Generating and communicating web content from within an implantable medical device

• US 7,353,063 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2004
• Issued: 04/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Simms, Howard D. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno; Carl
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel; Natasha
• Application Number:
  US11/020,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20060136014A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,196 Days
• Field of Search: 607/60, 607/32, 600/300, 128/899
• US Class Current: 607/32
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37282 characterised by communication with experts in remote locations using a network

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer program products for generating and communicating web content from within an implantable medical device are provided. A method includes collecting data from a memory and/or subsystem of an implantable medical device. Upon collecting the data, the data is converted into web content having a web readable format that is readily consumable for display via a web interface thereby providing a web server from within the implantable medical device. The structure of an output file may be populated with the data converted into the web content. The method may further include transmitting the output file from the implantable medical device to a computing apparatus.

Claims

1. A method for generating and communicating web content from within an implantable medical device, the method comprising:

collecting data from at least one of a memory and a subsystem of an implantable medical device; and

converting the data into web content having a web readable format selectable from a plurality of web readable format types that is readily consumable for display via a web interface thereby providing a web server from within the implantable medical device;

determining, according to the web readable format type, whether instructions are required for interpreting the converted data; and

requesting instructions for the interpretation of the converted data from the implantable medical device

transmitting instructions from the implantable medical device to a computing apparatus requested.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of the following:

reporting the web content to a computing apparatus for later retrieval; and

receiving a request for the data at the implantable medical device, wherein the data is collected in response to receiving the request.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a structure of an output file wherein converting the data into web content includes populating the structure of the output file with the data converted into the web content.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the output file is stored in the memory of the implantable medical device, the method further comprising transmitting the output file to the computing apparatus.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising transmitting instructions for interpreting the output file to the computing apparatus.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the web readable format comprises a markup language.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the web readable format comprises at least one of the following:

HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language);

JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts);

GIF (Graphic Interchange Format);

TIFF (Tagged Image File Format);

XML™

(eXtensible Markup Language); and

SGML™

(Standard Generalized Markup Language).

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the web readable format comprises at least one of HTML and XML and wherein instructions for interpreting the output file are stored on one of the computing apparatus and the implantable medical device, the method further comprising transmitting the instructions to the computing apparatus when the instructions are stored on the implantable medical device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the web readable format comprises XML and wherein the instructions comprise at least one XSL file.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein the web readable format includes graphics data and wherein rendering code, executed in order to at least one of render the graphics data and provide interactive components via the web interface, is stored on one of the computing apparatus and the implantable medical device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the rendering code is stored on the implantable medical device further comprising transmitting the rendering code to the computing apparatus.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the rendering code includes directions to publish the web content in a specified language wherein the specified language is at least one of:

selected from a variety of languages,

determined based on a location of the web interface displaying the web content;

determined upon installation of the implantable medical device; and

specified in a request.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the instructions include directions to publish the web content in a specified language, wherein the specified language is at least one of:

selected from a variety of languages,

determined based on a location of the web interface;

determined upon installation of the implantable medical device; and

specified in a request.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein a memory of one of the computing apparatus and the implantable medical device stores an XSL file for each language available designating a specified language associated with the XSL file.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting the data comprises collecting at least one of the following:

patient status data;

medical device status data; and

medical device settings data

wherein the data is collected while the implantable medical device is one of operating and in storage.

16. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having control logic stored therein for causing a pulse generator to generate and communicate web content, the control logic comprising computer readable program code for causing the pulse generator to:

collect data from a memory of the pulse generator; and

convert the data into web content having a web readable format selectable from a plurality of web readable format types that is readily consumable for display via a web interface;

determine, according to the web readable format type, whether instructions are required for interpreting the converted data; and

requesting instructions for the interpretation of the converted data from the implantable medical device

transmit instructions from the implantable medical device to a computing apparatus when requested.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising computer program code for causing the pulse generator to receive a request for the data wherein the data is collected in response to receiving the request.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising computer program code for causing the pulse generator to detect a structure of an output file and populate the structure of the output file with the data converted into the web content.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the output file is stored in the memory of the pulse generator, further comprising computer program code for causing the pulse generator to transmit the output file to the computing apparatus.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the web readable format comprises a markup language.

21. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the instructions comprise at least one XSL file.

22. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the web readable format includes graphics data further comprising computer program code for causing the pulse generator to transmit rendering code to the computing apparatus in order to at least one of help render the graphics data and provide interactive components via the web interface.

23. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the rendering code includes directions to publish the web content in a specified language.

24. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the instructions include directions to publish the web content in a specified language.

25. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the data collected comprises at least one of the following:

patient status data;

medical device status data; and

medical device settings data

wherein the data is collected while the pulse generator is one of operating and in storage.

26. A system for generating and communicating web content from within an implantable medical device, the system comprising:

the implantable medical device having a memory, the implantable medical device operative to;

collect data from the memory; and

convert the data into web content having a web readable format selectable from a plurality of web readable format types that is readily consumable for display via a web interface;

determine, according to the web readable format type, whether instructions are required for interpreting the converted data; and

requesting instructions for the interpretation of the converted data from the implantable medical device

transmit instructions from the implantable medical device to a computing apparatus requested.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the implantable medical device is further operative to receive a request for the data, wherein the data is collected in response to receiving the request, the request initiated by one of selecting a link via a web interface and a scheduled triggering event.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the implantable medical device is operative to detect a structure of an output file and populate the structure of the output file with the data converted into the web content.

29. The system of claim 26, further comprising the first computing apparatus wherein the implantable medical device is further operative to transmit the output file to the first computing apparatus.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the web readable format comprises a markup language and wherein at least one of one of the computing apparatus and the implantable medical device is further operative to store an XSL file for each language available to display the web content each XSL file designating a specified language associated with the XSL file.

31. The system of claim 29, further comprising a second computing apparatus wherein the first computing apparatus is operative to at least one of:

receive and forward the output file to a second computing apparatus for at least one of storage, retrieval, and display via a web interface of the second computing apparatus; and

interpret and display the web content from the output file via a display device of the first computing apparatus.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the first computing apparatus comprises a wireless device operatively in communication with at least one of a network and the second computing apparatus.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein the first computing apparatus comprises at least one of the following:

a personal digital assistant;

a laptop computer; and

an external programmer.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the second computing apparatus comprises at least one of a personal computer and a server computer.