Medical information interface and communication system
A mobile point-of-care medical station adapted to be employed by patient monitors made by a variety of different manufacturers. A mobile point-of-care medical station includes a patient medical parameter processor and a communication interface. The patient medical parameter processor automatically acquires data, representing medical parameters of a patient, and processes the patient medical parameter data for presentation to a user on a display. The communication interface enables communication with remote systems via a network and communicates patient medical parameter data to a remote system by formatting patient medical parameter data into multiple individual messages. An individual message incorporates a patient identifier and a communication address. The communication address is associated with a particular communication interface of a particular mobile point-of-care medical station, and enables the remote system to identify the particular mobile point-of-care medical station from multiple different mobile point-of-care medical stations.
1 . A mobile point-of-care medical station, comprising:
a patient medical parameter processor for automatically acquiring data representing medical parameters of a patient and processing said patient medical parameter data for presentation to a user on a display; and
a communication interface, enabling communication with remote systems via a network, for communicating patient medical parameter data to a remote system by formatting patient medical parameter data into a plurality of individual messages and an individual message incorporates,
a patient identifier and
a communication address associated with a particular communication interface of a particular mobile point-of-care medical station enabling said remote system to identify said particular mobile point-of-care medical station from a plurality of different mobile point-of-care medical stations.
2 . A system according to claim 1 , wherein
said communication interface enables communication with remote systems via a wireless network.
3 . A system according to claim 1 , wherein
said communication interface formats patient medical parameter data of an individual message to incorporate a port address associated with said particular communication interface of said particular mobile point-of-care medical station.
4 . A system according to claim 1 , wherein
said remote system comprises an executable application executing on a server.
5 . A system according to claim 1 , wherein
said communication interface formats patient medical parameter data into a plurality of individual messages compatible with an Health Level 7 (HL7) transaction data format.
6 . A system for communicating with a plurality of mobile point-of-care medical stations, comprising:
a repository associating a plurality of mobile point-of-care medical station identifiers with a corresponding plurality of communication interface communication addresses;
a first communication interface, enabling communication with a plurality of mobile point-of-care medical stations via a network, for receiving patient medical parameter data from an individual medical station formatted as an individual message incorporating a patient identifier and a communication address associated with a particular communication interface of a particular mobile point-of-care medical station; and
a message processor using said repository for determining a particular mobile point-of-care medical station associated with a particular received individual message.
7 . A system according to claim 6 , including
a second communication interface enabling communication of received data to a medical information system.
8 . A system according to claim 7 , wherein
said first and second communication interfaces employ first and second separate operational processes respectively,
said first process managing inbound communications from mobile point-of-care medical stations and
said second process managing outbound communications to said medical information system, said separate first and second processes preventing data queuing interaction between inbound and outbound communications.
9 . A system according to claim 8 , wherein
said separate first and second processes are separate threads of operation.
10 . A system according to claim 6 , wherein
said first communication interface receives patient medical parameter data and associated local workstation identification information to uniquely establish a link between patient, medical monitor, and raw parameters ensuring no loss of patient specificity.
11 . A system according to claim 6 , wherein
said formatted individual message is compatible with an Health Level 7 (HL7) transaction data format.
12 . A method for operating mobile point-of-care medical station, comprising the steps of:
automatically acquiring data, representing medical parameters of a patient, and processing said patient medical parameter data for presentation to a user on a display; and
enabling communication with remote systems via a network, for communicating patient medical parameter data to a remote system by formatting patient medical parameter data into a plurality of individual messages, wherein an individual message incorporates,
a patient identifier and
a communication address associated with a particular communication interface of a particular mobile point-of-care medical station enabling said remote system to identify said particular mobile point-of-care medical station from a plurality of different mobile point-of-care medical stations.
13 . A method according to claim 12 , wherein
said step of enabling formats patient medical parameter data of an individual message to incorporate a port address associated with said particular communication interface of said particular mobile point-of-care medical station.
14 . A method according to claim 12 , wherein
said communication interface formats patient medical parameter data into a plurality of individual messages compatible with an Health Level 7 (HL7) transaction data format.
15 . A method for communicating with a plurality of mobile point-of-care medical stations, comprising the steps of:
storing data associating a plurality of mobile point-of-care medical station identifiers with a corresponding plurality of communication interface communication addresses;
enabling a first communication with a plurality of mobile point-of-care medical stations via a network, and receiving patient medical parameter data from an individual medical station formatted as an individual message incorporating a patient identifier and a communication address associated with a particular communication interface of a particular mobile point-of-care medical station; and
using said repository for determining a particular mobile point-of-care medical station associated with a particular received individual message.
16 . A method according to claim 15 , further comprising the step of:
enabling a second communication of received data to a medical information system.
17 . A method according to claim 16 , wherein
said steps of enabling a first and second communication employ first and second separate operational processes, respectively,
said first process managing inbound communications from mobile point-of-care medical stations, and
said second process managing outbound communications to said medical information system, said separate first and second processes preventing data queuing interaction between inbound and outbound communications.
18 . A method according to claim 17 , wherein
said separate first and second processes are separate threads of operation.
19 . A method according to claim 15 , wherein
said step of enabling a first communication further comprises receiving patient medical parameter data and associated local workstation identification information to uniquely establish a link between patient, medical monitor, and raw parameters ensuring no loss of patient specificity.
20 . A method according to claim 15 , wherein
said formatted individual message is compatible with an Health Level 7 (HL7) transaction data format.