Phased deactivation of functionality in implantable medical device systems

• US 8,626,311 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2012
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Kelly, Jonathan H., Kalgren, James, Wu, Gang, Gilkerson, James O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Holmes, Rex R
• Application Number:
  US13/432,999
• Publication Number:
  US 20120185017A1
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 607 31- 32, 607 59- 60
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37247 User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37276 characterised by means for reducing power consumption during telemetry

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention are related to systems for interfacing with implantable medical devices, amongst other things. In an embodiment, the invention includes an external medical system including a processor and a telemetry circuit in communication with the processor, the processor configured to communicate with an implanted medical device. The system can be configured to query a system user after a first period of time in which indicators of system use are not detected. The system can be further configured to deactivate one or more data transmission features of the implanted medical device after a second period of time in which one or more indicators of system use are not detected. Other embodiments are also included herein.

Claims

1. A method of operating an external medical system comprising:

interrogating an implantable medical device with the external medical system;

querying a system user after a first period of time in which the system has not received user input, wherein the first period of time expires prematurely upon detection of the distance between the implantable medical device and the external medical system exceeding a threshold distance;

deactivating one or more features of the implantable medical device after a second period of time in which the system has not received user input; and

deactivating one or more additional features of an implantable medical device after a third period of time in which the system has not received user input.

2. The method of claim 1, the one or more features comprising data transmission features.

3. The method of claim 2, the data transmission features comprising transmission of real-time data.

4. The method of claim 1, the one or more additional features comprising long-range telemetry functionality.

5. The method of claim 1, increasing the first period of time if interrogating is performed in conjunction with an implant procedure.

6. The method of claim 1, decreasing the first period of time if interrogating is performed in conjunction with a routine follow-up visit.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein querying a system user after a first period of time in which the system has not received user input regards the identity of the patient.

8. The method of claim 1, the first period of time comprising between about 30 seconds and about 30 minutes.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second period of time begins after the first period of time has elapsed.

10. The method of claim 1, the second period of time comprising between about 2 minutes and about 60 minutes.

11. A method of operating an external medical system comprising:

interrogating an implantable medical device with the external medical system;

querying a system user regarding the identity of a patient after a first period of time in which one or more indicators of system use are not detected, wherein the first period of time expires prematurely upon detection of the distance between the implantable medical device and the external medical system exceeding a threshold distance;

deactivating transmission of real-time data from the implanted medical device after a second period of time in which one or more indicators of system use are not detected; and

deactivating long-range telemetry functionality of the implanted medical device after a third period of time in which one or more indicators of system use are not detected.

12. The method of claim 11, the one or more indicators of system use comprising the distance between the implanted medical device and the telemetry circuit.

13. The method of claim 11, the first period of time comprising between about 30 seconds and about 30 minutes.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the second period of time begins after the first period of time has elapsed.

15. The method of claim 11, the second period of time comprising between about 2 minutes and about 60 minutes.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the third period of time begins after the second period of time has elapsed.

17. The method of claim 12, the third period of time comprising between about 10 minutes and about 2 hours.

18. The method of claim 11, increasing the first period of time if interrogating is performed in conjunction with an implant procedure.

19. The method of claim 11, decreasing the first period of time if interrogating is performed in conjunction with a routine follow-up visit.