VERIFICATION THAT A PATIENT WITH AN IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL SYSTEM CAN UNDERGO A MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING SCAN

• US 20120035951A1
• Filed: 04/28/2010
• Published: 02/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Goetz, Steven M., Malekkhosravi, Shahram, Smith, Todd V., Dixon, Jeffrey R., Malekkhosravi, Kristin J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,130,282 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0271 using a remote monitoring unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/086 Magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] compatible leads
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3718 Monitoring of or protection against external electromagnetic fields or currents
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37247 User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

Verification that an implantable medical system within a patient is MRI safe is provided. Several verifications may be performed such as verifying that the device and leads are of an MRI safe type, that the leads have adequate electrical integrity, that the device has entered an MRI safe mode, that the lead routing and device placement are MRI safe, and that the MRI settings of the MRI machine are safe for the implantable medical system. The result of these verifications may lead to a conclusion that the implantable medical system of interest is or is not MRI safe for a given MRI scan. An indication of this result may be output such as via a display so that an MRI technician can have some assurance as to whether to conduct the MRI scan.

Claims

1. A method of checking whether a magnetic resonance (MRI) image scan can be performed for a patient who has an implantable medical system, the method comprising:

verifying by an external device that an implantable medical device of the implantable medical system is of a type that is acceptable for the MRI scan;

verifying by the external device that an implantable medical lead of the implantable medical system is of a type that is acceptable for the MRI scan; and

providing by the external device an indication of whether the implantable medical system is acceptable for the MRI scan based on the verifying of the implantable medical device and the implantable medical lead.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein verifying by the external device that the implantable medical device is of a type that is acceptable for the MRI scan comprises:

sending a query from the external device to the implantable medical device;

receiving at the external device a response to the query that includes information related to the type of the implantable medical device; and

analyzing the received information to determine whether the implantable medical device is of the type that is acceptable for the MRI scan.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the received information comprises MRI scan related settings.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the received information comprises an identification of the implantable medical device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein verifying by the external device that the implantable medical lead is of a type that is acceptable for the MRI scan comprises:

sending a query from the external device to the implantable medical device;

receiving at the external device a response to the query that includes information related to the type of the implantable medical lead; and

analyzing the received information related to the type of the implantable medical lead to determine whether the implantable medical lead is of the type that is acceptable for the MRI scan.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the received information related to the type of the implantable medical lead comprises an identification of the implantable medical lead.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending by the external device a command for the implantable medical device to enter an MRI safe state.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising verifying by the external device that the implantable medical device has entered an MRI safe state.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising verifying by the external device that the implantable medical lead has adequate integrity by having impedance measurements within an acceptable range.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein when the verifying results in a conclusion that the implantable lead has at least one impedance measurement outside of the acceptable range, then storing by the external device an indication that the implantable medical lead lacks adequate integrity to be acceptable for an MRI scan.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting allowable MRI scan settings for the implantable medical system.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising analyzing MRI scan settings of an MRI machine and providing an indication of whether the MRI scan settings are acceptable for the MRI scan.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising verifying by the external device that a route that the implantable medical lead takes within the patient is acceptable for an MRI scan.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising verifying by the external device that a placement of the implantable medical device within the patient is acceptable for an MRI scan.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising storing an indication of when the implantable medical device has entered the MRI safe state.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein analyzing MRI scan settings comprises measuring MRI values corresponding to the MRI scan settings during an MRI scan.

17. A method of checking whether a magnetic resonance (MRI) image scan can be performed for a patient who has an implantable medical system, the method comprising:

verifying by the external device that the implantable medical device has entered an MRI safe state; and

providing by the external device an indication of whether the implantable medical system is acceptable for the MRI scan based on the verifying of the implantable medical device.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising sending by the external device a command for the implantable medical device to enter the MRI safe state.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising verifying by the external device that the implantable medical lead has adequate integrity by lacking short circuits and open circuits and wherein providing by the external device an indication of whether the implantable medical system is acceptable for the MRI scan is further based on the verifying of the implantable medical lead.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein when the verifying results in a conclusion that the implantable lead has at least one short circuit or at least one open circuit, then storing by the external device an indication that the implantable medical lead lacks adequate integrity to be acceptable for an MRI scan.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising presenting allowable MRI scan settings for the implantable medical system.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising analyzing MRI scan settings of an MRI machine and providing an indication of whether the MRI scan settings are acceptable for the MRI scan.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising verifying by the external device that a route that the implantable medical lead takes within the patient is acceptable for an MRI scan and wherein providing by the external device an indication of whether the implantable medical system is acceptable for the MRI scan is further based on the verifying of the implantable medical lead.

24. The method of claim 17, further comprising verifying by the external device that a placement of the implantable medical device within the patient is acceptable for an MRI scan.

25. A method of checking whether a magnetic resonance (MRI) image scan can be performed for a patient who has an implantable medical system, the method comprising:

verifying by the external device that the implantable medical lead has adequate integrity by lacking short circuits and open circuits; and

providing by the external device an indication of whether the implantable medical system is acceptable for the MRI scan based on the verifying of the implantable medical lead.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising sending by the external device a command for the implantable medical device to enter an MRI safe state.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein when the verifying results in a conclusion that the implantable lead has at least one short circuit or at least one open circuit, then storing by the external device an indication that the implantable medical lead lacks adequate integrity to be acceptable for an MRI scan.

28. The method of claim 25, further comprising presenting allowable MRI scan settings for the implantable medical system.

29. The method of claim 25, further comprising analyzing MRI scan settings of an MRI machine and providing an indication of whether the MRI scan settings are acceptable for the MRI scan.

30. The method of claim 25, further comprising verifying by the external device that a route that the implantable medical lead takes within the patient is acceptable for an MRI scan.

31. The method of claim 25, further comprising verifying by the external device that a placement of the implantable medical device within the patient is acceptable for an MRI scan and wherein providing by the external device an indication of whether the implantable medical system is acceptable for the MRI scan is further based on the verifying of the implantable medical device.

32. A method of checking whether a magnetic resonance (MRI) image scan can be performed for a patient who has an implantable medical system, the method comprising:

analyzing by the external device MRI scan settings of an MRI machine; and

providing by the external device an indication of whether the implantable medical system is acceptable for the MRI scan based on the analyzing of the MRI scan settings.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising sending by the external device a command for the implantable medical device to enter an MRI safe state.

34. The method of claim 32, further comprising presenting allowable MRI scan settings for the implantable medical system.

35. The method of claim 32, further comprising verifying by the external device that a route that the implantable medical lead takes within the patient is acceptable for an MRI scan and wherein providing by the external device an indication of whether the implantable medical system is acceptable for the MRI scan is further based on the verifying of the implantable medical lead.

36. The method of claim 32, further comprising verifying by the external device that a placement of the implantable medical device within the patient is acceptable for an MRI scan and wherein providing by the external device an indication of whether the implantable medical system is acceptable for the MRI scan is further based on the verifying of the implantable medical device.

37. A method of checking whether a magnetic resonance (MRI) image scan can be performed for a patient who has an implantable medical system, the method comprising:

verifying by the external device that a route that the implantable medical lead takes within the patient is acceptable for an MRI scan; and

providing by the external device an indication of whether the implantable medical system is acceptable for the MRI scan based on the verifying of the implantable medical lead.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising sending by the external device a command for the implantable medical device to enter an MRI safe state.

39. The method of claim 37, further comprising verifying by the external device that a placement of the implantable medical device within the patient is acceptable for an MRI scan and wherein providing by the external device an indication of whether the implantable medical system is acceptable for the MRI scan is further based on the verifying of the implantable medical device.

40. A method of checking whether a magnetic resonance (MRI) image scan can be performed for a patient who has an implantable medical system, the method comprising:

verifying by the external device that a placement of the implantable medical device within the patient is acceptable for an MRI scan; and

providing by the external device an indication of whether the implantable medical system is acceptable for the MRI scan based on the verifying of the implantable medical device.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising sending by the external device a command for the implantable medical device to enter an MRI safe state.

42. An external device for checking whether a magnetic resonance (MRI) image scan can be performed for a patient who has an implantable medical system, comprising:

a processor configured to;

verify that an implantable medical device of the implantable medical system is of a type that is acceptable for the MRI scan;

verify that an implantable medical lead of the implantable medical system is of a type that is acceptable for the MRI scan; and

provide an indication of whether the implantable medical system is acceptable for the MRI scan based on the verifying of the implantable medical device and the implantable medical lead.

43. An external device for checking whether a magnetic resonance (MRI) image scan can be performed for a patient who has an implantable medical system, comprising:

a processor configured to;

verify that an implantable medical device of the implantable medical system has entered an MRI safe state; and

provide an indication of whether the implantable medical system is acceptable for the MRI scan based on the verifying of the implantable medical device.

44. An external device for checking whether a magnetic resonance (MRI) image scan can be performed for a patient who has an implantable medical system, comprising:

a processor configured to;

verify that an implantable medical lead of the implantable medical system has adequate integrity by lacking short circuits and open circuits; and

provide an indication of whether the implantable medical system is acceptable for the MRI scan based on the verifying of the implantable medical lead.

45. An external device for checking whether a magnetic resonance (MRI) image scan can be performed for a patient who has an implantable medical system, comprising:

a processor configured to;

analyze MRI scan settings of an MRI machine; and

provide an indication of whether the implantable medical system is acceptable for the MRI scan based on the analyzing of the MRI scan settings.

46. An external device for checking whether a magnetic resonance (MRI) image scan can be performed for a patient who has an implantable medical system, comprising:

a processor configured to;

verify that a route that an implantable medical lead of the implantable medical system takes within the patient is acceptable for an MRI scan; and

provide an indication of whether the implantable medical system is acceptable for the MRI scan based on the verifying of the implantable medical lead.

47. An external device for checking whether a magnetic resonance (MRI) image scan can be performed for a patient who has an implantable medical system, comprising:

a processor configured to;

verify that a placement of an implantable medical device of the implantable medical system within the patient is acceptable for an MRI scan; and

provide an indication of whether the implantable medical system is acceptable for the MRI scan based on the verifying of the implantable medical device.