Method and medical system for generating and outputting work instructions

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method for generating and outputting work instructions, having the following steps: detecting device-specific information of a medical device (1) and / or of a component of the medical device (1); reading or calling up information relating to maintenance, in particular from a central data processing unit (2), on the basis of the detected device-specific information; deriving the work instructions from the read information relating to maintenance; outputting the derived work instructions to a user, in particular by means of an output unit (8); and checking whether the measures are concluded, in particular by means of the medical device (1).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for generating and outputting work instructions and a system having medical devices and a central data processing unit. Background Technology

[0002] In the maintenance or repair of medical equipment (such as medical pumps or dialysis equipment), technicians operate according to the manual. Medical equipment undergoes changes during its product lifecycle, such as design changes, component changes, or changes and updates in software or operating systems. These changes may also affect the maintenance or repair of the equipment and therefore must be reflected in the manual / service booklet. For example, two different components may be compatible only with each other, i.e., combined compatibility. That is, when one of these components is replaced, the other component must be replaced as well. Similarly, some newly installed components may require a corresponding software version to function. This creates correlations between different components, component variants, and / or software variants through changes during the product lifecycle. These correlations have an impact on the maintenance and repair of the equipment. Currently, these correlations are mostly described in the manual based on the serial number of each device or component. Therefore, the clarity of the manual is significantly reduced as product and variant diversity increases. For maintenance technicians, finding the correct repair or maintenance instructions for the correct model or the correct structural group can become difficult and time-consuming. This is a source of errors and requires more time, leading to higher manpower and maintenance costs.

[0003] If new components are installed in the equipment, these new components can create new relevance for the next repair or maintenance. Therefore, the product numbers of these new components are often manually recorded in the equipment manual, which could be a dedicated manual or service book for the equipment. This is also a potential source of errors.

[0004] Furthermore, there are stringent documentation requirements in the field of medical technology, particularly regarding the maintenance and upkeep of medical equipment. Currently, all maintenance and upkeep work performed must be manually recorded by the servicing technician or user. Forgetting these records or performing them incorrectly can be a source of error for other tasks related to the equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Therefore, the object of this disclosure is to overcome or at least reduce the disadvantages of the prior art and, in particular, to provide a (automated) method by which maintenance instructions are correctly adapted to the product and as easy to follow as possible. Preferably, records of the maintenance performed should also be provided (automated).

[0006] This task is solved by the method according to the invention. Furthermore, the task of this disclosure is solved by the system according to the invention. Additionally, the task is solved by a computer-readable storage medium and computer program according to the invention.

[0007] This disclosure relates to a method for (automatically) generating (device-specific or variant-specific) work instructions / maintenance instructions / inspection instructions / care instructions, comprising the following steps: detecting device-specific information of the medical device and / or individual components / structural groups; reading / retrieving maintenance-related information based on the detected device-specific information; wherein, maintenance-related information may be read / retrieving, in particular, from a central data processing unit; furthermore, deriving work instructions from the read / retrieving maintenance-related information; and then outputting the derived work instructions to the user; preferably checking whether the action has been completed or (correctly) executed. The task of this disclosure is also addressed by a system having a medical device and a central data processing unit. The medical device has device-specific information. The central data processing unit has maintenance-related information about the medical device, which is preferably associated with the device-specific information, for example, in a database. The system according to this disclosure is configured to implement the method according to this disclosure, for example, through the control unit of the medical device and / or the central data processing unit.

[0008] In other words, the method according to this disclosure generates equipment-specific and / or variant-specific (step-by-step) plans for the repair / repair / overhaul / maintenance of medical devices. For this purpose, information suitable for the (product) variant / version / model assigned to the device is detected. Based on the information showing the variant, additional information is retrieved from which how to repair or maintain the corresponding variant can be derived. Based on this additional information regarding the repair or maintenance of a specific variant of the device, (variable-specific) work instructions are derived / read specifically for that variant of the device or the device's structural group. These work instructions are output to the user or displayed to the user as operating instructions.

[0009] Preferably, the operating instructions can be exported by the control unit of the medical device and / or by the central data processing unit. However, the operating instructions can also be exported from a separate device (e.g., a handheld device such as a smartphone). In this case, the exported operating instructions can be output through the screen of the handheld device. Alternatively, the operating instructions can be output through the screen of the medical device.

[0010] Work instructions can be, for example, directives / guidelines that specify to the user how to perform a procedure (on a medical device). This procedure can be, in particular, the repair / maintenance / servicing of the medical device. Maintenance / servicing may also include installing / installing software updates or installing / assembling extensions to the medical device. By following the derived work instructions, error-free, smooth, and stable repair or maintenance can be ensured. Furthermore, by following the work instructions, reproducible results of the procedure can be ensured.

[0011] Device-specific information here can specifically be information that allows for the explicit assignment of a medical device. Specifically, device-specific information enables the assignment of a particular device to a (product) variant / model / (software) version / production line. Examples of device-specific information include, in particular, serial numbers, model numbers, and / or unique identifiers (UIDs). Furthermore, device-specific information can also provide information about the installed software version or software update, or previous maintenance and / or repairs. Device-specific information can either be stored on the medical device and retrieved by the medical device, or it can be input by the user into the (medical device's) input unit.

[0012] Here, maintenance-related information can be particularly information explaining how a particular variant can be repaired or maintained. Specifically, maintenance-related information can explain what has changed in a particular variant compared to another variant and how that change affects repair / maintenance. In particular, maintenance-related information can explain the relationships or connections between the various (new) component / structural groups.

[0013] Specifically, this association can indicate that a particular component is only compatible with another component starting from a specific product number. That is, installing one component may also require replacing another. This association must be manually derived from the manual using known methods. Maintenance-related information can be stored in a computer-readable form to indicate the association between two components. The association can also be between a newly installed component and the software update necessary for the new component's functionality. In a specific example, a new screen for an infusion pump may only be compatible with a new version of the housing top shell with a keyboard. The association between the screen's (product number) compatibility and the required version of the housing top shell can be stored and retrieved as maintenance-related information. In this case, the derived work instructions could include that the housing top shell should also be replaced when the screen is replaced.

[0014] Here, the medical device can be, in particular, a medical pump, such as an injection pump or an infusion pump. Furthermore, the medical device can be a dialysis machine or a dialysis pump. Other embodiments of the medical device are also conceivable in principle.

[0015] Here, the central data processing unit can be, in particular, a server or a computer. Alternatively, the central data processing unit can be a database or data storage device, on which device-specific information and maintenance-related information are linked. Through this association of device-specific information and maintenance-related information, maintenance-related information for a specific device can be retrieved from the central data processing unit for that particular device.

[0016] Here, in particular, checks on whether a measure has been completed can be performed (automatically) via medical devices, for example, by appropriate detection and / or scanning, to verify that the measure was properly performed and terminated by the user. For example, appropriate detection sensors and / or appropriate scanning devices can be installed in the medical device. Furthermore, the user can confirm that the measure has been performed on the input unit. To do this, the user can check a box or press the confirmation button on the input unit. The user can also confirm the (successful) execution of the measure by using photos and / or uploading photos from the maintenance protocol.

[0017] This method can be designed to output or instruct users step-by-step work / repair / maintenance / care instructions on the screen of a medical device or handheld device. The advantage of this is that the user is guided step-by-step through the work / repair / maintenance / care process, and preferably is not overwhelmed by unnecessarily large amounts of information at any given time.

[0018] Furthermore, it can be stipulated that work instructions / repair instructions / maintenance instructions / care instructions be displayed or shown to the user on the screen of a medical device or handheld device using moving or non-moving images, such as photos or videos. This significantly simplifies the work / repair / maintenance / care process because the next process step is displayed to the user on the screen shortly before the user must perform the next pending process step. Therefore, the user is guided step-by-step through the work / repair / maintenance / care process in a beneficial manner.

[0019] Furthermore, the method is advantageously designed such that the work / repair / maintenance process, especially the steps performed, is preferably automatically recorded via a central data processing unit or via the control unit of the medical device. For example, after each step / measure performed, the step / measure is automatically recorded via the central data processing unit or via the control unit of the medical device. This advantageously minimizes or eliminates the risk of erroneous manual recording.

[0020] This method preferably provides connectivity to other systems via an interface. For example, an enterprise resource planning (ERP) or enterprise information and process system and / or digital equipment manual and / or maintenance portal can be connected to a central data processing unit and / or medical device via an interface. For example, data regarding the initial structural status of the medical device or its components or products can be provided by the ERP or ERP system. This data may include, for example, articles, manufacturing reports, batch information, etc. Furthermore, data regarding post-delivery maintenance of the medical device or its components or products can be provided through a digital equipment manual. Additionally, data regarding instructions and configuration can be provided, for example, through a maintenance manual provided via a maintenance portal. This method preferably provides clear and specific step-by-step (repair / work / maintenance / care) instructions effective for the product / medical device from multiple available data sources, especially when using databases, algorithms, KI, etc.; that is, deriving the instructions and displaying them to the user on a screen.

[0021] Therefore, the core of this disclosure is that it is possible to read maintenance-related information for a specific medical device and output (personalized) maintenance instructions / work instructions for that specific medical device based on that information, while also checking the completion of the corresponding maintenance / upkeep / care / work measures.

[0022] By means of the method disclosed herein, personalized work instructions can be displayed simply and quickly (automatically). Thus, users, such as maintenance technicians, can view work instructions for procedures, particularly repairs and / or maintenance, without having to manually read the association between the current variant of the medical device and its specific work instructions from a manual. Therefore, the user always has the correct work instructions for the variant to be repaired. This minimizes potential sources of error in the procedures and further saves work time caused by the user. By saving work time, maintenance costs can be minimized. The successful execution of the procedure can, for example, be detected by the medical device.

[0023] The method according to this disclosure can be performed, in particular, when the medical device is not connected to a patient. That is, the connection to the patient is disconnected before any measures (repair / maintenance) are performed on the device. Therefore, the method according to this disclosure is not a method for performing surgical or therapeutic procedures on a human or animal body, nor is it a diagnostic method performed on a human or animal body, because the method is performed when no patient is connected to the medical device or is being treated or treated by the medical device.

[0024] Preferably, the medical device may have input and / or output units and a control unit and is connected to a central data processing unit via a data connection. The data connection allows device-specific information to be transmitted to the central data processing unit. Specifically, the medical device may transmit device-specific information, or directly via components of the medical device, to the central data processing unit via the data connection, preferably either automatically when the medical device itself deems maintenance / repair necessary or determines it to be necessary, or upon user request / requirement. Based on the transmitted device-specific information, maintenance-related information for the corresponding device can be retrieved from the central data processing unit. In particular, the retrieved maintenance-related information can be further processed by the central data processing unit, and the derived work instructions can be transmitted to the medical device via the data connection (by the central data processing unit). The input and / or output units not only allow for the input or detection of device-specific information but also allow for the output of work instructions, preferably step-by-step work instructions, to the user.

[0025] Device-specific information can be either stored in the medical device or input by the user via input and / or output units. Operating instructions can also be derived by the medical device from maintenance-related information in the central data processing unit.

[0026] In order to transmit data between medical devices and a central data processing unit, the medical devices can be connected to the IT infrastructure and, in particular, to the central data processing unit via WLAN or LAN or similar data connections.

[0027] Preferably, the system may also include a handheld device. The handheld device may preferably be a smartphone, tablet, or a similar handheld device with input and output units. The handheld device can, in particular, detect device-specific information of the medical device (via the input unit). For this purpose, the handheld device can optically read the device-specific information, especially as a barcode. The handheld device can also convert photographs of device-specific digital sequences into device-specific information. Alternatively, the handheld device can read the electromagnetic radiation of the medical device, for example, in the form of RFID tags / RFID chips, to detect device-specific information.

[0028] Handheld devices can transmit detected device-specific information to a central data processing unit via, for example, LAN, WLAN, Bluetooth, or similar (wired or wireless) data transmission methods. Handheld devices can also output work instructions to the user, particularly through their screens.

[0029] The system according to this disclosure can (automatically) output correct working instructions to the user that match the equipment to be repaired.

[0030] According to an optional aspect of this disclosure, the device-specific information may be, for example, a serial number, barcode, and / or RFID tag. Preferably, the device-specific information is detectable optically and / or electronically. Here, the device-specific information may be electronically stored on the medical device and thus electronically accessible. The device-specific information may also be additionally applied to the medical device, so that this information can be read manually by a user or by means of a handheld device.

[0031] Preferably, the step of detecting device-specific information may include scanning barcodes (on the medical device) and / or electronically reading RFID tags using a handheld device. Detecting device-specific information can assign a specific product variant to the medical device. Therefore, device-specific information can indicate an association with a specific work instruction for that particular variant / model.

[0032] According to another optional aspect of this disclosure, the maintenance-related information may be information required for the maintenance and / or repair of a specific product variant / model. In particular, the maintenance-related information may define the relationships between the various components / structural groups of the medical device. Maintenance-related information can be used to associate device-specific information with information on how the current device variant can be accurately maintained or repaired.

[0033] Advantageously, the steps for outputting the derived work instructions can include individual (maintenance) steps of the step-by-step output measures. Therefore, the user can be guided step-by-step through the measures. Thus, errors during the execution of the measures can be minimized.

[0034] Advantageously, the result of the measure can be entered (by the user) after the steps of outputting the derived work instructions. This input can be made, in particular, by taking a photograph of the result and / or by manual input / confirmation on a medical device or handheld device. Thus, the success of the measure can be recorded. Forgetting or skipping the recording can also be prevented by adhering to the (system-side) requirements of the measure.

[0035] According to another optional aspect of this disclosure, the results of the corresponding steps of the measure can be input after each step of the work instruction. Therefore, each step of the measure can also be recorded. The controller can then assess whether the measure has been executed correctly.

[0036] Preferably, the results can be transmitted to and stored in the central data processing unit. Thus, the executed measures or the success of the executed measures can be centrally stored and recalled. By centrally storing this information, the executed measures can be easily verified and monitored.

[0037] Preferably, the central data processing unit can be a database that stores equipment-specific information and maintenance-related information, and thereby associates them with work instructions. However, work instructions can also be generated through algorithms and / or the application of KI (Technical Instruction). Therefore, work instructions can be generated simply and automatically.

[0038] The task of this disclosure is also solved by a computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the steps of the method according to any of the foregoing aspects.

[0039] Furthermore, this disclosure relates to a computer program including instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the steps of a method according to any of the foregoing aspects. Attached Figure Description

[0040] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0041] Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating the method according to this disclosure is shown.

[0042] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a system according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0043] Figure 1 A system with a medical device 1 and a central data processing unit 2 is shown. The medical device 1 is connected to the central data processing unit 2 via a data connection 4. The medical device 1 has device-specific information. The device-specific information is transmitted to the central data processing unit 2 via the data connection 4. Based on the device-specific information, maintenance-related information is read from the central data processing unit 2. The read maintenance-related information is evaluated either by the control unit 6 of the medical device 1 or by the data processing unit 2. Based on the read maintenance-related information, work instructions (device-specific or variant-specific) are derived. The derived work instructions are output to the user through the output unit 8 of the medical device 1. Preferably, the derived work instructions are output to the user step-by-step through the output unit 8 of the medical device 1, more preferably through moving images / videos.

[0044] Figure 2A flowchart illustrating the method is shown. In step S1, device-specific information of medical device 1 is detected and transmitted (automatically or manually / according to a user's request or requirement) by medical device 1 to central data processing unit 2. Based on the transmitted device-specific information, maintenance-related information is read from central data processing unit 2 in step S2. In step S3, work instructions are derived based on the read maintenance-related information. Here, the derived work instructions match / coordinate with the transmitted device-specific information. Therefore, the work instructions are specific to medical device 1. In step S4, the derived work instructions are output to the user. Here, the work instructions can be, in particular, step-by-step instructions for the repair and / or maintenance / upkeep of medical device 1. In step S5, it is checked whether the measures / individual steps have been (successfully) executed. This check can be performed by medical device 1 as a self-test. However, this check can also be performed by the user. The user can manually confirm successful execution. This method allows for the rapid, simple, and automatic generation and output of (device-specific or variant-specific) work instructions to the user.

[0045] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a system according to another embodiment is shown. The system includes a medical device 1 and a central data processing unit 2. The system also includes a handheld device 10, such as a smartphone or tablet. The handheld device 10 detects device-specific information of the medical device 1 and transmits the detected device-specific information to the central data processing unit 2. Maintenance-related information is evaluated either through the handheld device 10 or through the data processing unit 2. Based on the read maintenance-related information, work instructions (device-specific or variant-specific) are derived. The derived work instructions are output to the user via the screen of the handheld device 10.

Claims

1. A method for generating and outputting work instructions, particularly for measures on a medical device (1), comprising the following steps: - Device-specific information for testing medical device (1) and / or components of medical device (1); - Based on the equipment-specific information being detected, especially maintenance-related information is read or retrieved from the central data processing unit (2), wherein, The maintenance-related information describes the correlations or associations between the various components or structural groups of the medical device (1); - Derive the work instructions from the read or retrieved maintenance-related information; and - In particular, the exported working instructions are output to the user through the output unit (8); Preferably, the method further includes the following steps: - In particular, the medical device (1) is used to check whether the procedure has ended.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, After the step of outputting the derived work instructions, input the result of the measures.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The results of the measures are transmitted to the central data processing unit (2) and stored in the central data processing unit (2).

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The device-specific information is a serial number, barcode, and / or RFID tag, wherein the device-specific information is stored electronically in the medical device (1).

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The step of detecting device-specific information involves optical or electronic detection, particularly scanning barcodes using the handheld device (10), especially a smartphone, and / or electronically reading RFID tags using the handheld device (10).

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The information related to maintenance is the information required for measures on the medical device (1), especially for maintenance and / or upkeep of the medical device (1).

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The steps for outputting the exported working instructions include step-by-step output.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The results of the corresponding steps of the measures are entered after each step of the work instruction.

9. A system having a medical device (1) and a central data processing unit (2), the medical device having device-specific information, and the central data processing unit having maintenance-related information about the medical device (1), wherein, The system is configured to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The system according to claim 9, characterized in that, The medical device (1) has device-specific information, input and / or output units, control units and data connection (4) and is connected to the central data processing unit (2) through the data connection (4). The device-specific information is transmitted to the central data processing unit (2) through the data connection (4) and working instructions are output through the input and / or output units.

11. The system according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that... A handheld device (10), preferably a smartphone, detects device-specific information of the medical device (1), transmits the detected device-specific information to the central data processing unit (2), and outputs work instructions to the user, particularly through the screen of the handheld device (10).

12. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

13. A computer program comprising instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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