Portable Medical Device Wireless Communication Restart Mechanism

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Solution Overview

Problem

Portable medical devices without a user interface cannot restart wireless communication between the device body and remote controller once it is interrupted, preventing further control or setting changes in drug solution administration.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a power supply unit, driving unit, main-body-side wireless communication unit, and input/output control unit in the device body that outputs identification information at a predetermined cycle, and a remote controller with an input unit and wireless communication unit to establish and restart wireless connections based on received information, allowing for wireless communication restart without user intervention.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If wireless communication is interrupted by setting to in-flight mode, then battery consumption is suppressed and communication compliance is improved, but the ability to restart communication without remote controller operation is lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication complianceVSAvoidcommunication restart capability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The device body preliminarily stores identification information and maintains the capability to output it even when wireless communication is interrupted. This preliminary preparation enables the device to automatically restart communication after interruption without requiring remote controller operation, thus resolving the contradiction between communication compliance and restart capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The device body performs self-service by automatically outputting identification information and enabling communication restart without external intervention from the remote controller. This self-service mechanism ensures that communication can be resumed autonomously after in-flight mode interruption, maintaining ease of operation while ensuring compliance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Device complexity

If no user interface is provided on the device body, then device complexity is reduced, but the ability to restart wireless communication without remote controller operation is lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinterface complexityVSAvoidcommunication restart flexibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the communication restart function from the user interface domain and implements it in the control domain. The main-body-side input/output control unit handles communication restart autonomously by processing interruption information and automatically outputting identification information, eliminating the need for a physical user interface on the device body while maintaining communication flexibility

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The main-body-side input/output control unit acts as an intermediary between the wireless communication unit and the remote controller. It mediates the communication process by autonomously managing identification information output and handling restart operations, thereby providing communication restart flexibility without requiring a user interface on the device body

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3603698B1Portable medical appliance and method for controlling portable medical appliance
Publication Date: 2024.03.27 TERUMO KK
  • EP3603698B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3603698B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3603698B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A portable medical device including a device body and a remote controller that operates driving of the device body. The device body includes: a power supply unit; a driving unit driven by electric power from the power supply unit; a main-body-side wireless communication unit that outputs identification information at a predetermined cycle when the power supply unit is turned on; and a main-body-side input/output control unit that controls driving of the driving unit and output of the main-body-side wireless communication unit, in accordance with information received by the main-body-side wireless communication unit. The remote controller includes: an input unit that is inputted with, together with a stop request of output for the main-body-side wireless communication unit, a stop duration of the output or a restart time of the output; and a controller-side wireless communication unit that establishes wireless connection between with the main-body-side wireless communication unit that has outputted the identification information by receiving the identification information outputted from the main-body-side wireless communication unit, and outputs, to the main-body-side wireless communication unit, information that is related to stop of the output and inputted from the input unit.