Notification of programmed state of medical device

• US 20030028223A1
• Filed: 08/03/2001
• Published: 02/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Olson, Walter H.
• Granted Patent: US 6,662,050 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/27
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37258 Alerting the patient

Abstract

An implantable medical device, such as an implantable cardioverter/defibrillator (ICD) issues a notification when it has been left in a programmed state for some time, possibly inadvertently. The patient or another person may then initiate a course of corrective action, such as programming the device to an appropriate state.

Claims

1. A method for indicating a programmed state of an implantable medical device, the method comprising:

detecting a programmed state of the implantable medical device;

subsequently determining whether the implantable medical device is in the programmed state similar to the detected programmed state; and

issuing a notification when the implantable medical device is in the same programmed state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the programmed state comprises a disabled state of at least one of ventricular fibrillation detection and ventricular fibrillation therapy.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the programmed state comprises a disabled state of at least one of atrial fibrillation detection and atrial fibrillation therapy.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the programmed state comprises a disabled state of at least one of atrial tachycardia detection, ventricular tachycardia detection, atrial tachycardia therapy, and ventricular tachycardia therapy.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the programmed state comprises a disabled state of at least one of bradycardia detection and bradycardia therapy.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the programmed state comprises an enabled state of induction of arrhythmia.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the subsequent time occurs at a set time of day following detecting the programmed state.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the subsequent time occurs at elapsing of a programmable duration following detecting the programmed state.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification comprises at least one of a notification sent to a device external to the implantable medical device, an audible alert, a vibration alert, and an electrical stimulation alert.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising suppressing the notification.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically exiting the programmed state.

12. A processor-readable medium containing instructions to cause a processor to:

detect a programmed state of an implantable medical device;

at a subsequent time after detecting the programmed state, determine whether the implantable medical device is in the same programmed state; and

when the implantable medical device is in the same programmed state, issue a notification.

13. The processor-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the programmed state comprises a disabled state of at least one of ventricular fibrillation detection and ventricular fibrillation therapy.

14. The processor-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the programmed state comprises a disabled state of at least one of atrial fibrillation detection and atrial fibrillation therapy.

15. The processor-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the programmed state comprises a disabled state of at least one of atrial tachycardia detection, ventricular tachycardia detection, atrial tachycardia therapy, and ventricular tachycardia therapy.

16. The processor-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the programmed state comprises a disabled state of at least one of bradycardia detection and bradycardia therapy.

17. The processor-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the programmed state comprises an enabled state of induction of arrhythmia.

18. The processor-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the subsequent time occurs at a set time of day following detecting the programmed state.

19. The processor-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the subsequent time occurs at elapsing of a programmable duration following detecting the programmed state.

20. The processor-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the notification comprises at least one of a notification sent to a device external to the implantable medical device, an audible alert, a vibration alert, and an electrical stimulation alert.

21. The processor-readable medium of claim 12, containing further processor-executable instructions to cause the processor to suppress the notification.

22. The processor-readable medium of claim 12, containing further processor-executable instructions to cause the processor to automatically exit the programmed state.

23. An implantable medical device comprising:

a control module programmable to a programmed state;

a monitoring module to detect the programmed state; and

an alert module to issue a notification when the control module remains in the programmed state at a subsequent time after the monitoring module detects the programmed state.

24. The implantable medical device of claim 23, wherein the programmed state comprises a disabled state of at least one of ventricular fibrillation detection and ventricular fibrillation therapy.

25. The implantable medical device of claim 23, wherein the programmed state comprises a disabled state of at least one of atrial fibrillation detection and atrial fibrillation therapy.

26. The implantable medical device of claim 23, wherein the programmed state comprises a disabled state of at least one of atrial tachycardia detection, ventricular tachycardia detection, atrial tachycardia therapy, and ventricular tachycardia therapy.

27. The implantable medical device of claim 23, wherein the programmed state comprises a disabled state of at least one of bradycardia detection and bradycardia therapy.

28. The implantable medical device of claim 23, wherein the programmed state comprises an enabled state of induction of arrhythmia.

29. The implantable medical device of claim 23, wherein the subsequent time occurs at a set time of day following detecting the programmed state.

30. The implantable medical device of claim 23, wherein the subsequent time occurs at elapsing of a programmable duration following detecting the programmed state.

31. The implantable medical device of claim 23, wherein the notification comprises at least one of a notification sent to a device external to the implantable medical device, an audible alert, a vibration alert, and an electrical stimulation alert.

32. The implantable medical device of claim 23, wherein the alert module is programmable to suppress the notification.

33. The implantable medical device of claim 23, wherein the control module is programmable to automatically exit the programmed state.