Medical data transport over wireless life critical network

• US 7,978,062 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2008
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Bange, Joe, Gryzwa, Mark, Mass, William, LaLonde, John, Hoyme, Kenneth, Johnson, David C.
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US12/151,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20090058635A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,159 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.11, 340/539.1, 340/539.12, 340/539.13, 340/573.1, 340/573.4, 340/3.1
• US Class Current: 340/539.11
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0026 characterised by the transmission medium
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/747 in case of emergency, i.e. alerting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37211 Means for communicating with stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37282 characterised by communication with experts in remote locations using a network
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• 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: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices

Abstract

A portable patient communicator (PPC) includes a portable housing that supports a processor coupled to memory for storing medical firmware and wireless radio firmware, first and second radios, a processor, and a power source. Communications between a patient implantable medical device (PIMD) and the first radio of the PPC are effected in accordance with program instructions of the medical firmware, and communications between the second radio of the PPC and the wireless network are effected in accordance with program instructions of the wireless radio firmware. Data from the PIMD is received via the first radio to which a priority level is assigned, such as in a tiered manner. A data transport mechanism is selected among disparate data transport mechanisms based at least in part on the priority level. PIMD data is transmitted to the wireless network using the selected transport mechanism via the second radio.

Claims

1. A portable patient communicator (PPC) for communicating with a patient implantable medical device (PIMD) and facilitating communications with a remote server via a wireless network, the wireless network supporting a plurality of disparate data transport mechanisms having differing characteristics, the PPC comprising:

a housing configured for portability by an ambulatory patient;

a processor coupled to memory, the processor and the memory provided in the housing, the memory storing wireless radio firmware and medical firmware, the medical firmware executable by the processor to facilitate interaction between the PPC and the PIMD in accordance with predetermined medical device guidelines;

a first radio provided in the housing and configured to effect communications with the PIMD in accordance with program instructions of the medical firmware executable by the processor;

a second radio provided in the housing and configured to effect communications via the wireless network in accordance with program instructions of the wireless radio firmware executable by the processor; and

a power source provided in the housing and configured to supply power for components of the PPC;

the processor receiving data from the PIMD via the first radio to which a priority level is assigned, the processor configured to execute program instructions for selecting a data transport mechanism among the plurality of disparate data transport mechanisms based at least in part on the priority level and transmitting at least some of the PIMD data to the wireless network using the selected transport mechanism via the second radio.

2. The communicator of claim 1, wherein the priority level is determined at least in part by the PPC.

3. The communicator of claim 1, wherein the priority level is determined at least in part by the PIMD.

4. The communicator of claim 1, wherein the priority is based at least in part on criticality of a patient'"'"'s condition as detected by the PIMD.

5. The communicator of claim 1, wherein the priority is based at least in part on type of software or firmware update for the PPC or the PIMD.

6. The communicator of claim 1, wherein the priority is based at least in part on whether interrogation of the PIMD by the PPC is a scheduled interrogation, a patient or physician initiated interrogation, or an interrogation initiated in response to PIMD detection of a physiologic event or diagnostic data.

7. The communicator of claim 1, wherein the priority is based at least in part on whether data is pushed to or pulled from the PPC.

8. The communicator of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to determine availability of one or more physical connections to the wireless network and select from among the one or more available physical connections.

9. The communicator of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to select the selected data transport mechanism based at least in part on one or more of type of service, quality of service, performance, and cost.

10. The communicator of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to establish a connection with the wireless network via an airborne or shipboard wireless access device.

11. The communicator of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to select between a data transport mechanism involving a domestic network and a data transport mechanism involving an international network based on a geographical location of the PPC.

12. The communicator of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to establish a connection with the wireless network on an unscheduled event driven basis.

13. The communicator of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to implement tiered connection strategy logic for establishing a connection with the network based on one or more of a wireless network condition, a patient condition, a change in the network condition, or a change in the patient condition.

14. The communicator of claim 1, wherein the plurality of disparate data transport mechanisms comprise at least one or more of a store-and-forward connection, a streaming connection, and a messaging connection.

15. The communicator of claim 1, wherein the PPC is authenticated by the remote server prior to permitting PPC access to the remote server.

16. The communicator of claim 1, wherein the processor of the PPC is configured to authenticate the remote server prior to connecting with the remote server and permitting access to the PPC or the PIMD by the remote server.

17. The communicator of claim 1, wherein the processor of the PPC is configured to authorize communication functionality of the PPC in response to receiving an authorization recognized by the PPC from the remote server.

18. The communicator of claim 1, wherein the processor of the PPC is configured to transfer data to and from the PIMD only if the PIMD is paired with the PPC.

19. The communicator of claim 1, wherein the processor of the PPC is configured to request an increase in its network interface transmission power or power of a wireless network base station in response to a high priority level.

20. The communicator of claim 1, wherein the processor of the PPC is configured to connect with a Wireless Priority Service in response to a high priority level.

21. The communicator of claim 1, wherein the processor of the PPC is configured to transmit PIMD data or a PPC message to a plurality of wireless network base stations in response to a high priority level, the processor of the PPC further configured to terminate transmission of the PIMD data or the PPC message in response to receiving a delivery confirmation from the remote server.

22. The communicator of claim 1, wherein the processor of the PPC is configured to requisition a connection of another PPC to establish connectivity with the wireless network.

23. The communicator of claim 1, wherein the processor of the PPC is configured to requisition a connection of a wireless device other than that of another PPC to establish connectivity with the wireless network.

24. A method for effecting communications between a portable patient communicator (PPC) and a patient implantable medical device (PIMD) and for facilitating communications between the PPC and a remote server via a wireless network, the wireless network supporting a plurality of disparate data transport mechanisms having differing characteristics, the method comprising:

providing the PPC comprising a housing configured for portability by an ambulatory patient, the housing supporting a processor coupled to memory for storing medical firmware and wireless radio firmware, first and second radios, a processor, and a power source;

effecting communications between the PIMD and the first radio of the PPC in accordance with program instructions of the medical firmware;

effecting communications between the second radio of the PPC and the wireless network in accordance with program instructions of the wireless radio firmware;

receiving data from the PIMD via the first radio to which a priority level is assigned;

selecting a data transport mechanism among the plurality of disparate data transport mechanisms based at least in part on the priority level; and

transmitting at least some of the PIMD data to the wireless network using the selected transport mechanism via the second radio.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the priority level is determined at least in part by the PPC.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the priority level is determined at least in part by the PIMD.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the priority is based at least in part on criticality of a patient'"'"'s condition as detected by the PIMD.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the priority is based at least in part on whether interrogation of the PIMD by the PPC is a scheduled interrogation, a patient or physician initiated interrogation, or an interrogation initiated in response to PIMD detection of a physiologic event or diagnostic data.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein the processor is configured to determine availability of one or more physical connections to the wireless network and select from among the one or more available physical connections.

30. The method of claim 24, wherein the processor is configured to select the selected data transport mechanism based at least in part on one or more of type of service, quality of service, performance, and cost.

31. The method of claim 24, wherein the processor is configured to establish a connection with the wireless network on an unscheduled event driven basis.

32. The method of claim 24, wherein the processor is configured to implement tiered connection strategy logic for establishing a connection with the network based on one or more of a wireless network condition, a patient condition, a change in the network condition, or a change in the patient condition.

33. The method of claim 24, wherein the processor of the PPC is configured to request an increase in its network interface transmission power or power of a wireless network base station in response to a high priority level.

34. The method of claim 24, wherein the processor of the PPC is configured to connect with a Wireless Priority Service in response to a high priority level.

35. The method of claim 24, wherein the processor of the PPC is configured to transmit PIMD data or a PPC message to a plurality of wireless network base stations in response to a high priority level, the processor of the PPC further configured to terminate transmission of the PIMD data or the PPC message in response to receiving a delivery confirmation from the remote server.

36. The method of claim 24, wherein the processor of the PPC is configured to requisition a connection of another PPC or a connection of a wireless device other than that of another PPC to establish connectivity with the wireless network.