Advanced patient management system including interrogator/transceiver unit

• US 7,751,901 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2005
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Mazar, Scott Thomas, Manicka, Yatheendhar D.
• Primary Examiner(s): MANUEL, GEORGE C
• Application Number:
  US11/259,938
• Publication Number:
  US 20060106433A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,714 Days
• Field of Search: 607/30, 607/31, 607/60, 455/41.2, 600/559
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4815 Sleep quality
• 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: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

An advanced patient management system including at least one device that is implanted in a patient, the device being configured to measure physiological attributes of the patient and provide therapy to the patient. The advanced patient management system may also include an interrogator/transceiver unit in communication with the device and a network, the unit being positioned relative to the device to facility communication between the repeater and the device. The advanced patient management system also includes a host, in communication with the device through the network, to store data from the device and to provide a predictive diagnosis of an oncoming event. The interrogator/transceiver unit may include programmable or updateable with software from a computer system or remote host.

Claims

1. An interrogator/transceiver unit, the unit comprising:

a processor module programmed to process software instructions;

an interface module programmed to communicate with an implantable device associated with a patient and also programmed to communicate with a remote host, where the implantable device is local to the unit; and

a memory module, wherein the memory module includes baseline software that enables the unit to identify the device,

wherein the unit is configured to;

use the baseline software to obtain identification information from the implantable device,

communicate with the remote host to download, into the memory module of the unit, device-specific software that is selected by the remote host using the identification information received by the unit from the implantable device, and

configure the unit with the device-specific software to communicate with the implantable device.

2. The unit of claim 1, wherein the unit is configured to automatically communicate, using the baseline software, with one or more devices that are near the unit.

3. The unit of claim 1, wherein the unit is configured to automatically communicate with the remote host to download the device management software.

4. The unit of claim 3, wherein the identification information received by the unit from the implantable device includes an indication of a model of the implantable device, and wherein the unit is configured to communicate information about the model to the remote host.

5. The unit of claim 1, wherein the unit is configured to recurrently communicate with the remote host to download updated device management software to the memory module of the unit.

6. The unit of claim 1, wherein the identification information from the implantable device includes an indication of a model of the implantable device, and wherein the unit is configured to communicate information about the model to the remote host.

7. The unit of claim 6, wherein the identification information from the implantable device includes a model number and a serial number of the device.

8. The unit of claim 1, wherein using the baseline software to obtain identification information, communicate with the remote host, and configure the unit with device-specific software occurs upon reset of the unit.

9. A system comprising:

an external interrogator/transceiver unit configured to communicate with an implanted device associated with a patient and with a remote host; and

a computer system, located local to the external interrogator/transceiver and capable of communicating with the unit, wherein the computer system is configured to;

allow a user to select one or more of a plurality of device models associated with the device,

upon selection, communicate with the remote host to download the device-specific software associated with the one or more selected device models, wherein the remote host is configured to select the device-specific software associated with the one or more selected device models; and

install on the unit, the device-specific software to allow the unit to communicate with the device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the unit is further configured to:

communicate with the implantable device to obtain patient information; and

communicate the patient information to the remote host substantially simultaneously with the communication from the computer system to the remote host to download the device-specific software associated with the one or more selected device models.

11. A method of transmitting data from a device associated with a patient to a remote host, the method comprising:

detecting one or more devices in local proximity;

pinging each detected device to obtain identification information;

retrieving device management software for each device from the remote host, the retrieving including communicating the identification information to the remote host for selecting appropriate device management software;

installing the device management software on an external unit in local proximity to the devices; and

using the device management software to functionally communicate between the unit and each device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the detecting the one or more devices is performed using baseline software on the unit.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the identification information includes at least one of a model number and a serial number of the device.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein detecting the one or more devices in local proximity is performed after resetting the unit.