SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR THE REMOTE PROGRAMMING OF A PROGRAMMABLE PERSONAL MEDICAL DEVICE

• US 20090024178A1
• Filed: 07/01/2008
• Published: 01/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biotronik SE & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Biotronik VI Patent AG (Biotronik SE & Company KG)
• Inventors: Hennig, Carsten
• Granted Patent: US 8,423,149 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37235 Aspects of the external programmer
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37264 Changing the program; Upgrading firmware
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37282 characterised by communication with experts in remote locations using a network
• 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

Abstract

The invention relates to a system and a method for the remote programming of a programmable personal medical device (10, 10′), in particular an implantable medical device such as a cardiac pacemaker, defibrillator, or the like, selecting (61) of a personal medical device, compiling (63) of a programming instruction (50) by accepting inputs of a user, and checking (63) the inputs for plausibility and compatibility with the personal medical device in a programming device (20), transmitting (65) the programming instruction to a patient intermediary device (30) tuned to the personal medical device via at least one indirect connection, receiving (67) of the programming instruction by the patient intermediary device, and transmitting of the programming instruction to the personal medical device, and accepting (69) of the programming instruction by a programmable controller of the personal medical device being provided.

Claims

1. A system for the remote programming of a programmable personal medical device, in particular an implantable medical device such as a cardiac pacemaker, defibrillator, or the like, including:

i. a programmable personal medical device (10, 10′

),

ii. a programming device (20) tuned to the personal medical device,

iii. a patient intermediary device (30) tuned to the personal medical device,

wherein;

a. the personal medical device (10, 10′

) includes;

(1) a personal device first interface (11) allowing communication between the personal medical device (10, 10′

) and the patient intermediary device (30),

(2) a programmable controller (13) for controlling functions of the personal medical device (10, 10′

) on the basis of control parameters, wherein the programmable controller (13) accepts programming instructions via the personal device first interface (11),

b. the programming device (20) includes;

(1) a programming device first interface (21) allowing communication between the programming device (20) and the patient intermediary device (30),

(2) a programming unit (23);

(a) accepting programming inputs for the personal medical device (10, 10′

), the programming inputs including programming instructions for revising control parameters of the personal medical device (10, 10′

),

(b) checking the programming inputs for plausibility and compatibility with the personal medical device (10, 10′

),

(3) an input unit (25) for accepting user inputs, the input unit (25) being in communication with the programming unit (23) and cooperating therewith to transmit programming instructions via the programming device first interface (21) to the patient intermediary device (30),

c. the patient intermediary device (30) includes;

(1) an intermediary device first interface (31) allowing communication between the patient intermediary device (30) and the personal medical device (10, 10′

),

(2) an intermediary device second interface (33) allowing communication between the patient intermediary device (30) and the programming device (20),

wherein the patient intermediary device (30) transmits programming instructions from the programming device (20) via the intermediary device second interface (33) to the personal medical device (10, 10′

) via the intermediary device first interface (31).

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the personal medical device is an active medical implant.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the personal medical device is an implantable cardiac pacemaker or defibrillator-cardioverter.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the patient intermediary device first interface (31) and the personal device first interface (11) wirelessly communicate at a range of up to approximately 5 meters.

5. The system of claim 1:

a. further including a service center (40) having;

(1) a service center first interface (41) for connecting the service center (40) in communication with the programming device (20), and

(2) a data memory (43) storing data associated with at least one personal medical device,

b. wherein within the programming device (20);

(1) the programming device first interface (21) allows communication between the programming device (20) and the intermediary device second interface (33),

(2) the programming device (20) further includes a programming device second interface (29) allowing communication between the programming device (20) and the service center (40),

(3) the programming unit (23) and the input unit (25) cooperate to request data associated with the personal medical device (10, 10′

) from the service center (40).

6. The system of claim 5 wherein:

a. the service center (40) has a service center second interface (45) allowing communications between the service center (40) and the patient intermediary device (30),

b. the programming device (20) transmits the programming instructions to the service center (40), and

c. the service center (40) transmits the received programming instructions to the patient intermediary device (30).

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the service center (40) has a data unit (47) which adds data, on the basis of the programming instructions, to the data associated with the personal medical device stored in the data memory (43).

8. The system of claim 5 wherein the service center (40) has a verification unit (49) which verifies the programming device (20) before transmission of

a. data to the programming device (20), and/or

b. the programming instructions.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein:

a. the programming device (20) appends an identification (53) of a prior program to the programming instructions,

b. the personal medical device (10, 10′

) includes a comparison unit (15) which compares the identification appended to the programming instructions to the current program of the programmable controller (13),

c. the programmable controller (13) rejects the programming instructions if comparison results are negative.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the programmable controller (13) transmits a message to the patient intermediary device (30) and/or the programming device (20) upon one or more of:

a. successful execution of the programming instructions, and/or

b. denied execution of the programming instructions.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the patient intermediary device (30):

a. includes a program memory (35) for buffering the programming instructions, and

b. transmits the programming instructions stored in the program memory (35) to the personal medical device (10, 10′

) when a connection is established to the personal medical device (10, 10′

).

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the programming device (20) has a third interface (27) for wireless communication with the personal medical device (10, 10′

).

13. The system of claim 1 wherein:

a. the programming device (20) appends an authentication (55) to the programming instructions, and

b. the patient intermediary device (30) and/or the personal medical device (10, 10′

) includes an authentication unit (37) which permits transmission of the programming instructions to the personal medical device (10, 10′

) only if a valid authentication is present.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein:

a. the programming unit (23) and input unit (25) cooperate to establish a transmission pathway for programming instructions,

b. the programming unit (23) performs the check for plausibility and compatibility as a function of the established transmission pathway.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the programming unit (23) only permits programming instructions having control parameters in a range which is narrower than a range which is provided for a direct transmission pathway from the programming device (20) to the personal medical device (10, 10′

).

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the programming device (20), patient intermediary device (30), and programmable personal medical device (10, 10′

) are all separate and spaced apart.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the programming device first interface (21) transmits the programming instructions to the patient intermediary device (30) via a service center (40), the service center (40) including:

a. a service center first interface (41) receiving the programming instructions from the programming device first interface (21), and

b. a service center second interface (45) transmitting the programming instructions to the intermediary device second interface (33).

17. A system for the remote programming of a programmable personal medical device, in particular an implantable medical device such as a cardiac pacemaker, defibrillator, or the like, including:

i. a programming device (20),

ii. a patient intermediary device (30),

iii. a programmable personal medical device (10, 10′

), the programming device (20), patient intermediary device (30), and programmable personal medical device (10, 10′

) being spaced from each other, wherein;

a. the programming device (20) includes;

(1) a programming unit (23) accepting input of programming instructions for the programmable personal medical device (10, 10′

);

(2) a programming device first interface (21) in communication with the patient intermediary device (30) and transmitting the programming instructions thereto;

b. the patient intermediary device (30) includes;

(1) an intermediary device second interface (33) receiving the programming instructions from the programming device (20),

(2) an intermediary device first interface (31) transmitting the programming instructions to the personal medical device (10, 10′

),

c. the personal medical device (10, 10′

) includes;

(1) a personal device first interface (11) receiving the programming instructions from the intermediary device first interface (31),

(2) a programmable controller (13) for controlling functions of the personal medical device (10, 10′

) in accordance with the programming instructions received by the personal device first interface (11).

19. A system for the remote programming of a programmable personal medical device, in particular an implantable medical device such as a cardiac pacemaker, defibrillator, or the like, including:

i. a programming device (20),

ii. a service center (40)

iii. a patient intermediary device (30),

iv. a programmable personal medical device (10, 10′

),

wherein;

a. the programming device (20) accepts input of programming instructions for the programmable personal medical device (10, 10′

), and thereafter transmits the programming instructions;

b. the service center (40) receives the programming instructions from the programming device (20), and thereafter transmits the programming instructions;

c. the patient intermediary device (30) receives the programming instructions from at least one of;

(1) the service center (40), and

(2) the programming device (20),

and thereafter transmits the programming instructions to the personal medical device (10, 10′

),

d. the personal medical device (10, 10′

) includes a programmable controller (13) for controlling functions of the personal medical device (10, 10′

) in accordance with the programming instructions received from the patient intermediary device (30).