Medical Device Configuration Update Management via Incremental Sync
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical device configuration management systems lack the ability to efficiently manage and distribute incremental updates to configuration information, such as drug library updates, which are essential for ensuring medical devices remain up-to-date and safe to use, as they do not utilize publication time values to filter and transmit only necessary updates.
Innovation Solution
A configuration management resource that stores and updates multiple sets of configuration information independently, applies updates to the repository, and manages incremental distribution to medical devices, using publication time values to identify the latest versions and transmit only incremental changes, ensuring medical devices receive the most current information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single drug library with single version information is used, then the system complexity is reduced, but the ability to manage incremental updates efficiently is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the configuration information into multiple independently maintainable sets, each with its own version timestamp. This allows the system to track and distribute updates for individual configuration sets rather than treating the entire drug library as a single monolithic unit, thereby enabling efficient incremental updates.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces version timestamps as a parameter for each configuration information set. By comparing timestamps between the device manager and configuration management resource, the system can determine which configurations need updating and transmit only those incremental changes, improving update distribution efficiency.
2Loss of information
If all configuration information is transmitted to medical devices, then devices have complete information, but network traffic increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary configuration updates from the complete configuration information set. By using version timestamps to identify which configuration sets have been modified since the device last synchronized, the system transmits only the changed portions rather than retransmitting entire configuration libraries, thereby reducing network traffic while maintaining information completeness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements partial action by transmitting only the subset of configuration information that has changed (identified via timestamp comparison) rather than transmitting all configuration information. This partial transmission approach maintains complete information on devices while significantly reducing network bandwidth consumption.
3Adaptability or versatility
If manual partial updates are used, then update flexibility is improved, but update speed and automation are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the device manager reports its current configuration version timestamps to the configuration management resource. The configuration management resource compares these timestamps with its own version timestamps and automatically determines which updates need to be transmitted, enabling automated incremental updates that are both flexible and fast.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service updates where the device manager autonomously initiates update requests and receives only the necessary incremental configuration data. The automated timestamp comparison and selective transmission eliminate manual intervention while maintaining flexibility in what gets updated, improving both update speed and automation.
Data Source
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AI summary
A configuration management resource keeps track of incremental updates to a locally stored copy of configuration information (such as drug library information) used by a medical device to administer treatment to patients. The medical device retrieves a copy of the configuration information from a configuration management resource. Unbeknownst to a user of the medical device, to ensure that the medical device has most up-to-date configuration information, the medical device communicates a request for updates to the configuration management resource. To service the received request for updated configuration information, the configuration management resource forwards incrementally available configuration update information to the requesting medical device. The medical device uses the received configuration update information from the configuration management resource to update its local version of configuration information stored in the medical device.