Implantable medical device having long-term wireless capabilities

• US 20040122489A1
• Filed: 12/23/2002
• Published: 06/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2002
• 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 7,395,117 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37282 characterised by communication with experts in remote locations using a network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/903 Radio telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/904 Telephone telemetry

Abstract

An implantable medical device is provided that is capable of utilizing a pervasive wireless communications network, such as a digital wireless telephone network, personal communication services network or pager network, to directly communicate with a host computer without the need for a repeater device. The implantable medical device includes a sensor capable of measuring a body characteristic, such as temperature or electrical cardiac activity, and generating clinical data describing the measurement. The implantable medical device also includes a wireless transmitter/receiver unit capable of establishing a communications link with a host computer over the long-range wireless network. The wireless transmitter/receiver unit is capable of delivering the measured clinical data to the host computer over the wireless network. The wireless transmitter/receiver unit can also periodically deliver status information regarding the operation of the implantable device to the host computer. Power to the wireless transmitter/receiver unit is turned off except when the device is communicating with the host computer in order to preserve battery life.

Claims

1. An implantable medical device for use in a patient management system, said medical device comprising:

a sensor capable of measuring a body characteristic and generating clinical data describing said measurement; and

a wireless transmitter/receiver unit capable of establishing a communications link with a host computer over a pervasive wireless communications network and delivering said clinical data to said host computer over said communications link.

2. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein said wireless transmitter/receiver unit is operative to deliver said clinical data to said host computer only when said clinical data relates to a medically significant event.

3. The implantable medical device of claim 2, wherein said wireless transmitter/receiver unit comprises a radio frequency transmitter and a radio frequency receiver and wherein said radio frequency transmitter and said radio frequency receiver are turned off except when said wireless transmitter/receiver unit is delivering said clinical data to said host computer.

4. The implantable medical device of claim 3, further comprising a processor operative to control the operation of said wireless transmitter/receiver unit and said sensor, and wherein said processor is further operative to:

determine whether said communications link with said host computer is operative prior to delivering said clinical data; and

in response to determining that said communications link is not operative, to store said clinical data in a memory until said communications link becomes operative.

5. The implantable medical device of claim 4, further comprising a feedback mechanism for providing feedback to a patient in which said implantable medical device is implanted, and wherein said processor is further operative to instruct said feedback mechanism to generate feedback to said patient in the event that said clinical data stored in said memory cannot be delivered to said host computer for a predetermined period of time.

6. The implantable medical device of claim 5, wherein said transmitter/receiver is further operative to periodically establish a communications link with said host computer, to transmit status information regarding the operation of said implantable medical device to said host computer and to receive software or firmware updates from said host computer.

7. The implantable medical device of claim 6, wherein said processor is further operative to instruct said feedback mechanism to generate feedback to said patient in the event that said periodically established communications link cannot be established with said host computer for a predetermined period of time.

8. The implantable medical device of claim 5, wherein said processor is further operative to:

periodically turn on said transmitter/receiver unit;

determine if an incoming wireless telephone call is received from said host computer at said transmitter/receiver unit while said unit is on; and

in response to determining that an incoming telephone call has been received at said transmitter/receiver unit from said host computer, to transmit status information regarding the operation of said implantable medical device to said host computer, and to receive software or firmware updates from said host computer.

9. The implantable medical device of claim 8, wherein said processor is further operative to:

receive an indication from said transmitter/receiver unit that said incoming telephone call from said host computer has been disconnected; and

to

turn off said transmitter/receiver unit in response to receiving said indication that said call has been disconnected.

10. The implantable medical device of claim 9, wherein periodically placing said transmitter/receiver unit in an on state comprises turning on said transmitter/receiver unit at a predetermined time and for a predetermined period of time, and wherein said host computer is operative to place a wireless telephone call to said transmitter/receiver unit at said predetermined time.

11. A method of operation for an implantable medical device comprising a processor, a sensor, and a wireless transmitter/receiver unit, said method comprising:

measuring a body characteristic at said sensor and generating clinical data describing said measurement;

determining at said processor whether said clinical data relates to a medically significant event; and

in response to determining that said clinical data relates to a medically significant event, turning on said transmitter/receiver unit, establishing a communications link between said wireless transmitter/receiver unit and a host computer over a pervasive wireless communications network, transmitting said clinical data to said host computer over said communications link, and turning off said transmitter/receiver unit upon the completion of said transmission.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said implantable medical device further comprises a memory, and wherein said method further comprises:

determining whether said communications link with said host computer is operative prior to delivering said clinical data; and

in response to determining that said communications link is not operative, storing said clinical data in said memory, periodically determining whether said communications link has become operative, and transmitting said clinical data to said host computer upon determining that said communications link has become operative.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said implantable medical device further comprises a feedback mechanism for providing feedback to a patient in which said implantable medical device is implanted, and wherein said method further comprises:

determining whether said clinical data stored in said memory has not been delivered to said host computer within a predetermined period of time; and

instructing said feedback mechanism to generate feedback in response to determining that said clinical data has not been delivered.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

turning on said transmitter/receiver unit at a predetermined time;

determining whether an incoming wireless telephone call is received at said host computer while said transmitter/receiver unit is turned on; and

in response to determining that an incoming wireless telephone call has been received at said transmitter/receiver unit from said host computer, transmitting status information regarding the operation of said implantable medical device to said host computer, and turning said transmitter/receiver unit off after said status information has been transmitted to said host computer.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining whether a wireless telephone call has been received from said host computer within a predetermined amount of time after said transmitter/receiver unit is turned on; and

turning said transmitter/receiver unit off in response to determining that a wireless telephone call has not been received from said host computer within said predetermined amount of time.

16. A method of operation for an implantable medical device comprising a processor, a sensor, and a wireless transmitter/receiver unit, the method comprising:

measuring a body characteristic at the sensor and generating clinical data describing the measurement;

turning on said transmitter/receiver unit at a predetermined time;

determining whether an incoming wireless telephone call is received at said host computer while said transmitter/receiver unit is turned on; and

in response to determining that an incoming wireless telephone call has been received at said transmitter/receiver unit from said host computer, transmitting status information regarding the operation of said implantable medical device to said host computer, and turning said transmitter/receiver unit off after said status information has been transmitted to said host computer.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

transmitting the clinical data to the host computer over the communications link while the transmitter/receiver unit is on.