Improvements in wireless connectivity for, and monitoring of handling of, wireless medical devices

{
  "publication_number": "US2025220739A1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "A1",
  "title": "Improvements in wireless connectivity for, and monitoring of handling of, wireless medical devices",
  "abstract": "A system (300) for assessing and/or providing wireless communication between a medical device (12, 12′) and a hospital wireless network (52) includes an electronic processor: and a memory storing instructions readable and executable by the electronic processor to: determine whether a radio (44) of the medical device has wireless connectivity: and perform a remedial action in response to the determination being that the radio of the medical device does not have wireless connectivity.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A system for assessing and/or providing wireless communication between a medical device and a hospital wireless network, the system comprising: an electronic processor; and a memory storing instructions readable and executable by the electronic processor to: determine whether a radio of the medical device has wireless connectivity; and perform a remedial action in response to the determination being that the radio of the medical device does not have wireless connectivity. 2. The system of claim 1, further comprising: at least one autonomous robot including at least one radio and the electronic processor and the memory storing the instructions readable and executable by the electronic processor, wherein the remedial action includes: autonomously moving the robot toward the medical device and establishing a wireless connection with the radio of the medical device via the at least one radio of the autonomous robot; acquiring medical and/or operational data generated by the medical device via the established wireless connection; and transferring the acquired medical and/or operational data to the hospital wireless network via the at least one radio of the autonomous robot. 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one radio of the robot includes a non-Wi-Fi radio configured to establish the wireless connection with the radio of the medical device and a Wi-Fi radio configured to transfer the acquired medical and/or operational data to the hospital wireless network. 4. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one radio includes a single radio configured to both establish the wireless connection with the radio of the medical device and to transfer the acquired medical and/or operational data to the hospital wireless network. 5. The system of claim 2, wherein the on-board memory stores instructions readable and executable by the electronic processor to control the robot to acquire the medical and/or operational data generated by the medical device via the established wireless connection and concurrently transfer the acquired medical and/or operational data to the hospital wireless network. 6. The system of claim 2, wherein the on-board memory stores instructions readable and executable by the electronic processor to control the robot to perform at least one iteration of: (i) acquiring medical and/or operational data generated by the medical device via the established wireless connection while the robot is not connected with the hospital wireless network; and breaking off the wireless connection with a radio of the medical device and then moving away from the medical device and transferring the acquired medical and/or operational data to the hospital wireless network while the robot is not connected with the radio of the medical device. 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the medical device includes the electronic processor and the memory, and the remedial action includes outputting at least one of (i) an indication that the medical device does not have wireless connectivity and/or (ii) a recommendation of a location to which the medical device can be moved to provide wireless connectivity. 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the determination of whether the radio of the medical device has wireless connectivity is based on measurement of a wireless signal strength received by the radio of the medical device determined using the radio of the medical device. 9. The system of one of claim 7, wherein the determination of whether the radio of the medical device has wireless connectivity includes: determining a current location of the medical device using a location tracking system; and comparing the current location with a map of Wi-Fi access points to determine whether the radio of the medical device has wireless connectivity to at least one Wi-Fi access point. 10. A medical apparatus, comprising: a medical device; one or more sensors configured to monitor transport of the medical device; and at least one electronic processor programmed to: detect a time-stamped transport event based on sensor data acquired by the one or more sensors; and perform a remedial action in response to the detected time-stamped transport event. 11. The medical apparatus of claim 10 wherein the one or more sensors include an inertial measurement unit (IMU) disposed on or in the medical device; and the at least one electronic processor is programmed to: detect the time-stamped transport event comprising a time-stamped impact event in which the portable medical device undergoes an impact and the remedial action performed in response to the detected time-stamped impact event includes at least recording the time-stamped impact event. 12. The medical apparatus of claim 10, wherein the medical device is portable, and the one or more sensors include: a location sensor disposed on or in the portable medical device; and a handle usage sensor disposed on or in a transportation handle of the medical device and configured to detect usage of the transportation handle; wherein the at least one electronic processor is programmed to: detect the time-stamped transport event comprising a time-stamped handle non-usage event in which the handle usage sensor is not detecting usage of the transportation handle concurrently with the location sensor detecting transportation of the portable measurement device. 13. The medical apparatus of claim 10, wherein the medical device is portable, and the one or more sensors include: a proximity sensor including a first sensor component disposed on or in the portable medical device and a second sensor component disposed on a device support component configured to detachably connect with and support the portable medical device, wherein the first and second sensor components are configured to detect whether the first and second sensor components are in mutual proximity; and a location sensor disposed on or in the portable medical device; wherein the at least one electronic processor is programmed to: detect the time-stamped transport event comprising a time-stamped support device non-usage event in which the proximity sensor is not detecting mutual proximity of the first and second sensor components concurrently with the location sensor detecting transportation of the portable measurement device. 14. The medical apparatus of claim 10, wherein the one or more sensors include: a connection sensor configured to detect whether a detachable device support component is connected with the portable medical device; and a location sensor disposed on or in the portable medical device; wherein the at least one electronic processor is programmed to: detect the time-stamped transport event comprising a time-stamped support device non-usage event in which the connection sensor is not detecting the detachable device support component is connected with the portable medical device concurrently with the location sensor detecting transportation of the portable medical device. 15. The medical apparatus of claim 10, wherein the medical device is portable, and the one or more sensors include: a location sensor disposed on or in the portable medical device; wherein the at least one electronic processor is programmed to: detect the time-stamped transport event comprising a time-stamped transport speeding event in which the location sensor is detecting transportation of the portable measurement device at a speed greater than a speed limit. 16. The medical apparatus of claim 10, wherein the medical device is portable, and the one or more sensors include: a vital sign sensor configured to measure a vital sign of a person; a device location sensor disposed on or in the portable medical device; and a person location sensor configured to be worn by the person; wherein the at least one electronic processor is programmed to: detect the time-stamped transport event comprising a time-stamped physiological stress event in which the device and person location sensors are detecting the person and the portable medical device moving together and the vital sign sensor is detecting the person is under physiological stress. 17. The medical apparatus of claim 10, further comprising: an audible and/or visual alarm disposed on the portable medical device; wherein the at least one electronic processor is programmed to: perform the remedial action comprising activating the audible and/or visual alarm. 18. The medical apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one electronic processor is programmed to: perform the remedial action comprising recording the time-stamped transport event annotated with a spatial location at which the time-stamped transport event occurred, the spatial location being determined from a real-time locating service (RTLS) in communication with the at least one electronic processor. 19. A medical communication system for providing wireless communication between a medical device and a hospital Wi-Fi network, the system comprising: a radio system comprising a Wi-Fi radio and a non-Wi-Fi radio; and an electronic processor and memory storing instructions readable and executable by the electronic processor to: establish a wireless connection with a non-Wi-Fi radio of the medical device via the non-Wi-Fi radio; acquire medical and/or operational data generated by the medical device via the established wireless connection; and transfer the acquired medical and/or operational data to the hospital Wi-Fi network via the Wi-Fi radio. 20. The medical communication system of claim 19 wherein the medical communication system comprises an autonomous vehicle."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The following relates generally to the medical device tracking arts, medical equipment handling arts, real-time location system (RTLS) arts, Wi-Fi connectivity analysis arts, and related arts.\n\nWireless connections between medical devices such as image acquisition sensors (e.g., digital X-ray detector plates or local MRI coils) and a host machine (e.g., digital X-ray system or MRI scanner) are sometimes used. These enable a more flexible positioning of the data acquisition sensor during an examination. Moreover, the sensors can easily be connected to multiple host systems at various locations at a clinical site. Similarly, mobile medical imaging equipment such as mobile C-arm or mobile digital X-ray systems, can be used throughout various locations within a single hospital. However, in remote spots with poor or no access to the hospital network, hence limiting the connectivity and data transfer, such wireless connectivity can be a detriment rather than a benefit. Mobile medical devices such as, mobile C-arm systems are operated in a variety of locations, which makes it difficult or impossible to send the acquired image data and/or log information directly to the local IT systems. While this can be alleviated to an extent by including an on-board data storage buffer in the medical device, this solution can be less than satisfactory. Such a storage buffer has a limited capacity, which then limits the amount of time the medical device can be out-of-range of the Wi-Fi network before medical data is lost.",
  "cpc": [
    "H04W 76/12",
    "B25J 11/009",
    "B25J 5/00",
    "B64U 2101/10",
    "B64U 2101/21",
    "B64U 2101/55",
    "G05D 1/0282",
    "G16H 10/60",
    "H04L 41/0654",
    "H04W 24/04",
    "H04W 4/02",
    "H04W 76/14",
    "H04W 76/30",
    "H04W 84/12"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "G16H 10/60",
    "H04L 41/0654",
    "H04W 76/12"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS NV"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "ERHARD KLAUS ALFRED",
    "SOSSIN ARTUR",
    "NAIK SARIF KUMAR",
    "RAVI VEENA"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2023-04-03",
  "publication_date": "2025-07-03",
  "priority_date": "2022-04-12",
  "application_number": "US-202318853840-A",
  "family_id": "85979699"
}