Monitoring conditions of an implantable medical fluid delivery device

• US 9,901,679 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2015
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Shen, Jiaying, Akpan, Emem D.
• Primary Examiner(s): BERDICHEVSKY, AARTI
• Application Number:
  US14/677,436
• Publication Number:
  US 20150209513A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0002 with a pressure sensor at the distal end
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3355 Controlling downstream pump pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/502 User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/04 in the body, e.g. expansible A61M25/10, A61M16/0488 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14276 specially adapted for implantation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/16859 Evaluation of pressure response, e.g. to an applied pulse
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1723 using feedback of body parameters, e.g. blood-sugar, pressure measurement of body parameters A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/17 delivered via infusion or injection
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A programmer device includes an interface that communicates with an implantable fluid delivery device and a user interface that allows a user to troubleshoot a catheter connected to the fluid delivery device by measuring a pressure associated with the catheter. A processor may compare the measured pressure waveform to a previously-acquired waveform or the user interface may display the measured pressure waveform for the user to compare the displayed pressure waveform to a previously-acquired baseline waveform. The comparison between the two waveforms may be based on the pressure decay time. A historical log of measured pressure decays associated with the catheter may be maintained by the programmer device or the implantable fluid delivery device and displayed for the user to determine whether the performance of the catheter is deteriorating.

Claims

1. An implantable fluid delivery system comprising:

a catheter;

a fluid delivery pump coupled to the catheter, and configured to deliver a fluid through the catheter to a patient;

at least one pressure sensor arranged to measure a pressure associated with the catheter during delivery of the fluid to the patient; and

a processor configured to define a current pressure waveform based on the measured pressure, wherein the processor is configured to at least one of;

determine a characteristic of the catheter based on a comparison of at least a first waveform portion of the current pressure waveform to at least a second waveform portion of a previously-acquired pressure waveform associated with the catheter during delivery of the fluid, or

display, via a display device, at least a portion of the current pressure waveform and at least a portion of a previously-acquired pressure waveform associated with the catheter during delivery of the fluid for a user to determine a characteristic of the catheter based on a comparison of at least a portion of the current pressure waveform to at least a portion of a previously-acquired pressure waveform.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an implantable medical device that includes at least the fluid delivery pump, the catheter, and the at least one pressure sensor.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a time for the measured pressure to fall from a maximum pressure level to a signature pressure level, wherein the signature pressure level is a pressure when a pump stroke of the implantable medical fluid delivery device is not present.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to identify one or more characteristics indicative of one or more catheter malfunctions based on the determined characteristic of the catheter.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to store at least one of:

the determined characteristic of the catheter or the current pressure waveform.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the previously-acquired pressure waveform corresponds to one or more waveforms corresponding to one or more malfunctions associated with the catheter.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first waveform portion of the current waveform comprises first variations in pressure over a first time, and wherein the second waveform portion of the previously-acquired waveform comprises second variations in pressure over a second time.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising an external device that includes the processor.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the external device further comprises a user interface configured to display the current pressure waveform associated with the measured pressure.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

calculate a pressure decay time based on a maximum pressure value associated with the measured pressure; and

determine the characteristic of the catheter based on the pressure decay time.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the decay time indicates a time required for the measured pressure to fall from the maximum pressure to a signature pressure level, wherein the signature pressure level is a pressure when a pump stroke of the implantable medical fluid delivery device is not present.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one posture sensor configured to determine a posture associated with the patient.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one posture sensor is further configured to obtain a posture associated with the patient when the at least one pressure sensor measures the pressure associated with the catheter, and wherein the processor is further configured to associate the determined characteristic of the catheter with the obtained posture.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine whether the catheter is functioning properly; and

cause the at least one pressure sensor to measure a current baseline pressure when the catheter is functioning properly.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the previously-acquired pressure waveform comprises a waveform acquired when the catheter is functioning properly.

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

cause the at least one pressure sensor to measure a new baseline pressure; and

determine whether to replace the current baseline pressure with the new baseline pressure.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions for causing a programmable processor in an implantable fluid delivery system to:

deliver a fluid from the implantable medical fluid delivery device through a catheter to a patient;

measure a pressure associated with the catheter during the delivery of the fluid to the patient;

define a current pressure waveform based on the measured pressure; and

at least one of;

A) determine a characteristic of the catheter based on a comparison of at least a first waveform portion of the current pressure waveform to at least a second waveform portion of a previously-acquired pressure waveform associated with the catheter during delivery of the fluid, or

B) display, on a display device, at least a portion of the current pressure waveform and at least a portion of a previously-acquired pressure waveform associated with the catheter during delivery of the fluid for a user to determine a characteristic of the catheter based on a comparison of at least a portion of the current pressure waveform to at least a portion of a previously-acquired pressure waveform.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions for causing the programmable processor in the implantable fluid delivery system to:

obtain a posture associated with the patient when the pressure associated with the catheter is measured; and

associate the determined characteristic of the catheter with the obtained posture.

19. A system comprising:

means for delivering a fluid from an implantable medical fluid delivery device through a catheter to a patient;

means for measuring a pressure associated with the catheter during the delivery of the fluid to the patient;

means for defining a current pressure waveform based on the measured pressure; and

at least one of;

(A) means for determining a characteristic of the catheter based on a comparison of at least a first waveform portion of the current pressure waveform to at least a second waveform portion of a previously-acquired pressure waveform associated with the catheter during delivery of the fluid, or

(B) means for displaying at least a portion of the current pressure waveform and at least a portion of a previously-acquired pressure waveform associated with the catheter during delivery of the fluid for a user to determine a characteristic of the catheter based on a comparison of at least a portion of the current pressure waveform to at least a portion of a previously-acquired pressure waveform.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

means for obtaining a posture associated with the patient when the pressure associated with the catheter is measured; and

means for associating the determined characteristic of the catheter with the obtained posture.