Multi-technology wireless communication network network for monitoring patient through-out a healthcare facility

Inventors: Paul Franz Redder (Newberry, FL); Bruce Geoffrey Appleton (Orlando, FL); Jose H. Chacon (Pembroke Pines, FL); Aman Singh (Orlando, FL)

Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.

G16H40/40 G16H10/60 H04W76/15 H04W64/003

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12700501
App. No.: 18/694,684
Granted: Aug 4, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

A method ( 400 ) for providing continuous wireless connectivity for monitoring a patient throughout a healthcare facility, including: providing ( 402 ) an in-room access point in a room defined at least in part by shielding walls and an access point outside the room and connecting the in-room access point and the access point; (ii) transmitting ( 404 ), by a communication unit of a first source device, information related to the patient; (iii) receiving ( 406 ), by the access point outside the room, information from the first source device; (iv) receiving ( 408 ), by the in-room access point, additional information from the first source device; (v) combining ( 410 ), the information and the additional information from the first source device to generate a digital data stream; and (vi) transmitting ( 412 ), by an access point communication unit of the access point system, the digital data stream to an information system of the healthcare facility.

Claims (27)

1 . A system for providing continuous wireless connectivity for monitoring a patient throughout a healthcare facility, comprising:

a first source device comprising a communication unit configured to transmit information related to the patient; and

an access point system located in the healthcare facility, the access point system comprising:

an in-room access point in a room defined at least in part by shielding walls, the in-room access point comprising an in-room transceiver configured to receive first information related to the patient from the first source device; and

an outside-the-room access point outside the room and connected to the in-room access point, the outside-the-room access point comprising an outside-the-room transceiver configured to receive second information related to the patient from the first source device; and

a processor configured to communicate with the in-room transceiver and the outside-the-room transceiver to combine the first information from the first source device and the second information from the first source device to generate a digital data stream; and

an access point communication unit configured to transmit the digital data stream to an information system of the healthcare facility.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to maintain a first communication link between the in-room transceiver and the first source device while establishing a second communication link between the outside-the-room transceiver and the first source device.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to maintain a first communication link between the outside-the-room transceiver and the first source device while establishing a second communication link between the in-room transceiver and the first source device.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the access point is connected to the in-room access point through a router.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first source device, the outside-the-room transceiver, and the in-room transceiver are configured to communicate according to a first technology, and wherein the outside-the-room access point and the in-room access point are configured to communicate according to at least a second technology that is different than the first technology.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the room is a magnet room and the shielding walls comprise electromagnetic interference shielding material comprising copper or steel.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the outside-the-room transceiver or the in-room transceiver is a software-defined radio.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the access point communication unit is configured to transmit the digital data stream to a display of the information system of the healthcare facility.

9 . A method for providing continuous wireless connectivity for monitoring a patient throughout a healthcare facility, comprising:

providing an access point communication system in the healthcare facility, the access point communication system comprising: (i) an in-room access point in a room defined at least in part by shielding walls, and (ii) an outside-the-room access point outside of the room and connected to the in-room access point;

transmitting, by a communication unit of a first source device monitoring the patient, first information related to the patient and second information related to the patient;

receiving, by an in-room transceiver of the in-room access point, first information from the first source device monitoring the patient;

receiving, by an outside-the-room transceiver of the outside-the-room access point, second information from the first source device monitoring the patient;

combining, by a processor of the access point system, the first information from the first source device and the second information from the first source device to generate a digital data stream; and

transmitting, by an access point communication unit of the access point system, the digital data stream to an information system of the healthcare facility.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising maintaining, by the processor, a first communication link between the in-room transceiver and the first source device while establishing a second communication link between the outside-the-room transceiver and the first source device.

11 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising maintaining, by the processor, a first communication link between the outside-the-room transceiver and the first source device while establishing a second communication link between the in-room transceiver and the first source device.

12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the access point is connected to the in-room access point through a router.

13 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising communicating among the first source device, the outside-the-room transceiver, and the in-room transceiver according to a first technology, and communicating among the outside-the-room access point and the in-room access point according to at least a second technology that is different than the first technology.

14 . The method of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the outside-the-room transceiver or the in-room transceiver is a software-defined radio.

15 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising transmitting, by the access point communication unit, the digital data stream to a display of the information system of the healthcare facility.