REMOTELY- REQUESTED INTEGRITY DIAGNOSTICS

• US 20100222846A1
• Filed: 09/29/2008
• Published: 09/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Goetz, Steven M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,633,170 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/59
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3603 Control systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2001/083 Monitoring integrity of contacts, e.g. by impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

In general, the invention is directed toward techniques for remotely monitoring the integrity of a medical device and its components. A remote networking device communicates with a medical device, e.g., an implantable medical device, via a network. The remote networking device sends a request for an integrity measurement to the medical device via the network, a remote network that requests a medical device to perform an integrity measurement. In response to the request, the medical device performs the requested integrity measurement. The medical device may transmit a result of the integrity measurement, e.g., a measured value, back to the remote networking device via the network.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a request to perform an integrity measurement at an implantable medical device from a remote networking device via a network;

performing the integrity measurement at the implantable medical device of at least one component within or coupled to the implantable medical device in response to the request; and

sending a result of the integrity measurement from the implantable medical device to the remote networking device via the network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising changing a mode of operation of the implantable medical device based on the result of the integrity measurement.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein changing a mode of operation comprises receiving a command from the remote networking device via the network at the implantable medical device to change the mode of operation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the implantable medical device comprises at least one of a pump or a stimulator.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the implantable medical device comprises a stimulator coupled to a lead including one or more electrodes, and performing the integrity measurement comprises testing an electrical path from the medical device to at least one of the electrodes.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the implantable medical device comprises a pump coupled to one or more catheters, and performing the integrity measurement comprises measuring at least one of pressure or flow within a lumen of at least one of the catheters.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the integrity measurement comprises performing at least one of software, hardware, or firmware diagnostics.

26. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving a command from the remote networking device in response to the result of the integrity measurement, the command locking out at least one of the electrodes from being selected for delivery of therapy.

4. (canceled)

9. An implantable medical device comprising:

a communication module; and

a processor that receives a request from a remote networking device via a network and the communication module to perform an integrity measurement of at least one component within or coupled to the implantable medical device, performs the integrity measurement in response to the request, and sends a result of the integrity measurement device to the remote networking device via the network and the communication module.

10. The implantable medical device of claim 9, wherein the processor changes a mode of operation of the implantable medical device based on the result of the integrity measurement.

11. The implantable medical device of claim 10, wherein the processor receives a command from the remote networking device via the network and the communication module to change the mode of operation.

13. The implantable medical device of claim 9, wherein the implantable medical device comprises at least one of a pump or a stimulator.

14. The implantable medical device of claim 9, wherein the implantable medical device comprises a stimulator coupled to a lead including one or more electrodes, and the processor performs the integrity measurement by testing an electrical path from the medical device to at least one of the electrodes.

15. The implantable medical device of claim 9, wherein the implantable medical device comprises a pump coupled to one or more catheters, and the processor performs the integrity measurement by measuring at least one of pressure or flow within a lumen of at least one of the catheters.

16. The implantable medical device of claim 9, wherein the processor performs the integrity measurement by performing at least one of software, hardware, or firmware diagnostics.

27. The implantable medical device of claim 13, wherein the processor receives a command from the remote networking device in response to the result of the integrity measurement via the network and the communication module locking out at least one electrode from being selected for delivery of therapy.

12. (canceled)

17. A method comprising:

sending a request from a remote networking device via a network to an implantable medical device to perform an integrity measurement; and

receiving a result of the integrity measurement from the implantable medical device via the network.

18. The method of claim 17, further sending a command to the implantable medical device via the network to change a mode of operation of the medical device based on the result of the integrity measurement.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the implantable medical device comprises a stimulator coupled to a lead including one or more electrodes, and sending a request to perform an integrity measurement comprises sending a request to test an electrical path from the implantable medical device to at least one of the electrodes.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the implantable medical device comprises a pump coupled to one or more catheters, and sending a request to perform an integrity measurement comprises sending a request to measure at least one of pressure or flow within a lumen of at least one of the catheters.

28. The method of claim 19, further comprising sending a command from the remote networking device in response to and based on the result of the integrity measurement, the command locking out at least one of the electrodes from being selected for delivery of therapy.

21. A remote networking device comprising:

a communication module; and

a processor to send a request to perform an integrity measurement to an implantable medical device via the communication module and a network, and receive the result of the integrity measurement from the implantable medical device via the network.

22. The remote networking device of claim 21, wherein the processor sends a command to the implantable medical device via the communication module and the network to change a mode of operation of the medical device based on the result of the integrity measurement.

23. The remote networking device of claim 22, further comprising a user interface, wherein the processor presents the result of the integrity measurement to a user via the user interface, and sends the command to the implantable medical device in response to a user request received via the user interface.

24. The remote networking device of claim 22, wherein the processor analyzes the result of the integrity measurement, and automatically sends the command to the implantable medical device.

29. The remote networking device of claim 22, wherein the implantable medical device comprises a stimulator coupled to a lead including one or more electrodes, the integrity measurement comprises testing an electrical path from the medical device to at least one of the electrodes, and the processor sends a command in response to and based on the result of the integrity measurement, the command locking out at least one of the electrodes from being selected for delivery of therapy.

25. A system comprising:

an implantable medical device; and

a remote networking device that sends a request to perform an integrity measurement to the implantable medical device via a network, wherein the implantable medical device performs the integrity measurement and sends a result of the integrity measurement to the remote networking device via the network.