Medical Device Driver Dynamic Parameter Capture

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional medical devices output data in fixed formats, leading to network congestion and inefficiencies due to the transmission of extraneous or redundant data, and they lack the ability to adapt to new patient parameters without requiring device driver rewrites.

Innovation Solution

A system with a configuration interface that allows customization of patient parameters and data transmission, including selection, frequency, compression, and output protocol parameters, enabling the capture and display of pre-defined and post-defined configuration parameters from medical devices without rewriting the device driver.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If medical devices transmit all output data in fixed formats, then complete patient information is captured, but network congestion and data transmission inefficiency occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepatient information completenessVSAvoidnetwork traffic volume

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts and transmits only the specific configuration parameters that are relevant to patient care, rather than transmitting all data output from medical devices. The data collection module selectively captures pre-defined and post-defined configuration parameters, filtering out extraneous information to reduce network traffic while maintaining essential patient information completeness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The configuration parameters are segmented into pre-defined parameters (known at driver initialization) and post-defined parameters (discovered during runtime). This segmentation allows the system to handle different types of parameters through appropriate mechanisms, reducing overall data transmission volume by categorizing and processing parameters efficiently.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If device drivers are rewritten to support new patient parameters, then adaptability to new medical devices is improved, but device driver maintenance complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesupport for new patient parametersVSAvoiddevice driver modification requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements dynamic parameter discovery where the medical device driver automatically captures post-defined configuration parameters that are not known at initialization time. This dynamic approach allows the driver to adapt to new patient parameters without requiring manual rewriting, as the system discovers and handles new parameters during runtime operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The medical device driver performs self-service by automatically capturing and identifying new configuration parameters from medical devices without requiring external intervention or driver rewriting. The system autonomously discovers post-defined parameters and integrates them into the data collection process, eliminating the need for manual driver updates when new parameters are introduced.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Loss of information

If all configuration parameters are captured and transmitted, then comprehensive data availability is achieved, but data parsing overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconfiguration parameter completenessVSAvoiddata parsing time

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by pre-defining configuration parameters that are known to be relevant before data collection begins. This pre-definition allows the data collection module to prepare for capturing specific parameters, reducing parsing overhead by having advance knowledge of which parameters to expect and how to process them, while still maintaining completeness through post-defined parameter discovery.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS9215516B2System and method for identifying newly captured configuration parameters of a plurality of medical devices

Publication Date: 2015.12.15 COVIDIEN LP

AI summary

A medical device communication system is presented including a plurality of medical devices, a data collection module for receiving at least pre-defined configuration parameters from each of the plurality of medical devices, and a medical device driver communicating with the data collection module, the medical device driver automatically capturing post-defined configuration parameters from the plurality of medical devices. The medical device communication system includes at least one remote device configured to receive the pre-defined and post-defined configuration parameters from the data collection module. The post-defined configuration parameters are received after the medical device driver is initially written and after initial electrical communication is established between the medical device driver and the data collection module. The medical device driver is prevented from being re-written each time post-defined configuration parameters are transmitted from at least one of the plurality of medical devices to the data collection module.