Informative Accessories

Abstract

An optimized system for providing medical support to a patient is disclosed. The system has a plurality of modular components that may be assembled to create a connection between a support machine and the patient wherein at least one of the modular components comprises an information tag for the storage of data and at least one of the modular components comprises an information sensor for the reading and transmission of the data. Once read and transmitted by the sensor, the data may be used to optimize the operation of the support machine.

1 - 25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . A method of providing respiratory support to a patient, the method comprising:
 providing a breathing circuit with at least one modular component comprising an information tag comprising information tag data;   detecting the information tag data from the information tag with a tag sensor;   modifying at least one algorithm in a controller with the detected information tag data from the information tag;   providing respiratory support to the patient through the breathing circuit according to the modified at least one algorithm.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the at least one modular component comprises a plurality of modular components comprising at least a first modular component comprising a first information tag with first information tag data and a second modular component comprising a second information tag with second information tag data. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the first modular component and the second modular component are pneumatically connected to convey respiratory support to the patient through the breathing circuit. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the first information tag data is a resistance value of the first modular component and the second information tag data is a resistance value of the second modular component, the method comprising:
 modifying the at least one algorithm in the controller with the resistance value of the first modular component and the resistance value of the second modular component   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the first information tag data identifies a function of the first modular component and the second information tag data identifies a function of the second modular component, the method comprising:
 modifying the at least one algorithm in the controller with the function of the first modular component and the function of the second modular component.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the first information tag data is a mathematical model of the function of the first modular component and the second information tag data is a mathematical model of the function of the second modular component. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 27  further comprising presenting, on a graphical display, a visual indication of the breathing circuit comprising the plurality of modular components. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 27  wherein the tag sensor is a plurality of tag sensors, each of the plurality of modular components in the breathing circuit comprising a tag sensor of the plurality of tag sensors and further comprising:
 reading an information tag of a modular component with a tag sensor comprised by an adjacent modular component; and 
 based upon the reading of the information tag, providing an indication of a connection between adjacent modular components. 
 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising visually representing the breathing circuit comprising the plurality of modular components based upon the provided indication of the connection between adjacent modular components. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 26  wherein the at least one algorithm comprises a mathematical model of the breathing circuit. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising transmitting the detected data to the controller from the tag sensor. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising:
 modifying the information tag data with patient data of the patient, wherein the patient data is used by the at least one algorithm;   disconnecting the breathing circuit from a first mechanical ventilator;   connecting the breathing circuit to a second mechanical ventilator; and   using the patient data to provide respiratory support with the second mechanical ventilator.   
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the information tag data comprises an indication of a storage location on an information server, the method comprising:
 detecting the indication of the storage location on the information server from the information tag with the tag sensor;   obtaining respiratory support data from the storage location on the information server detected by the tag sensor; and   modifying the at least one algorithm in the controller with the respiratory support data obtained from the information server.   
     
     
         39 . A method of providing respiratory support to a patient, the method comprising:
 providing a controller comprising a gas delivery algorithm;   providing a breathing circuit by pneumatically connecting a first modular component comprising a first information tag comprising first information tag data to a second modular component comprising a second information tag comprising second information tag data;   detecting the first information tag data from the first information tag and the second information tag data from the second information tag with at least one tag sensor;   modifying the gas delivery algorithm in the controller with the detected first information tag data and the second information tag data; and   providing respiratory support to the patient through the breathing circuit according to the modified at least one algorithm.   
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein a mechanical ventilator is pneumatically connected to the breathing circuit and further comprising:
 operating the mechanical ventilator with the controller according to the modified gas delivery algorithm to provide the respiratory support to the patient.   
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the mechanical ventilator is a first mechanical ventilator and the controller is a first controller with a first gas delivery algorithm and further comprising:
 pneumatically disconnecting the breathing circuit from the first mechanical ventilator;   pneumatically connecting the breathing circuit to a second mechanical ventilator operated by a second controller with;   receiving the first information tag data and the second information tag data at the second controller;   modifying a second gas delivery algorithm of the second controller with the first information tag data and the second information tag data; and   operating the second mechanical ventilator with the second controller according to the modified at second gas delivery algorithm to provide the respiratory support to the patient.   
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 39 , further comprising:
 replacing the second modular component with a third modular component comprising a third information tag comprising third information tag data, the third modular component being pneumatically connected to the first modular component;   detecting the third information tag data from the third information tag with the at least one tag sensor; and   modifying the gas delivery algorithm in the controller with the detected third information tag data, the third information tag data replacing the second information tag data.   
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 39  wherein a tag sensor of the at least one tag sensor is located on the first modular component, and further comprising:
 sensing the second information tag on the second modular component with the tag sensor on the first modular component; and 
 providing an indication of a connection between the first modular component and the second modular component. 
 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43  further comprising:
 operating a graphical display to provide a visual representation of the breathing circuit and providing the indication of the connection between the first modular component and the second modular component. 
 
     
     
         45 . A method of providing respiratory support to a patient, the method comprising:
 interconnecting a plurality of modular components to establish a fluid connection between mechanical ventilator and the patient, at least one of the plurality of modular components having an information tag comprising associated data;   detecting the associated data of the information tag of the at least one of the plurality of modular components;   transmitting the detected associated data to a controller having a plurality of controller data used to operate the mechanical ventilator;   modifying the controller data with the detected associated data;   operating the mechanical ventilator with the controller according to the detected associated data; and   generating a flow of medical gas to be delivered to the patient with the mechanical ventilator according to the detected associated data.