Remotely programmable personal device and system and method for remote programming of a personal device

• US 8,855,781 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2008
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biotronik SE & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Biotronik VI Patent AG (Biotronik SE & Company KG)
• Inventors: Doerr, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Heller, Tammie K
• Application Number:
  US12/168,330
• Publication Number:
  US 20090043353A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,283 Days
• Field of Search: 607/30, 607/31, 607/60
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37252 Details of algorithms or data aspects of communication system, e.g. handshaking, transmitting specific data or segmenting data
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A remotely programmable personal device, in particular a programmable implantable medical device, e.g., a cardiac pacemaker, a defibrillator, a cardioverter or the like. A system for remote programming of such a personal medical device and a method for remote programming of a programmable personal device.

Claims

1. A programmable personal device (10) including:

a. first and second data communication interfaces (11, 13);

(1) configured to wirelessly receive programming instructions including one or more of;

(a) control parameters defining functionality of the personal device (10),

(b) allowable parameter ranges for one or more of the control parameters, and

(c) control parameter attributes defining whether and/or how one or more of the control parameters may thereafter be varied within the personal device (10);

(2) wherein the second data communication interface (13) utilizes at least one of;

(a) a different data format, and

(b) a different data transmission technology,

than the first data communication interface (11);

b. a memory (17) configured to store at least a portion of the programming instructions received by the first data communication interface (11),

c. a programmable controller (15) configured to receive programming instructions from the second data communication interface (13), wherein control parameters within the programming instructions thereafter define the functionality of the programmable controller (15) if these control parameters are in correspondence with the programming instructions from the first data communication interface (11) stored in the memory (17).

2. The programmable personal device (10) of claim 1 wherein the first data communication interface (11) is configured to wirelessly receive its programming instructions from a programming unit (20) separate from the personal device (10).

3. The programmable personal device (10) of claim 2 wherein the second data communication interface (13) is configured to wirelessly receive its programming instructions from the programming unit (20) via an intermediate patient device (30) which

a. is separate and remotely located from the programming unit (20), and

b. wirelessly provides the programming instructions from the programming unit (20) to the first data communication interface (11).

4. The programmable personal device (10) of claim 2 wherein the programmable controller (15), after receiving programming instructions from the second data communication interface (13), is configured to only use any control parameters therein to thereafter define the functionality of the programmable controller (15) if these control parameters are in correspondence with any allowable parameter ranges and/or control parameter attributes within the programming instructions previously wirelessly received by the first data communication interface (11) from the programming unit (20).

5. The programmable personal device (10) of claim 1 wherein:

a. the programming instructions received by the first data communication interface (11) and stored in the memory (17) further include one or more combinations of control parameters, each combination being identified by a combination identifier,

b. the second data communication interface (13) is configured to receive programming instructions specifying one or more of the combinations of control parameters by their combination identifiers.

6. The programmable personal device (10) of claim 1 wherein the programmable controller (15) is configured to find the control parameters received by the programmable controller (15) from the second data communication interface (13) to be in correspondence with the programming instructions from the first data communication interface (11) stored in the memory (17), and to thereby define the functionality of the programmable controller (15) thereafter, only when all of the control parameters received by the programmable controller (15) are in agreement with any

a. control parameters,

b. allowable parameter ranges, and

c. control parameter attributes,

within the programming instructions from the first data communication interface (11) stored in the memory (17).

7. A programmable implantable medical device (10) including:

a. a first data communication interface (11) configured to provide wireless reception of data which contain programming instructions;

b. a second data communication interface (13) configured to provide wireless reception of data which contain programming instructions, wherein the second data communication interface (13) utilizes at least one of a different data format or data transmission technology than the first data communication interface (11);

c. a memory (17) configured to store control parameters and/or control parameter attributes,

d. a programmable controller (15);

(1) configured to control functions of the medical device (10) in dependence on control parameters,

(2) being at least indirectly connected to the first and second data communication interfaces (11, 13),

(3) configured to receive programming instructions from the first data communication interface wherein these received programming instructions;

(a) are stored in the memory (17), and

(b) contain a specification of one or more of;

i. allowed parameter ranges for one or more control parameters,

ii. control parameter attributes for one or more control parameters, and

iii. several alternative control parameter combinations;

(4) configured to receive programming instructions over the second data communication interface (13), and execute the programming instructions received over the second data communication interface (13) when any control parameters or control parameter combinations contained therein correspond to the allowed parameter ranges or control parameter combinations stored in the memory (17).

8. The implantable medical device (10) of claim 7 wherein the programmable controller (15) is configured to send parameter ranges, control parameter attributes or control parameter combinations stored in the memory (17) to an external device.

9. The implantable medical device (10) of claim 8 wherein the programmable controller (15) is configured to:

a. store a combination identifier characterizing a control parameter combination in the memory (17), and send the combination identifier over the second data communication interface (13) to the external device, and

b. upon receiving programming instructions over the second data communication interface (13) wherein the received programming instructions contain the combination identifier, execute the received programming instructions such that the control parameter combination characterized by the combination identifier thereafter controls the function of the medical device (10).

10. The implantable medical device (10) of claim 8 wherein the programmable controller (15) is configured to store a control parameter attribute corresponding to one or more of the control parameters, wherein each control parameter attribute defines whether the corresponding control parameter is alterable during execution of a programming instruction received over the second data communication interface (13).

11. The implantable medical device (10) of claim 10 wherein the programmable controller (15), after receipt of a programming instruction over the second data communication interface (13) instructing that a control parameter be altered, is configured to query the corresponding control parameter attribute and alter the control parameter only if the corresponding control parameter attribute defines that the control parameter is alterable.

12. The implantable medical device (10) of claim 10 wherein the programmable controller, after receipt of a programming instruction over the second data communication interface (13) instructing that all control parameters be altered, is configured to:

a. query the corresponding control parameter attributes, and

b. execute the programming instruction only if the corresponding control parameter attributes define the control parameters as being alterable when received by the second data communication interface (13).

13. The implantable medical device (10) of claim 7 wherein the medical device (10) is an implantable cardiac pacemaker or defibrillator/cardioverter.

14. A system including the implantable medical device (10) of claim 7 and a service center (40) for programming the medical device (10) from a distance, wherein the service center includes:

a. a data communication interface (43) configured to provide at least indirect connection of the service center to the medical device (10),

b. a memory (47) configured to store one or more of;

(1) parameter ranges,

(2) control parameter attributes, or

(3) control parameter combinations,

for control parameters of the programmable controller (15) of the implantable medical device (10), and

c. a programming unit (45, 47) for the medical device (10), wherein the programming unit (45, 47) is configured to generate a user interface for remote programming of the medical device (10) and display on this interface the parameter ranges, control parameter attributes, and/or control parameter combinations stored in the memory (47) of the service center (40).

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the programming unit (45, 47) is configured to only allow compilation of programming instructions that contain control parameters compatible with parameter ranges, control parameter attributes, and/or control parameter combinations stored in the memory (47) of the service center (40).

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the programming unit (45, 47) is configured to:

a. display control parameter combinations stored in the memory (47) of the service center, and

b. allow user selection of one of the displayed control parameter combinations, and

c. subsequently generate a corresponding programming instruction and sends it to the implantable medical device (10).

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the programming unit (45, 47) is configured to add a combination identifier to a programming instruction generated after selection of a control parameter combination, wherein the combination identifier characterizes the selected control parameter combination.

18. A method for use of the system of claim 14, the method including the steps of:

a. storing in the memory (17);

(1) one or more control parameter combinations, and

(2) one or more combination identifiers, each combination identifier being assigned to a respective one of the control parameter combinations,

b. programming the medical device (10) with the control parameter combination identified by a combination identifier received with a programming instruction after receipt of the programming instruction.

19. A method for remote programming of the implantable medical device (10) of claim 7, the method including the steps of:

a. storing in the memory (17) control parameter attributes assigned to programmable control parameters,

b. querying the stored control parameter attributes when a programming instruction is received by the second data communication interface (13),

c. storing in the memory (17) any control parameters contained in the programming instruction received by the second data communication interface (13), if the control parameters are characterized as variable by the control parameter attributes.

20. A programmable implantable medical device including:

a. a first data communication interface configured to wirelessly receive programming instructions;

b. a second data communication interface configured to wirelessly receive programming instructions, wherein the second data communication interface receives the programming instructions utilizing at least one of;

(1) a different data format, and

(2) a different data transmission technology,

than the first data communication interface;

c. a programmable controller;

(1) being at least indirectly connected to the first and second data communication interfaces,

(2) configured to;

(a) control functions of the medical device in accordance with control parameters,

(b) receive programming instructions from the first data communication interface, wherein the programming instructions received from the first data communication interface specify acceptability criteria for control parameters,

(c) receive programming instructions from the second data communication interface, wherein the programming instructions received from the second data communication interface include control parameters,

(d) compare the control parameters received from the second data communication interface to the acceptability criteria received from the first data communication interface, and

(e) execute the programming instructions received from the second data communication interface if the control parameters therein are in agreement with the acceptability criteria received from the first data communication interface.