Remote Medical Device Management via Unique ID Activation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medical devices and components, such as endoscopes, often require maintenance or repair, leading to administrative challenges and inefficiencies due to the need for physical transportation, which results in reduced availability for medical procedures and increased costs for replacement units.
Innovation Solution
A remote management system utilizing a remote device management server that communicates with medical devices or components to track usage, manage activation status, and control access, allowing for efficient distribution and tracking of medical devices, including loan or replacement units, through unique device identifiers and communication protocols.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If medical devices are sent to manufacturer or service provider for maintenance, then service quality is improved, but device availability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
A remote device management server acts as an intermediary between the medical device and the service provider, enabling remote monitoring and management functions. This intermediary system allows service operations to be performed remotely without requiring physical transport of the device, thus maintaining service quality while preventing device unavailability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical system of physical device transport with a remote communication system. Instead of physically sending the device to the service provider, the system uses electronic communication channels (device communication unit, server communication unit) to transmit device data and perform management functions remotely, eliminating the need for device movement while maintaining service effectiveness
2Loss of time
If replacement devices are stored at distributed locations, then device availability is improved, but administrative complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The remote device management server provides universal functionality for managing all medical devices regardless of location. It handles device identification, status monitoring, activation/deactivation control, and communication coordination in a centralized manner, enabling distributed device storage without increasing administrative complexity at individual locations
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the medical device transmits its unique device identifier and status information to the remote management server, which then responds with activation status and control commands. This automated feedback loop eliminates manual tracking and administrative overhead for distributed device management
Data Source
AI summary
A method of remotely managing at least one medical device or medical device component (hereinafter collectively referred to as “medical device”), wherein a remote management system includes a remote device management server including a device database to store device management data and the medical device including a unique device identifier, the method including: starting the medical device, establishing a communication connection between the medical device and the remote device management server, transmitting the unique device identifier from the medical device to the remote device management server, determining an activation status of the medical device from the device management data, transmitting the activation status from the remote device management server to the medical device, receiving the activation status by the medical device and activating or deactivating the at least one medical device based on the activation status.