Clinic based instrument system for remote processing and access to implanted systems information

• US 20060052842A1
• Filed: 09/08/2004
• Published: 03/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Hess, Michael F., Manrodt, Christopher M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,634,926 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 1/37282 characterised by communication with experts in remote locations using a network

Abstract

A system for accessing implantable medical device (IMD) data is provided including an interrogation appliance to retrieve data from an IMD and transfer the data to a processor. The processor converts the device data to a viewable form that is transferred by the processor to a data destination. The data destination may be an electronic mail address, a secure web site, a facsimile number or the interrogation appliance. The data is presented in a viewable form at the data destination either on a display or by printing. Any number of interrogation appliances may be communicatively coupled to the processor for converting IMD data and providing the IMD data back to a data destination in a viewable form for use by a clinician.

Claims

1. A method for accessing implanted medical device data, comprising:

transferring data from an implanted medical device to an interrogation appliance via a wireless communication link;

transferring the data from the interrogation appliance to a processor;

converting the data to a viewable format; and

transferring the converted data from the processor to a data destination via a communication network.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the data transferred to the data destination is filtered.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the data transferred to the data destination is filtered according to the interrogation appliance identity.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the data transferred to the data destination is filtered according to the data destination.

5. The method of claim 1 further including displaying the converted data received at the data destination.

6. The method of claim 1 further including printing the converted data received at the data destination.

7. The method of claim 1 further including storing the converted data received at the data destination.

8. A system for accessing implanted medical device data, comprising:

an interrogation appliance adapted for communicating with an implanted medical device;

a communication network coupled to the interrogation appliance;

a data processor coupled to the communication network;

a data presentation unit coupled to the communication network for receiving and presenting data received from the data processor.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the interrogation appliance comprises:

a telemetry unit for establishing communication with the implantable medical device,

a communication module for establishing communication with a processor,

a processor for controlling communication functions for retrieving data from the implantable medical device and transferring the retrieved data to the processor.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the interrogation appliance further comprises an interface.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the interface is a user interface.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the interface is configured to receive external monitoring signals.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the interrogation appliance further includes a display.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein in the interrogation appliance further includes a printer.

15. A system for accessing implanted medical device data, comprising:

means for retrieving data from an implantable medical device;

means for transferring retrieved data from retrieving means to means for processing retrieved data; and

means for transferring processed data from processing means to means for presenting processed data in a viewable form.

16. A computer-readable medium for storing instructions that when implemented in a medical device monitoring system cause the system to:

establish a first communication link between an implantable medical device and an interrogation appliance;

transfer data from the implanted medical device to the interrogation appliance;

establish a second communication link between the interrogation appliance and a networked processor;

transfer data from the interrogation appliance to the processor during a communication session;

convert the transferred data from a device data format to a viewable data format;

establish a third communication link between the processor and a data destination; and

transfer the converted data to the data destination.

17. The computer readable medium for storing a set of instructions according to claim 16 that further causes the system to present the converted data at the data destination on a display.

18. The computer readable medium for storing a set of instructions according to claim 16 that further causes the system to print the converted data on a printer at the data destination.

19. The computer readable medium for storing a set of instructions according to claim 16 that further causes the system to electronically store the converted data at the data destination.

20. The computer readable medium for storing a set of instructions according to claim 16 that further causes the system to clear data from the implantable medical device after transferring the data from the implantable medical device to the interrogation appliance.

21. The computer readable medium for storing a set of instructions according to claim 16 that further causes the system to store the data received by the processor from the interrogation appliance in a database associated with the processor.

22. The computer readable medium for storing a set of instructions according to claim 21 that further causes the system to generate a data alert message after storing the data in a database associated with the processor.

23. The computer readable medium for storing a set of instructions according to claim 16 that further causes the system to update a log of communication sessions between the processor and the interrogation appliance.

24. The computer readable medium for storing a set of instructions according to claim 16 that further causes the system to display an indication of the status of a communication session.

25. The computer readable medium for storing a set of instructions according to claim 16 that further causes the system to display an indication of the status of the first communication link between the implantable medical device to the interrogation appliance.

26. The computer readable medium for storing a set of instructions according to claim 16 that further causes the system to filter the data transferred from the interrogation appliance to the processor.

27. The computer readable medium for storing a set of instructions according to claim 26 wherein the data filtering is based on the identity of the interrogation appliance.

28. The computer readable medium for storing a set of instructions according to claim 26 wherein the data filtering is based on the identity of the data destination.

29. The computer readable medium for storing a set of instructions according to claim 16 that further causes the system to filter the data transferred from the processor to the data destination.

30. The computer readable medium for storing a set of instructions according to claim 16 that further causes the system to:

transfer a set of programming instructions from the processor to the interrogation appliance; and

transfer the set of programming instructions from the interrogation appliance to the implantable medical device.