SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR INTERACTING WITH AN IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE

• US 20130184604A1
• Filed: 03/01/2013
• Published: 07/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Neuropace Inc.
• Original Assignee: Neuropace Inc.
• Inventors: Pless, Benjamin D., Gibb, Barbara, Guzzo, Lisa, Upton, Adrian R.M., FISCHELL, David R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,805,514 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/545
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/076 Permanent implantations telemetry using implanted circuitry A61B5/0031; implanted stimulators for therapy A61N1/3605, A61N1/362, A61N1/372
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/293 Invasive
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/375 using biofeedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4094 Diagnosing or monitoring seizure diseases, e.g. epilepsy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/686 Permanently implanted devices, e.g. pacemakers, other stimulators, biochips A61B5/6861 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36064 Epilepsy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36135 using physiological parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37252 Details of algorithms or data aspects of communication system, e.g. handshaking, transmitting specific data or segmenting data
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37258 Alerting the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37282 characterised by communication with experts in remote locations using a network
• 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 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

An interactive implantable medical device system includes an implantable medical device and a network-enabled external device capable of bi-directional communication and interaction with the implantable medical device. The external device is programmed to interact with other similarly-enabled devices. The system facilitates improved patient care by eliminating unnecessary geographic limitations on implantable medical device interrogation and programming, and by allowing patients, physicians, and other users to access medical records, history, and information and to receive status and care-related alerts and messages anywhere there is access to a communications network.

Claims

1. An implantable neurostimulator system comprising:

a device implantable in a human patient, the device in operable communication with a plurality of electrodes configured to sense signals from the patient corresponding to EEG signals, the device comprising;

a measurement module including an electronics package configured to translate the sensed signals into digital data; and

a communications module for collecting the digital data and transmitting it in a packet or stream; and

an apparatus for monitoring a condition of the patient in real time and configured to remain external of the patient, the apparatus comprising;

a subsystem configured to establish a data link with the communications module of the device; and

a data processing subsystem configured to act on data transmitted to the apparatus from the device.

2. The implantable neurostimulator system of claim 1 wherein the data processing subsystem of the apparatus is further configured to act on data transmitted from the device to decompress the uploaded data, to display the uploaded data as a real-time EEG waveform on a display, and to store the uploaded data in a memory of the apparatus.

3. The implantable neurostimulator system of claim 1 wherein the device is further configured with a detection module, the detection module comprising:

an EEG analyzer adapted to receive EEG signals from the plurality of electrodes and to process those signals to identify neurological activity indicative of one or more of a seizure, an onset of a seizure, or a precursor to a seizure.

4. The implantable neurostimulator system of claim 1 wherein the device further comprises:

a treatment module comprising;

a stimulation subsystem adapted to apply electrical stimulation to the patient'"'"'s neurological tissue through one or more of the plurality of electrodes.

5. The implantable neurostimulator system of claim 4 wherein the stimulation subsystem is further adapted to apply therapeutic stimulation in response to abnormal events detected by the EEG analyzer of the detection module.

6. The implantable neurostimulator system of claim 1 wherein the apparatus further comprises:

a portable computer.

7. In a patient with a neurological disorder, a method for monitoring in substantially real time a condition of the patient with an implantable device and an external apparatus, comprising:

establishing a communications link between a communications module of an implantable device and a subsystem of an external apparatus, the establishing a communication link comprising;

establishing a data link between the implantable device and the external apparatus;

collecting, with the implantable device, upon a start time, sensor data from one or more sensors in operable communication with the implantable device;

organizing, by the implantable device, collected sensor data into one or more packets;

transmitting, by the implantable device and to the external apparatus, organized sensor data in a stream to achieve transmitted sensor data; and

acting on, with a data processing subsystem of the external apparatus, the transmitted sensor data, wherein the acting on the transmitted sensor data comprises;

decompressing the transmitted sensor data to achieve decompressed sensor data;

displaying the decompressed sensor data on a display as a real-time EEG waveform; and

storing one or more of the transmitted sensor data and the decompressed sensor data in a memory of the external apparatus.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

determining, for so long as the communications link between the implantable device and the external apparatus remains established, whether a real-time monitoring session has been finished or is to continue and, if the real-time monitoring session is to continue, then repeating the collecting, transmitting, and acting-on-the-transmitted-sensor-data steps unless and until the determination is that the real-time monitoring session has been finished.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

eliciting, by the external device, an input from a user of the external device; and

if any of the elicited input is received at the external device, annotating, by the external device, the transmitted sensor data using the received elicited input to achieve annotated sensor data and displaying, by the external device, the annotated sensor data on the display with the displayed real-time EEG waveform.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the implantable device further comprises a detection module comprising an EEG analyzer function.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the implantable device further comprises a treatment module comprising a stimulation subsystem adapted to apply electrical stimulation to the patient'"'"'s neurological tissue through one or more of a plurality of electrodes.