Wearable Sensor Data Bridge for Monitor Compatibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wearable medical sensors often require additional user interfaces or devices to display data and lack compatibility with existing monitoring equipment, making seamless data communication challenging due to different manufacturers and high equipment costs.
Innovation Solution
A wireless communication system with sensors, connection adapters, and operational equipment that enable seamless data transmission and compatibility through wireless networks, using hardware and software components to authenticate and process data, allowing integration with various monitoring devices without the need for additional display units.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If wearable sensors use individualized user interfaces and display monitors for data capture and display, then data can be captured and displayed, but additional display units are required and compatibility with existing monitoring equipment is lost
Solution Approach 1:
A communication bridge is introduced as an intermediary device that connects wearable sensors to existing monitoring equipment. The bridge translates data from the sensor's individualized interface format into formats compatible with standard monitoring equipment, allowing seamless integration without requiring additional display units or modifying existing equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication bridge is designed with multi-functionality to handle multiple sensor types and multiple monitoring equipment interfaces simultaneously. It can translate various sensor data formats to multiple output formats, making it a universal adapter that enhances compatibility across different manufacturers' equipment without requiring device-specific solutions.
2Adaptability or versatility
If sensors and monitors are manufactured by different entities, then device variety and specialization increase, but compatibility on a common platform is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The communication bridge serves as a mediator between sensors from different manufacturers and monitoring equipment from different entities. It handles the complexity of cross-platform compatibility by implementing translation protocols for multiple data formats, allowing specialized devices to communicate without requiring each device to support all possible platforms.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication bridge dynamically changes data parameters such as format, protocol, and interface specifications to match between incompatible devices. It detects the sensor's output parameters and transforms them into the appropriate parameters for the target monitoring equipment, enabling compatibility while preserving device specialization.
3Adaptability or versatility
If equipment is upgraded for compatibility, then compatibility improves, but cost increases and existing equipment must be replaced
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than upgrading or replacing expensive existing monitoring equipment, a cost-effective communication bridge is introduced as an intermediary. This bridge provides the necessary compatibility functions at lower cost, allowing hospitals to retain their existing equipment investments while achieving sensor integration capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication bridge is designed as a relatively inexpensive, easily replaceable component compared to major monitoring equipment. If compatibility requirements change or technology evolves, the bridge can be updated or replaced without the substantial investment required for upgrading core monitoring systems, providing economic flexibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A wireless communication system has a sensor configured to detect a signal indicative of a parameter and generate sensor data as a measurement of the parameter. The sensor has a wireless communication unit configured to wirelessly transmit the sensor data over a network. The wireless communication system also has operational equipment having a central processing unit for processing data and a connection adapter configured to cause the operational equipment to receive the sensor data from the network. The connection adapter comprises a key for enabling the operational equipment to identify the sensor data.