Programmable medical devices

Abstract

A patient data capture and processing system comprises: a programmable, platform medical device comprising at least one patient sensor interface; a processor coupled to said sensor interface and to a communications interface; programmable memory, coupled to said processor. The memory is programmable via the communications interface to define a plurality of different patient sensing functions to implement, in software, a plurality of different medical devices. A patient medical device controller comprises a further communications interface coupled to the communications connection; a processor; memory, coupled to said processor, storing signal processing code to retrieve the medical device data from one or more of the programmable platform medical devices via the communications connection, to filter clinically significant events from said retrieved medical device data to detect clinically significant events, and to output the filtered data for one or both of storage and review by a physician.

1 . A patient data capture and processing system, the system comprising:
 a programmable, platform medical device, the device comprising:   at least one patient sensor interface;   a processor coupled to said sensor interface and to a communications interface;   programmable memory, coupled to said processor, wherein said, memory is programmable via said communications interface to define a plurality of different patient sensing functions to implement, in software, a plurality of different medical devices;   said memory further storing code for said processor to send medical device data captured from a said patient sensing function via said communications interface over a communications connection;   a patient medical device controller, comprising:   a further communications interface coupled to said communications connection; a processor;   memory, coupled to said processor, storing signal processing code to retrieve said medical device data from one or more of said programmable platform medical devices via said communications connection, to filter clinically significant events from said retrieved medical device data to detect clinically significant events, and to output said filtered data for one or both of storage and review by a physician.   
     
     
         2 . A patient data capture and processing system as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said plurality of different medical devices includes at least a medical imaging device. 
     
     
         3 . A patient data capture and processing system as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said imaging device comprises an ultrasonic imaging device. 
     
     
         4 . A patient data capture and processing system as claimed in  claim 2  wherein said medical imaging device is configurable to perform substantially continuous patient imaging. 
     
     
         5 . A patient data capture and processing system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said patient medical device controller is configurable to retrieve said medical device data from a plurality of different said programmable platform medical devices implementing a plurality of different said medical devices, and wherein said plurality of different medical devices comprises one or more devices selected from the group comprising a Continuous Non-invasive tonometric-optical blood pressure monitoring (CNIBP) device, a 3-D topographic echocardiography device, a 3-D vector ECG device and a 3-D Trans-Cranial Doppler device. 
     
     
         6 . A patient data capture and processing system as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising at least one controllable imaging device, coupled to said platform medical device, and wherein said programmable platform medical device is controllable to adjust a resolution of an imaged region in one or both of space and time. 
     
     
         7 . A patient data capture and processing system as claimed in  claim 6  configurable to automatically locate a target region of said patient for imaging. 
     
     
         8 . A patient data capture and processing system as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising at least one controllable device, coupled to said platform medical device, for controlling administration of a substance to the patient. 
     
     
         9 . A patient data capture and processing system as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising a system server coupleable to said communications connection to store at least data representing clinically significant events. 
     
     
         10 . A patient data capture and processing system as claimed in  claim 9  wherein said server is configured to store and authenticate software to implement a plurality of different medical devices on a plurality of said platform medical devices. 
     
     
         11 . A programmable platform medical device configurable to operate as a plurality of different medical devices, the platform medical device comprising:
 at least one patient sensor interface; and   a processing models coupled to said sensor tnterface and coupleable to a function data store, said function data store configured to store one or more different patient sensing functions;   wherein said processing module is configured to:   retrieve a patient sensing junction from the function data store to implement, in software, a medical device;   receive sensor data from the at least one patient sensor interface; and   process said sensor data responsive to said patient sensing function,   wherein responsive to a device change request, the processing module is further configured to retrieve a further said patient sensing function to implement, in software, a different medical device.   
     
     
         12 . A programmable platform medical device as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein said retrieving a further said patient sensing function to implement a different medical device comprises retrieving a further said patient sensing function from the function data store and replacing said processing of said sensor data responsive to said patient sensing function with said processing of said sensor data responsive to said further patient sensing function. 
     
     
         13 . A programmable platform medical device as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein said retrieving a further said patient sensing function to implement a different medical device comprises retrieving a further patient sensing function from the function data store and performing said processing of said sensor data responsive to said patient sensing function in combination with said processing of said sensor data responsive to said further patient sensing function. 
     
     
         14 . A programmable platform medical device as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein said retrieving a further said patient sensing function to implement a different medical device further comprises replacing one of said patient sensing functions or said further patient sensing functions with a third patient sensing function. 
     
     
         15 . A programmable platform medical device as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein said platform medical device is configured to authenticate said device change request prior to said retrieving said further said patient sensing function to implement a different medical device. 
     
     
         16 . A programmable platform medical device as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein said processing module further comprises an analogue to digital conversion module configured to convert said sensor data to digital sensor data prior to said processing. 
     
     
         17 .- 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . A programmable platform medical device as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein said processing module is further configured to retrieve a controlling function from the function data store for controlling administration of a substance to a patient, perform said controlling function and output control data for controlling at least one controllable device, said controllable device arranged to deliver said substance to said patient responsive to said performing said controlling function. 
     
     
         20 . A programmable platform medical device as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein said processing module is configured to identify a sensor connected to said at least one patient sensor interface and retrieve said patient sensing function dependent on said identified sensor. 
     
     
         21 . A programmable platform medical device as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein said processing module is further configured to perform said patient sensing function within a real-time operating system executable by said processing module. 
     
     
         22 .- 23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . A programmable platform medical device as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein said plurality of different medical devices comprises one or more devices selected from the group comprising a Continuous Non-Invasive tonometric-optical blood pressure monitoring (CNIBP) device, a 3-D topographic echocardiography device, a 3-D vector ECG device, a 3-D Trans-Cranial Doppler device a medical imaging device and an ultrasonic medical device, an infusion pump. 
     
     
         25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . A programmable platform medical device as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein said processing module comprises a multi-core processing engine. 
     
     
         27 . A programmable platform medical device as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein said processing module is further configured to control the positioning of an adjustable sensor couplable to the patient sensor interface. 
     
     
         28 .- 29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . A programmable platform medical device configurable to operate as a plurality of different medical devices, the platform medical device comprising:
 at least one patient effector interface; and   a processing module coupled to said effector interface and coupleable to a function data store, said function data store configured to store one or more different controlling functions;   wherein said processing module is configured to:   retrieve a controlling function from the function data store to implement, in software, a medical device;   perform said controlling function, and   output control data to the patient effector interface for controlling at least one controllable device, said controllable device arranged to deliver said substance to said patient responsive to said performing said controlling function; and   wherein responsive to a device change request, the processing module is further configured to retrieve a further said controlling function to implement a different medical device.