Information network interrogation of an implanted device

• US 6,480,745 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2000
• Issued: 11/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Lee, Michael T., Webb, James David, Ringold, Jean, Stauffer, Ronald Alan, Linberg, Kurt R., Nelson, Chester G., Stomberg, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Getzow, Scott M.
• Application Number:
  US09/740,128
• Publication Number:
  US 20010031998A1
• Time in Patent Office: 694 Days
• Field of Search: 607/59, 607/60, 607/32
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7217 of noise originating from a therapeutic or surgical apparatus, e.g. from a pacemaker
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37211 Means for communicating with stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37264 Changing the program; Upgrading firmware
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37282 characterised by communication with experts in remote locations using a network
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/60 relating to pathologies

Abstract

A communication system is provided which permits of communication between an deployed implantable medical device (IMD) and a computing resource capable of storing and distributing patient and device data. A deployed IMD may be polled by a network interface external to the host patient, and data may be received by wireless communication. This data may be transmitted to a computer for storage and distribution, and changes to a treatment or instruction regimen, or firmware or software upgrades, may then be transmitted to the network interface for immediate or eventual loading into the IMD via wireless communication. The system is adapted to provide communication service between multiple IMDs deployed in a patient or a number of patients.

Claims

1. A computerized method of obtaining and distributing data from one or more implanted medical devices (IMDs) deployed in one or more patients, said IMDs having firmware or software, comprising the steps of:

transmitting via a network communication link IMD-accessible data gathered from at least one of the IMDs, including IMD identifying information, to an external device capable of communicating with a remote computer data center;

routing the IMD data to an expert system resident at the remote computer data center;

selecting a device agent software module configured to interface with the particular type of IMD and having instructions for IMD treatment regimens suitable for the particular type of IMD;

determining instructions comprising an IMD treatment regimen based the transmitted IMD-accessible data; and

transmitting via the network communication link the instructions to the appropriate IMD which may be executed by the IMD in accordance with its firmware or software.

2. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the IMD-accessible data comprises physiologic data from the patient.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the network communication link comprises a hybrid link.

4. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the IMD-accessible data comprises device information.

5. The computerized method of claim 4, wherein the device information includes hardware, firmware, or software identification information.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the hybrid link comprises a radio frequency link from an IMD to a network interface, and a secondary network link from the network interface to the computer.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the secondary network link is a direct dial up connection.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the secondary network link is an area network.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the area network is a LAN.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the area network is a WAN.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the secondary network communication link comprises an asynchronous link.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the secondary network communications link comprises a synchronous link.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the network communication link comprises a radio frequency link.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more IMDs comprises one or more of a pacemaker, a PCD pacemaker/cardioverter/defibrillator, an oxygen sensing device, a nerve stimulator, a muscle stimulator, a drug pump, or an implantable monitoring device.

15. The computerized method of claim 1, comprising the further step of transmitting from the computer to one or more IMDs an upgrade to the IMD firmware or software.

16. The computerized method of claim 1, further comprising the step of distributing the IMD data from the computer to one or more remote data interface devices.

17. The computerized method of claim 16 wherein the remote data interface device comprises one or more network computers, facsimile machine, telephone, voice mail systems, cellular devices, pagers, PDAs, printers, or broadcast reception devices.

18. A system for obtaining and distributing data from one or more IMDs deployed in one or more patients, comprising:

a network communication link for IMD-accessible data gathered from at least one of the IMDs, including IMD identifying information;

a remote computer data center coupled to the network communication link to route IMD-accessible data to an expert system resident at the remote computer data center;

said expert system selecting a device agent software module configured to interface with the particular type of IMD and having instructions for IMD treatment regimens suitable for the particular type of IMD;

said expert system determining instructions comprising an IMD treatment regimen based on the transmitted IMD-accessible data and providing the instructions for transmission via the network communication link to the appropriate IMD for execution by the IMD.