Alarm testing and backup for implanted medical devices with vibration alerts
First Claim
1. A cardiac monitoring system for a human patient including:
- an implanted medical device including;
a primary patient alerting means having a vibrator which includes a drive circuit and motor;
an accelerometer, the accelerometer configured to sense movement of the implanted medical device in at least one direction;
at least one sensor for sensing signals from the heart;
a wireless communications system;
a processor, the processor configured to detect abnormalities in the signals from the heart, for actuating the vibrator following detection of abnormalities in the signals from the heart, and to perform an alarm test;
the alarm test including both actuation of the vibrator drive motor for at least one defined test interval and measurement by the processor of alarm-test data sensed by the accelerometer during the test interval, the alarm test further including operating the processor to detect sufficient or insufficient movement of the vibrator during the test interval; and
an external equipment having wireless communication designed to receive signals from the implanted medical device;
wherein when (a) sufficient movement is detected the patient is alerted by the primary patient alerting means and (b) when insufficient movement is detected an insufficient movement signal is generated for actuating a secondary patient alerting means.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Alarm tests are disclosed which use alarm test signals to assess alarms provided by medical devices. Especially relevant are implanted devices that monitor cardiac activity and provide notification in response to medically relevant events. Alarm tests can occur periodically, or in response to a patient, doctor, or remote party initiating the alarm test. Alarm tests can also occur during the actual alarms issued to detected medical events. Alarm tests lead to pass or fail results, which in turn may cause operations to contingently occur. Alarm test failure in the auditory, visual, or tactile modality, may cause an alternatively defined alarm signal to be used as back-up. Alarm test logs can store alarm test results, including quantification of the measured alarm signal. Rapid alarm tests are described, as are various methods of accurately measuring characteristics of the test signal in ambulatory patients, which are especially relevant to a vibration alarm.
15 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A cardiac monitoring system for a human patient including:
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an implanted medical device including; a primary patient alerting means having a vibrator which includes a drive circuit and motor; an accelerometer, the accelerometer configured to sense movement of the implanted medical device in at least one direction; at least one sensor for sensing signals from the heart; a wireless communications system; a processor, the processor configured to detect abnormalities in the signals from the heart, for actuating the vibrator following detection of abnormalities in the signals from the heart, and to perform an alarm test; the alarm test including both actuation of the vibrator drive motor for at least one defined test interval and measurement by the processor of alarm-test data sensed by the accelerometer during the test interval, the alarm test further including operating the processor to detect sufficient or insufficient movement of the vibrator during the test interval; and an external equipment having wireless communication designed to receive signals from the implanted medical device; wherein when (a) sufficient movement is detected the patient is alerted by the primary patient alerting means and (b) when insufficient movement is detected an insufficient movement signal is generated for actuating a secondary patient alerting means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A cardiac monitoring system for a human patient including:
an implanted medical device including; a primary patient alerting means having a vibrator which includes a drive circuit and motor; a microphone which senses acoustic pressure measurements; at least one sensor for sensing signals from the heart; a wireless communications system; a processor, the processor configured to detect abnormalities in the signals from the heart, for actuating the vibrator following detection of abnormalities in the signals from the heart, and to perform an alarm test; the alarm test including both actuation of the vibrator drive motor for at least one defined test interval and measurement by the processor of alarm-test data sensed by the microphone during the test interval, the alarm test further including operating the processor to detect sufficient or insufficient movement of the vibrator during the test interval; and an external equipment having wireless communication designed to receive signals from the implanted medical device; wherein when (a) sufficient movement is detected the patient is alerted by the primary patient alerting means and (b) when insufficient movement is detected an insufficient movement signal is generated for actuating a secondary patient alerting means.
Specification