STORING IMAGE OF THERAPY REGION IN IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE

• US 20110093047A1
• Filed: 04/30/2010
• Published: 04/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Dewing, Wende L., Goetz, Steven M., Davis, Jon P., Davenport, Lynn A., Torgerson, Nathan A., Singal, Ashish, Huhta, Brent A., Sahasrabudhe, Rajeev M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,744,591 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/372 Arrangements in connection with the implantation of stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37211 Means for communicating with stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37247 User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37264 Changing the program; Upgrading firmware
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

This disclosure describes techniques for obtaining an image of an anatomical implant region where leads associated with an implantable medical device are implanted in a patient, manipulating the image to show lead locations and placements, performing necessary image compression and manipulations, adjusting the image to associate it with information (e.g., patient, metadata, annotations, etc.) useful to a subsequent programmer retrieving the image, and transferring a copy of the captured image to the implantable medical device. The image stored in the implantable medical device may be retrieved at a later time by a user of programmer, where the user can use the image and other associated information to program subsequent therapy.

Claims

1. A device for communication with an implantable medical device, the device comprising:

an image acquisition device that obtains at least one image of at least one anatomical region of a patient and at least one medical lead implanted within the at least one anatomical region, wherein the at least one lead is associated with the implantable medical device; and

a telemetry device that transmits the at least one image to the implantable medical device for storage in the implantable medical device.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a programmer for the implantable medical device, the programmer comprising a processor that generates one or more operational parameters for the implantable medical device.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one image comprises an image associated with a medical imaging device.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the image acquisition device includes an image capture device that captures the image.

5. The device of claim 4, further comprising a housing, wherein the image capture device is integrated with the housing.

6. The device of claim 4, wherein the image capture device comprises a camera.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the image acquisition device includes a processor that receives electronic image data representing the image.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to receive the electronic image data via one of a removable data storage medium, a connection to an imaging device, or a network connection to an image storage device.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the implantable medical device is a neurostimulator.

10. The device of claim 1, further comprising a user interface that receives user input that manipulates the at least one image.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the user input indicates at least one of compressing, annotating, zooming within, panning, rotating, adding metadata to, associating with the patient, printing, transmitting, and encrypting the at least one image.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the user input indicates adding to the at least one image information regarding at least one of the therapy delivered by the implantable medical device, the at least one anatomical region, and the patient.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the telemetry device is configured to retrieve the at least one image from the implantable medical device.

14. A method comprising:

obtaining by a device at least one image of at least one anatomical region of a patient and at least one medical lead implanted within the at least one anatomical region, wherein the at least one lead is associated with an implantable medical device; and

transmitting the at least one image to the implantable medical device for storage in a storage device in the implantable medical device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the device comprises a programmer for the implantable medical device, further comprising generating one or more operational parameters for the implantable medical device.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one image comprises an image associated with a medical imaging device.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein obtaining the at least one image comprises capturing the image via an image capture device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the device comprises a housing, and wherein the image capture device is integrated with the housing.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the image capture device comprises a camera.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein obtaining the at least one image comprises receiving electronic image data representing the image.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising receiving the electronic image data via one of a removable data storage medium, a connection to an imaging device, or a network connection to an image storage device.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein the implantable medical device is a neurostimulator.

23. The method of claim 14, further comprising receiving user input indicating manipulation of the at least one image.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising at least one of compressing, annotating, zooming within, panning, rotating, adding metadata to, associating with the patient, printing, transmitting, and encrypting the at least one image in response to the user input.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising adding to the at least one image information regarding at least one of the therapy delivered by the implantable medical device, the at least one anatomical region, and the patient in response to the user input.

26. The method of claim 14, further comprising retrieving the at least one image from the implantable medical device.

27. A device comprising:

means for obtaining at least one image of at least one anatomical region of a patient and at least one medical lead implanted within the at least one anatomical region, wherein the at least one lead is associated with an implantable medical device; and

means for transmitting the at least one image to the implantable medical device for storage in a storage device in the implantable medical device.

28. The device of claim 27, wherein the device comprises a programmer for the implantable medical device, further comprising means for generating one or more operational parameters for the implantable medical device.

29. The device of claim 27, wherein the at least one image comprises an image associated with a medical imaging device.

30. The device of claim 27, wherein the means for obtaining the at least one image comprises means for capturing the image via an image capture device.

31. The device of claim 30, further comprising a housing, wherein the image capture device is integrated with the housing.

32. The device of claim 27, wherein the image capture device comprises a camera.

33. The device of claim 27, wherein the means for obtaining the at least one image comprises means for receiving electronic image data representing the image.

34. The device of claim 33, further comprising means for receiving the electronic image data via one of a removable data storage medium, a connection to an imaging device, or a network connection to an image storage device.

35. The device of claim 27, wherein the implantable medical device is a neurostimulator.

36. The device of claim 27, further comprising means for receiving user input indicating manipulation of the at least one image.

37. The device of claim 36, further comprising means for at least one of compressing, annotating, zooming within, panning, rotating, adding metadata to, associating with the patient, printing, transmitting, and encrypting the at least one image in response to the user input.

38. The device of claim 36, further comprising means for adding to the at least one image information regarding at least one of the therapy delivered by the implantable medical device, the at least one anatomical region, and the patient in response to the user input.

39. The device of claim 27, further comprising means for retrieving the at least one image from the implantable medical device.

40. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, upon execution, cause a processor to:

obtain at least one image of at least one anatomical region of a patient and at least one medical lead implanted within the at least one anatomical region, wherein the at least one lead is associated with the implantable medical device; and

transmit the at least one image to the implantable medical device for storage in a storage device in the implantable medical device.

41. The computer-readable medium of claim 40, wherein the instructions are executed by a processor in a programmer for the implantable medical device, further comprising instructions to generate one or more operational parameters for the implantable medical device.

42. The computer-readable medium of claim 40, wherein the at least one image comprises an image associated with a medical imaging device.

43. The computer-readable medium of claim 40, wherein the instructions to obtain the at least one image comprise instructions to capture the image via an image capture device.

44. The computer-readable medium of claim 43, wherein the computer-readable medium is housed in a housing, and wherein the image capture device is integrated with the housing.

45. The computer-readable medium of claim 43, wherein the image capture device comprises a camera.

46. The computer-readable medium of claim 40, wherein the instructions to obtain the at least one image comprise instruction to receive electronic image data representing the image.

47. The computer-readable medium of claim 46, further comprising instructions to receive the electronic image data via one of a removable data storage medium, a connection to an imaging device, or a network connection to an image storage device.

48. The computer-readable medium of claim 40, wherein the implantable medical device is a neurostimulator.

49. The computer-readable medium of claim 40, further comprising instructions to receive user input that indicates manipulation of the at least one image.

50. The computer-readable medium of claim 49, further comprising instructions to at least one of compress, annotate, zoom within, pan, rotate, add metadata to, associate with the patient, print, transmit, and encrypt the at least one image in response to the user input.

51. The computer-readable medium of claim 49, further comprising instructions to add to the at least one image information regarding at least one of the therapy delivered by the implantable medical device, the at least one anatomical region, and the patient in response to the user input.

52. The computer-readable medium of claim 40, further comprising instructions to retrieve the at least one image from the implantable medical device.

53. An implantable medical device comprising:

a therapy delivery module;

a processor that controls the therapy delivery module to deliver therapy;

a telemetry module that receives, from an external device via telemetry, at least one image of at least one anatomical region of a patient and at least one lead implanted within the at least one anatomical region, wherein the at least one lead is associated with the implantable medical device; and

a memory that stores the image.

54. The implantable medical device of claim 53, wherein the external device comprises a programmer.

55. The implantable medical device of claim 53, wherein the implantable medical device comprises a neurostimulator.

56. The implantable medical device of claim 53, wherein the telemetry module transmits the at least one image to an external device.