Remote Dialysis Unit Wireless Therapy Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current home dialysis solutions require frequent clinic visits due to limited smart card storage capacity and the need for manual caregiver intervention to adjust treatments, limiting patient flexibility and comfort.

Innovation Solution

A medical system with a dialysis unit that can modify therapy parameters in real-time based on control data received from a remote host via a gateway unit, allowing for wireless communication and remote monitoring, reducing the need for frequent caregiver intervention and enabling flexible treatment locations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If smart card storage is used to store therapy and treatment history data, then patient data can be stored and accessed at home, but the storage capacity is limited requiring frequent clinic visits

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata storage capacityVSAvoidfrequency of clinic visits
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

A wireless communication module serves as an intermediary between the portable dialysis device and external systems (clinic computers or cloud servers). This module enables automatic transmission of treatment data and reception of therapy updates without requiring physical smart card exchanges or patient travel to the clinic, thereby expanding effective storage capacity and eliminating frequent visits.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If manual caregiver intervention is required to adjust dialysis therapy, then treatment can be personalized to patient needs, but patient flexibility and comfort are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetherapy personalizationVSAvoidpatient flexibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously monitors treatment data and patient status, automatically adjusting dialysis parameters based on pre-programmed protocols and real-time feedback. This closed-loop control enables therapy personalization without requiring manual caregiver intervention during treatment, allowing patients to receive customized care while maintaining flexibility and comfort at home.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Extent of automation

If online connection between central location and home dialysis site is established, then data exchange and therapy updates can occur remotely, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveremote monitoring capabilityVSAvoidcommunication system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Extent of automationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The wireless communication module performs multiple functions: transmitting treatment data to external systems, receiving therapy update commands, and enabling remote monitoring. By consolidating these diverse communication tasks into a single multi-functional module, the system achieves remote automation capabilities without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP2012848B2Remote controlled medical apparatus
Publication Date: 2024.10.30 GAMBRO LUNDIA AB
  • EP2012848B2 patent drawingFigure 1~2

AI summary

The invention relates to remote controlled blood cleaning of a patient (P). A dialysis unit (110) treats the patient's (P) blood in accordance with a prescribed therapy. The dialysis unit (110) has a bi-directional wireless interface (110W-120W) towards a gateway unit (120), which is further connected (125) to a remote host (140) via at least one interconnecting network (130). Thus, therapy related parameters (Dbp, Dr, dh, Dw) can be transmitted from the dialysis unit (110) to the remote host (140). It is also rendered possible for the remote host (140) to transmit control data (Dctrl) to the dialysis unit (110), the control data (Dctrl) influencing the prescribed therapy being, or to be, executed by the dialysis unit (1 10).