Medical device programming safety

• US 7,885,712 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2007
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Drew, Touby A., Keacher, Jeffrey T., Roberts, Earle T., Houchins, Andrew H., Stone, Theodore J., Johnson, Donald R., Goetz, Steven M.
• Primary Examiner(s): SCHAETZLE, KENNEDY
• Application Number:
  US11/940,604
• Publication Number:
  US 20080140162A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,181 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 607/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37211 Means for communicating with stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37229 Shape or location of the implanted or external antenna
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37247 User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37254 Pacemaker or defibrillator security, e.g. to prevent or inhibit programming alterations by hackers or unauthorised individuals
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3727 characterised by the modulation technique
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37282 characterised by communication with experts in remote locations using a network
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Techniques for increasing the safety of medical device programming using general purpose hardware, such as a general purpose personal computer, are described. In some embodiments, a system includes an intermediate computing device comprising an applications module. Information from the applications module, such as instructions for an implantable medical device (IMD), may be presented to a user via a user input terminal that is separate from the intermediate computing device. A user may interact with the user input terminal to select an instruction from the applications module, and the intermediate computing device may transmit the selected instruction to the IMD. In some embodiments, the intermediate computing device comprises a web server and the user input terminal comprises a web browser configured to access the web server. In other embodiments, the intermediate computing device comprises a client server and the user input terminal comprises a client.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

with a user input terminal, remotely accessing and controlling an applications module of an intermediate computing device;

presenting information from the applications module of the intermediate computing device to a user via the user input terminal, wherein the user input terminal is separate from the intermediate computing device, and wherein the information includes a plurality of instructions for an implantable medical device;

receiving input from the user indicating a selected instruction from the plurality of instructions; and

transmitting the selected instruction to the implantable medical device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving input from the user comprises receiving the input via a user interface of at least one of the user input terminal or the intermediate computing device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected instruction comprises at least one of a request for diagnostic data from the implantable medical device, a request for patient data stored within the implantable medical device or an input therapy parameter for programming into the implantable medical device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the intermediate computing device comprises a web server and the user input terminal comprises a web browser configured to access the web server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the intermediate computing device comprises a client server and the user input terminal comprises a client configured to access the client server.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising periodically receiving a defined signal from the user input terminal during the course of a programming session, wherein transmitting the selected instruction to the implantable medical device comprises transmitting the selected instruction to the implantable medical device only if transmission of the defined signal is uninterrupted and transmitting alternative instructions to the implantable medical device instead of the selected instruction in response to an interruption in transmission of the defined signal.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein transmitting alternative instructions to the implantable medical device instead of the programming instructions comprises transmitting alternative instructions to the implantable medical device to place the implantable medical device in a known safe mode.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein transmitting alternative instructions to the implantable medical device to place the implantable medical device in a known safe mode comprises transmitting settings defining the safe mode.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein transmitting alternative instructions to the implantable medical device to place the implantable medical device in a known safe mode comprises transmitting a command to the implantable medical device to access settings defining the safe mode stored within the implantable medical device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication to enter a safe mode from the user via a safe mode interface of the intermediate computing device; and

transmitting alternative instructions to the implantable medical device instead of the selected instruction to place the implantable medical device in a known safe mode in response to receiving the indication.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the selected instruction to the implantable medical device comprises:

analyzing a content of the selected instruction; and

determining whether the content of the selected instruction is logically valid.

12. A system comprising:

a user input terminal comprising a display; and

an intermediate computing device separate from the user input terminal and comprising an applications module, wherein the user input terminal is configured to remotely access and control the applications module of the intermediate computing device, wherein the intermediate computing device presents information from the applications module to a user via the display of the user input terminal, wherein the information includes a plurality of instructions for a implantable medical device, and

wherein the intermediate computing device is configured to receive an indication of an input from the user indicating a selected instruction from the plurality of instructions, and transmit the selected instruction to the implantable medical device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein user input terminal comprises a user interface configured to receive the input from the user, wherein the intermediate computing device receives the indication of the input from the user input terminal.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the intermediate computing device comprises a user interface configured to receive the input from the user.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the selected instruction comprises at least one of a request for diagnostic data from the implantable medical device, patient data stored within the implantable medical device or an input therapy parameter for programming into the implantable medical device.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the intermediate computing device comprises a web server and the user input terminal comprises a web browser configured to access the web server.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the intermediate computing device comprises a client server and the user input terminal comprises a client configured to access the client server.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the information from the applications module presented to the user via the display of the user input terminal comprises a first set of programming instructions, and wherein the intermediate computing device comprises an intermediate device user interface that provides access to a second set of programming instructions.

19. The system of claim 12, the intermediate computing device further comprising a watch dog module, wherein the user input terminal periodically transmits a defined signal to the watch dog module, and wherein the intermediate computing device transmits the selected instruction to the implantable medical device if the defined signal is uninterrupted and transmits alternative instructions to the implantable medical device instead of the selected instruction in response to an interruption in transmission of the defined signal.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the watch dog module maintains a watch dog timer and resets the watchdog timer in response to receipt of the defined signal, and wherein the intermediate computing device transmits the alternative instructions in response to expiration of the watchdog timer.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the intermediate computing device includes a safe mode interface, wherein the intermediate computing device is configured to transmit alternative instructions to the implantable medical device instead of the selected instruction in response to receiving an input from a user via the safe mode interface.

22. The system of claim 12, wherein the intermediate computing device includes a mediator module that analyzes a content of the selected instruction and determines whether the selected instruction is logically valid based on the analysis.

23. The system of claim 12, wherein the user input terminal is configured to run a browser to interface with the intermediate computing device, the browser being configured to provide access to the applications module.

24. A method comprising:

remotely accessing and controlling an applications module within an intermediate device via a user terminal that is separate from the intermediate device, the applications module comprising a plurality of programming instructions for an implantable medical device; and

providing input to indicate a selected programming instruction from the plurality of programming instructions via a user interface of the user terminal, wherein the intermediate device communicates the selected programming instruction to the implantable medical device.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the user interface of the user terminal comprises a first user interface and the programming instruction comprises a first programming instruction, the method further comprising accessing a second programming instruction through a second user interface of the intermediate computing device, wherein the second programming instruction is inaccessible via the first user interface.