PATIENT PROGRAMMER WITH CUSTOMIZABLE PROGRAMMING

• US 20120123503A1
• Filed: 11/15/2010
• Published: 05/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Phillips, William C.
• Application Number:
  US12/946,225
• Publication Number:
  US 20120123503A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36067 Movement disorders, e.g. tremor or Parkinson disease stimulating motor muscle A61N1/36003
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36075 Headache or migraine
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36085 Eating disorders or obesity
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36096 Mood disorders, e.g. depression, anxiety or panic disorder
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37235 Aspects of the external programmer
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37247 User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means
• 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

This disclosure describes techniques for configuring external programmers for use with implantable medical devices. The techniques may include customizing a generic external programmer, e.g., a patient programmer, with an application for interfacing with the implanted medical device. In one example, a method includes receiving, from a clinician programmer, a selected one of a plurality of applications, wherein each of the applications is configured to control the operation of a patient programmer, the selected application is associated with a type of the IMD, and others of the plurality of applications are associated with different types of IMDs, and configuring, based on the received application, the patient programmer to present an interface that enables a user to interact with the IMD via the patient programmer.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, via a clinician programmer, user input that selects one of a plurality of applications, wherein each of the applications is configured to control the operation of a patient programmer, the selected application is associated with a type of the IMD, and others of the plurality of applications are associated with different types of IMDs; and

transmitting, via the clinician programmer, the selected application to the patient programmer, wherein the patient programmer is configured to receive and implement the selected application to enable a user to interact with the IMD via the patient programmer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected application enables the user to control delivery of at least one of a therapeutic electrical stimulation and a therapeutic drug.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, from the clinician programmer to the patient programmer, a unique identifier that identifies the IMD.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, from the clinician programmer to the patient programmer, patient information, wherein the patient information comprises at least one of a patient name, a patient implant date, an implanting physician name, and a reason for implant.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the selected application to a patient programmer is via a wired connection.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting parameters that assign a function to at least one input of the patient programmer based on the selected application.

7. A system comprising:

a user interface;

a memory device configured to store a plurality of applications, wherein each of the applications is configured to the control the operation of a patient programmer; and

a processor configured to;

receive user input that selects one of the plurality of applications at the time of initial programming of the implantable medical device (IMD), wherein the selected application is associated with a type of the IMD, and others of the plurality of applications are associated with different types of IMDs; and

control transmission of the selected application to the patient programmer, wherein the patient programmer is configured to receive and implement the selected application to enable a user to interact with the IMD via the patient programmer.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the selected application enables the user to control delivery of at least one of a therapeutic electrical stimulation and a therapeutic drug.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to:

control transmission of a unique identifier that identifies the IMD.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to:

control transmission of patient information, wherein the patient information comprises at least one of a patient name, a patient implant date, an implanting physician name, and a reason for implant.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to:

control transmission of the selected application via a wired connection.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to:

control transmission of parameters that assign a function to at least one input of the patient programmer based on the selected application.

13. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive user input that selects one of a plurality of applications at the time of initial programming of the implantable medical device (IMD), wherein the selected application is associated with a type of the IMD, and others of the plurality of applications are associated with different types of IMDs; and

control transmission of the selected application to the patient programmer, wherein the patient programmer is configured to receive and implement the selected application to enable a user to interact with the IMD via the patient programmer.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the selected application enables the user to control delivery of at least one of a therapeutic electrical stimulation and a therapeutic drug.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, further comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

control transmission of a unique identifier that identifies the IMD.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, further comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

control transmission of patient information, wherein the patient information comprises at least one of a patient name, a patient implant date, an implanting physician name, and a reason for implant.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, further comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

control transmission of the selected application to a patient programmer via a wired connection.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

control transmission of parameters that assign a function to at least one input of the patient programmer based on the selected application.

19. A method comprising:

receiving, from a clinician programmer, a selected one of a plurality of applications, wherein each of the applications is configured to control the operation of a patient programmer, the selected application is associated with a type of the IMD, and others of the plurality of applications are associated with different types of IMDs; and

configuring, based on the received application, the patient programmer to present an interface that enables a user to interact with the IMD via the patient programmer.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the selected application enables the user to control delivery of at least one of a therapeutic electrical stimulation and a therapeutic drug.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

receiving a unique identifier that identifies the IMD.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

receiving patient information, wherein the patient information comprises at least one of a patient name, a patient implant date, an implanting physician name, and a reason for implant.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein receiving the selected application is via a wired connection.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

assigning, based on the received application, a function to at least one input of the patient programmer.

25. A system comprising:

a user interface;

a memory device configured to store an application, wherein the application is configured to control the operation of a patient programmer; and

a processor configured to;

receive, from a clinician programmer, a selected one of a plurality of applications for interfacing with an implantable medical device (IMD), wherein the selected application is associated with a type of IMD, and others of the plurality of applications are associated with different types of IMDs; and

configure, based on the received application, the user interface to present an interface that enables a user to interact with the IMD via the patient programmer.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the selected application enables the user to control delivery of at least one of a therapeutic electrical stimulation and a therapeutic drug.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a unique identifier that identifies the IMD.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive patient information, wherein the patient information comprises at least one of a patient name, a patient implant date, an implanting physician name, and a reason for implant.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive the selected application via a wired connection.

30. The system of claim 25, wherein the processor is further configured to:

assign, based on the received application, a function to at least one input of the patient programmer.

31. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive, from a clinician programmer, a selected one of a plurality of applications for interfacing with an implantable medical device (IMD), wherein the selected application is associated with a type of IMD, and others of the plurality of applications are associated with different types of IMDs; and

configure, based on the received application, a user interface to present an interface that enables a user to interact with the IMD via the patient programmer.

32. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein the selected application enables the user to control delivery of at least one of a therapeutic electrical stimulation and a therapeutic drug.

33. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 31, further comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive a unique identifier that identifies the IMD.

34. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 31, further comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive patient information, wherein the patient information comprises at least one of a patient name, a patient implant date, an implanting physician name, and a reason for implant.

35. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 31, further comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive the selected application via a wired connection.

36. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 31, further comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

assign, based on the received application, a function to at least one input of the patient programmer.

37. A method comprising:

receiving a selected one of a plurality of applications, wherein each of the applications is configured to control the operation of a patient programmer, the selected application is associated with a type of the IMD, and others of the plurality of applications are associated with different types of IMDs; and

assigning, based on the received application, a function to at least one input of the patient programmer.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the selected application enables a user to control delivery of at least one of a therapeutic electrical stimulation and a therapeutic drug.