Repeater Providing Data Exchange with a Medical Device for Remote Patient Care and Method Thereof

• US 20100328062A1
• Filed: 09/02/2010
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Manicka, Yatheendhar D., Mazar, Scott T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,130,093 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.12
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0209 adapted for power saving
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0271 using a remote monitoring unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/045 with a separable interface unit, e.g. for communication
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0215 by means inserted into the body catheters A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0809 by impedance pneumography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4839 combined with drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/747 in case of emergency, i.e. alerting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/80 for detecting, monitoring or modelling epidemics or pandemics, e.g. flu
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/20 relating to practices or guidelines

Abstract

A repeater providing data exchange with a medical device for remote patient care and method thereof are provided. The repeater includes a transmission device configured to send the data over a wireless medium to a data repository and a processing device configured to detect conditions in respect of an associated communication medium that could affect data exchange, where the processing device is configured to send the data based at least in part on the conditions. The processing device is further configured to analyze the data from the medical device to detect a problem with the medical device.

Claims

1. A repeater for relaying data to a repository from a medical device coupled to a patient, comprising:

a receiver configured to communicate with the medical device to obtain data;

a memory to maintain the data once it has been received;

a transmission device configured to send the data over a wireless medium to a data repository; and

a processing device configured to detect conditions in respect of an associated communication medium that could affect data exchange, wherein the processing device is configured to send the data based at least in part on the conditions, and the processing device is configured to analyze the data from the medical device to detect a problem with the medical device.

2. The repeater of claim 1, wherein the problem with the medical device is one of a broken cardiac lead, low battery, and a change in lead impedance.

3. The repeater of claim 1, wherein the repeater provides at least one of an audible or visual notice of the problem to the patient.

4. The repeater of claim 1, wherein the medical device is one of an internal and an external medical device.

5. The repeater of claim 1, wherein the monitored data is selected from the group comprising physiological, subjective, and environmental data.

6. The repeater of claim 1, wherein the processing device is further configured to perform analysis on the data from the medical device and provide immediate feedback.

7. The repeater of claim 1, further comprising a diagnostic module to perform self-diagnostic tests to verify communication with the medical device has not been compromised.

8. The repeater of claim 1, wherein the conditions are selected from the group comprising availability of the communication medium, signal strength, data transfer speed, and data transfer bandwidth.

9. The repeater of claim 1, where the wireless medium is selected from the group comprising cellular, satellite, radio frequency, and infrared media

10. The repeater of claim 1, wherein the transmission device is further configured to send the data over a wired medium, and the wired medium is selected from the group comprising telephonic, DSL, broadband, and fiber optic media.

11. A medical device system comprising:

a medical device providing a patient data set for use in automated patient care, comprising;

one or more sensors to monitor data of a patient enrolled in automated patient care and generate a patient data set, a memory to store the data set for a short term, and an interface providing external access to the data set, wherein the data set are periodically retrieved; and

a repeater for retrieving the data set from the medical device and relaying the data set to a repository, wherein the repeater is configured to analyze the data set to detect a problem with the medical device, wherein the repeater is further configured to detect conditions in respect of an associated communication medium that could affect data exchange, wherein the repeater is further configured to transmit to the repository based on the conditions.

12. The medical device system of claim 11 wherein the repeater is configured to send the data over a wireless medium.

13. The medical device system of claim 12, wherein the problem with the medical device is one of a broken cardiac lead, low battery, and a change in lead impedance.

14. The medical device system of claim 13, further comprising a processor operating on instructions comprising programming data to be implemented by the medical device in response to the detection of a problem with the medical device determined from the data set.

15. The medical device system of claim 14, wherein the medical device comprises at least one of an internal medical device and an external medical device.

16. The medical device system of claim 15 further comprising a repository for receiving the data set from the repeater, wherein the repository is remote from the repeater.

17. The medical device system of claim 16 wherein the repeater is further configured to send the data over a wired medium.

18. A process for transmitting a patient data set for use in automated patient care, comprising:

storing a plurality of sets of collected device data regularly recorded by a medical device for a patient enrolled in automated patient care;

analyzing the collected device data sets to detect a problem with the medical device; and

detecting and analyzing conditions in respect of an associated communication medium that could affect data exchange;

transmitting the collected device data sets from a repeater over a wireless medium.

19. The process according to claim 18, wherein the transmitting step takes place after the step of detecting and analyzing conditions in respect of the associated communication medium.

20. The process according to claim 18, further comprising:

forming instructions comprising reprogramming data to be implemented by the medical device after analyzing the collected device data sets to detect a problem with the medical device.