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5. Connectivity
QoS: Wireless Quality of Service (QoS) refers to the necessary level of service and performance
needed for the wireless functions of the device. It involves parameters such as reliability of
data transmission, effective transfer rate, error rate, and mechanisms to define priority levels
for time-critical signals.
Bluetooth® QoS: Bluetooth uses frequency hopping, channel coding, and error correction
to address interference and is designed to operate with other devices that occupy the same
spectrum. In addition to the measures defined in the Bluetooth standard, the DreamStation 2
radio incorporates other methods to minimize likelihood of QoS problems. These include:
—
Data sent between the CPAP and any external devices use an additional checksum
verification to ensure that data is correctly received without errors.
—
For all Bluetooth applications except pulse oximeter: The CPAP is a portable device
and will not always be near the mobile device when the CPAP is ready to transfer data.
The mobile device attempts to reconnect until it successfully connects and the data
transfer is complete.
—
For use with pulse oximeter: The radio receives pulse rate and O
2
level one per second
and stores that data along with the time stamp. The data from the pulse oximeter is
checked for validity and thrown away if not valid. This data is not displayed locally but
is logged, and after a minimum of 4 hours of data is collected it is sent to the remote
server. If the CPAP is not able to get 4 hours of good data it alerts the patient, and
the patient will need to use it again the next night. The data is not used to diagnose
the patient’s condition, and will continue to reconnect to the pulse oximeter until a
connection is achieved.
Cellular QoS
The Cellular modem is designed for use with select Philips Respironics therapy devices. It
automatically transfers data between the DreamStation 2 device and Philips Respironics
proprietary compliance software. The DreamStation 2 modem incorporates various methods to
minimize likelihood of QoS problems. These include:
—
No real time data monitoring is used in this application. If the data transfer is
unsuccessful, the modem attempts to reconnect until it successfully connects and the
data transfer is complete.
—
Data sent between the CPAP and any external devices uses an additional checksum
verification to ensure that data is correctly received without errors.
