Physician's programmer for implantable devices having cardiac diagnostic and patient alerting capabilities

• US 7,801,596 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2005
• Issued: 09/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Angel Medical Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Angel Medical Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Fischell, David R., Johnson, Steven R., Harwood, Jonathan, Fischell, Tim A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno; Carl H
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, YUN HAENG NMN
• Application Number:
  US11/130,110
• Publication Number:
  US 20060265020A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,953 Days
• Field of Search: 600/517, 600/523, 607/59
• US Class Current: 600/523
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36557 controlled by chemical substances in blood
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37247 User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means

Abstract

A programmer is provided for an implantable medical device capable of detecting cardiac events in a human patient. The programmer has a two-way wireless data communication mechanism with the implantable medical device and a graphical user interface is included which has a display and input mechanism designed for use in programming patient specific parameters for the detection of ST shift related cardiac events.

Claims

1. A programmer for an implantable medical device capable of detecting cardiac events in a human patient, the programmer including:

two-way wireless data communication means with the implantable medical device; and

a graphical user interface including a display and input means designed for use in programming a patient specific parameter;

wherein the patient specific parameter is displayed on the graphical user interface in the form of a pictorial representation that is modifiable according to user input received through the input means;

wherein the patient specific parameter pertains to ST shift.

2. The programmer of claim 1 further including electrogram segment display means.

3. The programmer of claim 1 further including a patient database.

4. The programmer of claim 1 further including an RF interface capable of two-way wireless data communication with the implantable medical device, the RF interface being designed to operate at a separation of greater than 6 inches between the implantable medical device and the programmer.

5. The programmer of claim 4 where the RF interface includes near field telemetry means capable of initiating two-way wireless communication between the implantable medical device and programmer.

6. The programmer of claim 1 where an external alarm device is used by the programmer for the two-way communication with the implantable medical device.

7. The programmer of claim 1 where the implantable medical device is implanted under the skin of the human patient.

8. The programmer of claim 1 where the ST shift related cardiac event is an acute myocardial infarction.

9. The programmer of claim 1 where the ST shift related cardiac event is ischemia at an elevated heart attack.

10. The programmer of claim 1 where the patient specific parameters include the start time for the ST segment with respect to a reference feature of each beat.

11. The programmer of claim 10 where the start time of the ST segment is programmed by entering values using the input means.

12. The programmer of claim 10 where the start time of the ST segment is programmed by selections from a menu using the input means.

13. The programmer of claim 10 where the start time of the ST segment is programmed by dragging an object on the graphical user interface using the input means.

14. The programmer of claim 10 where the start time of the ST segment is programmed by selecting up or down arrow buttons using the input means.

15. The programmer of claim 10 where the programmer further includes means to calculate the start times of the ST segment for a plurality of R-R interval values, the programmer also being designed to upload the start times of the ST segment for a plurality of R-R interval values to the implantable medical device through the two-way wireless data communication means.

16. The programmer of claim 15 where the start times of the ST segment for different R-R interval values is organized as a look-up table for the implantable medical device.

17. The programmer of claim 10 where the reference feature is the R wave.

18. The programmer of claim 10 where the reference feature is the S wave.

19. The programmer of claim 10 where the reference feature is the T wave.

20. The programmer of claim 10 where the reference feature is the J point.

21. The programmer of claim 1 where the patient specific parameters for the detection of ST shift related cardiac events includes the duration of the ST segment.

22. The programmer of claim 21 where the duration is programmed by entering values using the input means.

23. The programmer of claim 21 where the duration of the ST segment is programmed by selections from a menu using the input means.

24. The programmer of claim 21 where the duration of the ST segment is programmed by dragging an object on the graphical user interface using the input means.

25. The programmer of claim 21 where the duration of the ST segment are programmed by selecting up or down arrow buttons using the input means.

26. The programmer of claim 21 where the programmer further includes means to calculate the durations of the ST segment for a plurality of R-R interval values, the programmer also being designed to upload the durations of the ST segment for a plurality of R-R interval values to the implantable medical device through the two-way wireless data communication means.

27. The programmer of claim 26 where the durations of the ST segment for different R-R interval values is organized as a look-up table.

28. The programmer of claim 1 where the input means includes a data input device.

29. The programmer of claim 28 where the data input device is a keyboard.

30. The programmer of claim 28 where the data input device is a number pad.

31. The programmer of claim 1 where the input means includes a mouse.

32. The programmer of claim 31 where the input means includes a touch-screen.

33. The programmer of claim 31 where the input means includes a trackball.

34. The programmer of claim 31 where the input means includes a touch-pad.

35. The programmer of claim 31 where the input means includes a joystick.

36. The programmer of claim 1 further including an attached printer.

37. The programmer of claim 1 further including a bios password to prevent unauthorized access.

38. The programmer of claim 1 further including a pop-up login screen for user access.

39. The programmer of claim 1 further including indicators that there is an active data communications session established with a implantable medical device.

40. The programmer of claim 1 further including means to download heart signal data recorded by the implantable medical device.

41. The programmer of claim 40 further including means to calculate ST segment shift detection thresholds by processing the heart signal data downloaded from the implantable medical device.

42. The programmer of claim 41 where the heart signal data processed includes at least one histogram representation of the ST shifts of beats of the patient'"'"'s heart analyzed by the implantable medical device.

43. The programmer of claim 40 where the heart signal data includes electrogram segments related to a detected cardiac event.

44. The programmer of claim 40 where the heart signal data includes periodically recorded baseline electrogram segments.

45. The programmer of claim 40 where the heart signal data includes recently recorded electrogram segments.

46. The programmer of claim 40 where the heart signal data includes at least one histogram representing the values of a heart signal parameter collected over a pre-set period of time.

47. The programmer of claim 46 where the pre-set period of time is programmable using the graphical user interface of the programmer.

48. The programmer of claim 1 wherein the pictorial representation comprises a representation of a biological signal and an icon oriented with respect to the representation of the biological signal so as to indicate the value of the patient specific parameter.

49. The programmer of claim 48 wherein the representation of the biological signal comprises a waveform.

50. The programmer of claim 49 wherein the waveform is an electrogram that is characterized by an R wave.

51. The programmer of claim 50 wherein the icon comprises a bar.

52. The programmer of claim 51 wherein the patient specific parameter pertains to the magnitude of a portion of the waveform and the bar is positioned with respect to the waveform so as to indicate the magnitude.

53. The programmer of claim 51 wherein the patient specific parameter pertains to a temporal fiducial point within the waveform and the bar is positioned with respect to the waveform so as to indicate the value of the temporal fiducial point.

54. The programmer of claim 53 wherein the temporal fiducial point is an offset from the R wave.

55. The programmer of claim 1 wherein the patient specific parameter pertains to the magnitude of an ST deviation detection threshold.

56. The programmer of claim 55 wherein the detection threshold pertains to a change in ST deviation relative to a baseline value.

57. The programmer of claim 55 wherein the pictorial representation is a bar that represents the ST deviation detection threshold.

58. The programmer of claim 55 further including means to download heart signal data recorded by the implantable medical device and means to calculate ST deviation detection thresholds by processing the heart signal data downloaded from the implantable medical device.

59. The programmer of claim 1 wherein the patient specific parameter is programmed by dragging an object on the graphical user interface using the input means.

60. The programmer of claim 1 wherein the patient specific parameter is programmed by selecting up or down arrow buttons using the input means.

61. A programmer for an implantable medical device capable of detecting cardiac events in a human patient, the programmer including:

two-way wireless data communication means with the implantable medical device;

a processor for computing a value of a patient specific parameter based at least in part on patient specific data, and a graphical user interface including a display and input means designed for use in programming the patient specific parameter;

wherein the patient specific parameter is displayed on the graphical user interface in the form of a pictorial representation, and wherein the input means and processor are configured to enable a user to select the value of the patient specific parameter computed by the processor;

wherein the patient specific parameter pertains to ST shift.

62. The programmer of claim 61 wherein the input means and processor are configured to enable a user to reject the value of the patient specific parameter computed by the processor.

63. The programmer of claim 62 wherein the input means and processor are configured to enable the user to manually select the value of the patient specific parameter.

64. The programmer of claim 61 wherein the graphical user interface includes an icon that enables a user to select the value of the patient specific parameter computed by the processor by manipulating the icon.