Configuration and method for the management of data of a plurality of programmable personal medical devices

• US 7,904,166 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2008
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biotronik SE & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Biotronik VI Patent AG (Biotronik SE & Company KG)
• Inventors: Wildau, Hans-Juergen, Diebold, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): SCHAETZLE, KENNEDY
• Application Number:
  US12/134,359
• Publication Number:
  US 20090318998A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 607/59
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37282 characterised by communication with experts in remote locations using a network
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37288 Communication to several implantable medical devices within one patient
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

The invention relates to a configuration and a method for the management of data of a plurality of programmable personal medical devices. The configuration comprises a first plurality of personal devices, a second plurality of patient devices each calibrated to at least one personal device, a third plurality of programming devices each calibrated to at least one personal device, a central management unit, a service center, and a management database. The patient devices and/or the programming devices are controlled using management data, upon establishment of the existence of a communication between the management unit and the patient device and/or a programming device, on the basis of this establishment and on the basis of stored management data, specific management data being transmitted to the patient device and/or programming device.

Claims

1. A configuration for the management of data of a plurality of programmable personal medical devices, in particular implantable medical devices comprising a cardiac pacemaker, defibrillator, or the like having the following components:

a first plurality of personal devices;

a second plurality of patient devices each calibrated to at least one personal device;

a third plurality of programming devices each calibrated to at least one personal device central management unit;

a service center;

a management database;

said first plurality of personal devices each comprising

a first interface for communication with at least one patient device calibrated to the at least one personal device and/or with at least one programming device calibrated to the at least one personal device;

a memory unit for data, comprising operating parameters predefined for the at least one personal device and/or detected by the at least one personal device;

said second plurality of patient devices each comprising

a second interface for communication with the at least one personal device to which the particular patient device is calibrated;

a request unit adapted to request data from the at least one personal device via the second interface;

a configuration memory for data for configuration of the at least one patient device;

a communication module for secured communication with the central management unit,

said third plurality of programming devices each comprising

a third interface for at least indirect communication with the at least one personal device to which the particular programming device is calibrated;

a programming device communication module for secured communication with the central management unit;

a memory unit for data in regard to interactions of the at least one programming device with the at least one personal device;

a programming device configuration memory for data for configuration of the at least one programming device;

a programming unit, which is implemented to compile a programming instruction for the at least one personal device on the basis of user input and transmit it to the at least one personal device via the third interface;

said management unit comprising

a management unit communication module for the secured communication with at least one patient device and/or at least one programming device;

a request unit for the simultaneous and/or sequential requests of the request unit of a patient device, the configuration memory of a patient device, the memory unit of a programming device, and/or a configuration memory of a programming device;

a fourth interface for communication with the service center;

a fifth interface for communication with the management database;

a management memory for management data;

an administration unit adapted to administer the management data in the management memory;

said service center comprising

an sixth interface for communication with the management unit;

a service center memory unit for data received from the request unit of the management unit;

a preparation unit for preparing the data stored in the service center memory unit for a predetermined display;

said management database comprising

a seventh interface for communication with the management unit;

a management database memory unit for data for management of the plurality of patient devices and/or the plurality of programming devices;

a management database administration unit for providing data from the management database memory unit for the management unit on the basis of data received from the management unit from the configuration memory of at least one patient device and/or at least one programming device;

wherein the patient devices and the programming devices are implemented to be controlled using management data, in particular freely programmable software, predetermined firmware, and/or on the basis of a predetermined parameter set; and

,

wherein the administration unit of the management unit is implemented to establish the existence of a communication between the management unit and a patient device and/or a programming device and, on the basis of this establishment and on the basis of management data stored in the management memory, to prompt a transmission of management data to the patient device and/or programming device.

2. The configuration according to claim 1, wherein the personal device is an active medical implant.

3. The configuration according to claim 2, wherein the personal device is an implantable cardiac pacemaker or defibrillator/cardioverter.

4. The configuration according to claim 1, wherein the administration unit is implemented for a continuous, regular, and/or individually activated establishment of a communication.

5. The configuration according to claim 1, wherein the management unit has another interface for the output of data requested by the request unit according to a predefined protocol, the protocol particularly being a HL7 v2 or HL7 v3 protocol and said another interface corresponding to a SSL/TCP/IP and/or an ebXML specification.

6. The configuration according to claim 1, wherein the administration unit of the management unit is implemented, for members of a group of programming devices and/or patient devices defined by a predetermined criterion, in the event of existence of a communication between the management unit and a particular device of the group, to prompt a transmission of management data provided for the group to the device, the group being able to comprise the entirety of the programming devices and/or the entirety of the patient devices.

7. The configuration according to claim 1, wherein the management unit and the service center are spatially separated from one another and may be coupled to one another via the particular interfaces.

8. The configuration according to claim 1, wherein the request unit of a patient device and/or the request unit may be prompted to a request by a prompt of the particular element to be requested.

9. The configuration according to claim 1, wherein the at least one personal device from the plurality of personal devices is implemented to be controlled using management data, in particular freely programmable software, predetermined firmware, and/or on the basis of a predetermined parameter set, the memory unit of the management database and the management memory being implemented to receive data for the management of the at least one personal device, and at least one programming device being implemented to receive management data for the at least one personal device from the management unit and relay it to the personal device.

10. A method for the management of data of a plurality of programmable personal medical devices, in particular implantable medical devices including a cardiac pacemaker, defibrillator, or the like, in particular using a configuration according to claim 1, having the following steps:

storing data in a memory unit of at least one personal device from a first plurality of personal devices, including operating parameters predefined by the particular personal device and/or detected by the particular personal device;

storing configuration data for the configuration of at least one patient device from a second plurality of patient devices in a configuration memory of the particular patient device;

storing data in regard to interactions of at least one programming device from a third plurality of programming devices with at least one personal device;

storing configuration data for the configuration of at least one programming device from the third plurality of programming devices in a configuration memory of the particular programming device;

requesting data stored in a memory unit of at least one personal device by a request unit of a patient device calibrated to the particular personal device;

establishing a secured, at least indirect communication between a communication module of at least one patient device and/or a programming device and a communication module of a management unit;

requesting, simultaneously and/or sequentially, of the request unit of a patient device, the configuration memory of a patient device, the memory unit of a programming device, and/or a configuration memory of a programming device by a request unit of the management unit;

transmitting the data requested by the request unit of the management unit to a service center;

storing data received from the request unit of the management unit in a memory unit of a service center and preparation of data stored in the memory unit of the service center for a predetermined display;

transmitting the data requested by the request unit of the management unit from the configuration memory of at least one patient device and/or at least one programming device to a management database;

storing data for the management of the plurality of patient devices and/or the plurality of programming devices in a memory unit of the management database;

providing of data from the memory unit for the management unit on the basis of data received by the management unit from the configuration memory of at least one patient device and/or at least one programming device;

storing of management data provided for the management unit in a management memory of the management unit;

controlling the patient devices and/or the programming devices using management data, in particular freely programmable software, predetermined firmware, and/or on the basis of a predetermined parameter set; and

,

transmitting management data to the patient device and/or programming device upon establishment of the existence of a communication between the management unit and a patient device and/or a programming device, on the basis of this establishment and on the basis of management data stored in the management memory.