Wireless Pairing Medical Device Wall Unit Time Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing wired connections between patient beds and wall units in healthcare facilities are prone to damage during relocation, and wireless pairing technologies face challenges in accurately determining the bed's location due to signal interference and multi-receiver issues.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a medical device with a wireless transceiver and a timer, and a wall unit with a wireless transceiver and a timer, which uses power plug sensing and time-based comparisons to ensure accurate pairing by transmitting an advertisement message only when the uptime matches within a predetermined tolerance, facilitating secure and reliable wireless communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wired connections are used between patient beds and wall units, then communication reliability is ensured, but the connections are prone to damage during relocation and reduce ease of operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical wired connection system with a wireless communication system. The medical device and wall unit establish communication through wireless signals instead of physical cables, eliminating the mechanical connection that causes damage during relocation while maintaining communication functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary pairing between the medical device and wall unit before actual use. The device automatically pairs with the correct wall unit based on pre-established identification information, ensuring reliable communication is set up in advance before the device needs to be relocated or used.
2Ease of operation
If wireless pairing is implemented without time-based verification, then ease of operation is improved, but location determination accuracy deteriorates due to signal interference and multi-receiver issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the medical device and wall unit exchange time information through advertisement packets. The device records the time when it receives the wall unit's advertisement and compares it with the current time to calculate uptime, providing feedback that verifies correct pairing and location.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter used for pairing verification from simple signal presence to time-based uptime calculation. By comparing the time elapsed since the wall unit was powered on with the device's recorded time, the system accurately determines location while maintaining ease of operation.
Data Source
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AI summary
A time-based wireless pairing operation between a medical device, such as a patient bed, and a wall module in a patient room is initiated in response to a power plug of the medical device being plugged into a power receptacle carried by the wall module. Times determined by timers of the medical device and the wall module are compared by the wall module or by the medical device so that wireless pairing occurs only with the medical device that was plugged into the wall module. Different types of plug detectors used in the wall module to detect connection of the power plug include optical detectors, mechanical switches, and current sensors.