Patent ID: 8195478
Filing Date: 2012-06-05
Classification: G16H,H04L,H04W

Abstract:
1. A network monitoring system for monitoring a medical network to determine if connected network components are adequately performing without otherwise burdening said network by performing the method comprising the steps of: a. connecting said system to said network, said medical network comprising a plurality of connected network components, said network components including network devices comprising patient monitoring devices and at least one of wireless infusion pumps, PCs, telephones, PDAs, monitoring stations and servers for obtaining and transmitting life critical data, including waveform data, on said network, network appliances comprising at least one of routers, switches, and hubs for controlling data flow along said network and network-capable applications comprising software run on said network devices and network appliances on said network, wherein said connecting step includes the step of installing said system on a central monitoring system of a medical facility, b. measuring the actual network performance of data typically traversing the network, c. receiving network performance data from applications running on at least one connected network component over said network, said performance data relating solely to said first network component's connectivity with said network, with at least one other connected network component, d. selecting a component-specific criteria, wherein the component-specific criteria is selected from a plurality of component-specific criteria based upon the unique identity of the first network component and relating to operational aspects of said network component on the network, such that the selected component-specific criteria corresponds to the first network component, e. comparing the network performance data from the first network component to the selected component-specific criteria, f. determining if the network performance data from the first network component satisfies the selected component-specific criteria, g. generating a first response if the network performance data satisfies the selected component-specific criteria and generating a second response if the performance data does not satisfy the selected component-specific criteria and wherein said network performance data includes end-to-end latency across all connected network components, said end to end latency being directly measured by said measuring step along the actual data path taken between any connected network components over said network and without requiring intermediate or remote monitoring devices or endpoints, and h. displaying an alarm response selected from the group consisting of the first response and the second response, wherein the alarm response is displayed on a monitor of the central monitoring station and the affected patient monitor, based on a determination that the waveform data is adversely affected, wherein other connected network components are not affected.