Universal Configuration Database for Patient Care Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current healthcare systems face challenges in accurately and efficiently managing medication administration across diverse patient care devices, leading to medication errors due to incompatible devices, manual data transfer errors, and the need for customized drug dosing parameters, which increases the risk of adverse drug events and treatment inconsistencies.
Innovation Solution
A universal configuration database system that allows for the creation, management, and integration of hospital-defined drug dosing parameters and rules across multiple patient care devices, enabling standardized operation and communication between heterogeneous devices, reducing manual errors and ensuring consistent treatment protocols.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If manual data transfer is used for patient identification and device configuration, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision and reliability deteriorate due to transcription errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical data transfer (writing/transcription) with automated electronic data exchange systems. Barcode scanners, RFID readers, and electronic communication interfaces automatically transfer patient identification and device configuration data, eliminating human transcription errors while maintaining system simplicity through standardized protocols.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediary devices such as barcode scanners, RFID tags, and electronic data interchange systems that mediate between patient identification sources and medical devices. These intermediaries automatically capture and transmit data, ensuring accuracy without requiring manual intervention or increasing device complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If customized drug dosing parameters are created for each device type, then adaptability improves, but device complexity and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal configuration database that stores drug dosing parameters and device settings in a standardized format accessible by multiple device types. This universal system allows different devices to share the same parameter library, providing adaptability across device types without requiring separate customization processes for each device.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables dynamic parameter adjustment through electronic configuration files that can be selectively applied to different devices. Drug dosing parameters, alarm limits, and operational settings are stored as configurable parameters that can be modified and deployed across multiple devices without physical reconfiguration, reducing complexity while maintaining adaptability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If customized drug dosing parameters are created for each device type, then adaptability improves, but loss of time increases due to repetitive customization
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-configures drug dosing parameters, device settings, and operational parameters in a centralized configuration database before deployment. This preliminary action allows parameters to be prepared in advance and automatically transferred to devices when needed, eliminating repetitive customization time while maintaining the ability to adapt to different device types and clinical scenarios.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a copying mechanism where configuration parameters are stored as digital templates in a centralized database and automatically replicated to multiple devices. This copying process eliminates manual re-entry and customization time, allowing rapid deployment of standardized parameters across diverse device types while maintaining adaptability through selective parameter selection.
4Adaptability or versatility
If diverse patient care devices are used, then adaptability improves, but reliability deteriorates due to incompatible devices and communication errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements homogeneous communication protocols and data formats across diverse patient care devices. By standardizing interface specifications, data structures, and communication methods, the system enables reliable interaction between heterogeneous devices while maintaining adaptability through a unified configuration framework that manages device-specific variations.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for creating, managing and loading selected configuration datasets used to program a patient care device to have a selected behavior is provided. A common configuration database includes medical treatment guidelines and device operating characteristics for a plurality of patient care device types. A processor operatively connected to the configuration database is programmed to construct at least one device-specific configuration dataset for a selected device behavior from the common configuration database and load the device-specific dataset into the memory of a patient care device. Further, the device-specific configuration datasets may contain device communication information, including communication protocols and data structures, for a plurality of patient care devices types and behaviors to enable communication between patient care devices.