Multiple user accounts for managing stored information in an implantable medical device system

• US 9,747,431 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2015
• Issued: 08/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Chow, Theodore
• Primary Examiner(s): Goodchild, William
• Application Number:
  US14/665,824
• Publication Number:
  US 20150193612A1
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: 726 17
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37247 User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means
• 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: A61N 1/37254 Pacemaker or defibrillator security, e.g. to prevent or inhibit programming alterations by hackers or unauthorised individuals
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37264 Changing the program; Upgrading firmware
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3956 Implantable devices for applying electric shocks to the heart, e.g. for cardioversion
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades

Abstract

Techniques for managing stored information in an implantable medical device system using multiple user accounts are described. An implantable medical device system may provide a general user account and a set of authenticable user accounts. In some examples, the general user account does not require a user of a programmer in an implantable medical device system to enter user identity information to manage information stored in the implantable medical device system. The general user account may be permitted to perform a subset of actions available to an authenticable user account. In some examples, an authenticable user account may rollback changes made to the stored information by the general user account. An authenticable user account may also be able to synchronize changes made to the stored information across all or some of the user accounts.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing data of an implantable medical device and a set of user accounts in a memory, wherein the set of user accounts comprises a general user account and a plurality of authenticable user accounts;

determining whether a user that communicates with the implantable medical device via a programmer device is a general user or an authenticable user;

accessing one of the general user account or one of the plurality of authenticable user accounts based on the determination, wherein the each of the accounts includes respective access control information that specifies a respective subset of the data of the implantable medical device available and respective actions available for managing the data;

controlling access and management of the data of the implantable medical device by the user according to the access control information of the accessed one of the accounts;

during access and management of the data by an authenticable user associated with the one of the plurality of authenticable user accounts, receiving a request from the authenticable user associated with the one of the plurality of authenticable user accounts to modify one or more therapy programs stored on the implantable medical device based on data stored in a memory of the programmer device in a user account associated with the authenticable user, wherein the data was stored in the memory of the programmer device prior to when the request was received, wherein the data stored in the memory of the programmer device in the user account associated with the authenticable user defines the one or more therapy programs for controlling delivery of stimulation therapy to a patient via the implantable medical device;

in response to receiving the request from the authenticable user, modifying, based on the data stored in the memory of the programmer device in the user account associated with the authenticable user, the one or more therapy programs stored on the implantable medical device in both the general user account and the one of the plurality of authenticable user accounts associated with the authenticable user, but not in any of the other authenticable user accounts of the plurality of authenticable user accounts; and

controlling the delivery of the stimulation therapy via the implantable medical device to a patient according to the one or more modified therapy programs.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to receiving the request from the authenticable user, accessing the data stored on the memory of the programmer device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to receiving the request from the authenticable user, receiving, from the implantable medical device, another request for approval to modify the one or more therapy programs stored on the implantable medical device based on the data stored on the memory of the programmer device, wherein receiving the request from the authenticable user associated with the one of the plurality of authenticable user accounts to modify one or more therapy programs stored on the implantable medical device based on the data stored in the memory of the programmer device comprises receiving approval from the authenticable user associated with the one of the plurality of authenticable user accounts to modify one or more therapy programs stored on the implantable medical device based on the data stored in the memory of the programmer device.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein determining whether the user of the programmer device that communicates with the implantable medical device via the programmer device is the general user or the authenticable user comprises:

receiving, with the programmer device, identity information for the user; and

comparing the identity information for the user to information stored in the set of user accounts, and

wherein accessing one of the general user account or one of the plurality of authenticable user accounts based on the determination comprises accessing the one of the accounts with stored identity information that matches the identity information received with the programmer device.

5. The method of claim 1,

wherein determining whether the user is the general user or the authenticable user comprises determining that the user is a general user,

wherein accessing one of the general user account or one of the plurality of authenticable user accounts comprises accessing the general user account, and

wherein controlling the access and management of the data comprises:

receiving a request from the general user accessing the general user account to clear data from the implantable medical device; and

in response to receiving the request to clear data from the general user, clearing the data from the general user account, but not from any of the plurality of authenticable user accounts.

6. The method of claim 1,

wherein determining whether the user is the general user or the authenticable user comprises determining that the user is the general user,

wherein accessing one of the general user account or one of the plurality of authenticable user accounts comprises accessing the general user account, and

wherein controlling the access and management of the data comprises:

receiving a request from the general user accessing the general user account to change a therapy program of the implantable medical device;

changing the therapy program in response to the request; and

updating a programming history accessible by the plurality of authenticable user accounts to indicate the changing of the therapy program.

7. The method of claim 1,

wherein determining whether the user is the general user or the authenticable user comprises determining whether the user is the general user or the authenticable user based upon identity information for the user, and

wherein the user is the general user if the user does not enter identity information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the memory comprises a memory of the implantable medical device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the data comprises at least one of diagnostic data or operation data of the implantable medical device.

10. A system comprising:

an implantable medical device;

a programmer device configured to communicate with the implantable medical device,

a memory configured to store data of the implantable medical device and a set of user accounts, wherein the set of user accounts comprises a general user account and a plurality of authenticable user accounts; and

a processor configured to;

determine whether a user that communicates with the implantable medical device via a programmer device is a general user or an authenticable user,

access one of the general user account or one of the plurality of authenticable user accounts based on the determination, wherein the each of the accounts includes respective access control information that specifies a respective subset of the data of the implantable medical device available and respective actions available for managing the data,

control access and management of the data of the implantable medical device by the user according to the access control information of the accessed one of the accounts,

during access and management of the data by an authenticable user associated with the one of the plurality of authenticable user accounts, receive a request from the authenticable user associated with the one of the plurality of authenticable user accounts to modify one or more therapy programs stored on the implantable medical device based on data stored in a memory of the programmer device in a user account associated with the authenticable user, wherein the data was stored in the memory of the programmer device prior to when the request was received, wherein the data stored in the memory of the programmer device in the user account associated with the authenticable user defines the one or more therapy programs for controlling the implantable medical device,

in response to receiving the request from the authenticable user, modify, based on the data stored in the memory of the programmer device in the user account associated with the authenticable user, the one or more therapy programs stored on the implantable medical device in both the general user account and the one of the plurality of authenticable user accounts associated with the authenticable user, but not in any of the other authenticable user accounts of the plurality of authenticable user accounts, and

control the delivery of the stimulation therapy via the implantable medical device to a patient according to the one or more modified therapy programs.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein, prior to receiving the request from the authenticable user, the processor is configured to access the data stored on the memory of the programmer device.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein, prior to receiving the request from the authenticable user, the processor is configured to receive, from the implantable medical device, another request for approval to modify the one or more therapy programs stored on the implantable medical device based on the data stored on the memory of the programmer device, and receive approval from the authenticable user associated with the one of the plurality of authenticable user accounts to modify one or more therapy programs stored on the implantable medical device based on the data stored in the memory of the programmer device.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to:

receive, with the programmer device, identity information for the user;

compare the identity information for the user to information stored in the set of user accounts, and

access the one of the accounts with stored identity information that matches the identity information received with the programmer device.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to:

determine that the user is a general user;

access the general user account;

receiving a request from the general user accessing the general user account to clear data from the implantable medical device; and

in response to receiving the request to clear data from the general user, clear the data from the general user account, but not from any of the plurality of authenticable user accounts.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to:

determine that the user is the general user;

access the general user account;

receive a request from the general user accessing the general user account to change a therapy program of the implantable medical device;

change the therapy program in response to the request; and

update a programming history accessible by the plurality of authenticable user accounts to indicate the changing of the therapy program.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to:

determine whether the user is the general user or the authenticable user based upon identity information for the user, and

determine the user is the general user if the user does not enter identity information.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the memory comprises a memory of the implantable medical device.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the data comprises at least one of diagnostic data or operation data of the implantable medical device.

19. A system comprising:

means for storing data of an implantable medical device and a set of user accounts in a memory, wherein the set of user accounts comprises a general user account and a plurality of authenticable user accounts;

means for determining whether a user that communicates with the implantable medical device via a programmer device is a general user or an authenticable user;

means for accessing one of the general user account or one of the plurality of authenticable user accounts based on the determination, wherein the each of the accounts includes respective access control information that specifies a respective subset of the data of the implantable medical device available and respective actions available for managing the data;

means for controlling access and management of the data of the implantable medical device by the user according to the access control information of the accessed one of the accounts;

means for, during access and management of the data by an authenticable user associated with the one of the plurality of authenticable user accounts, receiving a request from the authenticable user associated with the one of the plurality of authenticable user accounts to modify one or more therapy programs stored on the implantable medical device based on data stored in a memory of the programmer device in a user account associated with the authenticable user, wherein the data was stored in the memory of the programmer device prior to when the request was received, wherein the data defines the one or more therapy programs for controlling delivery of stimulation therapy to a patient via the implantable medical device;

means for, in response to receiving the request from the authenticable user, modifying, based on the data stored in the memory of the programmer device in the user account associated with the authenticable user, the one or more therapy programs stored on the implantable medical device in both the general user account and the one of the plurality of authenticable user accounts associated with the authenticable user, but not in any of the other authenticable user accounts of the plurality of authenticable user accounts; and

means for controlling the delivery of the stimulation therapy via the implantable medical device to a patient according to the one or more modified therapy programs.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that cause a programmable processor to:

store data of an implantable medical device and a set of user accounts in a memory, wherein the set of user accounts comprises a general user account and a authenticable user accounts;

determine whether a user that communicates with the implantable medical device via a programmer device is a general user or an authenticable user;

access one of the general user account or one of the plurality of authenticable user accounts based on the determination, wherein the each of the accounts includes respective access control information that specifies a respective subset of the data of the implantable medical device available and respective actions available for managing the data;

control access and management of the data of the implantable medical device by the user according to the access control information of the accessed one of the accounts;

during access and management of the data by an authenticable user associated with the one of the plurality of authenticable user accounts, receive a request from the authenticable user associated with the one of the plurality of authenticable user accounts to modify one or more therapy programs stored on the implantable medical device based on data stored in a memory of the programmer device in a user account associated with the authenticable user, wherein the data was stored in the memory of the programmer device prior to when the request was received, wherein the data stored in the memory of the programmer device in the user account associated with the authenticable user defines the one or more therapy programs for controlling delivery of stimulation therapy to a patient via the implantable medical device; and

in response to receiving the request from the authenticable user, modify, based on the data stored in the memory of the programmer device in the user account associated with the authenticable user, the one or more therapy programs stored on the implantable medical device in both the general user account and the one of the plurality of authenticable user accounts associated with the authenticable user, but not in any of the other authenticable user accounts of the plurality of authenticable user accounts; and

control the delivery of the stimulation therapy via the implantable medical device to a patient according to the one or more modified therapy programs.