Patient Data Gateway Protocol Discovery for Sensor-Host Compatibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medical sensors and host systems often utilize proprietary communication protocols that are not standardized, leading to compatibility issues when attempting to communicate patient data across different devices.
Innovation Solution
A patient data acquisition device (PDAD) with a control unit, sensor and host system interfaces, and a memory that can perform protocol discovery to determine and adapt to the host system's communication protocol, enabling seamless data transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sensors use proprietary communication protocols, then each sensor can be optimized for its specific function, but compatibility with different host systems becomes difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway device is designed to support multiple communication protocols simultaneously, enabling it to function as a universal bridge between sensors and host systems. The gateway can detect which protocol a sensor uses and automatically adapt its communication interface to match, thereby achieving both protocol-specific optimization and broad compatibility without requiring separate gateway devices for each protocol type.
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway acts as an intermediary device between sensors and host systems, translating communication protocols between different formats. When a sensor communicates with the gateway using its native proprietary protocol, the gateway detects the protocol type and converts the data to the appropriate format for the host system, thereby mediating the communication between incompatible systems and solving the compatibility problem while maintaining reliable sensor-specific communication.
2Reliability
If a host system uses a proprietary communication protocol, then the system can be optimized for specific performance requirements, but the ability to integrate with various sensors is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway device incorporates multiple communication protocol stacks and interfaces, enabling it to maintain the host system's optimized proprietary protocol connection while simultaneously supporting various sensor protocols. This multi-functionality allows the gateway to preserve the host system's performance characteristics while expanding its ability to integrate with diverse sensor types through protocol conversion.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication architecture is segmented into two independent interfaces: one interface maintains the optimized proprietary protocol connection with the host system, while the other interface handles various sensor protocols. The gateway processes and translates data between these segmented interfaces, allowing the host system to retain its performance optimizations while the gateway provides broad sensor integration capabilities through protocol segmentation and independent handling.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple communication protocols are supported, then compatibility with different devices is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway incorporates automatic protocol detection and selection capabilities that eliminate the need for manual configuration. When a sensor or host system connects, the gateway automatically detects which protocol is being used, selects the appropriate communication stack, and configures itself to handle the connection. This self-service approach reduces the operational complexity of supporting multiple protocols by removing the need for manual protocol selection and configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway is pre-configured with multiple communication protocol stacks and translation rules during manufacturing. These protocols are预先 loaded and ready for use, eliminating the need for complex runtime configuration or protocol negotiation. The preliminary preparation of multiple protocol support reduces the operational complexity by having all necessary communication capabilities already in place and automatically selectable based on the connected device.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for activating a communication protocol for communication between a patient data acquisition device for a sensor and a host system may include operatively coupling the patient data acquisition device and the host system via a communications interface, performing a protocol discovery operation to determine a communication protocol utilized by the host system, activating one of a plurality of communication protocols stored in the memory for communication with the host system upon a determination that the communication protocol is utilized by the host system, the one of the plurality of communication protocols being the communication protocol implemented by the host system, and communicating patient data via the patient data acquisition device to the host system using the one of the plurality of communication protocols, and devices and systems that execute this method.