Method and apparatus for integrating implantable medical device data
First Claim
1. A method, comprising:
- interrogating an implantable medical device (IMD) with an interrogating external programmer device (EPD);
comparing a unique signature associated with the interrogating EPD to a stored signature in memory of the IMD; and
retrieving the stored signature from the memory of the IMD;
wherein the retrieved signature is associated with a particular EPD that most immediately previously established communications with the IMD.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and systems for constructing a comprehensive history for an IMD are disclosed. The method includes interrogating an implantable medical device (IMD) with an interrogating external programmer device (EPD), and comparing a unique signature associated with the interrogating EPD to a stored signature, associated with a particular programmer device that most immediately previously programmed the IMD, in memory of the IMD. If the unique signature of the interrogating programmer device is not the same as the stored signature, the method includes recording the stored signature in the interrogating EPD. The method may optionally include replacing the stored signature in the IMD memory with the unique signature of the interrogating EPD if the interrogating EPD programs the IMD. A comprehensive history for the IMD may be constructed by tracing the values in the IMD and the programmer databases.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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interrogating an implantable medical device (IMD) with an interrogating external programmer device (EPD); comparing a unique signature associated with the interrogating EPD to a stored signature in memory of the IMD; and retrieving the stored signature from the memory of the IMD; wherein the retrieved signature is associated with a particular EPD that most immediately previously established communications with the IMD. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A medical device, comprising:
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an electrical signal generator comprising an instruction processor, the signal generator configured to deliver an electrical signal to a biological tissue; a program memory for storing instructions that are directly executable by the instruction processor, and that control, at least in part, the operation of the medical device; a data memory for storing operating parameters that are used by the instruction processor, and that control, at least in part, the operation of the medical device; a programmer history memory that stores a unique first signature associated with a first external programming device (EPD) that most immediately previously programmed the medical device by communication with the instruction processor; wherein the unique first signature stored in the programmer history memory is retrieved by a second EPD different from the first EPD for reconstructing a thread identifying each EPD that has programmed the medical device. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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17. An external programmer device (EPD) operable to non-invasively monitor and program an implantable medical device (IMD), comprising:
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an external device telemetry system operable for non-invasive wireless communication with the IMD; a unique first signature identifying the EPD; and a local database storing EPD activity data; wherein upon interrogating the IMD, the EPD retrieves a stored signature from the IMD, to compares the retrieved signature to the unique first signature of the EPD and, stores the retrieved signature in the local database. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A medical system, comprising:
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an implantable medical device (IMD) configured to deliver an electrical signal to a biological tissue, the IMD comprising; a programmer history memory that stores an EPD signature associated with a particular external programmer device (EPD) that most immediately previously programmed the IMD; and a plurality of EPDs, each EPD comprising; a local database storing data records of the activity of the particular EPD and a unique signature identifying the particular EPD from among said plurality of EPDs; wherein upon interrogating the IMD via telemetric communication, an EPD of the plurality of EPDs retrieves the EPD signature from the programmer history memory to compare the retrieved EPD signature to the unique signature of the EPD that retrieved the signature and, if the retrieved EPD signature does not match the unique signature of the EPD that retrieved the signature, stores the retrieved signature in the local database. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification