Remotely-requested integrity diagnostics

• US 9,633,170 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2008
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Goetz, Steven M.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEVICKY, WILLIAM J
• Application Number:
  US12/738,056
• Publication Number:
  US 20100222846A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,130 Days
• Field of Search: 607 60, 607 59
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3603 Control systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2001/083 Monitoring integrity of contacts, e.g. by impedance measurement
• 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

Abstract

In general, the invention is directed toward techniques for remotely monitoring the integrity of a medical device and its components. A remote networking device communicates with a medical device, e.g., an implantable medical device, via a network. The remote networking device sends a request for an integrity measurement to the medical device via the network, a remote network that requests a medical device to perform an integrity measurement. In response to the request, the medical device performs the requested integrity measurement. The medical device may transmit a result of the integrity measurement, e.g., a measured value, back to the remote networking device via the network.

Claims

1. A remote networking device comprising:

a communication module; and

a processor configured to send a request to perform an integrity measurement to an implantable medical device via the communication module and a network, receive a result of the integrity measurement from the implantable medical device via the network, analyze the result of the integrity measurement, and automatically send a command to the implantable medical device via the communication module and the network to change a mode of operation of the medical device based on the analysis of the result of the integrity measurement.

2. The remote networking device of claim 1, wherein the implantable medical device comprises a stimulator coupled to a lead including one or more electrodes, the integrity measurement comprises testing an electrical path from the medical device to at least one of the electrodes, and the command locks out at least one of the electrodes from being selected for delivery of therapy.

3. A method comprising:

sending a request from a remote networking device via a network to an implantable medical device to perform an integrity measurement;

receiving a result of the integrity measurement from the implantable medical device via the network;

analyzing, by the remote networking device, the result of the integrity measurement; and

automatically sending a command from the remote networking device to the implantable medical device via the network to change a mode of operation of the implantable medical device based on the analysis of the result of the integrity measurement.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the implantable medical device comprises a stimulator coupled to a lead including one or more electrodes, and sending the request to perform the integrity measurement comprises sending a request to test an electrical path from the implantable medical device to at least one of the electrodes.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the command comprises locking out at least one of the electrodes from being selected for delivery of therapy.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the implantable medical device comprises a pump coupled to one or more catheters, and sending the request to perform the integrity measurement comprises sending a request to measure at least one of pressure or flow within a lumen of at least one of the catheters.

7. A system comprising:

an implantable medical device; and

a remote networking device configured to send a request to perform an integrity measurement to the implantable medical device via a network,

wherein the implantable medical device performs the integrity measurement and sends a result of the integrity measurement to the remote networking device via the network,

wherein the remote networking device analyzes the result of the integrity measurement, and automatically sends a command to the implantable medical device via the network to change a mode of operation of the implantable medical device based on the analysis of the result of the integrity measurement.

8. A method comprising:

receiving a request to perform an integrity measurement at an implantable medical device from a remote networking device via a network, wherein the implantable medical device comprises at least one of a pump or a stimulator;

performing the integrity measurement at the implantable medical device of at least one component within or coupled to the implantable medical device in response to the request;

sending a result of the integrity measurement from the implantable medical device to the remote networking device via the network; and

receiving a command at the implantable medical device from the remote networking device via the network in response to the result of the integrity measurement, the command locking out the at least one component from being selected for delivery of therapy.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising changing a mode of operation of the implantable medical device based on the result of the integrity measurement.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein changing the mode of operation comprises receiving a second command from the remote networking device via the network at the implantable medical device to change the mode of operation.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the implantable medical device comprises the stimulator coupled to a lead including one or more electrodes, and performing the integrity measurement comprises testing an electrical path from the implantable medical device to at least one of the electrodes.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the implantable medical device comprises the pump coupled to one or more catheters, and performing the integrity measurement comprises measuring at least one of pressure or flow within a lumen of at least one of the catheters.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein performing the integrity measurement comprises performing at least one of software, hardware, or firmware diagnostics.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one component comprises at least one electrode coupled to the at least one stimulator.

15. The method of claim 8, where receiving the request and sending the result via the network comprises receiving and sending the result via the Internet.

16. An implantable medical device comprising:

at least one of a pump or a stimulator,

a communication module; and

a processor configured to receive, from a remote networking device via a network and the communication module, a request to perform an integrity measurement of at least one component within or coupled to the implantable medical device,

wherein, upon receiving the request, the processor is configured to perform the integrity measurement and sends a result of the integrity measurement device to the remote networking device via the network and the communication module,

wherein the processor is configured to receive a command from the remote networking device in response to the result of the integrity measurement via the network and the communication module locking out the at least one component from being selected for delivery of therapy.

17. The implantable medical device of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to change a mode of operation of the implantable medical device based on the result of the integrity measurement.

18. The implantable medical device of claim 17, wherein the processor is configured to receive a second command from the remote networking device via the network and the communication module to change the mode of operation.

19. The implantable medical device of claim 16, wherein the implantable medical device comprises the stimulator coupled to a lead including one or more electrodes, and the processor is configured to perform the integrity measurement by testing an electrical path from the implantable medical device to at least one of the electrodes.

20. The implantable medical device of claim 16, wherein the implantable medical device comprises the pump coupled to one or more catheters, and the processor is configured to perform the integrity measurement by measuring at least one of pressure or flow within a lumen of at least one of the catheters.

21. The implantable medical device of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to perform the integrity measurement by performing at least one of software, hardware, or firmware diagnostics.

22. The implantable medical device of claim 16, wherein the at least one component comprises at least one electrode coupled to the at least one stimulator.