (CD-RW), read-only digital versatile discs (e.g., DVD-ROM, dual-layer DVD-ROM), various recordable / rewritable DVDs (e.g., DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, etc.), flash memory (e.g., SD card, mini SD card, micro SD card, etc.), magnetic and / or solid-state hard drives, read-only and recordable hard drives. Compact discs, ultra-density compact discs, any other optical or magnetic media, and floppy disks. Computer-readable media can store a computer program that is executable by at least one processing unit and includes a set of instructions for performing various operations. Examples of computer programs or computer code include machine code, such as code produced by a compiler, and files including higher-level code that is executed by a computer, electronic component, or microprocessor using an interpreter.

[0084] While the above discussion primarily relates to microprocessors or multi-core processors executing software, some embodiments are performed by one or more integrated circuits, such as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) or field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). In some embodiments, such integrated circuits execute instructions stored on the circuits themselves.

[0085] As used in this specification and any claims of this application, the terms "computer," "server," "processor," and "memory" refer to electronic or other technological devices. These terms do not include people or groups of people. For the purposes of this specification, the terms "display" or "displaying" mean displaying on an electronic device. As used in this specification and any claims of this application, the terms "computer-readable medium" and "computer-readable media" are entirely limited to tangible, physical objects that store information in a computer-readable form. These terms do not include any wireless signals, wired download signals, or any other transient signals.

[0086] To provide for interaction with a user, embodiments of the subject matter described in this specification may be implemented on a computer having a display device, such as a CRT (cathode ray tube) or LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor, for displaying information to the user, and a keyboard and pointing device, such as a mouse or trackball, through which the user can provide input to the computer. Other types of devices may also be used to provide for interaction with the user; for example, feedback provided to the user may be any form of sensory feedback, such as visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback; and input from the user may be received in any form, including acoustic, voice, or tactile input. In addition, a computer may interact with a user by sending documents to and receiving documents from a device used by the user, for example, by sending a web page to a web browser on a user's client device in response to a request received from the web browser.

[0087] Embodiments of the subject matter described in this specification can be implemented in a computing system that includes a back-end component, such as a data server, or includes a middleware component, such as an application server, or includes a front-end component, such as a client computer with a graphical user interface or a web browser, through which a user can interact with an implementation of the subject matter described in this specification, or any combination of one or more such back-end, middleware, or front-end components. The components of the system can be interconnected by any form or medium of digital data communication (e.g., a communication network). Examples of communication networks include local area networks ("LANs") and wide area networks ("WANs"), internetworks (e.g., the Internet), and peer-to-peer networks (e.g., ad hoc peer-to-peer networks).

[0088] A computing system may include a client and a server. The client and server are typically remote from each other and may interact via a communication network. The relationship between the client and the server is generated by computer programs running on their respective computers, and they have a client-server relationship with each other. In some embodiments, the server transmits data (e.g., an HTML page) to a client device (e.g., to display data to a user interacting with the client device and to receive user input from the user). Data generated at the client device (e.g., the results of the user interaction) may be received from the client device at the server.

[0089] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various illustrative blocks, modules, elements, components, 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, components, methods and algorithms have been generally described above according to their functions. Whether this function is implemented as hardware or software depends on specific application and the design constraints imposed on the entire system. Described function can be implemented in different ways for each specific application. Various components and blocks can be arranged differently (for example, arranged in different orders, or partitioned in different ways), all of which do not depart from the scope of this subject technology.

[0090] It should be understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the disclosed processes is illustrative of example approaches. Based on design preferences, it is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the processes may be rearranged. Some steps may be performed simultaneously. The accompanying method claims present elements of the various steps in an example order and are not meant to be limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented.

[0091] The subject technology serves as an illustration of the clause:

[0092] 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 only and do not limit the subject technology. The figures and the designations of the reference numerals are provided as examples and for illustrative purposes only, and the clauses are not limited by these designations.

[0093] Clause 1. A medical information system comprising: one or more computing devices configured to: receive a request to create an identification template for a medical device based on a first identifier currently assigned to the medical device and configuration information obtained from an identification server; receive configuration information based on the request; generate an identification template based on the first identifier and the configuration information; and in response to generating the identification template, provide a visual representation of the identification template to the medical device for display on a display screen of the medical device.

[0094] Clause 2. A medical information system according to clause 1, wherein one or more computing devices are configured to: before receiving a request to create an identification template, receive a message indicating that the medical device is ready to receive an identification template; in response to the message, provide an indication to the medical device that the identification template is not available for the medical device; and after providing the indication that the identification template is not available, receive a request to create an identification template from the medical device.

[0095] Clause 3. A medical information system according to clause 1 or clause 2, wherein one or more computing devices are configured to: receive an indication that a default visual representation of the identifier was scanned by a client device and that the default visual representation does not include a second identifier required by the client device; generate an identification template in response to the indication, wherein the configuration information includes the second identifier and the identification template is generated based on the location of the medical device and the second identifier; and receive an indication that the visual representation was scanned by the client device.

[0096] Clause 4. The medical information system according to Clause 1 or Clause 2 further includes: a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having identification scanning software stored thereon, which, when executed by the identification server, causes the identification server to: receive a request from the medical device to create an identification template for the medical device, the request including a first identifier of the medical device; and associate a second identifier with the medical device and scan the software associated with the identification server, the second identifier being different from the first identifier, wherein the configuration information includes the second identifier and the identification template is generated based on the second identifier, and wherein generating the identification template also includes generating the identification template based on the second identifier.

[0097] Clause 5. A medical information system according to any one of clauses 1 to 4, wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to: receive a first location of the medical device from the medical device, wherein the configuration information from the identification server includes a second identifier associated with the medical device; and generate an identification template based on the first identifier, the second identifier and the received first location of the medical device.

[0098] Clause 6. A medical information system according to clause 5, wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to: receive an indication that the medical device has moved to a second location; generate an updated identification template based on the second location of the medical device in response to receiving the indication that the medical device has moved to the second location; and cause the medical device to update the visual representation with the updated identification template.

[0099] Clause 7. A medical information system according to any one of clauses 1 to 6, wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to: receive the location of the medical device and an indication that the medical device has been powered on for the first time; and receive configuration information for the medical device based on querying the data system based on the received location of the medical device.

[0100] Clause 8. A medical information system according to any one of clauses 1 to 7, wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to: receive a request for a list of medical devices associated with a care area from an external system; provide the list of medical devices to the external system in response to the request; receive configuration information for each of the medical devices from the external system, the configuration information including an asset identifier for each medical device in the list of medical devices; and provide a corresponding visual representation of the identification template for each corresponding medical device in the medical devices, which includes the asset identifier of the corresponding medical device.

[0101] Clause 9. The medical information system of any one of clauses 1 to 8, wherein the visual representation is a graphical image displayed on a display screen.

[0102] Clause 10. A medical information system according to any of clauses 1 to 9, wherein the identification template includes an arrangement of three or more codes, and wherein generating the identification template includes: identifying a vendor account designated for scanning the visual representation; and determining the arrangement and values ​​of the three or more codes based on predetermined settings associated with the vendor account.

[0103] Clause 11. A machine-implemented method for an automatic asset identification system, comprising: receiving a request to create an identification template for a medical device based on a first identifier currently assigned to the medical device and configuration information obtained from an identification server; receiving configuration information based on the request; generating the identification template based on the first identifier and the configuration information; and in response to generating the identification template, providing a visual representation of the identification template to the medical device for display on a display screen of the medical device.

[0104] Clause 12. The machine-implemented method according to Clause 11 further includes: before receiving the request to create the identification template, receiving a message indicating that the medical device is ready to receive the identification template; in response to the message, providing an indication to the medical device that the identification template is not available for the medical device; and after providing the indication that the identification template is not available, receiving a request to create the identification template from the medical device.

[0105] Clause 13. The machine-implemented method of clause 11 or clause 12 further includes: receiving an indication that a default visual representation of the identifier is scanned by a client device and that the default visual representation does not include a second identifier required by the client device; generating an identification template in response to the indication, wherein the configuration information includes the second identifier and the identification template is generated based on the location of the medical device and the second identifier; and receiving an indication that the visual representation is scanned by the client device.

[0106] Clause 14. The machine-implemented method according to Clause 11 or Clause 12 further includes: receiving a request from the medical device to create an identification template for the medical device, the request including a first identifier of the medical device; and associating a second identifier with the medical device and scanning software associated with an external system, the second identifier being different from the first identifier, wherein the configuration information includes the second identifier, and generating the identification template based on the second identifier, and wherein generating the identification template also includes generating the identification template based on the second identifier.

[0107] Clause 15. The machine-implemented method according to Clause 11 further includes: receiving a first location of the medical device from the medical device, wherein the configuration information from the identification server includes a second identifier associated with the medical device; and generating an identification template based on the first identifier, the second identifier, and the received first location of the medical device.

[0108] Clause 16. The machine-implemented method according to Clause 15 further includes: receiving an indication that the medical device has moved to a second position; generating an updated identification template based on the second position of the medical device in response to receiving the indication that the medical device has moved to the second position; and causing the medical device to update the visual representation with the updated identification template.

[0109] Clause 17. A machine-implemented method according to any one of clauses 11 to 17, further comprising: receiving a location of the medical device and an indication that the medical device has been powered on for the first time; and receiving configuration information for the medical device based on querying the data system based on the received location of the medical device.

[0110] Clause 18. A machine-implemented method according to any one of clauses 11 to 17, further comprising: receiving a request from an external system for a list of medical devices associated with a care area; providing the list of medical devices to the external system in response to the request; receiving configuration information for each of the medical devices from the external system, the configuration information including an asset identifier for each medical device in the list of medical devices; and providing a corresponding visual representation of the identification template to each corresponding medical device in the medical devices, which includes the asset identifier of the corresponding medical device.

[0111] Clause 19. A medical information system according to any of clauses 11 to 18, wherein the identification template includes an arrangement of three or more codes, and wherein generating the identification template includes: identifying a vendor account designated for scanning the visual representation; and determining the arrangement and values ​​of the three or more codes based on predetermined settings associated with the vendor account.

[0112] Clause 20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a computing system, cause the computing system to perform the method of any one of clauses 11 to 19.

[0113] Further considerations:

[0114] It should be understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the disclosed processes is illustrative of exemplary methods. Based on design preferences, it is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the processes can be rearranged. Some steps can be performed simultaneously. The accompanying method claims present elements of the various steps in an exemplary order and are not meant to be limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented.

[0115] The foregoing description is provided to enable those 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 apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects. Therefore, the claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but should be given the full scope consistent with the language claims, wherein, unless otherwise specified, elements in the singular form are not intended to mean "one and only one", but "one or more". Unless otherwise specified, the term "some" refers to one or more. Positive pronouns (e.g., his) include feminine and neuter pronouns (e.g., her and its), and vice versa. Titles and subtitles (if any) are used for convenience only and do not limit the invention described herein.

[0116] The predicates "configured to," "operable to," and "programmed to" do not imply any specific tangible or intangible modification of the subject matter, but are intended to be used interchangeably. For example, a processor configured to monitor and control an operation or component may also mean a processor programmed to monitor and control the operation, or a processor operable to monitor and control the operation. Similarly, a processor configured to execute code may be interpreted as a processor programmed to execute code or operable to execute code.

[0117] As used herein, the term "automatically" may include execution by a computer or machine without user intervention; for example, by an instruction in response to an asserted action by the computer or machine or other initiating mechanism. 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.

[0118] Phrases such as “aspects” do not imply that the aspect is essential to the subject technology or that the aspect applies to all configurations of the subject technology. Disclosure relating to an aspect 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 imply that the embodiment is essential to the subject technology or that the embodiment applies to all configurations of the subject technology. Disclosure relating to an embodiment 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 imply that such configuration is essential to the subject technology or that such configuration applies to all configurations of the subject technology. Disclosure relating to a configuration 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.

[0119] As used herein, a "user interface" (also referred to as an interactive user interface, graphical user interface, or UI) may refer to a web-based interface that includes data fields and / or other control elements for receiving input signals or providing electronic information and / or providing information to a user in response to any received input signals. Control elements may include dials, buttons, icons, selectable areas, or other perceptible indicia presented via the UI that, when interacted with (e.g., clicked, touched, selected, etc.), initiate data exchange with the device presenting the UI. A UI may be presented in whole or in part using a web-based programming language such as Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Flash, or other web-based programming languages. TM , JAVA TM ,NET TM , C, C++, web services, or Rich Site Summary (RSS) technology. In some embodiments, the UI can be included in a standalone client (e.g., thick client, fat client) that is configured to communicate (e.g., send or receive data) according to one or more aspects described. The communication can be to or from the medical device or server with which it is communicating.

[0120] As used herein, the terms "determine" or "determining" include a variety of actions. For example, "determining" may include computing, calculating, processing, deriving, generating, obtaining, searching (e.g., searching in a table, database, or another data structure), ascertaining, etc., via a hardware element without user intervention. Additionally, "determining" may include receiving (e.g., receiving information), accessing (e.g., accessing data in a memory), etc., via a hardware element without user intervention. "Determining" may include parsing, selecting, choosing, establishing, etc., via a hardware element without user intervention.

[0121] As used herein, the terms "provide" or "providing" include a variety of actions. For example, "providing" may include storing a value in a storage device location for subsequent retrieval, transmitting a value directly to a recipient via at least one wired or wireless communication medium, transmitting or storing a reference to a value, etc. "Providing" may also include encoding, decoding, encrypting, decrypting, validating, verifying, etc. via hardware components.

[0122] As used herein, the term "message" includes various formats for conveying (e.g., sending or receiving) information. A message may include a machine-readable aggregation of information, such as an XML document, a fixed-field message, a comma-delimited message, JSON, or a custom protocol. In some embodiments, a message may include one or more signals for transmitting information. Although described in the singular, it is understood that a message may be composed, transmitted, stored, received, etc., in multiple parts.

[0123] As used herein, the terms "selectively" or "selective" can include a variety of actions. For example, a "selective" process can include determining an option from a plurality of options. A "selective" process can include one or more of the following: a dynamically determined input, a preconfigured input, or a user-initiated input for making the determination. In some embodiments, an n-input switch can be included to provide selective functionality, where n is the number of inputs used to make the selection.

[0124] As used herein, the term "correspond" or "corresponding" when used to describe a relationship between two or more elements includes a structural, functional, quantitative, and / or qualitative correlation or relationship between two or more objects, data sets, and / or information, etc., preferably, wherein the correspondence or relationship can be used to translate one or more of the two or more objects, data sets, and / or information, etc. to appear the same or equal. The correspondence can be evaluated using one or more of a threshold, a range, fuzzy logic, pattern matching, a machine learning evaluation model, or a combination thereof.

[0125] In any embodiment, generated or detected data can be forwarded to a "remote" device or location, where "remote" refers to a location or device other than the location or device where the program is executed. For example, a remote location can be another location in the same city (e.g., an office, a laboratory, etc.), another location in a different city, another location in a different state, another location in a different country, etc. Thus, when an item is referred to as being "remote" from another item, this means that the two items can be in the same room but separate, or at least in different rooms or buildings, and can be at least one mile, ten miles, or at least one hundred miles apart. "Communicating" information means transmitting data representing that information as electronic signals over an appropriate communication channel (e.g., a private or public network). "Forwarding" an item means any means of transferring an item from one location to the next, whether by physically transporting the item or otherwise (where possible), and, at least in the case of data, includes physically transporting the medium carrying the data or communicating the data. Examples of communication media include radio or infrared transmission channels, network connections to another computer or networked device, the Internet, or email transmissions and information recorded on a website.

Claims

1. A medical information system comprising: One or more computing devices configured to: receiving a request to create an identification template for the medical device based on a first identifier currently assigned to the medical device and configuration information obtained from an identification server; receiving the configuration information based on the request; generating the identification template based on the first identifier and the configuration information; as well as In response to generating the identification template, a visual representation of the identification template is provided to the medical device for display on a display screen of the medical device.

2. The medical information system according to claim 1, wherein: The one or more computing devices are configured to: Prior to receiving the request to create the identification template, receiving a message indicating that the medical device is ready to receive the identification template; In response to the message, providing an indication to the medical device that the identification template is not available for use with the medical device; and After providing the indication that the identification template is unavailable, a request is received from the medical device to create the identification template.

3. The medical information system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The one or more computing devices are configured to: receiving an indication that a default visual representation of an identifier was scanned by a client device and that the default visual representation does not include a second identifier required by the client device; generating the identification template in response to the indication, wherein the configuration information includes the second identifier, and the identification template is generated based on the location of the medical device and the second identifier; and An indication that the visual representation was scanned by the client device is received.

4. The medical information system according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon identification scanning software that, when executed by the identification server, causes the identification server to: receiving a request from the medical device to create the identification template for the medical device, the request including a first identifier of the medical device; and associating a second identifier with the medical device and scanning software associated with the identification server, the second identifier being different from the first identifier, wherein the configuration information includes the second identifier, and the identification template is generated based on the second identifier, and The step of generating the identification template further includes generating the identification template based on the second identifier.

5. The medical information system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The one or more computing devices are further configured to: receiving, from the medical device, a first location of the medical device, wherein the configuration information from the identification server includes a second identifier associated with the medical device; and The identification template is generated based on the first identifier, the second identifier, and the received first location of the medical device.

6. The medical information system according to claim 5, wherein: The one or more computing devices are further configured to: receiving an indication that the medical device is moved to a second position; in response to receiving an indication that the medical device has moved to a second location, generating an updated identification template based on the second location of the medical device; as well as The medical device is caused to update the visual representation with the updated identification template.

7. The medical information system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The one or more computing devices are further configured to: receiving a location of the medical device and an indication that the medical device has been powered on for the first time; and The system receives configuration information for the medical device based on the received location query data of the medical device.

8. The medical information system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: The one or more computing devices are further configured to: receiving a request from an external system for a list of medical devices associated with the care area; providing the list of medical devices to the external system in response to the request; receiving configuration information for each of the medical devices from the external system, the configuration information including an asset identifier for each medical device in the list of medical devices; as well as A respective visual representation of the identification template is provided for each respective one of the medical devices, including an asset identifier of the respective medical device.

9. The medical information system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The visual representation is a graphical image displayed on the display screen.

10. The medical information system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein: The identification template includes an arrangement of three or more codes, and wherein generating the identification template includes: identifying a vendor account designated for scanning the visual representation; The arrangement and values ​​of the three or more codes are determined based on predetermined settings associated with the vendor account.

11. A machine-implemented method for an automatic asset identification system, comprising: receiving a request to create an identification template for the medical device based on a first identifier currently assigned to the medical device and configuration information obtained from an identification server; receiving the configuration information based on the request; generating the identification template based on the first identifier and the configuration information; as well as In response to generating the identification template, a visual representation of the identification template is provided to the medical device for display on a display screen of the medical device.

12. The machine-implemented method of claim 11 , further comprising: Prior to receiving the request to create the identification template, receiving a message indicating that the medical device is ready to receive the identification template; In response to the message, providing an indication to the medical device that the identification template is not available for use with the medical device; and After providing an indication that the identification template is unavailable, a request is received from the medical device to create the identification template.

13. The machine-implemented method of claim 11 or 12, further comprising: receiving an indication that a default visual representation of an identifier was scanned by a client device and that the default visual representation does not include a second identifier required by the client device; generating the identification template in response to the indication, wherein the configuration information includes the second identifier, and the identification template is generated based on the location of the medical device and the second identifier; as well as An indication that the visual representation was scanned by the client device is received.

14. The machine-implemented method of claim 11 or 12, further comprising: receiving a request from the medical device to create the identification template for the medical device, the request including a first identifier of the medical device; as well as associating a second identifier with the medical device and scanning for software associated with an external system, the second identifier being different from the first identifier, wherein the configuration information includes the second identifier, and the identification template is generated based on the second identifier, and The step of generating the identification template further includes generating the identification template based on the second identifier.

15. The machine-implemented method of claim 11 , further comprising: receiving, from the medical device, a first location of the medical device, wherein the configuration information from the identification server includes a second identifier associated with the medical device; and The identification template is generated based on the first identifier, the second identifier, and the received first location of the medical device.

16. The machine-implemented method of claim 15, further comprising: receiving an indication that the medical device is moved to a second position; generating an updated identification template based on the second position of the medical device in response to receiving an indication that the medical device has moved to the second position; as well as The medical device is caused to update the visual representation with the updated identification template.

17. The machine-implemented method of any one of claims 11 to 17, further comprising: receiving a location of the medical device and an indication that the medical device has been powered on for the first time; as well as The system receives configuration information for the medical device based on the received location query data of the medical device.

18. The machine-implemented method of any one of claims 11 to 17, further comprising: receiving a request from an external system for a list of medical devices associated with the care area; providing the list of medical devices to the external system in response to the request; receiving configuration information for each of the medical devices from the external system, the configuration information including an asset identifier for each medical device in the list of medical devices; as well as A respective visual representation of an identification template is provided for each respective one of the medical devices, including an asset identifier of the respective medical device.

19. The medical information system according to any one of claims 11 to 18, wherein: The identification template includes an arrangement of three or more codes, and wherein generating the identification template includes: identifying a vendor account designated for scanning the visual representation; The arrangement and values ​​of the three or more codes are determined based on predetermined settings associated with the vendor account.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a computing system, cause the computing system to perform the method of any one of claims 11 to 19.

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