Advanced patient management with environmental data

• US 20040122294A1
• Filed: 12/18/2002
• Published: 06/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Stahmann, Jeffrey E., Zhu, Qingsheng, Hatlestad, John
• Application Number:
  US10/323,590
• Publication Number:
  US 20040122294A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0247 for compensation or correction of the measured physiological value
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0252 using ambient temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0257 using atmospheric pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0537 Measuring body composition by impedance, e.g. tissue hydration or fat content
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/091 Measuring volume of inspired or expired gases, e.g. to determine lung capacity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/04 Electric stethoscopes microphones, acoustic transducers therefor H04R
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37252 Details of algorithms or data aspects of communication system, e.g. handshaking, transmitting specific data or segmenting data
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37282 characterised by communication with experts in remote locations using a network
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment

Abstract

Systems, devices and methods for using environmental data to manage health care are disclosed. One aspect is an advanced patient management system. In various embodiments, the system includes at least one implantable medical device (IMD) to acquire at least one IMD parameter indicative of patient wellness, means to acquire at least one environmental parameter from at least one external source, and means to correlate the at least one parameter indicative of patient wellness and the at least one environmental parameter to assist with patient health care decisions. Other aspects and embodiments are provided herein.

Claims

1. An advanced patient management system, comprising:

at least one implantable medical device (IMD) to acquire at least one IMD parameter indicative of patient wellness;

means to acquire at least one environmental parameter from at least one external source; and

means to correlate the at least one parameter indicative of patient wellness and the at least one environmental parameter to assist with patient health care decisions.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein means to acquire at least one environmental parameter includes means to acquire at least one environmental parameter from at least one database of environmental parameters.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one database of environmental parameters includes a database suitable to be accessed via a global communication network.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein means to acquire at least one environmental parameter includes means to acquire at least one environmental parameter from at least one environmental sensor.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising means to determine a location of the at least one IMD, wherein the means to acquire at least one environmental parameter uses the means to determine a location of the at least one IMD to acquire at least one environmental parameter for the determine location of the at least one IMD.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein means to determine a location of the at least one IMD includes global positioning satellite (GPS) technology.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein means to determine a location of the at least one IMD includes cellular communication technology.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the IMD includes a cardiac rhythm management (CRM) device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein means to acquire at least one environmental parameter from at least one database of environmental parameters includes means to acquire at least one parameter related to altitude.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein means to acquire at least one environmental parameter from at least one database of environmental parameters includes means to acquire at least one parameter related to temperature.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein means to acquire at least one environmental parameter from at least one database of environmental parameters includes means to acquire at least one parameter related to air quality.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one database of environmental parameters includes means to acquire at least one parameter related to pollen counts.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the means to acquire at least one environmental parameter from at least one database of environmental parameters includes means to acquire at least one parameter related to humidity.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising means to synthesize the at least one environmental parameter with the at least one IMD parameter and to report resulting data for use to assist with patient health care decisions.

15. A device for monitoring a patient'"'"'s health condition, comprising:

a first data input to acquire at least one implantable medical device (IMD) parameter from at least one IMD indicative of patient wellness;

a second data input to communicate with a source of at least one environmental parameter that is external to the at least one IMD to acquire the at least one environmental parameter; and

a correlation module to communicate with the first communication module and the second communication module and to correlate the at least one IMD parameter and the at least one environmental parameter.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the source of at least one environmental parameter includes at least one external sensor.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the source of at least one environmental parameter includes at least one database.

18. The device of claim 15, wherein the at least one database includes at least one database accessible via a global communication network.

19. The device of claim 15, wherein the at least one environmental parameter includes an altitude parameter.

20. The device of claim 15, wherein the at least one environmental parameter includes a temperature parameter.

21. The device of claim 15, wherein the at least one environmental parameter includes an air quality parameter.

22. The device of claim 15, wherein the at least one environmental parameter includes a pollen count parameter.

23. The device of claim 15, wherein the at least one environmental parameter includes a humidity parameter.

24. The device of claim 15, wherein the device includes an implantable medical device (IMD).

25. The device of claim 15, wherein the device includes a wellness monitoring device (WMD).

26. A programmable device having machine executable instructions for performing a method to assist with patient healthcare decisions, the method comprising:

acquiring at least one health-related parameter from at least one implantable medical device (IMD);

acquiring at least one environmental parameter from a source external to the at least one IMD; and

synthesizing the at least one health-related parameter with the at least one environmental parameter.

27. The device of claim 26, wherein synthesizing the at least one health-related parameter with the at least one environmental parameter includes reporting the at least one health-related parameter with the at least one environmental parameter.

28. The device of claim 26, wherein synthesizing the at least one health-related parameter with the at least one environmental parameter includes correlating the at least one health-related parameter with the at least one environmental parameter and reporting the at least one health-related parameter with the at least one environmental parameter.

29. The device of claim 26, wherein acquiring at least one environmental parameter includes acquiring at least one parameter related to altitude.

30. The device of claim 26, wherein acquiring at least one environmental parameter includes acquiring at least one parameter related to temperature.

31. The device of claim 26, wherein acquiring at least one environmental parameter includes acquiring at least one parameter related to air quality.

32. The device of claim 26, wherein acquiring at least one environmental parameter includes acquiring at least one parameter related to pollen counts.

33. The device of claim 26, wherein acquiring at least one environmental parameter includes acquiring at least one parameter related to humidity.

34. The device of claim 26, wherein acquiring at least one environmental parameter includes acquiring at least one environmental parameter from a database of environmental parameters.

35. The device of claim 34, wherein acquiring at least one environmental parameter from a database of environmental parameters includes acquiring at least one environmental parameter through a global computer network.

36. The device of claim 34, further comprising determining a location of the IMD, wherein acquiring at least one environmental parameter from a database of environmental parameters includes acquiring at least one environmental parameter associated with the location of the environmental parameter.

37. An advanced patient management system, comprising:

at least one implantable medical device (IMD) to acquire at least one IMD parameter indicative of patient wellness;

means to acquire at least one environmental parameter from at least one external source; and

means to factor in the at least one environmental parameter in the advanced patient management system.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the means to factor in the at least one environmental parameter in the advanced patient management system includes means to adjust the at least one IMD parameter indicative of patient wellness based on the at least one environmental parameter.

39. The system of claim 37, wherein the means to factor in the at least one environmental parameter in the advanced patient management system includes means to adjust a display of the at least one IMD parameter indicative of patient wellness based on the at least one environmental parameter.

40. The system of claim 37, wherein the means to factor in the at least one environmental parameter in the advanced patient management system includes means to adjust IMD-provided therapy based on the at least one environmental parameter.

41. The system of claim 37, wherein means to acquire at least one environmental parameter from at least one database of environmental parameters includes means to acquire at least one parameter related to altitude.

42. The system of claim 37, wherein means to acquire at least one environmental parameter from at least one database of environmental parameters includes means to acquire at least one parameter related to temperature.

43. The system of claim 37, wherein means to acquire at least one environmental parameter from at least one database of environmental parameters includes means to acquire at least one parameter related to air quality.

44. The system of claim 37, wherein the at least one database of environmental parameters includes means to acquire at least one parameter related to pollen counts.

45. The system of claim 37, wherein the means to acquire at least one environmental parameter from at least one database of environmental parameters includes means to acquire at least one parameter related to humidity.

46. The system of claim 37, wherein the means to acquire at least one environmental parameter includes means to acquire at least one parameter related to pressure.