Patient Programmer for Implantable Drug Delivery Device

• US 20160303313A1
• Filed: 04/14/2016
• Published: 10/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FLO, LLC
• Original Assignee: Flowonix Medical, Inc.
• Inventors: BURKE, Paul, ADLER, Steve
• Granted Patent: US 9,700,669 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0026 characterised by the transmission medium
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14208 with a programmable infusion control system, characterised by the infusion program
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/04 implanted
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3523 using telemetric means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3553 remote, e.g. between patient's home and doctor's office
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3592 using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14276 specially adapted for implantation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/17 delivered via infusion or injection

Abstract

Methods for programming an implantable drug delivery device using a mobile computing device that include establishing a connection with a telemetry unit configured for wireless communication with the implantable drug delivery device, displaying user-selectable drug delivery settings for the implantable drug delivery device, receiving at least one selection of a drug delivery setting, translating the received selection into a signal format readable by the telemetry unit, and sending the translated signal to the telemetry unit to program the implantable drug delivery device. Further embodiments include telemetry units for communication with an implantable drug delivery device, and patient programmers and a method for patient modification to a programmed drug delivery regimen.

Claims

1. A method for communicating with an implantable drug delivery device using a mobile computing device, comprising:

establishing a connection with a telemetry unit configured for wireless communication with the implantable drug delivery device;

displaying user-selectable drug delivery settings for the implantable drug delivery device;

receiving at least one selection of a drug delivery setting;

translating the received selection into a signal format readable by the telemetry unit; and

sending the translated signal to the telemetry unit to program the implantable drug delivery device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile computing device comprises a mobile phone, a tablet computer or a PDA.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile computing device establishes the connection with the telemetry unit while the mobile computing device is physically coupled to the telemetry unit, the method further comprising ending the connection with the telemetry unit when the mobile computing device is physically removed from the telemetry unit.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the mobile computing device is physically coupled to the telemetry unit by being secured within a housing of the telemetry unit.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the connection with the telemetry unit is a wireless connection comprising one or more of a near field communication (NFC) connection or a personal area network (PAN) connection.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving data from the implantable drug delivery device, via the connection with the telemetry unit.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the data comprises at least one of data regarding a status of the implantable drug delivery device, physiological data of a patient in which the drug delivery device is implanted, and data regarding the programming of the implantable drug delivery device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

authenticating at least one of the mobile computing device and a user of the mobile computing device as being authorized to program the implantable drug delivery device prior to programming of the implantable drug delivery device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a connection with a remote computing device over a telecommunications network, wherein the at least one selection of a drug delivery setting is received from the remote computing device over the telecommunications network.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a connection with a patient programmer;

displaying user-selectable settings for the patient programmer;

receiving a selection of at least one parameter for patient modification of a drug delivery regimen programmed at the implantable drug delivery device; and

transmitting the at least one selected parameter to the patient programmer to program the patient programmer.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the patient programmer is a separate unit capable of establishing a connection with a telemetry unit.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the patient programmer is a second mobile computing device.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the patient programmer is an integral component of the telemetry unit.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the connection with the patient programmer is a wireless connection, comprising one or more of a near field communication (NFC) connection, a personal area network (PAN) connection, a WiFi connection and a wireless connection over a telecommunications network.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one parameter for patient modification of a drug delivery regimen comprises at least one of a number of bolus doses of a drug that a patient may request in a predetermined time period, a volume of drug administered per bolus, a minimum wait time between administering bolus doses, a time of day in which bolus doses may be administered, and an allowable modification to a basal rate of drug delivery that a patient may request.

16. A method for patient modification to a programmed drug delivery regimen in an implantable drug delivery device, comprising:

establishing a connection with a computing device;

receiving from the computing device at least one parameter for patient modification of the programmed drug delivery regimen;

storing the at least one parameter in a memory;

detecting an input event corresponding to a patient request for modification to the programmed drug delivery regimen;

determining whether the requested modification is allowed based on the stored at least one parameter; and

transmitting the patient request to the implantable drug delivery device when it is determined that the requested modification is allowed.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the method is performed by a patient programmer unit that is separate from the computing device, the method further comprising:

establishing a connection with a telemetry unit configured for wireless communication with the implantable drug delivery device, the patient request being transmitted to the implantable drug delivery device via the telemetry unit.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the computing device comprises a first mobile computing device and the patient programmer unit comprises a second mobile computing device.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the method is performed by a combined patient programmer/telemetry unit configured for wireless communication with the implantable drug delivery device.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the patient programmer unit establishes the connection with the telemetry unit while the patient programmer unit is physically coupled to the telemetry unit, the method further comprising ending the connection with the telemetry unit when the patient programmer unit is physically removed from the telemetry unit.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the connection with the computing device is a wireless connection comprising one or more of a near field communication (NFC) connection, a personal area network (PAN) connection, a WiFi connection and a wireless connection over a telecommunications network.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one parameter for patient modification of a drug delivery regimen comprises at least one of a number of bolus doses of a drug that a patient may request in a predetermined time period, a volume of drug administered per bolus, a minimum wait time between administering bolus doses, a time of day in which bolus doses may be administered, and an allowable modification to a basal rate of drug delivery that a patient may request.

23. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

displaying feedback to a patient regarding the status of a patient request to modify the programmed drug delivery regime.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein programmed drug delivery regimen comprises a user-selected bolus dose drug delivery regimen and the at least one parameter comprises at least one of a minimum wait time between the administration of bolus doses, a total number of bolus doses that may be administered in a pre-determined time period and a total quantity of a drug that may be administered in a pre-determined time period.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the at least one parameter further comprises a plurality of different sizes of bolus doses that a patient is permitted to request.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the at least one parameter defines limits on the ability of a patient to administer a bolus dose of a particular size based on one or more previously-administered bolus doses.

27. A patient programmer device, comprising:

a user-input component;

a communication module;

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the user-input component, the communication module, and the memory, the processor configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising;

establishing a connection with a second computing device;

receiving from the second computing device at least one parameter for patient modification of a programmed drug delivery regimen in an implantable drug delivery device;

storing the at least one parameter in a memory;

detecting an input event corresponding to a patient request for modification to the programmed drug delivery regimen;

determining whether the requested modification is allowed based on the stored at least one parameter; and

transmitting the patient request to the implantable drug delivery device in response to determining that the requested modification is allowed.