Assembly consisting of medical treatment units and peripheral devices, peripheral device and treatment unit for use in an assembly of this type

The present invention relates to a device comprising at least two medical procedure units and at least two peripheral devices, more particularly one of at least two medical procedure units and at least two. One of the peripheral devices will be assigned to the patient, and this peripheral device that will be assigned to the patient will be assigned to this medical procedure unit that will be assigned to the patient. Furthermore, the present invention relates to peripheral devices and treatment units for use in such devices.

In medical technology, various treatment units to which a patient is connected or to which it is connected are used for patient treatment. The connection between the patient and the machine generally occurs via tubes and / or lines. Known treatment units include, for example, dialysis machines with extracorporeal blood circulation channels.

It is known to operate a medical procedure unit with one or more peripheral devices. Such satellites serve, for example, to monitor patients during treatment, where identified patient-specific data is being transmitted to the treatment unit.

During dialysis, for example, physiological data of dialysis patients is detected by various sensors. Attempts have been made to ensure a connection between the patient and the dialysis machine, and the peripheral device consists of only the blood tubes needed for the extracorporeal blood circulation and as few other lines as possible.

Although there is a fixed connection between the treatment unit and the patient via the tube, data transmission between the peripheral device and the treatment unit may occur wirelessly, for example by radio or optical signal. As a result, the operation can immediately detect the assignment between the treatment unit and the patient based on the fixed connection, but it is not possible to immediately detect the assignment between the peripheral device and the treatment unit. Can not.

When multiple treatment units and peripheral devices are operated together in a treatment area, in each case one treatment unit and one peripheral device are assigned to the patient and for each treatment unit, It is necessary to generate connections from each peripheral device.

Improper allocation between peripheral devices and treatment units on the one hand and peripheral devices and treatment units on the other can, in extreme cases, pose life-threatening problems during treatment. This is especially problematic when incorrect allocations are not immediately detected due to cableless connections.

When multiple devices connected to each other are operating at the same time, use is typically done with so-called identifier (ID) signals, where the ID signal is one satellite signal or another satellite signal. It is possible to detect whether or not it has been received. For example, US Pat. No. 6,332,094 B1 describes a pulse rate monitor, which wirelessly transmits a pulse signal to a receiver along with an identification signal.

WO 2004/056263 A1 describes a method for wireless transmission of signals between multiple peripheral devices and multiple treatment units. Assigned to the treatment unit are multiple receivers, which receive signals from peripheral devices. The readiness of the receiver to receive the signal of the peripheral device is generated by the fact that the peripheral device notifies the receiver. Only when ready for reception is the receiver translating the signal of the peripheral device, which is sent to the respective treatment unit.

From US Pat. No. 6,870,475 B2, a charging station that charges the battery of a portable medical surveillance unit is known, which serves to monitor patient-specific data. The patient monitoring system provides a number of charging stations at different points, in which the patient can insert a monitoring unit to charge the battery.

Patient-specific data from the portable medical surveillance unit can be transmitted wirelessly to the central surveillance unit.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,184,651 B1 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,455,466 describe common charging stations for charging batteries in electronic devices, where inducible coupling is established between the electronic device and the charging station. Occur.

The problem behind the present invention is to increase reliability and flexibility between the operation of at least two medical procedure units and peripheral devices.

According to the present invention, a solution to this problem is produced, along with the features of claims 1, 18, and 29. A preferred embodiment is the subject of the dependent claim.

Assuming that the patient to whom the peripheral device is assigned after the assignment of the treatment unit to the patient and the assignment of the peripheral device to the patient is the patient to whom the treatment unit to which the peripheral device is assigned is assigned. The fact that the attendant responded positively increases reliability and flexibility between the operation of multiple medical procedure units and multiple peripheral devices in a device according to the invention. Peripheral devices are released only in situations where the correct assignment of peripheral device and patient has been acknowledged. This thus eliminates the situation where the correct peripheral device is assigned to the correct treatment unit, but the peripheral device assigned to the treatment unit is assigned to the wrong patient.

The means by which the peripheral device is released does not send patient-specific data to the treatment unit or the treatment unit does not receive or evaluate patient-specific data until the correct assignment between the peripheral device and the patient is acknowledged. Can be designed as The means of releasing the peripheral device can also be designed, for example, so that the medical procedure cannot be initiated until the correct assignment between the peripheral device and the patient is acknowledged.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the means for assigning a peripheral device to a treatment unit is a means for sending an address for identifying the peripheral device to the medical treatment unit and a means for receiving the address for identifying the peripheral device by the treatment unit. Including means. For example, the address may be a MAC (medium access control) address, which is used for clear identification of peripheral devices in the network.

In a more preferred embodiment, the means for assigning the treatment unit and the peripheral device corresponds to include means for accommodating the peripheral device and means for detecting the peripheral device contained in the means for accommodating the peripheral device. .. Means for accommodating peripheral devices can be clearly assigned to the treatment unit, and this assignment can be immediately detected by personnel. For example, the means of accommodating peripheral devices are located in close proximity to the treatment unit or are components of the treatment unit. Peripheral devices are clearly assigned to a treatment unit when the peripheral device is located in the means of accommodating the peripheral device that is assigned to the treatment unit.

The means for accommodating peripheral devices can be designed differently. For example, the means for accommodating the peripheral device may be an accommodating unit in which the peripheral device is placed. Peripheral devices can be placed uncoupled in the containment unit or may be anchored in the containment unit.

The means for detecting peripheral devices in the containment unit can also be designed differently. For example, the means for detecting the peripheral device can include a mechanical contact maker and can also detect whether or not the peripheral device is located in the containment unit. Alternatively, the means for detecting peripheral devices can include optical or inductive sensors.

In practice, a particularly advantageous embodiment that provides a great advantage corresponds to such that the means of accommodating the peripheral device include means of charging the battery for powering the peripheral device. The containment unit can be designed as a charging station for peripheral devices. Therefore, the containment unit ensures not only the allocation of peripheral devices to treatment units, but also the sustained operation of peripheral devices.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, when a peripheral device is detected in the containment unit, the peripheral device sends an identification address to the treatment unit. Therefore, peripheral device identification occurs completely automatically as the peripheral device is inserted into the containment unit. However, it is also possible to evaluate the identification address only after the peripheral device continuously sends the identification address and the treatment unit is detected in the containment unit.

The successful allocation of the peripheral device to the patient is preferably signaled to the treatment unit by the peripheral device due to the fact that the peripheral device sends the corresponding signal to the treatment unit. For this purpose, the means for confirming the assignment of the peripheral device to the patient preferably include means for transmitting and receiving signals, in particular means for wirelessly transmitting the signals, such as a wireless transmitter and a wireless receiver. However, other wireless transmission links, such as optical data transmission, are also possible.

When the peripheral device receives patient-specific data to monitor the patient, it is preferably determined that the peripheral device is well assigned to the patient, which means that the peripheral device is assigned to the patient. It is assumed that they are connected. However, it is also possible to provide additional sensors that detect the location of peripheral devices, such as connection makers on tubes and / or lines.

Reliability is further enhanced by the fact that personnel are urged to assign to the patient peripheral devices that are assigned to the treatment unit and are removed from the containment unit within a preset time interval. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the means for confirming the allocation between the peripheral device and the patient correspond to work with the means for measuring the time after the peripheral device is removed from the means for accommodating the peripheral device. A means of verifying the assignment between the peripheral device and the patient is to inform the attendant how much time is still left to connect the peripheral device to the patient. It is preferable to work with a means of displaying the remaining time in a preset time interval that must occur.

If a peripheral device is assigned to the patient after a preset time interval, the successful assignment of the peripheral device and patient is not signaled to the treatment unit. Therefore, personnel are forced to return the peripheral device into the containment unit so that the peripheral device, treatment unit, and patient assignment can be performed again. This prevents the removal of peripheral devices from the containment unit by personnel at unspecified times, which is a great risk of misassignment of peripheral devices and patients, especially in such cases. Because there is.

Prompting the peripheral device to be inserted back into the containment unit after the elapse of a preset time interval preferably occurs with means of outputting optical and / or acoustic signals, between the peripheral device and the patient. This is included in the means of confirming the allocation of. The treatment unit, peripheral devices, and means of affirming the patient assignment preferably include manual input means, such as switches, push buttons, and the like. The manual input means can also be designed as a non-contact operating sensor, such as an inductive switch.

The present invention is based on the fact that the assignment between the treatment unit and the patient requires a fixed connection between the patient and the treatment unit so that this assignment is clear to the attendant. In the case where the medical procedure unit is, for example, a blood treatment device, in practice, a fixed assignment between the procedure unit and the patient is provided by the blood tube system to eliminate mistakes.

Peripheral devices can be designed differently and have different functions. For example, the peripheral device can include one or more sensors for detecting patient-specific data, such as data for measuring physiologically measured values such as blood pressure or pulse.

Examples of embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the drawings.

<figref num="1">FIG. 1 shows a conceptual diagram showing the correct allocation between the two peripheral devices and the treatment unit for each patient.</figref><figref num="2">FIG. 2 shows the device of FIG. 1, where the peripheral devices assigned to each treatment unit are assigned to the wrong patient.</figref><figref num="3">FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing the main components of the medical procedure unit and peripheral devices.</figref><figref num="4A">FIG. 4A shows a flow diagram illustrating a sequence of patient allocation, along with peripheral devices and treatment units.</figref><figref num="4B">FIG. 4B shows a flow diagram illustrating a sequence of patient allocation, along with peripheral devices and treatment units.</figref>

Detailed description of the invention

FIG. 1 shows two medical procedure units 1, 1', eg, an extracorporeal blood treatment apparatus with an extracorporeal blood circulation pathway. Patients 2, 2'are connected to their respective action units 1, 1'. In the case of extracorporeal blood treatment, patients 2, 2'are connected to blood treatment devices 1, 1'via venous and arterial tube lines 3, 4; 3', 4'. In this way, a fixed assignment is made between the patient and the treatment unit. In addition, peripheral devices 5, 5', such as blood pressure monitors, are assigned to two patients 2, 2'in each case.

Peripheral devices 5, 5'monitor the patient's physical function, eg, blood pressure or pulse, and send physiological data to each treatment unit to which the patient is connected.

FIG. 1 shows the correct assignment of one peripheral device and patient and the other peripheral device and treatment unit, and FIG. 2 shows the peripheral device and patient and the peripheral device and treatment unit, respectively. Indicates an incorrect allocation. In the case of incorrect allocation, treatment unit 1 is receiving data for patient 2'peripheral device 5', but patient 2'is connected to treatment unit 1'instead of treatment unit 1.

A device according to the present invention includes at least two medical procedure units and peripheral devices. The individual steps for treatment unit, peripheral device, and patient assignment, along with the individual components of the treatment unit and peripheral device, are described below with reference to Figures 3 and 4A, 4B.

Peripheral devices 5, such as blood pressure monitors, have various sensors 6, such as sensors for measuring blood pressure or pulse, which are generally shown as merely for monitoring a patient. For bidirectional communication with each treatment unit 1, the peripheral device 5 has means 7 for transmitting and receiving signals, in particular a wireless transmitter / receiver 7. However, data transmission may also occur only in the direction from the peripheral device to the treatment unit. The rechargeable battery 8 (battery) serves to supply the battery for peripheral devices.

In addition, the peripheral device 5 has means 19, and the attendant tells that the patient to whom the peripheral device is assigned together with the means 19 is the patient to whom the peripheral device is assigned and the treatment unit is assigned. You can respond affirmatively. These means are preferably manual input means, in particular the push button 19.

The treatment unit 1, eg, a blood treatment device with an extracorporeal blood circulation channel, has various components 9, and for the treatment of patient 2, the various components 9, eg, dialysis, represented only conceptually. It has a vessel, a pump, etc. The patient 2 is fixedly connected to the blood processing device 1 via, for example, venous and arterial blood pipes 3 and 4. A fixed assignment between the patient and the treatment unit is thus generated.

For communication with each peripheral device 5, the treatment unit 1 has means 10 for transmitting and receiving signals, in particular a wireless transmitter / receiver 10 for bidirectional data transmission. Data transmission between peripheral device 5 and treatment unit 1 is thus wirelessly generated, where the interface, along with the transmitter, receiver required for data transmission, is generally one of ordinary skill in the art. Known for.

The treatment unit 1 further includes an optical and / or acoustic alarm output 12 and a display unit 13.

Containment units 14 are fixedly assigned to each treatment unit 1 so that personnel can immediately detect that containment unit 14 belongs to blood treatment unit 1. The containment unit 14 is designed as a charging station. It includes means 15 for power supply, especially the power pack, which can charge the battery 8 of the peripheral device when the peripheral device is inserted into the containment unit.

The electronic connection between the power pack 15 and the battery 8 can occur via the appropriate plug-in connection 11 or inductive coupling.

Peripheral device 5 and / or containment unit 14 has means 16 for detecting whether or not the peripheral device has been inserted into the containment unit. These means may be, for example, an electronic connection maker and are provided on either or both peripheral devices and containment units.

The functions of the treatment unit and peripheral devices will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4A, 4B.

In each case where a fixed assignment of patient and treatment unit is produced, the patient can refer to treatment unit 1, eg, an external blood treatment device, veins and arteries so that this can be immediately understood by personnel. It is assumed that they are connected via blood pipes 3 and 4. Here, the attendant has the task of connecting peripheral devices belonging to the treatment unit to each patient.

Each peripheral device 5 is first inserted into containment unit 14, which is assigned to each treatment unit 1. In this way, the attendant assigns peripheral devices to the treatment unit.

Means 16 detects that the peripheral device is located in the containment unit 14. This is signaled by means 16 as a status signal. While the peripheral device 5 is located in the containment unit 14, an electrical connection is created between the power pack 15 and the battery 8 so that the battery is charged.

Treatment unit 1 continuously queries whether a status signal indicating that a peripheral device is located in the containment unit is being generated. In this case, the radio transmitter / receiver 7 of the peripheral device 5 sends an address for identifying the peripheral device, for example, the MAC address, to the treatment unit 1, which is sent by the radio transmitter / receiver 10. Receive the MAC address. In this way, treatment unit 1 identifies peripheral device 5.

In the case of wireless transmission of signals, it is preferably used by relatively short distance transmitting / receiving means for identification of peripheral devices by exchanging MAC addresses. If the distance of the transmitting / receiving means is not greater than the distance between the peripheral device and the treatment unit with its respective containment unit, ensure that the peripheral device communicates only with its "own charging shell". be able to. For this purpose, the transmission means can limit their range. However, on the one hand, it is also possible to provide a separate transmitting / receiving means for transmitting patient-specific signals, and on the other hand, providing a MAC address for identifying peripheral devices. For example, transmit / receive means for inductive data transmission may also be used for identification, said means being part of an inductive battery charging device provided in a charging cell.

After identification of the peripheral device, the attendant must assign the identified peripheral device 5 to the patient, and the patient is connected to the treatment unit 1 having the identified peripheral device. For this purpose, personnel must remove peripheral devices from the containment unit.

Periodic monitoring is performed to check if peripheral devices are still located in the containment unit. When the clerk removes the peripheral device from the containment unit, this is immediately detected by means 16, which causes a status signal to indicate that the clerk has removed the peripheral device from the containment unit. This status signal will be sent to the treatment unit, which will receive the status signal. Upon receiving the status signal that the peripheral device has been removed from the containment unit, the treatment unit initiates a means (timer) 18 for measuring the time elapsed since the peripheral device was removed.

Here, the attendant must connect the peripheral device to the patient within a preset time interval. The remaining time during the preset time interval is displayed to the attendant on the display unit 13 of the treatment unit 1.

When the attendant attaches the peripheral device to the patient and activates the peripheral device, the sensor 6 of the peripheral device receives physiological measurements such as the patient's blood pressure and pulse. The signal received from sensor 6 is evaluated by means 20 to check the patient assignment of peripheral devices. This event is signaled by means 20 of peripheral device 5 due to the fact that the peripheral device is sending a status signal to treatment unit 1 that the peripheral device has been successfully assigned to the patient.

The treatment unit continuously checks to see if a status signal has been received that the peripheral device has been successfully assigned to the patient during a preset time interval. If a preset time interval elapses before the status signal that the peripheral device and the patient have been successfully assigned is received, the treatment unit outputs an optical and / or acoustic alarm signal on the alarm output device 12. Along with this, personnel are urged to relocate the peripheral devices back to the containment unit. At the same time, or instead, the corresponding display may also be generated in the display unit 13. The routine described above starts again.

However, when a status signal is received indicating that the peripheral device and the patient have been successfully assigned, an instruction appears on the display unit 13 (display) of the treatment unit prompting the attendant to press the acknowledgment button 19. The treatment unit waits until button 19 is pressed.

Here, the attendant must make sure that the patient 2 to which the peripheral device 5 is connected is the patient to which the treatment unit 1 is connected, where the containment unit 14 allows the treatment unit 1 to be connected. Peripheral devices are assigned to. In this case, the attendant presses the acknowledgment button 19, which is provided to the peripheral device. A signal for the attendant's acknowledgment is sent to the treatment unit, which receives the status signal.

However, it is also possible that the acknowledgment button is located on the treatment unit. This eliminates the need to send an acknowledgment of the patient's assignment to the peripheral device to the treatment unit.

Here, the treatment unit 1 checks whether the attendant has acknowledged the correct assignment between the peripheral device and the patient by pressing the button 19 within a preset time interval.

Treatment unit 1 has means 17, with which peripheral devices are released. Only in the case where the acknowledgment button 19 is pressed within the preset time interval, the means 17 transmits patient-specific data from the peripheral device to the treatment unit by the radio transmitters / receivers 7 and 10. Release peripheral devices so that. Means 17 must also release the procedure. Here, the treatment program can be started.

The means described above can form separate modules, but in practice the means are components of the microprocessor, which are generally provided in some way within the treatment unit and peripheral devices.

In the embodiments described with reference to the drawings, individual means are assigned to the blood processing unit in each case and individual means are assigned to peripheral devices in each case. However, the means assigned to the blood processing unit can also be assigned to peripheral devices. For example, means for an acknowledgment of patient-treatment unit assignment can also be provided on the treatment unit rather than on a peripheral device. Means for outputting optical and / or acoustic alarms can also be provided on peripheral devices instead of treatment units.

Although the drawings show the equipment of the peripheral device and the treatment unit, it will be understood from the description that the peripheral device and the treatment unit are independent devices with the modules described.