Application licensing for a centralized system of medical devices

Centralized systems execute one or more applications for monitoring and operating a plurality of network enabled medical devices. An indication to start a selected application at the centralized system or at a network enabled medical device is received at the centralized system/network enabled medical device. The selected application may require a license to operate and, at the time the indication is received, may have a first license available. Instead of using the first license, the centralized system/network enabled medical device may determine to inherit at least a portion of a second license to operate the selected application. The centralized system/network enabled medical device may inherit at least the portion of the second license to form an inherited license, where the inherited license enables features of the selected application. Using the inherited license, the selected application is started with the enabled features. Related apparatus, systems, techniques and articles are also described.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The subject matter described herein relates to licensing of applications in a centralized system of medical devices.

BACKGROUND

To improve cost efficiency and patient care, hospitals and other care facilities are increasingly using medical devices such as vital signs monitors and infusion pumps. Increasingly, these devices are controlled by electronics including one or more processors. These devices are typically programmable and may be controlled by a centralized system. Both the medical devices and the centralized system often contain multiple applications. A manufacturer of those applications may want to control access to the applications. For example, the manufacturer may limit access to customers that have paid for use of the applications.

SUMMARY

A centralized system executes one or more applications for monitoring and operating a plurality of network enabled medical devices. An indication to start a selected application at the centralized system or at a network enabled medical device may be received at the centralized system/network enabled medical device. The selected application may require a license to operate and, at the time the indication is received, may have a first license available. Instead of using the first license, the centralized system/network enabled medical device may determine to inherit at least a portion of a second license to operate the selected application. The centralized system/network enabled medical device may inherit at least the portion of the second license to form an inherited license, where the inherited license enables features of the selected application. Using the inherited license, the selected application is started with the enabled features.

In some implementations, the selected application may be a command and status application for an infusion pump and/or the selected application may include executable instructions for the centralized system/network enabled medical device. A medical device may be an infusion pump, a vital signs monitor, a ventilator, or other network enabled medical device.

Determining to inherit at least a portion of a second license may include one or more of the following: selecting to use the portion of the second license rather than the first license, determining that the first license is not available or the first license is not valid, reading the portion of the second license from the centralized system and extracting license information applicable to the selected application and determining that the portion of the second license permits use of the selected application.

In some implementations, an indication to start an application that requires a decrypted license to operate at a centralized system may be received at the centralized system. The centralized system may execute applications for monitoring and operating a plurality of network enabled medical devices. Upon decrypting the license to produce a decrypted license, the centralized system may determine that communication with a license server is required. The centralized system may poll the license server with data characterizing the decrypted license to receive a new license, and update the decrypted license based on the new license. In some implementations one or more of the following features may be included: the application may be a command and status application for an infusion pump, the application may include executable instructions for the centralized system, the decrypting may include decryption with an advanced encryption standard, the plurality of network enabled medical devices may include one or more of infusion pumps, vital signs monitors, and ventilators

The determining from the decrypted license that communication with a license server is required may include: searching the decrypted license for a limit value to a configuration parameter of the centralized system; searching a configuration of the centralized system for an actual value of the configuration parameter; and determining from the limit value and the actual value whether communication with the license server must be initiated, and/or determining from logic included in the decrypted license that communication with the license server is required.

The current subject matter provides many advantages. For example, the current subject matter enables licensing of applications and features of applications made available at medical devices and centralized systems of medical devices which in turn provides better coordination between application manufacturers and care providers within a healthcare computing environment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1is a system diagram illustrating a computing landscape100within a healthcare environment such as a hospital. Various devices and systems, both local to the healthcare environment and remote from the healthcare environment, can interact via at least one computing network105. This computing network105can provide any form or medium of digital communication connectivity (e.g., wired connection, optical connection, wireless connection, and so forth) amongst the various devices and systems. Examples of communication networks include a local area network (“LAN”), a wide area network (“WAN”), and the Internet. In some cases, one or more of the various devices and systems can interact directly via peer-to-peer coupling (for example, via a hardwired connection or via a wireless protocol such as Bluetooth or WiFi). In addition, in some variations, one or more of the devices and systems communicate via a cellular data network.

In particular, aspects of the computing landscape100can be implemented in a computing system that includes a back-end component (e.g., as a data server110), or that includes a middleware component (e.g., an application server115), or that includes a front-end component (e.g., a client computer120having a graphical user interface or a Web browser through which a user may interact with an implementation of the subject matter described herein), or any combination of such back-end, middleware, or front-end components. A client120and server110,115are generally remote from each other and typically interact through the communications network105. The relationship of the clients120and servers110,115arises by virtue of computer programs running on the respective computers and may have a client-server relationship to each other. Clients120can be any of a variety of computing platforms that include local applications for providing various functionality within the healthcare environment. Example clients120include, but are not limited to, desktop computers, laptop computers, tablets, and other computing devices that may have touch-screen interfaces. The local applications can be self-contained in that they do not require network connectivity and/or they can interact with one or more of the servers110,115(e.g., via a web browser).

A variety of applications can be executed on the various devices and systems within the computing landscape such as electronic health record applications, medical device monitoring, operation, and maintenance applications, scheduling applications, billing applications, and the like.

The network105can be coupled to one or more data storage systems125. The data storage systems125can include databases providing physical data storage within the healthcare environment or within a dedicated facility. In addition, or in the alternative, the data storage systems125can include cloud-based systems providing remote storage of data in, for example, a multi-tenant computing environment. The data storage systems125can also comprise non-transitory computer readable media.

Mobile communications devices (MCDs)130can also form part of the computing landscape100. The MCDs130can communicate directly via the network105and/or they can communicate with the network105via an intermediate network such as a cellular data network or other wired or wireless network. Various types of communication protocols can be used by the MCDs130including, for example, messaging protocols such as SMS and MMS.

Various types of medical devices140can be used as part of the computing landscape100. These medical devices140can comprise, unless otherwise specified, any type of device or system with a communications interface that characterizes one or more physiological measurements of a patient and/or that characterizes treatment of a patient. In some cases, the medical devices140communicate via peer to peer wired or wireless communications with another medical device140(as opposed to communicating with the network105). For example, a medical device140can comprise a bedside vital signs monitor with wired and wireless networking capability connected to other medical devices140, namely a wireless pulse oximeter and to a wired blood pressure monitor. One or more operational parameters of the medical devices140can be locally controlled by a clinician, controlled via the network105by a clinician, and/or medical devices140can be controlled via network105by one or more of a server115, client120, data storage systems125, MCD130, and/or another medical device140.

The computing landscape100can provide various types of functionality as may be required within a healthcare environment such as a hospital. For example, a pharmacy can initiate a prescription via one of the client computers120. This prescription can be stored in the data storage systems125and/or pushed out to other clients120, an MCD130, and/or one or more of the medical devices140. In addition, the medical devices140can provide data characterizing one or more physiological measurements of a patient and/or treatment of a patient (e.g., medical device140can be an infusion management system, etc.). The data generated by the medical devices140can be communicated to other medical devices140, the servers110,115, the clients120, the MCDs130, and/or stored in the data storage systems125.

Medical devices140can include any combination of devices such as infusion pumps (e.g., peristaltic pumps, large volume infusion pumps, syringe pumps, patient-controlled analgesia systems, etc.), ventilators, vital signs monitors, and other network enabled medical devices. Commercially available products include ALARIS SYSTEMS MANAGER, ALARIS MEDLEY INFUSION PUMP, and ALARIS INFUSION VIEWER FOR PHARMACY LOGISTICS or similar products from Care Fusion Corporation, San Diego Calif. Many of these products share data and customize a view of the data based on the intended user. Medical devices may both provide patient care and display pertinent information.

In some implementations consistent withFIG. 1, the computing landscape100includes a centralized system, medical devices140, network105, and cellular network135. The centralized system includes one or more of clients120, backend server(s)110, application server(s)115, data storage systems125, and MCD130. Computing devices110,115,120,125, and130may connect to the network105through any wired or wireless access network including cellular data network135or other network. Some medical devices140can connect directly to network105, and some medical devices140can connect to other medical devices in order to access network105.

FIG. 2is a system diagram200illustrating a centralized system of medical devices connected through a network to a license server. Medical devices140can be connected through connections205either directly to centralized system210, through network105to centralized system210, or through another medical device to centralized system210. License server220is also connected to centralized system210and medical devices140through connections205and network105. License server220can provide application licensing information to applications being executed on centralized system210and/or medical devices140. The licensing information can determine what applications are made available and the features made available from those applications at centralized system210and medical devices140.

A centralized system such as centralized system210may reside on one or more desktop computing devices and/or portable computing devices. Desktop computing devices include desktop computers with one or more processors, servers, collections of computing devices, distributed computing devices and the like. Portable computing devices include laptop computers, notebook computers, netbook computers, tablet computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), smartphones, and others such as custom designed computing devices.

Network105provides for communication through connections205between computing devices such as centralized system210and license server220, and communication through connections205between medical devices140and centralized system210. Centralized system210can also have a connection to the internet. A user at a user interface, can access the centralized system through a network connection205. Each connection205can be a wired or wireless connection, a serial connection, parallel connection or any other type of communication connection. Connections205can also include gateways or routers to provide access through the internet.

A centralized system such as centralized system210can connect to between one and thousands of medical devices. In the example ofFIG. 2, centralized system210connects to medical devices140and license server220through network105. Medical devices140can connect to centralized system210through a switch or router not shown inFIG. 2. The connections205between medical devices140and the centralized system210can be wired or wireless connections, or any combination of wired and wireless connections.

Centralized system210can provide commands to medical devices140. The commands can be individually addressed to one of the connected medical devices, or the commands can be broadcast to multiple medical devices140. Status data, maintenance data, usage data, and other data can be received at the centralized system210from any attached medical device140. Centralized system210can maintain a list of medical devices140connected to it. The list of medical devices connected to the centralized system210is sometimes referred to as a registry.

Applications that are executable at centralized system210can be stored at centralized system210and/or data storage125. An application may be part of a family of applications. A family of applications may include multiple applications related to a particular product. Some applications may be designed to require a license to operate. The license can determine which applications and features are available at centralized system210. If the license permits use of an application, the license may further determine which features of the application are to be provided. For example, the license may allow use of an application and enable some features of the application but the license may prevent use of other features. In order to make the other features or functions available, the customer/licensee may be required to pay an additional fee, and receive a new license that enables the other features.

The executable files for a complete family of applications can be stored at the centralized system210or data storage system125. A license may permit the use of all the applications in the family of applications, or the license may permit the use of a subset of the family of applications. Without the license, the application cannot be operated. For example, a customer/licensee may have purchased a license for one of the applications in the family of applications. Despite the customer/licensee having a license for just one of the applications, the executable files for the entire family of applications may be stored at the centralized system210. In addition to the executable files already stored at the centralized system210, the addition of a license may be all that is needed to operate that application.

If the customer/licensee wishes to enable additional features of existing applications and/or enable applications not previously licensed, the customer/licensee may gain access by paying any associated fees to the manufacturer and receiving a new license. With the new license, the additional features of existing applications and/or new applications are made available.

The license can be stored at centralized system210or at data storage125. When an application is started, the license is read to determine if the license permits operation of the application. The licensed features of the application are determined by the license. In some implementations, the license can be stored at an application server115or backend server110, or may be provided by license server220through connections205, network105, and the internet each time an application is started.

Applications that are executable at medical devices140can be stored at the medical devices140, or at centralized system210and/or data storage125. Applications executable at the medical devices140may require a license to operate. The license can determine which applications are available at medical devices140. If the license permits use of an application, the license may further determine which features of the application are enabled. For example, the license may allow use of an application and enable some features of the application but the license may prevent use of other features. In order to make the other features available, the customer/licensee may be required to pay an additional fee, and receive a new license that enables the other features.

The license for an application available at a particular medical device can be stored at that medical device. When an application is started, the license is read and the available features of the available applications are determined based on the license. In some implementations, the license can be stored at centralized system210, data storage125, or may be provided by license server220through connections205, network105, and the internet, each time an application is started.

A license can be a file or a unique text string generated by license server220. The file may be in the form of a text file, binary file, or other file. For example, the license can be a text file stored at centralized system210that enables a particular subset of features of an infusion viewer application executable at the centralized system210. In another example, the license for an application executable at medical device140can be a binary file stored at the medical device140. The license can contain logic that interacts with centralized system210and/or medical devices140. For example, the license may limit a number of medical devices to 3000 that are permitted to be connected to the centralized system210. In this example, 2500 medical devices are connected to centralized system210. The license logic may interact with centralized system210and generate a notification that the number of connected medical devices is close to the limit. The notification can be sent to a user of the centralized system and/or to the license server220in order to notify the user and/or manufacturer that the license may need to be upgraded to accommodate additional medical devices.

The license can include information about an expiration of the license. For example, the license can contain an expiration date after which the license expires. To determine whether the license has expired, the centralized system210can compare the date of the centralized system210clock with the expiration date in the license. As the date from the clock approaches the expiration date, a warning may be generated that the license is about to expire. When the clock reaches the expiration date, the centralized system210may disable the applications and/or features or functions of the applications related to the license. In some implementations, when the expiration date is a predefined number of days (or less) into the future, the centralized system may generate a notification message indicating the upcoming expiration date. The notification can be sent to a user of the centralized system210or to the license server220.

The license can contain information about the customer/licensee. For example, information about the company name, address, and approved administrators may be included in the license. In some implementations, this information can be used by the centralized system210and license server220to verify the authenticity of the license, and to assist in verifying that the license has not been unscrupulously duplicated by someone that does not own the license

The license can be encrypted so that the license can only be read by a device with the proper encryption/decryption algorithm and encryption/decryption parameters. For example, once the encryption/decryption parameter has been provided to the centralized system210, the centralized system210is able to decrypt the license from license server220. From the decrypted license, the centralized system210determines which applications and features of the applications are permitted to be used by the customer/licensee. Encryption/decryption of the license may include encryption/decryption techniques such as Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) or other techniques. Stated differently, in the context of the enabled features of an application or device being changed by a license, the encryption/decryption technique described herein can be implemented in a manner in which only the systems and devices that the license was intended for, will the license change or enable the functionality. In the event that a license is corrupted, invalid, or irrelevant for a specific application or device, the encryption/decryption technique will ensure that no changes to the functionality will be implemented and the operator applying the license will be notified through the communication paths shown inFIG. 2.

The license may be generated by license server220. The license server220may be located at a manufacturer's facility. Centralized system210may have access to the license server through connections205and network105. Network105may include a connection through the internet and/or one or more routers not shown inFIG. 2. For example, a customer/licensee may purchase a license for an application. The manufacturer can generate the license for the customer/licensee. The license may be sent to the customer/licensee from the license server220, through connections205, network105and the internet, to the customer's/licensee's centralized system210. The license is then utilized as described above. Alternatively, the license generated by license server220may be sent to centralized system210as an attachment to an email, a short message service message, or other means for delivering the license to centralized system210.

A user interface (e.g., a graphical user interface, etc.) to access a centralized system can facilitate sending commands and receiving information from a device connected to the centralized system210. Before sending commands or accessing information, authentication of the user at the user interface may be required. The user may be required to provide authentication information at the user interface and may be required to provide additional authentication information to the centralized system210. Upon successful authentication, the user can send commands to centralized system210and/or to medical devices140connected to the centralized system and/or receive information form the medical devices140and/or centralized system210.

The authentication credentials of a user can limit the types of commands that a user is permitted to send, the types of information the user is permitted to receive, and/or or the medical devices that the user may access. For example, a particular user may be permitted to receive only maintenance information from the medical devices140on centralized system210and no other information, and may not be permitted to send commands to medical devices140. In this example, a user limited to maintenance data may be appropriate for maintenance personnel at a hospital. Other examples include the physician for a patient who may be authorized to adjust a dosage level at a medical device where maintenance personnel would not be authorized to adjust dosages. Other limitations or sets of limitations are also possible.

Although the foregoing descriptions and processes were explained in the context of applications and licenses at a centralized system210, the descriptions and process also apply to medical devices140.

FIG. 3is a process diagram300illustrating a license that determines whether an application is made available, and if it is made available, the features of the application that are made available. At310an application requiring a license to operate is started at centralized system210. At320, the license is read by decrypting the contents of the license at the device where the application will operate. At330, the contents of the license determine if use of the application is permitted, and if permitted, the features of the application that are permitted. At340, when the license permits use of the application, the application and the features enabled by the license are made available to a user, centralized system, or medical device.

At310an application requiring a license to operate is started at centralized system210. For example, an application for monitoring and controlling infusion pumps (e.g. infusion viewer) may be started at centralized system210. As part of starting the application, configuration information from the centralized system210may be read. For example, the configuration information may include number of medical devices connected to the centralized system210.

At320, the license is read by decrypting the contents of the license at the device where the application will operate. For example, if the license server220that generated the license used the advanced encryption standard (AES) with a predetermined set of encryption parameters, then the license may be decrypted using AES decryption and the same encryption parameters to reveal the contents of the license. The contents of the license can determine the applications and features available at the device. The AES algorithm as used herein may be based on permutations and substitutions. Permutations are rearrangements of data, and substitutions replace a unit of data with another. AES may perform permutations and substitutions using different techniques. AES encryption and decryption algorithms may use a key schedule generated from a seed key array of bytes. An implementation that generates multiple keys from an initial key instead of a single key greatly increases security. Other encryption techniques are also possible.

At330, the contents of the license determine if use of the application is permitted, and if permitted, the features of the application that are permitted. The contents of a license may permit use of one application or multiple applications. For each permitted application, the license may permit use of one or more features of the application. For example, the license may permit two applications with one feature of the first application being permitted and three features of the second application being permitted.

The license may also contain logic that includes configuration information from centralized system210or computing landscape100to determine if the customer/licensee is close to exceeding a licensed feature. For example, the contents of the license may reveal that an application is licensed for use with a limited number of medical devices. For example, the maximum number of medical devices140connected to centralized system210may be limited to 3000. In this example, the number of medical devices connected to centralized system may be determined to be 2999 from the configuration information at centralized system210. The logic in the license may determine that the number of devices connected to the centralized system210is within the permitted maximum and thus permit use of the application. The logic may cause the generation of a notification that the number of medical devices is close to the permitted maximum. The notification may be sent to a user of the centralized system210and/or may be sent to the license server220. The notification sent to the license server220can be used by the manufacturer to sell an upgraded license to ensure that the license permits a sufficient number of medical devices to meet the customer's/licensee's needs.

At340, if the license permits use of the application, the application and the features enabled by the license are made available to a user, centralized system210, or medical device140. Continuing the above example, with 2999 medical devices connected to centralized system210, the license determines that the application is permitted to operate. In some implementations or applications, if the number of medical devices140connected to centralized system were not 2999 but instead 3100, the application may be disabled or a feature of the application may be disabled because the number of connected medical devices exceeds the maximum. In other implementations or applications, exceeding a licensed feature may not cause an application or feature to be disabled but instead may result in additional notifications or other responses.

The license features such as the above-noted number of medical devices that are permitted to be connected to centralized system210do not necessarily constitute hard limits. In some implementations, the application and its features may not be disabled but instead more frequent notifications may be sent to the user. For example, notifications may be generated at various intervals such as every time the application is started, or every day, or every ten minutes. The notifications may require a response by a user of centralized system210such that the inconvenience of the notifications and responses provides sufficient motivation to the customer to purchase an appropriate license. A notification may also be sent to the manufacturer through connections205, network105, and the internet to license server220. The notifications can allow the manufacturer to collect license fees for the actual usage of the customer/licensee.

Although foregoing description of a process by which a license that determines whether an application is made available at a centralized system210, and if it is made available, the features of the application that are made available, the process also applies to licenses and applications at a medical devices140.

FIG. 4is a process diagram illustrating inheriting a license at a selected application from another license for another application. At410, a selected application requiring a license to operate is started at a centralized system210. The selected application is capable of being operated with a stand-alone license, if available. At420, the centralized system210determines that a stand-alone license is not available for the selected application. At430, the centralized system210determines whether an applicable license for the selected application is available from another license at the centralized system210. At440, an applicable license is inherited at the selected application from the other license. At450, the centralized system210determines from the inherited license which features of the selected application to enable. At460, the centralized system210makes available to the user, centralized system210, and/or medical device140the enabled features of the selected application.

At410, a selected application requiring a license to operate is started at a centralized system210. The selected application is capable of being operated with a stand-alone license, if available. A stand-alone license is a license to operate just the selected application. For example, a customer/licensee may purchase a stand-alone license for monitoring and controlling infusion pumps such as an infusion viewer application. The stand-alone license allows the customer/licensee to operate just the infusion viewer application. The stand-alone license that permits use of the infusion viewer application does not itself permit use of other applications. In contrast, a license that is not stand-alone may license the use of multiple applications. Some applications can be licensed with either a stand-alone license or a license that is not stand-alone. In some implementations, the application may be one of a closely related family of executable programs. For example, a family of applications may correspond to applications associated with a particular product line such as a particular infusion pump product line.

At420, the centralized system210determines that a stand-alone license is not available for the selected application. For example, an infusion viewer application may be started on the centralized system210. The infusion viewer application requires a license to operate. Upon start-up, the infusion viewer application may search for a stand-alone license. The result of the search may be that no stand-alone license is found for the infusion viewer application, or the result may be that a stand-alone license is found but is not valid, or the result may be that a stand-alone license is found but a user or application has selected that a stand-alone license not be used. Examples of reasons why a stand-alone license may be invalid include the license may have an expiration date that has passed, or the stand-alone license may be valid for one family of medical devices (e.g. one infusion pump product family) but a different family of medical devices is connected to the centralized system210.

At430, the centralized system determines whether an applicable license for the selected application is available from another license for another application at the centralized system210. The centralized system may search for licenses under which the selected application can be operated. When one application can use a license or a portion of a license associated with another application, the license is said to be inherited. For example, upon the start of an infusion viewer application, and with no stand-alone license found, the centralized system may search for a license for another application whose license includes a license for the infusion viewer application. In this example, the license for the other application also includes a license for the infusion viewer application and may include licenses for additional applications as well. In some cases, more than one applicable license for the selected application may be found at the centralized system. When more than one applicable license could be used, logic at the centralized system or a user will select which license to use to operate the selected application. Different licenses may have different application features enabled. For example, one license may allow 2500 medical devices to be connected to an infusion viewer application, and another applicable license may allow 5000 medical devices. Depending on the license selected by the logic at the centralized system or selected by the user, the number of permitted medical devices connected to the centralized system may have different values. This may affect the number of allowable devices before a notification is generated that the system is close to the maximum allowable by the selected license.

At440, an applicable license is inherited at the selected application from the other application. If more than one applicable license is available, the user or centralized system210selects which of the applicable licenses to inherit in order to operate the selected application.

At450, the centralized system determines from the inherited license which features of the selected application to enable. The inherited license can enable features of the selected application. Logic may be included in the inherited license that interacts with configuration information from centralized system210and/or medical devices140. For example, if the number of medical devices140is close to the maximum, a notification may be generated as described above.

At460, the centralized system210makes available to the user or centralized system the enabled features of the selected application. Based on the inherited license, the selected application provides the enabled features subject to any logic contained in the inherited license.

Although the foregoing description of license inheritance is directed toward a selected application at a centralized system210inheriting an applicable license from another application at a centralized system210, the applicable license can also be inherited from an application at medical device140to centralized system210, or from an application at one medical device140to an application on another medical device140, or from an application on a medical device140to an application at a centralized system210.

FIG. 5is a process diagram illustrating a license server220updating a license. At510, a selected application requiring a license to operate is started at a centralized system210, the license being available as a stand-alone license, or as an inherited license. At520, the centralized system210determines whether communication with a license server220is required. At530, the centralized system210initiates communication with the license server220. At540, license information is sent from the centralized system210to the license server220. At550, the centralized system210receives license update information from the license server220. At560, the license at the centralized system210is updated.

At510, a selected application requiring a license to operate is started at a centralized system210. A license may be available as a stand-alone license or as an inherited license. If no license is available, in some implementations the selected application may still be started but without the features that require a license to be enabled. In other implementations, starting the application may result in little or none of the functionality that the selected application provides with a license. In this case, starting the application may result in simply checking for a license.

At520, the centralized system determines whether communication with a license server220is required. An indication that communication with a license server220is required may be determined from the license, or the indication may be determined from the selected application, or the indication may be determined from logic in the license that interacts with the selected application. For example, the selected application may be an infusion viewer application. Upon starting the application, an inherited license may be selected. In this example the inherited license permits a maximum of 3000 medical devices140connected to the centralized system210, and the centralized system210has 2550 medical devices connected to it. In this example, logic in the license may determine that when the maximum is reached with fewer than 500 additional medical devices140, the license server220may be contacted to alert the manufacturer that the infusion viewer license is close to the maximum number of permitted medical devices140. This benefits the customer/licensee by ensuring that the license meets the needs of the customer/licensee and it benefits the manufacturer by providing information that can be used to ensure that the manufacturer is paid for the license that meets the customer's/licensee's needs. Another example of a feature of the license that may require communication with the license server is an expiration date of the license that is within a predetermined number of days of the current date. Other features may also require communication between the centralized system210and license server220.

At530, the centralized system210initiates communication with the license server. In some implementations, the license server220is connected through connections205and through network105to centralized system210and medical devices140. In some implementations, the communication through network105may include communication through the Internet. The license server220may provide a web portal, short message service interface, or other means to communicate with centralized system210and/or medical devices140. For example, centralized system210may communicate with license server220through a web portal where information can be exchanged including license information. Initiating communication may include establishing a secure connection between the license server220and the centralized system210and/or medical devices140. The secure connection may include a transport layer security (TLS) connection, secure sockets security (SSL) connection, or other secure connection.

At540, the license information is sent from the centralized system210to the license server220. Once communication has been initiated and any required security established between the license server220and the centralized system210, the centralized system210can pass the license information related to the selected application to the license server. Configuration information from the centralized system210can also be sent. Continuing the previous example, with the selected application being an infusion viewer application, the license information passed to the license server220includes information such as the maximum number of medical devices permitted by the license. For example, the configuration information passed from the centralized system210to license server220may include the number of medical devices connected to the centralized system210. Other information related to the license may also be sent with the license to the license server220. Also, other configuration information of the centralized system210including the type, and/or status of the medical devices140connected to the centralized system210may be sent.

The license server220may also receive information related to the license form the manufacturer. For example, the customer/licensee may have purchased an updated stand-alone license or updated license from which the selected application has inherited the license. For example, the customer/licensee may have purchased an upgraded license permitting 5000 medical devices to be connected to the centralized system instead of 3000 medical devices. The manufacturer may provide an updated license to license server220reflecting the upgraded license.

At550, the centralized system210receives license update information from the license server220. Continuing the above example, the license server220can send an updated license to the centralized system210through the network105. For example, the updated license may allow 5000 medical devices instead of 3000. The updated license may also include newly enabled features of the selected application. The updated license may also enable additional applications that were not previously licensed to the customer/licensee.

At560, the license at the centralized system is updated. In some implementations, the updated license is stored at the centralized system210. In other implementations, the license can be stored at data storage125. When the selected application is started, a determination is made whether communication with the license server220is needed. If the centralized system210determines that the license server220does not need to be contacted, the centralized system210may operate the selected application according to the license and without communication with the license server220. In some implementations, when the centralized system210determines that the license server must be contacted and the license server is unavailable due to a connection problem through the network or internet, or other problem, the selected application may continue to operate according to the previous license until communication with the license server is successful. In other implementations, if the license server220cannot be contacted, the selected application may be disabled until communication with license server220is successful.

In other implementations, the license may not be stored at the centralized system210or data storage125. When the selected application is started, the centralized system210must communicate width the license server220and the license must be sent from the license server before the application can be operated.

Although the foregoing description of the use of a license server220is directed toward a centralized system210communicating with a license server220, a medical device140can also communicate with a license server220in the same manner.