Implantable medical device programmer module for use with existing clinical instrumentation

• US 20040225337A1
• Filed: 02/10/2004
• Published: 11/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Pool, Nancy P., Housworth, Craig M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,463,930 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37211 Means for communicating with stimulators

Abstract

An external programmer module adapted for physical and electrical connection to existing clinical monitoring and/or therapy instrumentation is provided for achieving bi-directional communication with an implantable medical device (IMD). The programmer module includes telemetry circuitry necessary for communicating with an IMD and a connector that allows electrical connection to a clinical instrument such as a patient monitor or external defibrillator. The connector is adapted to connect the programmer module with the power supply of the clinical instrument and may connect the programmer module with one or more features or subsystems of the clinical instrument, such as, a central processing system, a printer, an electronic storage medium, a user interface, a communications interface, or graphical display. The programmer module is enclosed in a housing adapted for physical mating with the clinical instrument, either on the outside of the clinical instrument or within an open bay designed to receive auxiliary devices.

Claims

1. An implantable medical device programmer module adapted for use with a clinical monitoring or therapy delivery instrument, the module comprising:

a telemetry circuit for telemetric communication with an implantable medical device;

a connector electrically coupled to the telemetry circuit and adapted to be received by a receptacle included in the clinical instrument to achieve electrical connection between the programmer module and the clinical instrument; and

a housing for encasing the telemetry circuit wherein the housing is adapted for physical connection to the clinical instrument.

2. The module of claim 1 wherein the connector allows an electrical power source included in the clinical instrument to be connected to the module.

3. The module of claim 1 wherein the connector allows downlink telemetry data and control commands to be transferred from a central processing system included in the clinical instrument to the programmer module and uplinked telemetry data from an implanted medical device to be transferred from the programmer module to the central processing system included in the clinical instrument.

4. A medical device system, comprising:

an implantable medical device generating uplink telemetry transmissions in response to received downlink telemetry transmissions;

an external programmer module generating the downlink telemetry transmissions and receiving the uplink telemetry transmission from the implantable medical device wherein the external programmer module includes telemetry circuitry enclosed in a housing and a connector electrically coupled to the telemetry circuitry;

a clinical instrument having a receptacle adapted to receive the programmer module connector to achieve electrical connection of the clinical instrument and the programmer module.