Mobile applications and methods for conveying performance information of a cardiac pacemaker

• US 9,158,890 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2011
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Meredith, Sheldon Kent, Hilliard, Brandon Bowers, Kosseifi, Mario B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kahelin, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, MINH DUC GIA
• Application Number:
  US13/191,996
• Publication Number:
  US 20130030494A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,539 Days
• Field of Search: 607/32, 607/60
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2505/07 Home care
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0204 of power management
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0271 using a remote monitoring unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0028 Body tissue as transmission medium, i.e. transmission systems where the medium is the human body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/145 Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissuemeasuring of blood pressure or blood flow A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3702 Physiological parameters A61N1/365 takes precedence; evoked response A61N1/371
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3706 Pacemaker parameters stimulation threshold A61N1/371
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3708 for power depletion
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3727 characterised by the modulation technique
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37282 characterised by communication with experts in remote locations using a network
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

Devices, systems, and methods are disclosed for relaying information from a cardiac pacemaker to an external device. Logic on the pacemaker modulates a heartbeat clock of the pacemaker to encode information onto a blood pressure sequence. This is accomplished by adding or subtracting a small subinterval to or from a pulse repetition interval of the pacemaker. A muscle stimulator beats the heart according to the modulated sequence. A monitoring device external to the body monitors the blood pressure to retrieve the encoded information, or message. The encoded information is then decoded to determine the information in the message. This information may concern the pacemaker as well as other devices within the body that are in communication with the pacemaker such as blood monitors, etc. Since the message is conveyed via simple modulation of the heart beat intervals, no separate transmitter is required in the pacemaker which would otherwise increase cost and decrease battery life.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

applying, by a system comprising a cardiac pacemaker and an externally wearable monitor, a standard interval clock of the cardiac pacemaker to stimulate a heartbeat;

receiving, by the system, a signal from an internal device separate from the cardiac pacemaker, the cardiac pacemaker and the internal device both disposed within a patient'"'"'s body, the internal device electrically coupled to the cardiac pacemaker, the signal representing information regarding a measurable aspect of the patient'"'"'s body;

modifying, by the system, a standard interval of the standard interval clock by adding or subtracting a subinterval to generate a modified interval to represent a binary digit, thereby encoding the information as an encoded binary message;

stimulating, by the system, a heart muscle according to the modified interval to cause a pulse at the modified interval including the encoded binary message; and

monitoring, by the system, the pulse to measure timing of the pulse to distinguish modified and unmodified pulse intervals and thereby receive the encoded binary message; and

displaying, by the system, a decoded message including the information,

wherein the monitor comprises a decoder for generating the decoded message or a memory for storing the encoded binary message for subsequent transmission to a decoding device remote from the monitor,

wherein the monitoring is performed according to a predetermined schedule using a systolic blood pressure sensor of the externally wearable monitor, wherein the monitoring comprises performing an error checking procedure whereby an information content of the binary message is reduced, and wherein an error is characterized by contraction of the heart muscle at a rate other than that provided by the pacemaker,

wherein the measurable aspect comprises a level of sugar, cholesterol, insulin, iron, or any combination thereof,

wherein a lengthened modified interval generated by adding the subinterval to the standard interval represents a first binary value, and a shortened modified interval generated by subtracting the subinterval from the standard interval represents a second binary value that is opposite of the first binary value.

2. The method in claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the system via the monitor, a plurality of binary digits from the heartbeat, wherein the binary message has a bit rate given by an average heartbeat rate.

3. The method in claim 2, further comprising decoding, by the system, the binary message from the plurality of binary digits.

4. The method in claim 3, further comprising sending, by the system, the binary message to a wireless communication device.

5. The method in claim 3, further comprising sending, by the system, the binary message to a medical monitoring server.

6. The method in claim 1, wherein the cardiac pacemaker comprises a battery, and further comprising monitoring, by the system, a life of the battery.

7. The method in claim 6, further comprising encoding, by the system, a binary message regarding the life of the battery.

8. The method in claim 7, wherein the system further comprises a wireless communication device, and further comprising alerting, by the system, the patient on the wireless communication device when a binary message is received indicating a low battery life.

9. A device comprising:

a standard interval clock of a cardiac device for stimulating a heartbeat;

an electric coupling for receiving a signal from an internal device separate from the cardiac device, the cardiac device and the internal device both disposed within a patient'"'"'s body, the signal representing information regarding a measurable aspect of the patient'"'"'s body;

a clock modulator for modifying a standard interval of the standard interval clock by adding or subtracting a subinterval to generate a modified interval to represent a binary digit and thereby encoding the information as an encoded binary message; and

a muscle stimulator for stimulating a heart muscle according to the modified interval to cause a pulse at the modified interval including the encoded binary message; and

an externally wearable monitor for monitoring the pulse to measure timing of the pulse to distinguish modified and unmodified pulse intervals, thereby receiving the encoded binary message,

wherein the externally wearable monitor comprises a systolic blood pressure sensor and a display device for displaying a decoded message including the information,

wherein the externally wearable monitor comprises a decoder for generating the decoded message or a memory for storing the encoded binary message for subsequent transmission to a decoding device remote from the externally wearable monitor,

wherein the externally wearable monitor monitors the pulse according to a predetermined schedule,

wherein the externally wearable monitor performs an error checking procedure whereby an information content of the binary message is reduced, and wherein an error is characterized by contraction of the heart muscle at a rate other than that provided by the muscle stimulator,

wherein the measurable aspect comprises a level of sugar, cholesterol, insulin, iron, or any combination thereof,

wherein a lengthened modified interval formed by adding the subinterval to the standard interval represents a first binary value, and a shortened modified interval formed by subtracting the subinterval from the standard interval represents a second binary value that is opposite of the first binary value.

10. The device in claim 9, further comprising a performance monitor.

11. The device in claim 10, further comprising a battery, wherein the performance monitor monitors a life of the battery.

12. The device in claim 9, wherein the monitoring is performed during a rest period.