Implantable medical device programming apparatus having a graphical user interface

• US 7,751,892 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2004
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Gilkerson, James O., Kalgren, James, Peterson, Les Norman, Dieterle, Paula, Peterson, Aaron Raymond, Schwartz, Mark Joseph, Nauman, Dorothy Marie, Nguyen, LanAnh
• Primary Examiner(s): EVANISKO, GEORGE ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US10/841,967
• Publication Number:
  US 20050033385A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,252 Days
• Field of Search: 607 30- 32, 607/59, 607/60
• US Class Current: 607/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37247 User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means

Abstract

Systems and methods for a configurable programmer for an implantable cardiovascular medical device are disclosed. A preferred embodiment comprises a graphical user interface to visualize programming processes to alert a clinician to potential problems with the patient'"'"'s condition or the therapy provided by the device, or the device itself. The programmer is further adapted to minimize the risk of programming potentially dangerous changes to the implantable device'"'"'s parameter settings by requiring the clinician to first review new value changes before initiating the programming step. The programmer also allows the clinician to view how a change to one or more parameter settings affect other settings before the implantable device is programmed or re-programmed.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an external programmer adapted to interface with an implantable medical device, the programmer comprising;

a communication module adapted to communicate with the implantable medical device; and

a graphical user interface adapted to communicate information to a user, the graphical user interface adapted to display a management screen configured to receive proposed programming changes initiated by a clinician, the clinician-initiated proposed programming changes including a suite of parameters including A-Tachy Response, A-Flutter Response, Ventricular Rate Regulation, ProACt, and A-Pacing Preference, the management screen including a one-touch feature configured to set all parameters in the suite with actuation of the one-touch feature, and the graphical user interface further adapted to display, in response to and after all clinician-initiated proposed changes have been received in the management screen from the clinician, in a proposed changes screen different from the management screen, a summary of the clinician-initiated proposed changes to the programming of the implantable medical device, the clinician-initiated proposed changes shown on the proposed changes screen in visual correspondence with corresponding previously-existing parameter values, the proposed changes screen configured to require clinician review of the clinician-initiated proposed new parameter values and to allow clinician correction of the clinician-initiated proposed new parameter values before the clinician-initiated proposed new parameter values are implemented.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface is adapted to display over time one or more patient clinical or therapy events, the display over time capable of including at least one user-editable note.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the graphical user interface is adapted to display a time interval of one or more clinical events and one or more therapeutic events and one or more notes entered into the graphical user interface.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the display over time includes a clinician'"'"'s note associated with a particular time along with a listing of one or more implantable medical device parameters in effect at that particular time.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises the implantable medical device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface is also adapted to display a graphic alert displayed in visual correspondence with time relating to an arrhythmia episode.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface is also adapted to display a graphic alert relating to an antitachyarrhythmia therapeutic event displayed in visual correspondence with a logged tachyarrhythmia episode.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface is also adapted to display a graphic alert relating to a device lead test event.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface is also adapted to display a graphical indication of a counted cardiovascular event.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface is also adapted to display information about a lead test grouped by heart chamber.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface is also adapted to display a visually moving indicator reflecting a lead test in operation.

12. The system of claim 1, in which the external programmer is adapted to automatically create a note documenting a change in parameter values in response to implementation of the clinician-initiated proposed new parameter values.

13. The system of claim 1, in which the graphical user interface is adapted to display an indication of a number of arrhythmic events of a particular type relative to a total number of events of the particular type.

14. The system of claim 1, in which the graphical user interface is adapted to display one or more pie charts indicating the number of arrhythmic events of the particular type relative to the total number of events of the particular type.

15. The system of claim 14, in which the one or more pie charts indicate the number of paced bradyarrhythmic events relative to the total number of paced and sensed events.

16. The system of claim 14, in which the one or more pie charts include:

a first pie chart separately indicating right ventricular paced events and right ventricular sensed events; and

a second pie chart separately indicating left ventricular paced events and left ventricular sensed events.

17. The system of claim 16, in which the one or more pie charts include a third pie chart separately indicating atrial paced events and atrial sensed events.

18. The system of claim 1, in which the graphical user interface is adapted to display:

a percentage of atrial beats that are paced beats;

a percentage of right ventricular beats that are paced beats; and

a percentage of left ventricular beats that are paced beats.

19. The system of claim 1, in which the graphical user interface is adapted to display an arrhythmia log that permits logging of multiple arrhythmia episodes along with a classification of each such arrhythmia episode by the implantable medical device and an indication of a responsive therapy, if any, that was delivered by the implantable medical device in response to the particular arrhythmia.

20. The system of claim 1, in which the graphical user interface is adapted to display a lead impedance value in visual correspondence with a graphic alert if the lead impedance value falls outside of an acceptable range.

21. A method comprising:

obtaining in a management screen of a graphical user interface proposed programming changes of an implantable medical device from a clinician using an external programmer, the clinician-initiated proposed programming changes including a suite of parameters including A-Tachy Response, A-Flutter Response, Ventricular Rate Regulation, ProACt, and A-Pacing Preference, the management screen including a one-touch feature configured to set all parameters in the suite with actuation of the one-touch feature;

displaying on the graphical user interface in a proposed changes screen different from the management screen, in response to the proposed programming changes initiated by the clinician and after all proposed programming is complete, a summary of the clinician-initiated proposed changes to the programming of the implantable medical device, the clinician-initiated proposed changes shown on the proposed changes screen in visual correspondence with corresponding previously-existing parameter values; and

requiring clinician review of the proposed new clinician-initiated proposed parameter values and allowing clinician correction of the proposed new clinician-initiated proposed parameter values before the clinician-initiated proposed new parameter values are implemented.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising displaying at least one user-editable note.