Patient care systems with dynamic gateways

A thermal control unit for controlling a patient's temperature during a thermal therapy session, the thermal control unit comprising:

• a circulation channel coupled to a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet;
• a pump for circulating fluid through the circulation channel from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet;
• a heat exchanger adapted to add or remove heat from the fluid circulating in the circulation channel;
• a plurality of nodes adapted to communicate with each other over a local network onboard the thermal control unit using a first communications protocol;
• a controller adapted to control the heat exchanger in order to control the patient's temperature;
• a gateway in communication with the local network and a remote device;
• the gateway including a gateway controller, a first transceiver, a second transceiver, and a memory containing an executable file and a configuration file;
• wherein the first transceiver is adapted to receive and transmit local messages on the local network that are in a first format, the second transceiver is adapted to receive and transmit messages on a remote network that are in a second format different from the first format, and the executable file contains instructions instructing the gateway controller to perform the following:
• (a) read the configuration file to identify a first set of messages to be received from the remote network;
• (b) monitor the second transceiver for individual messages contained within the first set of messages, the first set of messages including a first message requesting a reading of a current temperature of the fluid but not including a second message requesting a reading of a current flow rate of the fluid through the circulation channel;
• (c) read the configuration file to determine if any of the individual messages contain node content to be forwarded to an individual node of the plurality of nodes on the local network;
• (d) format the node content into onboard messages according to the first format, wherein the configuration file identifies the first format;
• (e) forward the onboard messages to the local network via the first transceiver;
• (f) receive a new configuration file and, without rebooting the gateway controller, perform the following:
• (1) read the new configuration file to identify a second set of messages to be received from the remote network and forwarded to the local network, the second set of messages including the second message;
• and
• (2) forward content from the second set of messages to the local network.

A thermal control unit for controlling a patient's temperature during a thermal therapy session, the thermal control unit comprising:

• a circulation channel coupled to a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet;
• a pump for circulating fluid through the circulation channel from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet;
• a heat exchanger adapted to add or remove heat from the fluid circulating in the circulation channel;
• a plurality of nodes adapted to communicate with each other over a local network onboard the thermal control unit using a first communications protocol;
• a controller adapted to control the heat exchanger in order to control the patient's temperature;
• a gateway in communication with the local network and a remote device;
• the gateway including a gateway controller, a first transceiver, a second transceiver, and a memory containing an executable file and a configuration file;
• wherein the first transceiver is adapted to receive and transmit local messages on the local network that are in a first format, the second transceiver is adapted to receive and transmit messages on a remote network that are in a second format different from the first format, and the executable file contains instructions instructing the gateway controller to perform the following:
• (a) read the configuration file to identify a first set of messages to be received from the remote network and forwarded to the local network;
• (b) forward content from the first set of messages to the local network in the first format, the first format being identified by the configuration file;
• (c) receive a new configuration file and, without rebooting the gateway controller, perform the following:
• (i) read the new configuration file to identify a second set of messages to be received from the remote network and forwarded to the local network, the second set of messages including a new message not contained within the first set of messages, and wherein the new message instructs a particular node on the thermal control unit to activate a sensor in communication with the particular node and to report a reading from the sensor to the local network;
• and
• (ii) forward content from the second set of messages to the local network.