Phased Deactivation of Functionality in Implantable Medical Device Systems

• US 20090157144A1
• Filed: 10/28/2008
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Gilkerson, James O., Wu, Gang, Kalgren, James, Kelly, Jonathan H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,160,706 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37247 User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37276 characterised by means for reducing power consumption during telemetry

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention are related to systems for interfacing with implantable medical devices, amongst other things. In an embodiment, the invention includes an external medical system including a processor and a telemetry circuit in communication with the processor, the processor configured to communicate with an implanted medical device. The system can be configured to query a system user after a first period of time in which indicators of system use are not detected. The system can be further configured to deactivate one or more data transmission features of the implanted medical device after a second period of time in which one or more indicators of system use are not detected. Other embodiments are also included herein.

Claims

1. An external medical system comprising:

a processor; and

a telemetry circuit in communication with the processor configured to communicate with an implanted medical device;

the system configured to query a system user after a first period of time in which indicators of system use are not detected;

the system further configured to deactivate one or more data transmission features of the implanted medical device after a second period of time in which one or more indicators of system use are not detected.

2. The external medical system of claim 1, the system user query regarding the identity of the patient.

3. The external medical system of claim 1, the indicators of system use comprising system user input.

4. The external medical system of claim 1, the indicators of system use comprising the distance between the implanted medical device and the telemetry circuit.

5. The external medical system of claim 1, the one or more data transmission features comprising transmission of real-time data from the implanted medical device.

6. The external medical system of claim 1, wherein the system is further configured to deactivate additional data transmission features of the implanted medical device after a third period of time in which indicators of system use are not detected.

7. The external medical system of claim 6, wherein the third period of time ends simultaneously with the end of the second period of time.

8. The external medical system of claim 6, the additional data transmission features comprising long-range telemetry functionality.

9. A medical system comprising:

an implanted medical device; and

an external medical device, the external medical device comprising

a processor; and

a telemetry circuit in communication with the processor configured to communicate with the implanted medical device;

the system configured to query a system user regarding the identity of the patient after a first period of time in which one or more indicators of system use are not detected,

deactivate transmission of real-time data from the implanted medical device after a second period of time in which one or more indicators of system use are not detected; and

deactivate long-range telemetry functionality of the implanted medical device after a third period of time in which one or more indicators of system use are not detected.

10. The medical system of claim 9, the indicators of system use comprising system user input.

11. The medical system of claim 9, the indicators of system use comprising the distance between the implanted medical device and the telemetry circuit.

12. The medical system of claim 9, the first period of time comprising between about 30 seconds and about 30 minutes.

13. The medical system of claim 9, wherein the second period of time begins after the first period of time has elapsed.

14. The medical system of claim 9, the second period of time comprising between about 2 minutes and about 60 minutes.

15. The medical system of claim 9, wherein the third period of time begins after the second period of time has elapsed.

16. The medical system of claim 9, the third period of time comprising between about 10 minutes and about 2 hours.

17. A method of operating an external medical system comprising:

querying a system user after a first period of time in which the system has not received user input; and

deactivating one or more features of an implantable medical device after a second period of time in which the system has not received user input.

18. The method of claim 17, the one or more features comprising data transmission features.

19. The method of claim 18, the data transmission features comprising transmission of real-time data.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising deactivating one or more additional features of an implantable medical device after a third period of time in which the system has not received user input.

21. The method of claim 20, the one or more additional features comprising long-range telemetry functionality.