Infusion Pump Data Synchronization for Patient Switching Integrity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing infusion pump systems lack efficient methods for synchronizing therapy-relevant patient data and system data across multiple pumps in a network, ensuring data integrity and consistency, particularly when patients switch between pumps.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for synchronizing therapy-relevant patient data and system data across multiple infusion pumps using communication interfaces, including infrared, wired, or wireless connections, with automatic data transmission and synchronization, ensuring data integrity through blocking and verification processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If therapy-relevant patient data is entered at one infusion pump, then data is automatically transmitted to all other infusion pumps in the network, but data integrity and consistency become difficult to ensure when patients switch between pumps
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where the central server continuously monitors data synchronization status across all infusion pumps and sends correction signals to ensure consistency. When data is entered at one pump, the server verifies reception and integrity at all other pumps, creating a closed-loop control system that maintains data reliability while enabling efficient network-wide synchronization.
Solution Approach 2:
A central server acts as an intermediary between infusion pumps in the network. Instead of direct peer-to-peer communication that may lead to data inconsistencies, all data transmission routes through the central server which validates, standardizes, and distributes data uniformly to all pumps, ensuring data integrity while maintaining synchronization efficiency.
2Productivity
If multiple infusion pumps are connected in a network for seamless patient switching, then therapy efficiency is enhanced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple infusion pumps into a unified networked system with shared data infrastructure and central server management. By combining individual pumps into a coordinated network, the system achieves seamless patient transitions and improved therapy efficiency while the central server absorbs much of the computational and coordination complexity, keeping individual pump devices relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The central server provides universal functionality for the entire network, handling data management, synchronization, and coordination tasks that would otherwise require complex individual pump capabilities. This multi-functional approach allows multiple pumps to work together efficiently while maintaining simplicity at the device level.
3Ease of operation
If therapy-relevant patient data is synchronized across all infusion pumps, then data accessibility is improved, but data transmission time and network load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-synchronizing common patient data (such as demographic information and therapy parameters) across all infusion pumps before they are needed. This advance preparation ensures that when a patient switches between pumps, the data is already available locally, eliminating transmission delays and improving accessibility without increasing real-time network load.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments data into different categories (frequently accessed vs. rarely accessed, critical vs. non-critical) and transmits them with different priorities and frequencies. Critical data is synchronized immediately and kept in local memory for instant access, while less critical data is updated periodically, reducing overall network load and transmission time while maintaining data accessibility.
Data Source
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AI summary
Main claim: Method for operating an infusion pump system (6) with a plurality of infusion pumps (2) assigned to a network, wherein each infusion pump (2) has an input unit (10) for inputting therapy-relevant patient data and/or system data and a communication interface for communication with other infusion pumps (2) of the network, wherein therapy-relevant patient data and/or system data entered at one of the infusion pumps (2) are automatically transmitted to all other infusion pumps (2) of the network and thereby synchronized in the network.