PROGRAMMER UPGRADING METHODS, IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE PROGRAMMERS, AND ARTICLES OF MANUFACTURE

• US 20130289657A1
• Filed: 04/25/2012
• Published: 10/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: LivaNova USA, Inc. (LivaNova Plc)
• Original Assignee: Cyberonics, Inc
• Inventors: RODRIGUEZ, Alberto A.
• Application Number:
  US13/455,376
• Publication Number:
  US 20130289657A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/59
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37264 Changing the program; Upgrading firmware
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades

Abstract

A method includes receiving identification data at a medical device programmer from a personal medical device via an electronic communication link between the medical device programmer and the personal medical device. The method includes receiving missing programming code at the medical device programmer, via the electronic communication link, from the personal medical device identified in the identification data. The medical device programmer is upgraded using the received missing programming code. The upgraded medical device programmer includes the missing programming code configured to program the identified personal medical device. The medical device programmer may be an IMD programmer including processing circuitry configured to receive identification data from an IMD. The processing circuitry is also configured to receive a missing programming module from the identified IMD for a module manager of the IMD programmer.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving identification data at a medical device programmer from a personal medical device via an electronic communication link between the medical device programmer and the personal medical device;

receiving missing programming code at the medical device programmer, via the electronic communication link, from the personal medical device identified in the identification data; and

upgrading the medical device programmer using the received missing programming code, the upgraded medical device programmer including the missing programming code configured to program the identified personal medical device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the personal medical device comprises an implantable medical device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending interrogation data from the medical device programmer to the personal medical device via the electronic communication link before receiving the identification data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic communication link is wireless and is established by the medical device programmer interrogating the personal medical device, wherein the personal medical device is an implantable medical device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a request for the missing programming code from the medical device programmer to the identified personal medical device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the missing programming code is a programming module, the medical device programmer comprises a module manager, and the upgrading comprises including the programming module in the module manager.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the medical device programmer lacks at least one programming module configured to program the personal medical device prior to upgrading the medical device programmer.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the medical device programmer includes an outdated version of the programming module, but lacks an updated version prior to upgrading the medical device programmer, and the received programming module includes the updated version of the programming module.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining at the medical device programmer that the medical device programmer lacks the programming code based on the identification data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving missing programming code from the personal medical device occurs after a failed attempt by the medical device programmer to obtain the missing programming code via the Internet.

11. An implantable medical device (IMD) programmer comprising a wireless electronic communication device and processing circuitry, the processing circuitry configured to:

receive identification data from an IMD via the wireless electronic communication device, the identification data identifying the IMD;

receive a missing programming module via the wireless electronic communication device from the identified IMD; and

upgrade the IMD programmer by including the received programming module in a module manager of the IMD programmer, the upgraded IMD programmer including the programming module configured to program the identified IMD.

12. The programmer of claim 11, wherein the wireless communication device comprises a hand-held wand having an antenna configured to be placed in proximity to an IMD.

13. The programmer of claim 11, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to send IMD interrogation data via the wireless electronic communication device before receiving the identification data.

14. The programmer of claim 11, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to send a request for the missing programming module to the identified IMD.

15. The programmer of claim 11, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine that the IMD programmer lacks the programming module configured to program the identified IMD.

16. A system comprising the IMD programmer of claim 11 and an IMD, the IMD including an IMD electronic communication device and IMD processing circuitry configured to:

send the IMD identification data via the IMD electronic communication device to the IMD programmer; and

send the missing programming module via the IMD electronic communication device to the IMD programmer.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the IMD processing circuitry is configured to determine that the IMD programmer lacks the programming module configured to program the identified IMD.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the IMD further comprises a computer-readable storage medium in which the programming module is stored.

19. An article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable storage medium storing programming configured to cause processing circuitry to perform processing comprising:

receiving identification data from an implantable medical device (IMD) via a wireless communication link, the identification data identifying the IMD;

receiving a missing programming module, via the wireless communication link, from the identified IMD; and

upgrading the article of manufacture by including the received programming module in a module manager of the article of manufacture, the upgraded article of manufacture including the programming module configured to program the identified IMD.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein the processing further comprises determining that the article of manufacture lacks the programming module configured to program the identified IMD.