Network-Integrated Medical Device

Integrated Medical Device System with Hierarchical Control Based on Safe Interaction Patterns and Structural Safety Verification

This technology is a network-integrated medical device system where an administrator device centrally controls multiple connected medical devices. It features a hierarchical structure consisting of virtual device controllers that group two or more devices based on predefined safe interaction patterns, and a main controller that integrates these groups. The administrator device's verification unit structurally checks whether each controller is configured according to safety patterns and whether the connected devices meet the required specifications.

In environments where medical devices are dynamically connected to control computers via plug-and-play, there is a risk of accidents caused by device interactions, such as fires resulting from improper synchronization between oxygen supplies and surgical lasers. While model checking can verify state spaces, it is practically impossible to apply to all combinations due to the vast number and variety of connectable devices.

This technology defines patterns such as the Alarm Monitor (AM) to reduce false alarms, Coordinated Control (CC) to resolve conflicting treatments, and the Physiological Closed-Loop (PCL) to adjust actuators based on sensor-read patient data. It verifies the compatibility of monitor/actuator types and physiological types for each pattern. Consequently, safety can be determined through structural analysis alone without re-verifying the entire state space when a new device is added. This approach can be applied to operating room and ICU systems—such as ECG/pulse oximeters, oxygen supplies, and surgical lasers—to prevent interaction-related accidents while allowing dynamic device connectivity.

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Key Features:

• An administrator device comprising multiple medical devices, a control unit for managing them, and a communication unit for network-based interaction
• Primary and secondary virtual device controllers that integrate and control at least two medical devices based on preset interaction patterns, and a main controller for integrated management
• A verification unit that checks if virtual and main controllers are formed according to safe interaction patterns and if target devices meet pattern-specific requirements
• Alarm Monitor pattern to prevent false alarms, Coordinated Control pattern to manage conflicting treatments, and Physiological Closed-Loop pattern to adjust actuation devices based on patient status

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This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning for research on securing real-time performance, low power consumption, and robustness in mobile/embedded databases for ubiquitous environments.

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