Implantable device and programmer system which permits multiple programmers

• US 6,792,311 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2003
• Issued: 09/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intermedics Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Intermedics Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Rottenberg, William B., Fox, James K., Thome, Brian J.
• Primary Examiner(s): EVANISKO, GEORGE ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US10/350,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20030171788A1
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• Field of Search: 607/30, 607/31, 607/59
• US Class Current: 607/31
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37 Monitoring; Protecting
• 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 1/37254 Pacemaker or defibrillator security, e.g. to prevent or inhibit programming alterations by hackers or unauthorised individuals

Abstract

A multiprogrammer system for monitoring and optimizing implantable device performance. In one embodiment, the system includes at least two programming devices and an implantable device. Each of the programming devices may be used to perform inquiry and programming operations on the implantable device. In an inquiry operation, the programming device retrieves some or all of the configuration parameters from the implantable device. In a programming operation, the programming device provides one or more modified parameters to the implantable device. As part of the programming operation, the programming device is configured to verify that it is aware of the implantable device'"'"'s current parameters before sending the modified parameters. In other words, the current programming device verifies that the implantable device'"'"'s parameters have not been altered by another programming device since the current programming device'"'"'s last interaction with the implantable device. If the parameters have been altered, the current programming device aborts the programming operation and notifies the operator. In alternate embodiments, the verification may be performed by the implantable device, i.e. the implantable device may verify that the programming device is aware of the current device parameters before the implantable device accepts the modified parameters.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

storing a program in an implantable device;

storing configuration parameters, including verification data in an implantable device, the stored configuration parameters being capable of controlling operation of the program;

electronically transferring verification data between the implantable device and a programming device;

verifying the configuration parameters are current configuration parameters from a comparison of the transferred verification data with the stored verification data; and

communicating updated parameters from the programming device to the implantable device when the configuration parameters are verified as current configuration parameters.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein electronically transferring verification data includes transferring a stored last access time from the programming device to implant device;

and

wherein verifying the configuration parameters includes comparing the present inquiry time to the last access time.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein storing verification data includes:

communicating a current time along with the configuration parameters from the programming device to the implantable device; and

storing the current time as the last access time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein verifying includes sending a confirmation status message if the verification is successful and sending a denial status message if the verification is unsuccessful.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein verifying includes aborting communication of updated parameters from the programming device to the implantable device if the verification is unsuccessful.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein electronically transferring verification data includes determining a present inquiry time and transferring a stored last access time;

and

wherein verifying the configuration parameters includes comparing the present inquiry time to the last access time.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein storing verification data includes:

communicating a current time along with the configuration parameters from the programming device to the implantable device; and

storing the current time as a most-recent programming time.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating updated parameters includes sending a status message from the implantable device to the programming device, wherein the status message is a confirmation when the verification is successful and the updated parameters are successfully received, and wherein the status message is a denial when the verification is unsuccessful.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the program includes storing a parameterized program in read only memory, and controlling operation of the parameterized program by the configuration parameters.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the verification data includes a most recent programming time for the implantable device and the stored data includes a stored time wherein the stored time indicates a time at which a most-recent programming of the implantable device was performed, and wherein verifying includes:

transmitting the stored time; and

comparing the stored time to the most-recent programming time of the implantable device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

communicating a current time along with the updated parameters from the programming device to the implantable device; and

the implantable device storing the current time as the most-recent programming time if the verification is successful and the updated parameters are successfully received.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

aborting the communication of parameters from the programming device to the implantable device when the verification is unsuccessful.

13. A programming device for an implantable device, wherein the implantable device has configuration parameters, including verification data that are used by a program to control a therapy provided to a patient, wherein the programming device comprises:

a user interface;

a memory configured to store configuration parameters and verification data;

a communications circuit configurable to communicate with the implantable device; and

a microprocessor coupled to the memory and the user interface, and further coupled to the communications circuit adapted to retrieve configuration parameters from the implantable device and send configuration parameters to the implantable device, and wherein the microprocessor is configurable to retrieve, write, read, alter, and send the configuration parameters in response to input from the user interface and to communicate updated configuration parameters from the programming device to the implantable device when the configuration parameters are verified as current configuration parameters; and

wherein the communication circuit is configured to electronically transfer the verification data between the implantable device and the programming device, and the microprocessor compares the transferred verification data with the stored verification data, and verifies configuration parameters of the implantable device are current configuration parameters from the comparison of the transferred verification data with the stored verification data.

14. The programming device of claim 13, wherein the microprocessor verifies that the retrieved configuration parameters are current by retrieving a stored time from the implantable device and comparing the stored time to a last inquiry time of the programming device, whereby the microprocessor determines whether the programming device has made a most-recent inquiry of the implantable device.

15. The programming device of claim 13, wherein the microprocessor verifies that the retrieved configuration parameters are current by receiving a most-recent programming time from the implantable device and comparing the most-recent programming time to a stored programming time provided by the implantable device during a last inquiry by the microprocessor.

16. A method, comprising:

storing a program and programmable configuration parameters, including verification data in an implantable device, the configuration parameters controlling operation of the program stored in the implantable device;

transferring verification data between the implantable device and a programming device; and

verifying that the configuration parameters presently stored in the implantable device are the same configuration parameters that are expected by the programming device from previous communications of the programming device with the implantable device by comparing the transferred verification data with the stored verification data.