Systems and methods for programming implantable devices

• US 10,124,177 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2015
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pacesetter Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: Pacesetter Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Inventors: Kumar, Prasanna
• Primary Examiner(s): Dang, Phuc
• Application Number:
  US14/931,482
• Publication Number:
  US 20170120062A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,106 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36132 using patient feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36146 specified by the stimulation parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37241 providing test stimulations
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37247 User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37282 characterised by communication with experts in remote locations using a network
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23039 Remote programmer

Abstract

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for programming an implanted device when a patient is remote from a clinician. A system includes a patient programmer configured to be operated by the patient, a clinician programmer configured to be operated by the clinician, and a remote diagnostic server configured to facilitate secure communication between the patient programmer and the clinician programmer, wherein the remote diagnostic server is configured to initiate a secure programming session between the patient programmer and the clinician programmer, receive a proposed stimulation program from the clinician programmer, transmit the proposed stimulation program to the patient programmer, receive an indication from the patient programmer that the patient has accepted the proposed stimulation program, and transmit an alert to the clinician programmer, the alert indicating that the patient has accepted the proposed stimulation program.

Claims

1. A system for programming an implanted device when a patient is remote from a clinician, the system comprising:

a patient programmer configured to be operated by the patient;

a clinician programmer configured to be operated by the clinician; and

a remote diagnostic server configured to facilitate secure communication between the patient programmer and the clinician programmer, wherein the remote diagnostic server is configured to;

initiate a secure programming session between the patient programmer and the clinician programmer;

receive a proposed stimulation program from the clinician programmer;

transmit the proposed stimulation program to the patient programmer;

receive an indication from the patient programmer that the patient has accepted the proposed stimulation program; and

transmit an alert to the clinician programmer, the alert indicating that the patient has accepted the proposed stimulation program;

wherein to initiate a secure programming session, the remote diagnostic server is configured to;

issue a unique session key to the patient programmer;

receive the unique session key from the clinician programmer; and

initiate the secure programming session in response to receiving the unique session key from the clinician programmer.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a representative programmer, wherein the remote diagnostic server is further configured to include the representative programmer in the secure programming session.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the patient programmer is configured to program the implanted device to operate in accordance with the proposed stimulation program.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the implanted device is an implantable pulse generator of a deep brain stimulation system.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the implanted device is an implantable pulse generator of a spinal cord stimulation system.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote diagnostic server is configured to store data associated with the secure programming session;

the stored data including the proposed stimulation program.

7. A remote diagnostic server for use in programming an implanted device when a patient is remote from a clinician, the remote diagnostic server comprising:

a memory device; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the memory device, the processor configured to;

initiate a secure programming session between a patient programmer operated by the patient and a clinician programmer operated by the clinician;

receive a proposed stimulation program from the clinician programmer;

transmit the proposed stimulation program to the patient programmer;

receive an indication from the patient programmer that the patient has accepted the proposed stimulation program; and

transmit an alert to the clinician programmer, the alert indicating that the patient has accepted the proposed stimulation program;

wherein to initiate a secure programming session, the processor is configured to;

issue a unique session key to the patient programmer;

receive the unique session key from the clinician programmer; and

initiate the secure programming session in response to receiving the unique session key from the clinician programmer.

8. The remote diagnostic server of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to include a representative programmer in the secure programming session.

9. The remote diagnostic server of claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to receive a proposed stimulation program for an implantable pulse generator of a deep brain stimulation system.

10. The remote diagnostic server of claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to receive a proposed stimulation program for an implantable pulse generator of a spinal cord stimulation system.

11. The remote diagnostic server of claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to store data associated with the secure programming session in the memory device, the stored data including the proposed stimulation program.

12. A method for programming an implanted device when a patient is remote from a clinician, the method comprising:

initiating, using a remote diagnostic server, a secure programming session between a patient programmer operated by the patient and a clinician programmer operated by the clinician;

receiving, at the remote diagnostic server, a proposed stimulation program from the clinician programmer;

transmitting, from the remote diagnostic server, the proposed stimulation program to the patient programmer;

receiving, at the remote diagnostic server, an indication from the patient programmer that the patient has accepted the proposed stimulation program; and

transmitting, from the remote diagnostic server, an alert to the clinician programmer, the alert indicating that the patient has accepted the proposed stimulation program;

wherein initiating a secure programming session comprises;

issuing a unique session key to the patient programmer;

receiving the unique session key from the clinician programmer; and

initiating the secure programming session in response to receiving the unique session key from the clinician programmer.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising including a representative programmer in the secure programming session.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising programming, using the patient programmer, the implanted device to operate in accordance with the proposed stimulation program.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein programming the implanted device comprises programming an implantable pulse generator of a deep brain stimulation system.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein programming the implanted device comprises programming an implantable pulse generator of a spinal cord stimulation system.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising storing data associated with the secure programming session, the stored data including the proposed stimulation program.