Programming system for medical devices

• US 20030176899A1
• Filed: 11/06/2002
• Published: 09/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: St. Jude Medical AB (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: St. Jude Medical AB (Abbott Laboratories)
• Inventors: Andersson, Jonas, Samuelsson, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 7,050,857 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37247 User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37252 Details of algorithms or data aspects of communication system, e.g. handshaking, transmitting specific data or segmenting data

Abstract

A programmer for an implantable medical device is described. It includes means for displaying a graphical representation of a quantity influenced by the operation of said medical device and means for associating parameters relating to the control of the device with portions of said graphical representation. When an operator selects and alters the shape of said displayed graphical representation to illustrate a desired operational effect of said medical device on said quantity, the arrangement responds to the altered shape by modifying the values of associated parameters accordingly. This enables an operator to select parameters on the basis of the effect intended, rather than setting parameter values and then observing the effect. The resulting system is thus not only more intuitive and thus easier to use for a medical practitioner, it will also be safer for the patient, since there is less likelihood of the operator programming unsuitable parameter values.

Claims

1. An arrangement for monitoring and controlling the operation of an implantable medical device, characterised by:

means (26, 10) for communicating with said medical device (10), means (22, 24) for displaying a graphical representation of a quantity influenced by the operation of said medical device, means (22) for associating parameters relating to the control of the device with portions of said graphical representation,

means (32, 22) for selecting and moving points in said graphical representation to thereby alter the shape of said displayed graphical representation to illustrate a desired operational effect of said medical device on said quantity, and

means (22, 24) responsive to said altered shape for modifying the values of associated parameters in accordance with the modification of the portions.

2. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said quantity is at least one physiological activity influenced by said medical device.

3. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised by means for setting a nearest authorised modified parameter value in response to said altered shape of the graphical representation.

4. An arrangement as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that said graphical representation includes a waveform.

5. An arrangement as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that said waveform is a representation of the variation of said quantity against time.

6. An arrangement as claimed in any previous claim, characterised by means (26, 10) for collecting data relating to said quantity, and means (22) for constructing a graphical representation of said quantity for display.

7. An arrangement as claimed in any previous claim, characterised in that several parameters are associated with portions of the same graphical representation, such that said means responsive to the altered shape of a graphical representation are adapted to modify the values of said several parameters in accordance with modified portions.

8. An arrangement as claimed in any previous claim, characterized in that the graphical representation is a waveform representing the electrical activity of a patient'"'"'s cardiovascular system.

9. An arrangement as claimed in any previous claim, wherein said medical device is a cardiac stimulating device.

10. A method for monitoring and/or controlling the operation of an implantable medical device, characterised by:

displaying a graphical representation of a quantity influenced by the operation of said medical device,

mapping parameters relating to the control of the device onto select portions of said graphical representation,

altering the shape of said graphical representation to display a desired operational effect of said medical device on said

quantity, and modifying the associated control parameter in response to said altered shape.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10, characterised in that said quantity is at least one physiological activity.

12. A method as claimed in claim 10 or 11, characterised in that said mapping step includes mapping parameter magnitudes with selected dimensions of said graphical representation, and said modifying step includes modifying the magnitude of the control parameter in response to a change in said dimensions.

13. A method as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 12, characterised in that said graphical representation is a waveform representing the variation of said quantity against time.

14. A method as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 13, characterised by generating said graphical representation from a plurality of measured curves and/or values.

15. A method as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 14, characterised by mapping several parameters to one graphical representation, and modifying the several parameters in response to the altering of shape of the graphical representation.

16. A method as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 15, characterised in that said display step includes displaying a curve representing at least one cycle of a electrocardiogram (ECG) or intracardial electrogram (IEGM) signal.

17. A method as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 16, characterised by displaying a measured signal of the quantity for comparison with said graphical representation.

18. A method as claimed in claim 17, characterised comparing said graphical representation with said signal by superposing said graphical representation on said displayed signal.

19. A method as claimed in claim 18, characterised in that said superposing step includes automatically adjusting said graphical representation to the scale of said measured signal.

20. A method as claimed in any one of claims 17 to 19, characterised in that said displayed measured signal varies continuously over time.

21. A method as claimed in claim 19, characterised by displaying offset ad contrasting signal portions deriving from signal values measured in different time periods.

22. A computer program product, characterised by computer readable code, which when loaded in digital processing means causes the execution of the method as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 19.

23. A computer readable storage medium carrying a computer program product as claimed in claim 22.