Medical Device Mesh Network for Alerting Without Cellular
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical devices struggle to effectively alert emergency services during acute health events, particularly in situations where network access is unavailable, such as in flight or at sea.
Innovation Solution
The system establishes a mesh network, peer-to-peer network, or other communication session between proximate devices in response to a medical device detecting an acute health event, allowing for the broadcast of a message to nearby computing devices to alert users and potentially establish a network connection through a nearby device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If medical devices rely on traditional network communication to alert emergency services, then alerting functionality is available, but the system fails when network access is unavailable (e.g., in flight or at sea)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces nearby computing devices (smartphones, tablets, laptops) as intermediary nodes to relay alert information from the medical device to emergency services. These intermediaries form a mesh network that operates independently of traditional cellular or Wi-Fi networks, enabling communication in remote locations such as airplanes and ships.
Solution Approach 2:
The system leverages the universal presence of computing devices in various environments (airplanes, ships, public spaces) to create a multi-functional alerting infrastructure. Any nearby computing device can serve as a communication relay, making the system adaptable to diverse locations where traditional network infrastructure may be absent.
2Reliability
If the system establishes a mesh network with multiple computing devices, then alert transmission capability is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-organizing mesh network topology where computing devices automatically discover and connect to the medical device's broadcast signal without requiring manual configuration. The system autonomously selects optimal relay devices and establishes communication paths, eliminating the need for complex network setup while maintaining reliable alert transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The medical device performs preliminary actions by broadcasting its presence and alert capability to nearby computing devices before an actual health event occurs. This pre-establishes the communication infrastructure, so when an event happens, the mesh network is already in place and can immediately relay alerts without delay.
3Reliability
If the system broadcasts alert messages to all nearby computing devices, then alert coverage is maximized, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by targeting alert broadcasts only to computing devices within a specific geographic proximity to the medical device. The system uses location-aware broadcasting to ensure that only nearby devices receive and process the alert, reducing unnecessary energy consumption from distant devices that cannot physically assist the patient.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs partial action by selectively engaging only the necessary subset of nearby computing devices for alert relay, rather than attempting to connect with all possible devices. This approach maintains adequate alert coverage while minimizing the total energy expenditure across the entire mesh network.
Data Source
AI summary
A medical includes a first device configured to receive data from a medical device, determine based on the data that the patient is experiencing an acute health event, and in response to determining that the patient is experiencing the acute heath event, broadcast a message to a plurality of computing devices. The plurality of devices includes a second device configured to receive the message from the first device and establish a communication session with the first device in response to receiving the message.