INFECTION MONITORING

• US 20080262332A1
• Filed: 04/19/2007
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Gerber, Martin T., Rondoni, John C.
• Application Number:
  US11/737,173
• Publication Number:
  US 20080262332A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/361
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/053 Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of a portion of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/076 Permanent implantations telemetry using implanted circuitry A61B5/0031; implanted stimulators for therapy A61N1/3605, A61N1/362, A61N1/372
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/145 Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissuemeasuring of blood pressure or blood flow A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14539 for measuring pH
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6846 specially adapted to be brought in contact with an internal body part, i.e. invasive
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/18 with alarm
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3368 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3523 using telemetric means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3561 local, e.g. within room or hospital
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14276 specially adapted for implantation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16836 by sensing tissue properties at the infusion site, e.g. for detecting infiltration detecting tissue temperature for diagnostic purposes A61M39/0247
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36521 the parameter being derived from measurement of an electrical impedance
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37258 Alerting the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3756 Casings with electrodes thereon, e.g. leadless stimulators

Abstract

A method includes monitoring an indicator of infection in proximity to an implanted active therapy delivering medical device and providing information regarding the monitored indicator to the implanted medical device. The method further includes determining whether the information regarding the monitored indicator is indicative of infection in proximity to the implanted medical device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

monitoring an indicator of infection in proximity to an implanted active therapy delivering medical device;

providing information regarding the monitored indicator to the implanted medical device; and

determining whether the information regarding the monitored indicator is indicative of infection in proximity to the implanted medical device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the information regarding the monitored indicator is indicative of infection is performed in the implanted device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the information regarding the monitored indicator to an external device, wherein determining whether the information regarding the monitored indicator is indicative of infection is performed in the external device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the implanted medical device is an infusion device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the implanted device is an electrical signal generator.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the indicator of infection comprises monitoring temperature.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the indicator of infection comprises monitoring pH.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the indicator of infection comprises monitoring impedance.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the indicator of infection comprises monitoring a biological indicator of infection.

18. The method of claim 1, monitoring the indicator of infection in proximity to the implanted active therapy delivering medical device comprises sensing the indicator via a sensor located on or in a housing of the device.

10. An active implantable therapy delivering medical device comprising:

a hermetically sealed housing;

a power source disposed in the housing;

electronics disposed in the housing and operably coupled to the power source, the electronics capable of controlling therapeutic output from the device;

a sensor located in proximity to the housing and being operably coupled to the electronics, the sensor capable of detecting information regarding an indicator of infection and transmitting the information to the electronics; and

a computer readable medium containing instructions that when implemented by the electronics cause the device to determine whether the information is indicative of infection.

11. The device of claim 10, further comprising an alarm operably coupled to the electronics, wherein the computer readable medium further contains instructions that when implemented by the electronics cause the device to activate the alarm if a determination is made that the information is indicative of infection.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the active implantable therapy delivering medical device is an infusion device.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the active implantable therapy delivering medical device is an electrical signal generator.

19. The device of claim 10, wherein the sensor is located one or in the housing.

14. A system comprising:

an active implantable therapy delivering medical device comprising;

a hermetically sealed housing;

a power source disposed in the housing;

first electronics disposed in the housing and operably coupled to the power source, the first electronics capable of controlling therapeutic output from the active implantable therapy delivering device;

a sensor located in proximity to the housing and being operably coupled to the electronics, the sensor capable of detecting information regarding an indicator of infection and transmitting the information to the electronics; and

a wireless transmitter operably coupled to the electronics and capable of transmitting the information regarding the indicator of infection; and

a second device comprising;

second electronics;

a wireless receiver operably coupled to the electronics and capable of receiving the information regarding the indicator of infection from the active implantable medical device; and

a computer readable medium containing instructions that when implemented by the second electronics cause the second device to determine whether the information is indicative of infection.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the active implantable therapy delivering medical device is an infusion device.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the active implantable therapy delivering medical device is an electrical signal generator.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the second device is a programmer device.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the sensor is located on or in the housing of the active implantable therapy delivering medical device.