US-12626816-B2 - System, method, and computer program product for identifying device connections

US12626816B2US 12626816 B2US12626816 B2US 12626816B2US-12626816-B2

Abstract

A system, method, and computer program product for identifying device connections in a connection area includes receiving a plurality of physical parameters of a plurality of devices from a plurality of transmission sources in a connection area, wherein the plurality of physical parameters indicates physical states of the plurality of devices. At least one physical connection state is determined between the plurality of devices based on the plurality of physical parameters of the plurality of devices.

Inventors

Erik Kurt Witt

Assignees

BECTON, DICKINSON AND COMPANY

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20240313

Claims (19)

1 . A system for identifying a physical connection state between a first device and a second device in a connection area, the system comprising at least one computing device including at least one processor, the at least one computing device programmed or configured to: receive, via wireless communication, a first plurality of physical parameter values of a first device from a first tracking device, provided on a tag or a carrier, that detects changes in physical state for the first device; receive, via wireless communication, a second plurality of physical parameter values of a second device from a second tracking device, provided on a tag or a carrier, that detects changes in physical state for the second device; and determine a physical connection state between the first device and the second device based on changes in the first plurality of physical parameter values and the second plurality of physical parameter values, wherein the first plurality of physical parameter values and the second plurality of physical parameter values are associated with a plurality of respective event times, wherein an event time indicates a time of a change in a physical state of the first device or the second device associated with the event time, and wherein the at least one computing device is programmed or configured to determine the physical connection state based on the plurality of event times.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one computing device is programmed or configured to control a flow of a fluid in a fluid flow path including the first device based on the physical connection state.
3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the at least one computing device is programmed or configured to: receive a patient identifier associated with a patient; receive a medication identifier of a medication to be delivered to the patient via the fluid flow path; associate the patient identifier and the medication identifier with the first device of the fluid flow path; and control the flow of the fluid in the fluid flow path based on the patient identifier and the medication identifier.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one computing device is programmed or configured to: generate a digital representation of a fluid flow path including at least one device of the first device based on the physical connection state between the first device and the second device; and monitor a flow of a fluid in the fluid flow path based on the digital representation of the fluid flow path.
5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the at least one computing device is programmed or configured to output or cause the output of human perceivable indication in the connection area, wherein the human perceivable indication indicates a status of the fluid flow path.
6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one computing device is programmed or configured to: determine that the first device is within the connection area, the first device associated with a physical parameter value of the first plurality of physical parameter values; receive a device identifier associated with the first device; associate the device identifier with the physical parameter value of the first device; and update a device register including a list of devices in the connection area with the device identifier in association with the physical parameter value.
7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the at least one computing device is programmed or configured to: determine that the first device is outside the connection area; and remove the device identifier from the device register.
8 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a data storage device including a compatibility table identifying which device identifiers and physical states are compatible for connection with another device identifier, and wherein the at least one computing device is programmed or configured to determine the physical connection state between the first device and the second device based on the compatibility table.
9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of: (i) the first physical parameter values or (ii) the second physical parameter values indicate a pressure or a light transmissivity of the first device or the second device, respectively.
10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein a physical parameter indicates a finite set of states of a physical state of the first device or the second device.
11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein a physical parameter indicates a magnitude of change in a physical state of the first device or the second device.
12 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising: the first device and the second device; a first sensor on the first device; a second sensor on the second device, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are configured to sense the physical states of the respective devices to determine the plurality of physical parameter values; a first transmission source on the first device; a second transmission source on the second device, wherein the first transmission source and the second transmission source are each configured to transmit the plurality of physical parameter values for the associated device; and a wireless signal receiver configured to: detect the first transmission source and the second transmission source in the connection area, receive the first plurality of physical parameter values from the first transmission source, receive the second plurality of physical parameter values from the second transmission source, and provide the first and second plurality of physical parameter values to the at least one computing device including at least one processor.
13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the wireless signal receiver comprises the at least one computing device including at least one processor.
14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one receiver comprises a plurality of receivers spaced apart from one another in the connection area.
15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the remote computer is programmed or configured to: receive a second plurality of physical parameter values of a second plurality of devices from a second plurality of transmission sources in a second connection area outside the first connection area, wherein the second plurality of physical parameters indicates physical states of the second plurality of devices; and determine at least one second physical connection state between the second plurality of devices based on the second plurality of physical parameters of the second plurality of devices.
16 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first devices comprises one of the following: a syringe, an IV spike, an IV access site, an IV bag, an IV set, a catheter, a medical device connector, or any combination thereof.
17 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the at least one first sensor comprises a pressure sensor.
18 . The system of claim 12 , further comprising: at least one tag including the at least one first sensor and the at least one first transmission source are integrally formed with the at least one tag, wherein the at least one first sensor and the at least one first transmission source are sealed from an environment outside the at least one tag.
19 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first device forms at least a portion of a fluid flow path, and wherein the at least one tag is attached to the at least one first device at a fluid outlet or a fluid inlet of the at least one first device.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION The present application is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/115,411 entitled “System, Method, and Computer Program Product for Identifying Device Connections”, filed Feb. 28, 2023, which is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/936,137 entitled “System, Method, and Computer Program Product for Identifying Device Connections”, filed Jul. 22, 2020 (now U.S. Pat. No. 11,621,072), which is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/382,361, entitled “System, Method, and Computer Program Product for Identifying Device Connections”, filed Apr. 12, 2019 (now U.S. Pat. No. 10,762,991), which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/659,863, entitled “System, Method, and Computer Program Product for Identifying Device Connections”, filed Apr. 19, 2018, the entire disclosures of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. BACKGROUND 1. Field The present disclosure relates generally to identifying devices and, in some non-limiting embodiments or aspects, to a system, method, and computer program product for identifying devices that are being or have been connected and/or identifying connections between devices. 2. Technical Considerations In certain applications, it is important to determine when two devices are connected with each other. This is a relatively straightforward problem if devices to be connected are able to directly interact with each other. For example, in a case of an electrical connection between two devices, establishment of a current flow can indicate a presence of a connection between the two devices, e.g., one of the mating connectors may complete a circuit in its complement. Hospitals have conventionally used Bar Code Medication Administration (BCMA) systems to reduce medication error. BCMA systems include a handheld barcode reader, which includes an integrated processor and a wireless connection. A computer server with software is integrated with other hospital IT systems, (e.g., an electronic medication administration record), to verify that an identified patient is the intended recipient of a medicine in a container. In use, prior to administering a medication to a patient, a nurse scans a wristband barcode on the patient, and scans a barcode on the container to verify that the medication in the container is the correct medication for the patient. In some implementations, the nurse may also scan his or her own badge barcode. BCMA systems require the use of a handheld electronic device that is inconvenient, requires manual management, and is a contamination risk. Further, although BCMA systems can help confirm the five “rights” of medication administration: right patient, right drug, right dose, right route, and right time, and reduce medication administration errors, many workarounds to BCMA systems exist, such as affixing patient identification barcodes to computer carts, scanners, doorjambs, or nurses' belt rings, carrying several patients' pre-scanned medications on carts, and the like. Nurses or other medical professionals may override and/or ignore BCMA alerts and/or procedures for various reasons. For example, some causes of these workarounds include unreadable medication barcodes (e.g., barcodes that are crinkled, smudged, torn, missing, and/or covered by another label), malfunctioning scanners, unreadable or missing patient identification wristbands (e.g., wristbands that are chewed, soaked, and/or missing), non-barcoded medications, failing batteries, uncertain wireless connectivity, emergencies, and the like. Possible consequences of workarounds include incorrect administration of medications, incorrect doses, incorrect medication administration times, and incorrect medication formulations, and the like. Shortcomings in BCMA system design, implementation, and workflow integration may encourage these workarounds. Moreover, integrating BCMA systems within real-world clinical workflows requires attention to in situ use to ensure correct use of safety features of BCMA systems. U.S. Pat. No. 7,782,202 discloses a system for identifying a connection of two or more components in which one or more RFID transponders are associated with the two or more components. However, U.S. Pat. No. 7,782,202 requires using an electrical connection between devices to determine connection of a particular plug and a particular socket on a pairwise basis. Moreover, U.S. Pat. No. 7,782,202 does not disclose detection of a connection event, only determination that a connection between devices exists. U.S. Pat. No. 7,976,508 is directed to a medication safety system that includes a panel mounted to an IV pole above a multi-channel infusion pump also mounted to the IV pole. However, the panel requires an RFID reader for each channel of the multi-channel infusion pump for reading the RFID tags placed on each of the medication containers mounted to t