Hospital Bed Software Offloading to Remote Server
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Solution Overview
Problem
As patient support systems like hospital beds become more complex, they require increased computing power, leading to resource consumption and safety standard compliance issues for both critical and non-critical software components. Additionally, caregivers face challenges in controlling multiple devices, risking contamination and inefficiency due to the need to interact with numerous surfaces and devices within a patient room.
Innovation Solution
A system where a mobile computing device acts as a user interface for patient support apparatuses, communicating with a remote server to offload non-critical processing and control multiple patient care devices through a universal caregiver interface, reducing the need for direct interaction with each device and minimizing surface contact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If computing power is increased to support expanded functionality of patient support systems, then system capabilities are improved, but resource consumption and safety standard compliance burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts non-critical computing functions from the patient support system to a remote server. The patient support system retains only essential functions locally while offloading non-essential processing, communication, and data management tasks to the remote server, thereby reducing local resource consumption while maintaining expanded system capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a remote server as an intermediary between the patient support system and external computing resources. This intermediary handles non-critical processing tasks, allowing the patient support system to access expanded functionality without bearing the full computational burden locally.
2Adaptability or versatility
If more software applications are added to patient support systems, then system versatility is improved, but compliance with safety standards becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts non-critical software functions from the patient support system to a remote server. By moving non-essential applications and processing tasks off the medical device, the system reduces the software that requires stringent medical device certification while maintaining versatility through remote access to additional functionality.
3Ease of operation
If caregivers interact with multiple device surfaces to control various equipment, then device control capability is improved, but contamination risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges control of multiple patient care devices into a single unified interface. The remote server provides a centralized control point that allows caregivers to monitor and control various devices (bed, lift, IV pump, etc.) through one interface, reducing the number of physical surfaces touched while maintaining comprehensive device control capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal caregiver interface that can control multiple different types of patient care devices. This multi-functional interface consolidates device control capabilities, allowing a single interface to perform functions that previously required interacting with multiple separate device controls.
4Extent of automation
If computing requirements are processed locally on patient support systems, then system independence is improved, but processing load on the device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts computing requirements from the local patient support system and transfers them to a remote server. Non-critical processing tasks are removed from the device, reducing local processing load and device complexity while maintaining automated functionality through remote execution.
Data Source
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AI summary
A system includes a remote computer device and a patient bed in communication with the remote computer device. The patient bed has circuitry operable by a user to obtain at least one software application from the remote computer device. The system also has an authentication software module that verifies that the at least one software application is authorized for use on the patient bed.