Repeater device for communications with an implantable medical device

• US 20040117204A1
• Filed: 12/17/2002
• Published: 06/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Manicka, Yatheendhar D., Mazar, Scott T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,009,511 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0209 adapted for power saving
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0271 using a remote monitoring unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/045 with a separable interface unit, e.g. for communication
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0215 by means inserted into the body catheters A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0809 by impedance pneumography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4839 combined with drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/747 in case of emergency, i.e. alerting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/80 for detecting, monitoring or modelling epidemics or pandemics, e.g. flu
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/20 relating to practices or guidelines

Abstract

A repeater device for an advanced patient management system communicates with a medical device coupled to a patient to obtain data about the medical device and/or patient'"'"'s condition. The repeater device maintains the data while if considers various factors when coordinating transfer of the data to a repository of the advanced patient management system. The repeater device may be configured to analyze the data to determine a degree of urgency, such as whether an emergency exists, and then determine when to transfer the data based on the degree of urgency. The repeater device may also be configured to test the condition of the communication medium being used to transfer the data to the repository, such as determining whether a telephone line is in use, and then determine when to transfer the data based on the condition of the of the communication medium.

Claims

1. A repeater for relaying data to a repository from a medical device coupled to a patient, comprising:

a receiver configured to communicate with the medical device to obtain the data;

a memory to maintain the data once it has been received;

a transmission device configured to send the data over a communication medium; and

a processing device configured to detect a condition of the communication medium and trigger the transmission device to send the data when the condition of the communication medium is adequate for transmission.

2. The repeater of claim 1, wherein the communication medium comprises a landline connection to a public switched telephone network, and wherein the processor detects the condition of the communication medium by detecting whether the landline connection is in use.

3. The repeater of claim 1, wherein the communication medium comprises a wireless radio frequency connection, and wherein the processor detects the condition of the communication medium by detecting the signal strength that is available through the wireless radio frequency connection.

4. The repeater of claim 1, wherein the receiver communicates with the medical device through inductive coupling.

5. The repeater of claim 1, wherein the receiver communicates with the medical device that is subcutaneously positioned.

6. A method of providing data between a medical device coupled to a patient and a repository, comprising the steps of:

retrieving the data from the medical device;

storing the data once it has been received;

detecting a condition of a communications medium to send the data over; and

transmitting the data over the communications medium when the condition of the communications medium is adequate for transmission.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the communication medium comprises a landline connection to a public switched telephone network, and wherein the step of detecting the condition of the communications medium comprises detecting whether the landline connection is in use.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the communications medium comprises a wireless radio frequency connection, and wherein the step of detecting the condition of the communications medium comprises detecting whether adequate signal strength is available through the wireless radio frequency connection.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of retrieving the data comprises inductively coupling the repeater to the medical device.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of retrieving the data comprises communicating with the medical device that is subcutaneously positioned.

11. A repeater for providing data between a medical device coupled to a patient and a repository, comprising:

means for retrieving the data from the medical device;

means for storing the data once it has been received;

means for detecting a condition of a communications medium to send the data over; and

means for transmitting the data over the communications medium when the condition of the communications medium is adequate for transmission.

12. The repeater of claim 11, wherein the communication medium comprises a landline connection to a public switched telephone network, and wherein the means for detecting the condition of the communications medium detects whether the landline connection is in use.

13. The repeater of claim 11, wherein the communications medium comprises a wireless radio frequency connection, and wherein the step of detecting the condition of the communications medium comprises detecting whether adequate signal strength is available through the wireless radio frequency connection.

14. The repeater of claim 11, wherein the means for retrieving the data provides an inductive coupling between the repeater and the medical device.

15. The repeater of claim 11, wherein the means for retrieving the data communicates with the medical device that is subcutaneously positioned.

16. A repeater for relaying data to a repository from a medical device coupled to a patient, comprising:

a receiver configured to communicate with the medical device to obtain the data;

a memory to maintain the data once it has been received;

a transmission device configured to send the data over a communication medium; and

a processing device configured to detect a degree of urgency of the data, and trigger the transmission device to send the data at a time based on the degree of urgency.

17. The repeater of claim 16, wherein the communication medium comprises a landline connection to a public switched telephone network.

18. The repeater of claim 16, wherein the communication medium comprises a wireless radio frequency connection.

19. The repeater of claim 16, wherein the receiver communicates with the medical device through inductive coupling.

20. The repeater of claim 16, wherein the receiver communicates with the medical device that is subcutaneously positioned.

21. The repeater of claim 16, wherein the processing device detects the degree of urgency by analyzing the data to detect health conditions of the patient.

22. The repeater of claim 16, wherein the processing device detects the degree of urgency by receiving an input signal provided by the patient.

23. A method of providing data between a medical device coupled to a patient and a repository, comprising the steps of:

retrieving the data from the medical device;

storing the data once it has been received;

detecting a degree of urgency of the data; and

determining a time to transmit the data over the communications medium based on the detected degree of urgency.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the communication medium comprises a landline connection to a public switched telephone network.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the communications medium comprises a wireless radio frequency connection.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of retrieving the data comprises inductively coupling the repeater to the medical device.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of retrieving the data comprises communicating with the medical device that is subcutaneously positioned.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of detecting the degree of urgency comprises analyzing the data to detect health conditions of the patient.

29. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of detecting the degree of urgency comprises receiving an input signal provided by the patient.

30. A repeater for providing data between a medical device coupled to a patient and a repository, comprising the steps of:

means for retrieving the data from the medical device;

means for storing the data once it has been received;

means for detecting a degree of urgency of the data; and

means for determining a time to transmit the data over the communications medium based on the detected degree of urgency.

31. The repeater of claim 30, wherein the communication medium comprises a landline connection to a public switched telephone network.

32. The repeater of claim 30, wherein the communications medium comprises a wireless radio frequency connection.

33. The repeater of claim 30, wherein the means for retrieving the data inductively couples the repeater to the medical device.

34. The repeater of claim 30, wherein the means for retrieving the data communicates with the medical device that is subcutaneously positioned.

35. The repeater of claim 30, wherein the means for detecting the degree of urgency analyzes the data to detect health conditions of the patient.

36. The repeater of claim 30, wherein the means for detecting the degree of urgency receives an input signal provided by the patient.