Optimization of timing for data collection and analysis in advanced patient management system

• US 7,752,059 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2005
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Sweeney, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Morgan; Robert W
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOLINA, ANITA C
• Application Number:
  US11/174,922
• Publication Number:
  US 20070011028A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,827 Days
• Field of Search: 705 2- 4, 705/84, 600/301, 600/483
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/65 stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Advanced patient management systems include a unit for collecting data from a device associated with a patient, and a host in communication with the unit, the host identifying a time for the device to update data on the device. The system can identify a time for the device to update data associated with the device by developing a histogram of the availability of the device for interrogation. The system can also optimize processing loads for the system by developing a histogram of the time at which the caregiver is most likely to access the system to review the collected and processed data. Methods for optimizing device data update and processing times are also included.

Claims

1. A patient management system, comprising:

an ambulatory patient device associated with a patient;

a unit capable of being wirelessly communicatively coupled to the ambulatory patient device, the unit configured to periodically search for the device and maintain a history of when the device is in communication range; and

a processor-based host in communication with the unit, the host configured to;

receive information from the unit, the information describing the history of when the device is in communication range;

identify a time period when the ambulatory patient device is forecasted to be within communication range using the history;

obtain a data collection time based on the time period;

transmit the data collection time to the unit, the data collection time indicating when the unit is to interrogate the ambulatory patient device;

identify a time at which a caregiver is forecasted to access the host; and

select a specific time for the host to analyze data received from the unit, the specific time being selected during an interval between data collection time and the time at which the caregiver is forecasted to access the system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the host:

identifies a data update time when the device updates data in a memory of the device, the data update time being a time period before the data collection time; and

configures the device to update data at the data update time.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the time period before the data collection time is a pre-selected interval before the data collection time.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the host configures the time period by:

identifying a time when the device is not in communication range based on the history of the when the device is in communication range; and

configuring the time period using the time when the device is not in communication range.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the host monitors times at which the caregiver accesses the system to identify the time at which the caregiver is forecasted to access the system.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the host creates a histogram to identify the time at which the caregiver is forecasted to access the system.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the device is an implanted device.

8. A method for collecting and analyzing data associated with a device of a patient by a patient management system, the method comprising:

using a computer at the patient management system, the computer comprising one or more processors and able to execute instructions to;

receive information from a transceiver unit, the information describing a history of when an ambulatory patient device is within wireless communication range of the transceiver unit;

identify a time period when the ambulatory patient device is forecasted to be within wireless communication range using the history;

obtain a data collection time based on the time period;

transmit the data collection time to the transceiver unit, the data collection time indicating when the transceiver is to interrogate the ambulatory patient device;

identify a time at which a caregiver is forecasted to access the computer; and

select a specific time for the computer to analyze data received from the transceiver unit, the specific time being selected during an interval between the data collection time and the time at which the caregiver is forecasted to access the system.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein using the computer further comprises using the computer to execute instructions to obtain a data update time, the data update time indicating when the device is to update data in a device memory and the data update time being a time interval before the data collection time.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the instructions to obtain the data update time further comprise instructions to create a histogram of device availability to identify the time period, and use the histogram to obtain the data update time.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the instructions to identify a time period further comprise instructions to create a histogram of availability of the device.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the instructions to obtain the data collection time further comprise instructions to create a histogram of device availability to identify the time period, and use the histogram to obtain the data collection time.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein using the computer further comprises using the computer to execute instructions to periodically recalculate the time period during.

14. A method for gathering and processing data associated with a device of a patient by a patient management system, the method comprising:

using a computer at the patient management system, the computer comprising one or more processors able to execute instructions to;

maintain a history of when a caregiver accesses the advanced patient management system;

identify a time period during which data associated with the device is forecasted to be accessed by the caregiver based on the history;

schedule data analysis of the data associated with the device based on the time period during which the data associated with the device is forecasted to be accessed; and

analyze the data at the scheduled data analysis time by;

identifying when unprocessed patient data from the device is available to the patient management system; and

scheduling the analysis time between when unprocessed patient data is available and the time period during which data associated with the patient is forecasted to be accessed by the caregiver, wherein the analysis time is scheduled to balance computational load at the patient management system.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein instructions to identify further comprise instructions to create a histogram of times during which the caregiver accesses the data on the advanced patient management system to determine the time period during which the data associated with the device is forecasted to be accessed by the caregiver.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein using the computer further comprises using the computer to execute instructions to periodically recalculate the time period during which the data associated with the device is forecasted to be accessed by a caregiver.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein using the computer further comprises using the computer to execute instructions to:

identify a time period during which the device is forecasted to be available for data collection;

set a data collection time based on the time period during which the device is forecasted to be available for data collection; and

identify a data update time when the device updates data in a memory of the device, the data update time being before the time period during which the device is forecasted to be available for data collection; and

configure the device to update data at the data update time.