Communication bus

An apparatus for use with a first physical device, a second physical device, and a patient monitoring device, the first physical device and the second physical device being configured to provide data relating to a patient via a first data stream and a second data stream, respectively, wherein the first data stream comprises a first data type and the second data stream comprises a second data type and excludes the first data type, the apparatus comprising:

• a mount module having a first input port coupled to the first physical device and a second input port coupled to the second physical device, wherein the mount module is configured to (i) receive the first data stream and the second data stream, (ii) apply different priority levels to each of the first physical device and the second physical device based on respective data types, including the first data type and the second data type, and (iii) generate a prioritized data stream comprising the first data stream and the second data stream based on the different priority levels assigned to the first physical device and the second physical device, wherein, when generating the prioritized data stream, data provided by the first data stream is given a higher priority over data provided by the second data stream;
• and
• an interchangeable transport medium module arranged between the mount module and the patient monitoring device and configured to transport the prioritized data stream via a single data connection,
• wherein the patient monitoring device is configured to receive the prioritized data stream via the single data connection and unpack the prioritized data stream into virtual representations of the first data stream and the second data stream and wherein the virtual representations emulate operational characteristics of the first physical device and the second physical device.

A method for prioritizing data streams according to different priority levels, the method comprising:

• receiving, by a mount module, a first data stream from a first physical device, wherein the first data stream comprises a first data type;
• receiving, by the mount module, a second data stream from a second physical device, wherein the second data stream comprises a second data type and excludes the first data type;
• applying the different priority levels to each of the first physical device and the second physical device based on respective data types, including the first data type and the second data type;
• generating, by the mount module, a prioritized data stream comprising the first data stream and the second data stream that is based on the different priority levels assigned to both of the first physical device and the second physical device, wherein data provided by the first data stream is given a higher priority over data provided by the second data stream;
• transporting, by an interchangeable transport medium, the prioritized data stream via a single data connection;
• receiving, by the patient monitoring device, the prioritized data stream via the single data connection;
• and
• unpacking, by the patient monitoring device, the prioritized data stream into virtual representations of the first data stream and the second data stream, wherein the virtual representations emulate operational characteristics of the first physical device and the second physical device.