System, Method, and Apparatus for Electronic Patient Care

Abstract

A method, related system and apparatus are disclosed. The method is implemented by an operative set of processor executable instructions configured for execution by a processor. The method includes the acts of: determining if a monitoring client is connected to a base through a physical connection; establishing a first communications link between the monitoring client and the base through the physical connection; updating, if necessary, the interface program on the monitoring client and the base through the first communications link; establishing a second communications link between the monitoring client and the base using the first communications link; and communicating data from the base to the monitoring client using the second communications link.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for electronic patient care, the system comprising:
 a medical device configured to treat the patient;   a wearable dock; and   a wearable system monitor dockable to the wearable dock, the wearable system monitor configured to:
 identify a caregiver, 
 start a timer when the wearable system monitor is detach from the wearable dock; 
 stop the treatment of the medical device when a predetermined amount of time has elapsed without the wearable system monitor being docked into the wearable dock, 
 identify the patient, 
 authorize the caregiver to pair the wearable system monitor, 
 pair the wearable system monitor with the medical device, 
 reattach to the wearable dock, 
 identify and authenticate the wearable dock, and 
 resume the treatment of the medical device after the wearable system monitor is docked into the wearable dock, and the wearable dock is identified and authenticated by the wearable system monitor. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a gateway configured to provide at least one of a routing functionality, a medical device software update, and a web service, wherein the medical device is configured to operatively communicate with the gateway using the web service. 
     
     
         3 . The system according to  claim 2 , wherein the gateway is a web server of the web service and the medical device is a client of the web service. 
     
     
         4 . The system according to  claim 3 , wherein the web service is a transaction-based web service. 
     
     
         5 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the medical device is an infusion pump. 
     
     
         6 . A method for electronic patient care utilizing a medical device, a wearable dock, and a wearable system monitor dockable to the wearable dock, the method comprising:
 identify a caregiver;   starting a timer when the wearable system monitor is detach from the wearable dock;   stopping the treatment of the medical device when a predetermined amount of time has elapsed without the wearable system monitor being docked into the wearable dock;   identifying the patient;   authorizing the caregiver to pair the wearable system monitor;   pairing the wearable system monitor with the medical device;   reattaching to the wearable dock;   identifying and authenticating the wearable dock; and   resuming the treatment of the medical device after the wearable system monitor is docked into the wearable dock, and the wearable dock is identified and authenticated.   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein a gateway provides at least one of a routing functionality, a medical device software update, and a web service, wherein the medical device is operatively communicates with the gateway using the web service. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the gateway is a web server of the web service and the medical device is a client of the web service. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the web service is a transaction-based web service. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the medical device is an infusion pump.