Systems, devices, and methods for selectively preventing data transfer from a medical device
First Claim
1. A method for inhibiting recording of physiological data sensed by an implantable medical device previously implanted in a patient, the method comprising:
- receiving patient input from the patient to begin inhibiting the recording by the implantable medical device, wherein the receiving the input comprises receiving the input at an external communications device; and
upon receiving the input, ceasing to record the data sensed by the implantable medical device, wherein ceasing to record the data comprises sending a communication from the external communications device to the implantable medical device instructing the implantable medical device to stop recording.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods provide for the selective prevention of data transfer from a medical device to allow the patient to have privacy when desired. These systems and methods provide medical devices that can be instructed in various ways to stop recording data and/or transmitting data to external devices and systems. These systems and methods also provide external repeater devices that can also be instructed in various ways to stop recording data being received, stop forwarding data that is being or has already been received, and/or to stop soliciting data from the medical device. These systems and methods also provide for a blocking device that may be separate from the medical device and repeater to provide instruction to the medical device and/or repeater to prevent data transfer such as by stopping the recording or transmission of data. Further, the blocking device may be alternatively configured to provide a jamming signal to prevent data transmissions from being successfully communicated between the medical device and the repeater.
25 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method for inhibiting recording of physiological data sensed by an implantable medical device previously implanted in a patient, the method comprising:
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receiving patient input from the patient to begin inhibiting the recording by the implantable medical device, wherein the receiving the input comprises receiving the input at an external communications device; and upon receiving the input, ceasing to record the data sensed by the implantable medical device, wherein ceasing to record the data comprises sending a communication from the external communications device to the implantable medical device instructing the implantable medical device to stop recording. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for inhibiting communications between an implantable medical device and an external communications device, the method comprising:
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receiving at an external blocking device an external input to begin inhibiting the communications between the implantable medical device and the external communications device, the external input configured to instruct the external communications device to cease sending a solicitation for data to the implantable medical device; and upon receiving the input, ceasing to establish data transmission to the external communications device of the data generated from the implantable medical device by sending a communication from the external blocking device to the external communications device instructing the external communications device to stop recording.
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12. An implantable medical device, comprising:
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a memory for recording data; at least one physiological sensor that detects physiological information about a patient to produce data; a controller configured to; detect a patient input received at an external communications device and communicated from the external communications device to the implantable medical device, implanted in the patient, to instruct the implantable medical device to stop recording; and detect the patient input indicating that data recording should cease, and to cease recording data to the memory upon detecting the input. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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15. An implantable medical device, comprising:
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an implantable communications system that sends and receives signals; at least one implantable physiological sensor that detects physiological information about a patient to produce data, the at least one implantable physiological sensor comprising an accelerometer; and an implantable controller configured to detect an input at the at least one implantable physiological sensor indicating that data transmission should cease, and to cease recording data upon detecting the input, wherein the input includes a signal from the accelerometer received through the communications system resulting from taps by a patient wearing the implantable medical device.
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16. An external repeater device for communicating with an implantable medical device and a remote external device, the external repeater device comprising:
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a communications system that sends and receives signals, the signals comprising patient data received from the implantable medical device; a memory that stores patient data received from the implantable medical device; and a controller configured to; detect a patient input received at the external repeater device and, in response, to direct the communications system to generate a communication to the implantable medical device implanted in the patient, the communication configured to instruct the implantable medical device to stop recording; and detect the patient input indicating that data recording should cease, and to cease recording to the memory the data received from the implantable medical device upon detecting the input.
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Specification