Infusion Pump Location Tracking Through Patient-Room Associations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hospitals face challenges in maintaining an accurate inventory and tracking the physical locations of wireless access devices due to their mobility and the difficulty in manually updating their positions, which affects network coverage and the tracking of mobile devices like patient monitors.
Innovation Solution
A system that utilizes patient location information from Admission-Discharge-Transfer databases to associate mobile devices with fixed wireless assets, enabling a computer to determine the location of these assets based on patient-room associations and data received from mobile devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If wireless access devices are deployed to cover hospital areas, then network coverage is improved, but tracking the physical location of these devices becomes more difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The wireless access device automatically determines its own physical location by detecting the mobile device's identifier and querying the database for the associated location information, eliminating the need for manual tracking by network administrators
Solution Approach 2:
The system establishes a feedback loop where the wireless access device receives location information about mobile devices, processes this information to determine its own location, and can use this information to maintain optimal network coverage
2Reliability
If wireless access devices are moved to cover dead spots, then network coverage reliability is improved, but the system records become outdated and inaccurate
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously updates location information through automatic detection and database queries, ensuring that the physical location of wireless access devices is always current and accurate in system records
Solution Approach 2:
The wireless access device automatically updates its own location information in system records by detecting mobile devices and querying the database, eliminating the need for manual updates and ensuring records remain accurate
3Measurement precision
If manual tracking of wireless access devices is performed, then location accuracy is improved, but labor requirements and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The wireless access device performs automatic location determination through detection and database queries, eliminating the need for manual tracking while maintaining high location accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical tracking process is replaced with an automated electronic system that uses detection technology and database queries to determine location, reducing operational complexity while maintaining or improving accuracy
Data Source
AI summary
A system is disclosed for determining the location of hospital assets. The system includes one or more communication devices each associated with a respective asset identification and a computing device configured to communicate with the communication devices via a network. The computing device receives, from a respective communication device, data comprising the respective asset identification of the respective communication device an identifier associated with a patient or a patient care device, obtains, from a database based on the identifier, additional information pertaining to the patient or the patient care device, and determines a location of the respective communication device based on the data received from the respective communication device and the obtained additional information.