MONITORING CONDITIONS OF IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL FLUID DELIVERY DEVICE

• US 20110144540A1
• Filed: 12/07/2010
• Published: 06/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Akpan, Emem D., Shen, Jiaying
• Granted Patent: US 8,998,841 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/587
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0002 with a pressure sensor at the distal end
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3355 Controlling downstream pump pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/502 User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/04 in the body, e.g. expansible A61M25/10, A61M16/0488 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14276 specially adapted for implantation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16859 Evaluation of pressure response, e.g. to an applied pulse
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1723 using feedback of body parameters, e.g. blood-sugar, pressure measurement of body parameters A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/17 delivered via infusion or injection
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A programmer device includes an interface that communicates with an implantable fluid delivery device and a user interface that allows a user to troubleshoot a catheter connected to the fluid delivery device by measuring a pressure associated with the catheter. A processor may compare the measured pressure waveform to a previously-acquired waveform or the user interface may display the measured pressure waveform for the user to compare the displayed pressure waveform to a previously-acquired baseline waveform. The comparison between the two waveforms may be based on the pressure decay time. A historical log of measured pressure decays associated with the catheter may be maintained by the programmer device or the implantable fluid delivery device and displayed for the user to determine whether the performance of the catheter is deteriorating.

Claims

1. An implantable fluid delivery system comprising:

a catheter;

a fluid delivery pump coupled to the catheter, and configured to deliver a fluid through the catheter to a patient;

at least one pressure sensor arranged to measure a pressure associated with the catheter during delivery of the fluid to the patient; and

a processor configured to define a current pressure waveform based on the measured pressure, wherein the processor is configured to at least one of;

determine a characteristic of the catheter based on a comparison of at least a portion of the current pressure waveform to at least a portion of a previously-acquired pressure waveform, or

display, on a display device, at least a portion of the current pressure waveform and at least a portion of a previously-acquired pressure waveform, for a user to determine a characteristic of the catheter based on a comparison of at least a portion of the current pressure waveform to at least a portion of a previously-acquired pressure waveform.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an implantable medical device that includes at least the fluid delivery pump, the catheter, and the at least one pressure sensor.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising an external device that includes the processor.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the external device further comprises a user interface that displays the current pressure waveform associated with the measured pressure.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to calculate a pressure decay time based on a maximum pressure value associated with the measured pressure, and determine the characteristic based on the pressure decay time.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the decay time indicates a time required for the measured pressure to fall from the maximum pressure to a baseline pressure level.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one posture sensor to determine a posture associated with the patient.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one posture sensor is further configured to obtain a posture associated with the patient when the at least one pressure sensor measures the pressure associated with the catheter, and wherein the processor is further configured to associate the determined characteristic of the catheter with the obtained posture.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a total duration that the pressure is above a baseline pressure level.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to identify one or more characteristics indicative of one or more catheter malfunctions based on the determined characteristic of the catheter.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether the catheter is functioning properly, and cause the at least one pressure sensor to measure a current baseline pressure when the catheter is functioning properly.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the previously-acquired pressure waveform comprises a waveform acquired when the catheter is functioning properly.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

cause the at least one pressure sensor to measure a new baseline pressure; and

determine whether to replace the current baseline pressure with the new baseline pressure.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to store at least one of:

the determined characteristic of the catheter or the current pressure waveform.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the previously-acquired pressure waveform corresponds to one or more waveforms corresponding to one or more malfunctions associated with the catheter.

16. A method of troubleshooting an implantable catheter associated with an implantable medical fluid delivery device, the method comprising:

delivering a fluid from the implantable medical fluid delivery device through the catheter to a patient;

measuring a pressure associated with the catheter during the delivery of the fluid to the patient;

defining a current pressure waveform based on the measured pressure, and at least one of;

determining a characteristic of the catheter based on a comparison of at least a portion of the current pressure waveform to at least a portion of a previously-acquired pressure waveform, or

displaying, on a display device, at least a portion of the current pressure waveform and at least a portion of a previously-acquired pressure waveform, for a user to determine a characteristic of the catheter based on a comparison of at least a portion of the current pressure waveform to at least a portion of a previously-acquired pressure waveform.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein determining the characteristic of the catheter comprises calculating a pressure decay time based on a maximum pressure value associated with the measured pressure.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the decay time indicates a time required for the measured pressure to fall from the maximum pressure to a baseline pressure level.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

obtaining a posture associated with the patient when the pressure associated with the catheter is measured; and

associating the determined characteristic of the catheter with the obtained posture.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein measuring the pressure comprises determining a total duration that the pressure is above a baseline pressure level.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising identifying one or more characteristics indicative of one or more catheter malfunctions based on the determined characteristic of the catheter.

22. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining whether the catheter is functioning properly; and

measuring a current baseline pressure when the catheter is functioning properly.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the previously-acquired pressure waveform comprises a waveform acquired when the catheter is functioning properly.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

measuring a new baseline pressure; and

determining whether to replace the current baseline pressure with the new baseline pressure.

25. The method of claim 16, further comprising storing at least one of:

the determined characteristic of the catheter or the current pressure waveform.

26. The method of claim 16, wherein the previously-acquired pressure waveform corresponds to one or more waveforms corresponding to one or more malfunctions associated with the catheter.

27. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for causing a programmable processor in an implantable fluid delivery system to:

deliver a fluid from the implantable medical fluid delivery device through a catheter to a patient;

measure a pressure associated with the catheter during the delivery of the fluid to the patient;

define a current pressure waveform based on the measured pressure, and at least one of;

determine a characteristic of the catheter based on a comparison of at least a portion of the current pressure waveform to at least a portion of a previously-acquired pressure waveform, or

display, on a display device, at least a portion of the current pressure waveform and at least a portion of a previously-acquired pressure waveform, for a user to determine a characteristic of the catheter based on a comparison of at least a portion of the current pressure waveform to at least a portion of a previously-acquired pressure waveform.

28. A system comprising:

means for delivering a fluid from an implantable medical fluid delivery device through a catheter to a patient;

means for measuring a pressure associated with the catheter during the delivery of the fluid to the patient;

means for defining a current pressure waveform based on the measured pressure, and at least one of;

means for determining a characteristic of the catheter based on a comparison of at least a portion of the current pressure waveform to at least a portion of a previously-acquired pressure waveform, or

means for displaying, on a display device, at least a portion of the current pressure waveform and at least a portion of a previously-acquired pressure waveform, for a user to determine a characteristic of the catheter based on a comparison of at least a portion of the current pressure waveform to at least a portion of a previously-acquired pressure waveform.