The present disclosure relates generally to the field of transmission of data. More particularly, it relates to transmission of data from an analyser system to a remote server.
Analyser devices are typically configured to measure one or more parameters relating to patient health and generate data used for diagnosis and monitoring of patients. Such analyser devices could, for example, comprise blood gas analysers, transcutaneous monitoring systems, and immunoassay analysers etc.
Transmission of generated data from analyser devices and/or analyser systems comprising analyser devices is typically regulated by laws and regulations per region and/or country. For example, in some regions or countries, only some of the generated data may be allowed to be transmitted from the analyser device and/or the analyser system.
A first drawback of region/country-specific regulations on transmission of analyser system data is that data transmission for analyser devices and/or analyser systems located in those regions/countries are not implemented.
A second drawback of region/country-specific regulations on transmission of analyser system data is that each analyser device may need to be customized at set-up for the concerned region/country so that only allowed data for that region/country is transmitted.
For example, a field technician or an operator may when initially setting up the analyser device and/or the analyser system need to customize the analyser device/system according to the region/country-specific regulations.
A third drawback of region/country-specific regulations on transmission of analyser system data is that any updates may require that each analyser device/system concerned be manually updated so that only allowed analyser system data for that region/country is transmitted.
For example, a field technician or an operator may when updates need to be implemented re-customize the analyser device/system according to the region/country-specific regulations.
A fourth drawback of region/country-specific regulations on transmission of analyser system data is that human-generated (e.g., by the field technician or the operator) errors may occur while customizing, re-customizing, or updating the analyser device/system.
Therefore, there is a need for alternative approaches for regulated transmission of analyser system data.
It is an object of some embodiments to solve or mitigate, alleviate, or eliminate at least some of the above or other drawbacks.
According to a first aspect, this is achieved by a method for transmitting data from an analyser system comprising one or more analyser devices to a remote server, wherein the one or more analyser devices are configured to obtain data from samples and/or measurements taken of a patient.
The method comprises determining data to be transmitted based on one or more rules associated with a geographical and/or an organizational location of the analyser system, and transmitting the determined data to the remote server.
In some embodiments, the determining of the data to be transmitted is based on one or more rules available in the analyser system.
In some embodiments, the one or more rules may be as part of software and/or as a look-up table.
In some embodiments, the one or more rules are provided to the analyser system by the remote server.
In some embodiments, the method further comprises obtaining the geographical and/or the organizational location of the analyser system.
In some embodiments, the geographical and/or the organizational location may be provided by e.g. the remote server, a certified technician or a GPS.
In some embodiments, the method further comprises providing an identity of the analyser system to the remote server for obtaining the geographical and/or the organizational location of the identified analyser system.
In some embodiments, the identity of the analyser system may be any one of: an identifier, geographical location of the analyser system, identification of rule set, the rule set, serial number, etc.
In some embodiments, the analyser system further comprises a local server implementing a point of care management system configured to provide device management of the one or more analyser devices.
In some embodiments, the remote server us connectable to one or more other remote servers.
In some embodiments, the transmission of data is performed over a packet-switched network.
In some embodiments, information from the remote server may be pushed to the analyser system without request from the analyser system, e.g., periodically, or at updates, or at each initialization etc., or the information may be provided by the remote server by request from the analyser system.
In some embodiments, the analyser system may request it's organizational location and supply information, e.g. an identity, to the remote server, which will allow the remote server to obtain the analyser system's organizational location, for example from a database, local or remote.
In some embodiments, the analyser system further comprises a local server implementing a point of care management system configured to provide device management of the one or more analyser devices, wherein communication between the analyser system and the remote server may be done via the local server.
In some embodiments, the analyser system comprises an Internet of Things (IoT) Gateway.
In some embodiments, the local server comprises an IoT Gateway.
In some embodiments, the remote server comprises an IoT Hub.
In some embodiments, the remote server is connectable to one or more other remote servers.
In some embodiments, the transmission of data is performed over a packet-switched network such as the internet.
In some embodiments, data is obtained from analysis of one or more biological samples and/or one or more non-invasive measurements from a patient.
In following aspects, terms and features may correspond to the terms and features having the same name as in the first aspect and therefore the descriptions and explanations of the terms and features given above apply also to the following aspects.
According to a second aspect, this is achieved by a computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium, having thereon a computer program comprising program instructions, the computer program being loadable into a data processing unit and configured to cause execution of the method according to the first aspect when the computer program is run by the data processing unit.
In some embodiments, a data processing unit may be comprised in the analyser device, analyser system, and/or in the remote server(s).
According to a third aspect, this is achieved by an analyser system for transmitting data to a remote server, where the analyser system comprises one or more analyser devices and the one or more analyser devices are configured to obtain data from samples and/or measurements taken of a patient.
The analyser system is configured to determine data to be transmitted based on one or more rules associated with the geographical and/or organizational location of the analyser system, and transmit the determined data to the remote server.
In some embodiments, the analyser system is further configured to determine the data to be transmitted based on one or more rules available in the analyser system.
In some embodiments, the analyser system is further configured to obtain the one or more rules from the remote server.
In some embodiments, the analyser system is further configured to obtain the geographical and/or organizational location of the analyser system.
In some embodiments, the analyser system is further configured to provide an identity of the analyser system to the remote server, and obtain the geographical and/or the organizational location of the identified analyser system from the remote server.
In some embodiments, the analyser system further comprises a local server implementing a point of care management system configured to provide device management of the one or more analyser devices.
In some embodiments, the data is transmitted to the remote server over a packet-switched network.
In some embodiments, the packet-switched network comprises the internet.
In some embodiments, the analyser system comprises an IoT Gateway.
In some embodiments, the local server comprises an IoT Gateway.
In some embodiments, the data is obtained from analysis of one or more biological samples and/or one or more non-invasive measurements.
According to a fourth aspect, this is achieved by a remote server for obtaining data from an analyser system comprising one or more analyser devices, wherein the one or more analyser devices are configured to obtain data from samples and/or measurements taken of a patient.
The remote server is configured to obtain an identity of the analyser system, and in response to obtainment of the identity of the analyser system transmit, to the analyser system, a geographical and/or an organizational location, or a confirmation of the geographical and/or the organizational location of the analyser system, and/or transmit, to the analyser system, one or more rules, or a confirmation of the one or more rules, wherein the one or more rules are associated with the geographical and/or the organizational location of the analyser system.
In some embodiments, the remote server is further configured to determine the geographical and/or the organizational location of the analyser system by retrieval of the location information from a database.
In some embodiments, the database may be e.g., a data repository, or a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system or similar, etc.
In some embodiments, the remote server is further configured to retrieve the location information from a database based on the obtained identity of the analyser system.
In some embodiments, the database may be e.g. a data repository, or a Customer Relationship Management system or similar, etc.
In some embodiments, the remote server is further configured to perform the acts of obtainment and transmittal at least during an initial setup of the analyser system or continuously during up-time of the analyser system.
In some embodiments, the transmission of data is performed over a packet-switched network.
In some embodiments, the packet-switched network may be the internet.
In some embodiments, the remote server comprises an IoT hub.
In some embodiments, the remote server is further configured to communicate with an IoT Gateway comprised in the analyser system.
In some embodiments, the remote server is connectable to one or more other remote servers.
According to a fifth aspect, this is achieved by a health care system comprising an analyser system and a remote server configured to perform the steps of the method according to the first aspect.
In some embodiments, the analyser system may be an analyser system according to the third aspect.
In some embodiments, the remote server may be a remote server according to the fourth aspect.
Any of the above aspects may additionally have features identical with or corresponding to any of the various features as explained above for any of the other aspects.
An advantage of some embodiments is that alternative approaches for regulated transmission of analyser system data are provided.
An advantage of some embodiments is the provision of automatic customization of analyser device/system for transmission of analyser system data according to the region/country-specific regulations.
An advantage of some embodiments is the enablement of remote customization of analyser device/system for transmission of analyser system data according to the region/country-specific regulations.
An advantage of some embodiments is the provision of automatic updating of the analyser device/system for transmission of analyser system data according to the region/country specific regulations.
An advantage of some embodiments is the enablement of remote updating of the analyser device/system for transmission of analyser system data according to the region/country specific regulations.
An advantage of some embodiments is the provision of a reliable system for following region/country specific regulations on transmission of analyser system data.
An advantage of some embodiments is that by the remote server being connectable to other remote servers the transmitted data from the analyser devices, which is received at the remote server, may be further transmitted to other remote servers for processing, secure storage, retention etc.
An advantage of some embodiments is that by updating the rules set regularly or continuously any new regulations on transmission of data may be reflected in the updated one or more rules.
An advantage of some embodiments is that human-generated (e.g., by the field technician or the operator) errors that may occur while customizing, re-customizing, or updating the analyser device/system are reduced by the automatic customization, re-customization, or updating of analyser device/system.
An advantage of some embodiments is that by certificate provisioning in the initial setup, wherein the remote server provides a certificate to the analyser system, the analyser system is trusted with transmission of data to the remote server. In the case that the analyser system is compromised in any way, the provided certificate may be revoked so that the analyser system no longer is trusted with transmission of data to the remote server.
An advantage of some embodiments is that by the remote server being connectable to other remote servers is that transmitted data from the analyser system, which is received at the remote server, may be further transmitted to other remote servers for processing, secure storage, retention etc.
An advantage of some embodiments is that by obtaining a geographical and/or organizational location of the analyser system before determining the data to be transmitted and transmitting the determined data, only data that complies with the rules of the geographical and/or organizational location of the analyser system will be transmitted from the analyser system.
In the following, example embodiments are described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described and exemplified more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. The description disclosed herein can, however, be realized in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein.
As mentioned above, consequences of region/country-specific regulations on transmission of analyser system data may entail that data transmission is not implemented in analyser devices and/or analyser systems located in these regions/countries.
Also as mentioned above, a field technician or an operator may when initially setting up or updating the analyser device and/or the analyser system need to customize/re-customize the analyser device/system according to the region/country-specific regulations so that only allowed data for that region/country is transmitted.
In the following, embodiments will therefore be presented where alternative approaches for regulated transmission of analyser system data are described.
Analyser devices, as described herein, may typically comprise devices configured to generate health related data and/or device data in response to analysis of samples, e.g., biological samples, and/or measurements, e.g., transcutaneous measurements, taken of a patient.
Analyser devices, as mentioned above, may therefore be configured to measure one or more parameters relating to patient health, generate data, produce test results used for diagnosing and monitoring patients.
Analyser devices may comprise, for example, blood gas analysers, transcutaneous monitoring systems, immunoassay analysers, and the measurements performed could be, e.g., on biological samples, such as blood samples, or they could be, e.g., non-invasive measurements, such as transcutaneous measurements. The generated data from samples and/or measurements taken of a patient may be obtained at a point of care, or, alternatively or additionally, obtained from samples and/or measurements taken of/from the patient at a laboratory.
Additionally, an analyser device may be a sophisticated apparatus that must perform to a high standard and so need to be frequently monitored to ensure proper functioning so that any errors are dealt with swiftly. As part of the monitoring of an analyser device, device data, i.e. meta data, may be generated, for example, when maintenance is performed, at quality check results, at software version updates, during up-time of the analyser, etc. The device data may be generated by the analyser device to aid in keeping the device up and running within specifications.
Analyser devices may, in some embodiments, be comprised in an analyser system.
Analyser systems, as described herein, may typically comprise a management system configured to provide device management of one or more analyser devices and wherein the device management may comprise a centralized data management system.
Alternatively or additionally, the management system may be implemented in a local server operably connected to the one or more analyser devices of the analyser system.
In some analyser systems, comprising one or more analyser devices, the data generated or produced by the analyser device(s), such as the test results and/or device data as described above, is transmitted to a remote server. The remote server may then provide a number of services in response to the transmitted data. For example, the remote server may aid in the analysis of test results by collecting, modelling and interpreting the data, possibly even in real-time, to produce additional information for a medical professional, e.g., an operator of the analyser device, based on the test results. Further, the remote server may offer technical support for the analyser device by collecting device data, and possibly also test results, to monitor and detect any technical errors in the analyser device and offer assistance such as, e.g., remote support and troubleshooting, software updates, etc. In such a setup, as a general rule, patient or patient ID-related data are typically not visible or accessible at any time.
The analyser devices 5 are devices that are configured to analyse samples and/or measurements taken of a patient and thereby measure parameters related to the patient's health and thereby produce or generate data (also referred to as health related data in here), e.g., test results, used in diagnosis and monitoring of patients. Further, the analyser devices 5 generate device data, e.g., maintenance related data, which is used to optimize and maintain the functionality of the analyser device 5. The generated health related data and/or the device data may be data for transmission to the remote server 3. The data for transmission to the remote server 3 may be subject to location-specific regulations dictating in terms of rules on what may be transmitted from the analyser system 1 to the remote server 3.
Therefore, in step S10, a determination is made of the data to be transmitted based on one or more rules, where the rules are constructed so as to make the data transmission comply with local regulations, e.g., the application of the one or more rules may limit the data such that a type of data is not included in the transmission, or it may allow all the data in a given transmission. Limiting data for transmission may mean that the data not permitted to be transmitted is filtered away before the transmission. Thus, determining data to be transmitted may comprise filtering or selecting data. The local regulations may be specific to a region or a country and the set rules define what type of data can be transmitted, wirelessly or via a cabled network, in particular via a packet-switched network such as the Internet, from the analyser system 1 to the remote server 3, according to regulations in force at the location of the analyser system.
To reflect the local regulations, the one or more rules are associated with a geographical or organizational location, where the organizational location refers to the subsidiary structure in an organizational structure to which the analyser system 1 belongs. The subsidiary structure is used in a specific geographical region, such as a country. For example, the analyser system 1 could belong to an organizational subsidiary structure, which all analyser devices in e.g. France, or Germany, or China, etc. belong to. In this way, the organizational location is another way of linking the analyser system 1 with an appropriate set of rules for transmission of data. The geographical location may be GPS coordinates, a city, a region, a country, etc. That the one or more rules are associated with a geographical and/or an organizational location means that the rules are formulated so as to be specific for a geographical and/or an organizational location. Thus, the one or more rules can be used to control the transmission of data from the analyser system to the remote server according to regulations in force at the location of the analyser system.
In step S20, the determined data is transmitted to the remote server 3. The remote server 3 may be located, at least partly, in the same region or country as the analyser system 1 or it may be located, at least partly, outside the region or country of the analyser system 1. The remote server may be a cloud server such that the transmitted data may be stored at any data centre acting as server space for the cloud server. Further, the remote server 3 could be connectable to one or more other remote servers. When the remote server 3 is connected to other remote servers, the transmitted data from the analyser devices may be further transmitted from the remote server 3 to the connected remote servers for processing, secure storage, retention of the transmitted data etc.
The rules set for determining the data to be transmitted, which may be implemented at the analyser system 1, may be obtained by the analyser system 1 in a number of ways, for example, the one or more rules may be obtained from the remote server 3, reference to step S9 illustrated in
Alternatively, or additionally, as illustrated in
The rules set may be based on one or more rules available in the analyser system 1. That is, the analyser system 1 comprises the rules set, for example as a look-up table. The analyser system 1 may be configured to generate the rules set after obtaining its geographical and/or organizational location for example from the remote server 3, from a certified technician or from a GPS, as illustrated in
In step S5 as illustrated in
The obtainment by the analyser system 1 of a rules set used to determine data to be transmitted to the remote server 3, may be performed at least during an initial setup of the analyser system 1 or continuously during up-time of the analyser system 1. By obtaining a rules set regularly or continuously, the rules set can be updated and any new regulations can be reflected in the updated one or more rules. The initial setup may be a provisioning, wherein the remote server provides a certificate to the analyser system, which allows the analyser system to send data to the remote server. If the analyser system later becomes compromised in any way, the certificate can be revoked such that the analyser system can no longer send data to the remote server.
Generally, for all embodiments, information from the remote server 3 may be pushed to the analyser system 1 without request from the analyser system, e.g., periodically, or at updates, or at each initialization etc., or the information may be provided by the remote server 3 by request from the analyser system 1. As illustrated in
The method for transmission of data from an analyser system may be executed by a computer program product, which comprises a non-transitory computer readable medium on which a computer program comprising program instructions is stored. The computer program can be loaded into a data processing unit and configured to cause execution of the method, when the computer program is run by the data processing unit. The data processing unit could be a part of the analyser device, analyser system, and/or in the remote server(s).
As an example, in the health care system illustrated in
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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202011046143 | Oct 2020 | IN | national |
20211802.2 | Dec 2020 | EP | regional |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2021/078890 | 10/19/2021 | WO |