Advanced patient management system including interrogator/transceiver unit

• US 20060106433A1
• Filed: 10/26/2005
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Manicka, Yatheendhar D., Mazar, Scott Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 7,751,901 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/60
• 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 5/4815 Sleep quality
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

An advanced patient management system including at least one device that is implanted in a patient, the device being configured to measure physiological attributes of the patient and provide therapy to the patient. The advanced patient management system may also include an interrogator/transceiver unit in communication with the device and a network, the unit being positioned relative to the device to facility communication between the repeater and the device. The advanced patient management system also includes a host, in communication with the device through the network, to store data from the device and to provide a predictive diagnosis of an oncoming event. The interrogator/transceiver unit may include programmable or updateable with software from a computer system or remote host.

Claims

1-19. -19. (canceled)

20. An interrogator/transceiver unit, the unit comprising:

a processor module programmed to process software instructions;

an interface module programmed to communicate with a device associated with a patient and a remote host; and

a memory module, wherein the memory module includes baseline software that enables the unit to communicate with the device; and

wherein the unit is configured to communicate with the device to obtain identification information from the device, and to communicate with the remote host to download, into the memory module of the unit, device management software that is selected using the identification information received by the unit from the device.

21. The unit of claim 20, wherein the unit is programmed to automatically communicate, using the baseline software, with one or more devices that are present near the unit.

22. The unit of claim 20, wherein the unit is programmed to automatically communicate with the remote host to download the device management software.

23. The unit of claim 22, wherein the identification information received by the unit from the device includes an indication of a model of the device, and wherein the unit is programmed to communicate information about the model to the remote host.

24. The unit of claim 20, wherein the unit is programmed to recurrently communicate with the remote host to download updated device management software to the memory module of the unit.

25. The unit of claim 20, wherein the device is an implanted device.

26. The unit of claim 20, wherein the identification information from the device includes an indication of a model of the device, and wherein the unit is programmed to communicate information about the model to the remote host.

27. The unit of claim 26, wherein the identification information from the device includes a model number and a serial number of the device.

28. The unit of claim 20, wherein, upon reset of the unit, the unit communicates with the device to obtain identification information from the device and downloads device management software from the remote host to the unit based upon the identification information received by the unit from the device.

29. A system comprising:

an external interrogator/transceiver unit configured to communicate with a device associated with a patient and a remote host; and

a computer system, capable of communicating with the unit, wherein the computer system is configured to allow a user to select one or more of a plurality of device models associated with the device, and, upon selection, the computer system is configured to install on the unit device management software associated with the one or more selected device models to allow the unit to communicate with the device.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the device management software for the plurality of device models resides in a memory of the computer system.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the device management software for the plurality of device models resides on a removable storage medium.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein the computer system is configured to communicate with the remote host to download the device management software associated with the one or more selected device models.

33. The system of claim 29, wherein the device is an implanted device.

34. The system of claim 29, wherein the computer system is programmed to allow the user to select a model number of the device.

35. A method of transmitting data from a device associated with a patient to a remote host, the method comprising:

locating one or more devices in local proximity;

pinging each located device to obtain identification information;

retrieving device management software for each device from the remote host, the retrieving including communicating the identification information to the remote host for selecting appropriate device management software;

installing the device management software on an external unit in local proximity to the devices; and

using the device management software to functionally communicate between the unit and each device.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the locating the one or more devices is performed using baseline software on the unit.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the identification information includes at least one of a model number and a serial number of the device.

38. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

resetting the unit, then pinging one or more devices in local proximity to obtain identification information;

retrieving device management software for each pinged device from the remote host;

installing the device management software on the unit; and

using the device management software to functionally communicate a device.