MEDICAL DEVICE FUNCTION CONFIGURATION POST-MANUFACTURING

• US 20090088820A1
• Filed: 10/01/2007
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Fuher, Patricia K., Crandall, Kathleen U., Haerle, Mark L., Graham, Michael Lee, Mao, Bor-Jiin
• Granted Patent: US 8,352,038 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/59
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37264 Changing the program; Upgrading firmware

Abstract

A medical device system and method configure a medical device according to a configuration definition. The configuration definition includes an allowable status and a function status for each of a number of medical device functions. The medical device configuration is updated automatically in response to being interrogated by a programmer configured to update the device configuration. The device configuration is updated by updating the function status for at least one of the medical device functions in response to the allowable status for the medical device function.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a medical device, comprising:

setting a first device configuration of the medical device corresponding to a configuration definition comprising an allowable status and a function status for each of a plurality of medical device functions;

interrogating the medical device using a first programmer configuration configured to update the first device configuration;

automatically comparing the first programmer configuration and the first device configuration in response to the interrogating; and

automatically setting a second device configuration of the medical device by updating the function status for at least one of the plurality of medical device functions in response to the allowable status for the at least one of the plurality of medical device functions.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising updating a programmer display field in response to setting the second device configuration.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

interrogating the medical device using a second programmer configuration not configured to update the first device configuration, and

updating a programmer display field in response to the second device configuration.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the second programmer configuration is further configured to allow operating parameters corresponding to the at least one of the plurality of medical device functions to be programmed in response to the function status for the at least one of the plurality of medical device functions being enabled in the second device configuration.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

interrogating the medical device using a second programmer configuration configured to update the second medical device configuration;

automatically comparing the second programmer configuration and the second device configuration in response to the interrogating;

automatically setting a third device configuration of the medical device by updating the function status for at least one of the plurality of medical device functions in response to the allowable status for the at least one of the plurality of medical device functions.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the allowable status for each of the plurality of medical device functions is fixed at a time of medical device manufacture and is not updatable.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the first programmer configuration comprises an update file for updating the first device configuration.

8. A medical device system, comprising:

a programmable medical device comprising a memory and a configuration definition stored in the memory, the configuration definition comprising an allowable status field and a function status field for storing an allowable status and a function status for each of a plurality of medical device functions;

a first programmer configuration configured to update the configuration definition wherein updating the configuration definition comprises automatically comparing the first programmer configuration and the configuration definition in response to interrogating the medical device using the first programmer configuration and automatically setting an updated configuration definition by updating the function status for at least one of the plurality of medical device functions in response to the allowable status for the at least one of the plurality of medical device functions.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the first programmer configuration comprises a display and wherein the programmer configuration is further configured to update a programmer display field in response to updating the configuration definition.

10. The system of claim 8 further comprising:

a second programmer configuration not configured to update the configuration definition,

the second programmer configuration comprising a display and being configured to update a display field in response to the updated configuration definition.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the second programmer configuration is further configured to allow operating parameters corresponding to the at least one of the plurality of medical device functions to be programmed in response to the function status for the at least one of the plurality of medical device functions being enabled in the second device configuration.

12. The system of claim 8 further comprising a second programmer configuration configured to update the updated configuration definition by updating the function status for at least one of the plurality of medical device functions in response to the allowable status for the at least one of the plurality of medical device functions.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein the allowable status for each of the plurality of medical device functions is fixed at a time of medical device manufacture and is not updatable.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein the first programmer configuration comprises an update file for updating the first device configuration.

15. A computer-readable medium for storing a set of instructions which when implemented in a medical device system cause the system to:

set a first device configuration of a medical device corresponding to a configuration definition comprising an allowable status and a function status for each of a plurality of medical device functions;

automatically compare a first programmer configuration and the first device configuration in response to interrogating the medical device using the first programmer configuration; and

automatically set a second device configuration of the medical device by updating the function status for at least one of the plurality of medical device functions in response to the allowable status for the at least one of the plurality of medical device functions.

16. An implantable medical device, comprising:

a memory;

a device configuration definition stored in the memory, the device configuration definition comprising an allowable status and a function status for each of a plurality of medical device functions;

telemetry circuitry for establishing a communication link with a programmer and for receiving an update instruction for updating the device configuration definition; and

a processor for updating the function status for at least one of the plurality of medical device functions in response to the allowable status for the at least one of the plurality of medical device functions and the update instruction.

17. The implantable medical device of claim 16 wherein the allowable status for each of the plurality of medical device functions is fixed at a time of implantable medical device manufacture and is not updatable.

18. A medical device system, comprising:

a plurality of programmable medical devices each comprising a memory and a device configuration definition stored in the memory, the configuration definition comprising an allowable status field for storing an allowable status for each of a plurality of medical device functions and a function status field for storing a function status for each of the plurality of medical device functions;

a programmer comprising a memory and an update file stored in the memory for updating the configuration definition wherein updating the configuration definition comprises automatically comparing the update file and the configuration definition in response to interrogating one of the plurality of the medical devices using the programmer and automatically updating the configuration definition of the one of the plurality of medical devices by updating the function status for at least one of the plurality of medical device functions in response to the allowable status for the at least one of the plurality of medical device functions;

wherein the plurality of programmable medical devices comprises a first set of devices having a first configuration definition comprising a first allowable status field and a second set of devices having a second configuration definition wherein the configuration definition includes a second allowable status field defined uniquely different than the first allowable status field.