System and method for graphically configuring leads

• US 20020077669A1
• Filed: 12/15/2000
• Published: 06/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Lindh, Par, Kalgren, James, Wentkowski, Rene H., Lockhart, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,236,826 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/27
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0563 specially adapted for defibrillation or cardioversion
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/368 comprising more than one electrode co-operating with different heart regions A61N1/3622, A61N1/3627 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3684 for stimulating the heart at multiple sites of the ventricle or the atrium
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37247 User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37264 Changing the program; Upgrading firmware
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/39622 Pacing therapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3993 User interfaces for automatic external defibrillators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2001/0585 Coronary sinus electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/92 Computer assisted medical diagnostics
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/922 including image analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/923 by comparison of patient data to other data

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for graphically configuring leads for a medical device. According to one aspect, the system generally comprises a medical device and a processing device, such as a programmer or computer, adapted to be in communication with the medical device. The medical device has at least one lead with at least one electrode in a configuration that can be changed using the processing device. The processing device provides a graphical display of the configuration. In one embodiment, the graphical display graphically represents, illustrates or displays the lead(s), the electrode(s), a pulse polarity, and a vector. According to another aspect, the method generally comprises receiving information for a medical device having at least one lead with at least one electrode in a configuration, and presenting a graphical representation of the configuration on a display. According to other aspects, a device and a computer-readable medium encoded with a software program for providing a graphical display of a lead configuration for an implantable medical device are also provided herein.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a medical device having at least one lead with at least one electrode in a configuration; and

a processing device adapted to be in communication with the medical device, wherein the processing device provides a graphical display of the configuration.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the graphical display represents an electrode type for each of the at least one electrode.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the graphical display represents an electrode quantity for each of the at least one lead.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the graphical display represents a lead position for each of the at least one lead and an electrode position for each of the at least one electrode.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the medical device is a cardiac stimulus device, and the graphical display represents an arrangement of the at least one lead and the at least one electrode in a heart.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the graphical display represents a pulse polarity.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the graphical display represents a vector.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the vector comprises a pace vector.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the vector comprises a sense vector.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the vector comprises a defibrillation vector.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the graphical display includes a color scheme to represent elements of the configuration.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the graphical display represents present settings for the configuration, and wherein the present settings are stored in a memory.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the configuration may be changed using the processing device, and wherein the graphical display represents present settings and changed settings.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing device includes a screen display for providing the graphical display of the configuration.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the screen display comprises a monitor.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing device comprises a programmer.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing device comprises a personal computer.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising means for storing present settings for the configuration in a memory, wherein the means for receiving information includes means for retrieving the present settings for the configuration from the memory.

20. The system of claim 18, further comprising means for changing the configuration, wherein the means for graphically representing the configuration includes means for displaying both present settings and changed settings for the configuration.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the means for graphically representing the configuration includes means for representing an electrode type.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the means for graphically representing the configuration includes means for representing a lead position and an electrode position.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein the means for graphically representing the configuration includes means for representing a pulse polarity.

24. The system of claim 18, wherein the means for graphically representing the configuration includes means for representing a vector.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the vector comprises a pace vector.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the vector comprises a sense vector.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the vector comprises a defibrillation vector.

29. The device of claim 28, wherein the display includes a lead representation and an electrode representation.

30. The device of claim 28, wherein the lead representation includes a lead position representation.

31. The device of claim 28, wherein the electrode representation includes an electrode type representation.

32. The device of claim 28, wherein the electrode representation includes an electrode position representation.

33. The device of claim 28, wherein the display further includes a pulse polarity representation.

34. The device of claim 28, wherein the display further includes a vector representation.

35. The device of claim 34, wherein the vector representation comprises a pace vector representation.

36. The device of claim 34, wherein the vector representation comprises a sense vector representation.

37. The device of claim 34, wherein the vector representation comprises a defibrillation vector representation.

38. The device of claim 28, wherein the display is a monitor.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein

receiving information includes receiving both a present setting and a changed setting for the configuration, and

after the step of graphically representing the configuration, the software program further executes:

receiving user verification that the changed setting is acceptable; and

accepting the changed setting.

41. The computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein graphically representing the configuration includes graphically displaying a lead representation and an electrode representation.

42. The computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein graphically representing the configuration includes graphically displaying a pulse polarity.

43. The computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein graphically representing the configuration includes graphically displaying a vector.

44. The computer-readable medium of claim 43, wherein the vector comprises a pace vector.

45. The computer-readable medium of claim 43, wherein the vector comprises a sense vector.

46. The computer-readable medium of claim 43, wherein the vector comprises a defibrillation vector.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein receiving information includes retrieving the information from a memory.

49. The method of claim 47, wherein the medical device is a cardiac stimulus device, and wherein presenting a graphical representation of the configuration includes graphically representing an arrangement of the at least one lead in a heart.

50. The method of claim 47, wherein presenting a graphical representation of the configuration includes graphically representing an electrode type.

51. The method of claim 47, wherein presenting a graphical representation of the configuration includes graphically representing a pulse polarity.

52. The method of claim 47, wherein presenting a graphical representation of the configuration includes graphically representing a vector.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein the vector comprises a pace vector.

54. The method of claim 52, wherein the vector comprises a sense vector.

55. The method of claim 52, wherein the vector comprises a defibrillation vector.

56. The method of claim 47, wherein presenting a graphical representation includes providing an image of the graphical representation to a screen display.

57. The method of claim 47, wherein the method further comprises programming a change in the configuration, and wherein presenting a graphical representation of the configuration includes presenting both current settings and changed settings for the configuration.

18. A system, comprising:

means for receiving information about a medical device having at least one lead with at least one electrode in a configuration; and

means for graphically representing the configuration.

28. A device, comprising:

circuitry for communicating with a medical device having at least one lead with at least one electrode in a configuration; and

a display for graphically representing the configuration.

39. A computer-readable medium encoded with a software program for providing a graphical display of a lead configuration for an implantable medical device having at least one lead with at least one electrode in a configuration, the software program executing the following:

receiving information about the lead configuration; and

graphically representing the lead configuration.

47. A method, comprising:

receiving information for a medical device having at least one lead with at least one electrode in a configuration; and

presenting a graphical representation of the configuration.