System and method for deriving relative physiologic measurements using an external computing device

• US 20060064133A1
• Filed: 09/17/2004
• Published: 03/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Von Arx, Jeffrey A., Mazar, Scott T., Chavan, Abhi
• Application Number:
  US10/943,269
• Publication Number:
  US 20060064133A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/17
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3523 using telemetric means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/30 Blood pressure A61M2230/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14276 specially adapted for implantation
• 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: A61N 1/37217 characterised by the communication link, e.g. acoustic or tactile
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37223 Circuits for electromagnetic coupling
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37252 Details of algorithms or data aspects of communication system, e.g. handshaking, transmitting specific data or segmenting data

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention relates to a system for deriving physiologic measurement values that are relative to ambient conditions. In one embodiment, the system comprises an implantable medical device (“IMD”) and an external computing device. The IMD is operable to determine an absolute physiologic parameter value within a patient'"'"'s body, and communicate the absolute physiologic parameter value outside the patient'"'"'s body, for example, to the external computing device. Further, the external computing device is operable to receive the absolute physiologic parameter from the IMD and obtain an ambient condition value outside the body that can affect the absolute physiologic parameter value. The external computing device then calculates a relative physiologic parameter value from the ambient condition value and the absolute physiologic parameter value.

Claims

1. A system for deriving relative physiologic measurement values, comprising:

an implantable medical device (“

IMD”

) operable to determine an absolute physiologic parameter value within a patient'"'"'s body, and communicate the absolute physiologic parameter value outside the patient'"'"'s body;

an external computing device operable to;

receive the absolute physiologic parameter from the IMD;

obtain an ambient condition value outside the body that can affect the absolute physiologic parameter value; and

calculate a relative physiologic parameter value from the ambient condition value and the absolute physiologic parameter value; and

a backend computing system operable to receive and store the relative physiologic parameter value from the external computing device.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the absolute physiologic parameter value is marked with a first time stamp and the ambient condition value is marked with a second time stamp, and wherein the external computing device uses the first and second time stamps to select an ambient condition value that is obtained at a time reasonably close to a time when an absolute physiologic parameter value is measured to calculate the relative physiologic parameter value.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the external computing device is further operable to communicate the relative physiologic parameter value to the IMD, and wherein the IMD is further operable to receive the relative physiologic parameter value and store it in a memory.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the backend computing system comprises a database accessible by one or more health care providers, and wherein the one or more health care providers can obtain the relative physiologic parameter value from the database and use the relative physiologic parameter value to provide a service to the patient selected from the group consisting of diagnosing the patient, prescribing medication to the patient, providing a therapy to the patient, or modifying one or more settings of the IMD.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the absolute physiologic parameter value comprises blood pressure, wherein the ambient condition value comprises an ambient pressure value, and wherein the relative physiologic parameter value comprises the blood pressure value relative to the ambient pressure.

6. The system as recited in claim 5, wherein the blood pressure can be intravascular or intracardiac blood pressure.

7. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the external computing device includes a sensor operable to measure the ambient condition value.

8. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the external computing device is operable to receive the ambient condition value from an ambient condition source.

9. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the ambient condition source comprises the backend computing system.

10. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the ambient condition source comprises an external monitor.

11. The system as recited in claim 10, wherein the external monitor comprises a wireless communication device carried on or near the patient'"'"'s body.

12. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the external monitor is a monitor device selected from the group consisting of:

a monitor device adapted to be worn around a patient'"'"'s body part;

a monitor device that can be connected to a belt;

a monitor device that can be worn as a patch;

a personal digital assistant (PDA);

a monitor device that can be carried in a pocket or a personal carry bag; and

a customized cell phone or pager.

13. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the external computing device comprises an IMD programmer.

14. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the external computing device comprises a repeater device in communication with the backend computing system.

15. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the IMD and the external computing device are operable to communicate via a wireless communication connection selected from the group consisting of:

a radio frequency communication connection;

an acoustic communication connection;

an electrical field communication connection; and

an optical communication connection.

16. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the IMD is selected from the group consisting of a physiologic parameter sensor, a pacemaker, a defibrillator, bi-ventricular pacer, a ventricular assist blood pump, a drug delivery pump, a drug infusion device, a neurostimulating device, an intra-ocular shunt, and an intra-cranial shunt.

17. The system as recited in claim 3, wherein the IMD is adapted to provide therapy to a patient, and wherein the IMD uses the relative physiologic parameter value to determine the proper therapy to provide to the patient.

18. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the therapy is selected from the group consisting of cardiac pacing therapy, anti-tachycardia therapy, drug delivery therapy, neurostimulation therapy, and blood pump therapy.

19. The system as recited in claim 3, wherein:

the IMD comprises a processor operable to generate patient therapy information based at least in part on the relative physiologic parameter value;

the IMD is further operable to communicate the patient therapy information to the external computing device; and

the external computing device comprises a patient communication interface operable to provide the patient therapy information to the patient.

20. The system as recited in claim 3, wherein:

the IMD comprises a processor operable to generate patient therapy information based at least in part on the relative physiologic parameter value;

the IMD is further operable to communicate the patient therapy information to the external computing device; and

the external computing device is operable to communicate the patient therapy information to the backend computing system for access by one or more health care providers.

21. A method for deriving relative physiologic measurement values, comprising:

an implantable medical device (“

IMD”

) determining an absolute physiologic parameter value within a patient'"'"'s body;

communicating the absolute physiologic parameter value to an external computing device outside the patient'"'"'s body;

the external computing device obtaining an ambient condition value outside the body that can affect the absolute physiologic parameter value;

calculating a relative physiologic parameter value from the ambient condition value and the absolute physiologic parameter value;

communicating the relative physiologic parameter value from the external computing device to a backend computing system; and

storing the relative physiologic parameter value at the backend computing system.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, further comprising the steps of:

marking the absolute physiologic parameter value with a first time stamp;

marking the ambient condition value with a second time stamp; and

the external computing device using the first and second time stamps to select an ambient condition value that is obtained at a time reasonably close to a time when an absolute physiologic parameter value is measured to calculate the relative physiologic parameter value.

23. The method as recited in claim 21, further comprising the steps of:

the external computing device communicating the relative physiologic parameter value to the IMD; and

the IMD storing the relative physiologic parameter value in a memory.

24. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the backend computing system comprises a database accessible by one or more health care providers, and wherein the one or more health care providers can obtain the relative physiologic parameter value from the database and use the relative physiologic parameter value to provide a service to the patient selected from the group consisting of diagnosing the patient, prescribing medication to the patient, providing a therapy to the patient, or modifying one or more settings of the IMD.

25. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the absolute physiologic parameter value comprises blood pressure, wherein the ambient condition value comprises an ambient pressure value, and wherein the relative physiologic parameter value comprises the blood pressure value relative to the ambient pressure.

26. The method as recited in claim 25, wherein the blood pressure can be intravascular or intracardiac blood pressure.

27. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the step of the external computing device obtaining an ambient condition value comprises the external computing device measuring the ambient condition value.

28. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the step of the external computing device obtaining an ambient condition value comprises the external computing device receiving the ambient condition value from an ambient condition source.

29. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein the ambient condition source comprises the backend computing system.

30. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein the ambient condition source comprises an external monitor.

31. The method as recited in claim 30, wherein the external monitor comprises a wireless communication device carried on or near the patient'"'"'s body.

32. The method as recited in claim 31, wherein the external monitor is a monitor device selected from the group consisting of:

a monitor device adapted to be worn around a patient'"'"'s body part;

a monitor device that can be connected to a belt;

a monitor device that can be worn as a patch;

a personal digital assistant (PDA);

a monitor device that can be carried in a pocket or a personal carry bag; and

a customized cell phone or pager.

33. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the external computing device comprises an IMD programmer.

34. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the external computing device comprises an a repeater device in communication with the backend computing system.

35. The method as recited in claim 23, wherein the steps of communicating the measured absolute physiologic parameter value to an external computing device and communicating the relative physiologic parameter value from the external computing device to the IMD comprise communicating via a wireless communication connection selected from the group consisting of:

a radio frequency communication connection;

an acoustic communication connection;

an electric field communication connection; and

an optical communication connection.

36. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the IMD is selected from the group consisting of a physiologic parameter sensor, a pacemaker, a defibrillator, a bi-ventricular pacer, a ventricular assist blood pump, a drug delivery pump, a drug infusion device, a neurostimulating device, an intra-ocular shunt, and an intra-cranial shunt.

37. The method as recited in claim 21, further comprising:

the IMD determining a proper therapy to provide to the patient using the relative physiologic parameter value; and

the IMD providing the proper therapy to the patient.

38. The method as recited in claim 37, wherein the therapy is selected from the group consisting of cardiac pacing therapy, anti-tachycardia therapy, drug delivery therapy, neurostimulation therapy, and blood pump therapy.

39. The method as recited in claim 23, further comprising:

the IMD generating patient therapy information based at least in part on the relative physiologic parameter value;

communicating the patient therapy information from the IMD to the external computing device; and

the external computing device providing the patient therapy information to the patient via a communication interface.

40. The method as recited in claim 23, further comprising:

the IMD generating patient therapy information based at least in part on the relative physiologic parameter value;

communicating the patient therapy information from the IMD to the external computing device; and

the external computing device communicating the patient therapy information to the backend computing system for access by one or more health care providers.

41. A system for deriving relative blood pressure values, comprising:

an implantable medical device (“

IMD”

) operable to determine an internal blood pressure value within a patient'"'"'s body, and communicate the internal blood pressure value outside the patient'"'"'s body;

an external computing device operable to;

receive the internal blood pressure value from the IMD;

obtain an ambient pressure value outside the body; and

calculate a relative blood pressure value from the ambient pressure value and the internal blood pressure value; and

a backend computing system operable to receive and store the relative blood pressure value from the external computing device.

42. The system as recited in claim 41, wherein the backend computing system comprises a database accessible by one or more health care providers, and wherein the one or more health care providers can obtain the relative physiologic parameter value from the database and use the relative physiologic parameter value to provide a service to the patient selected from the group consisting of diagnosing the patient, prescribing medication to the patient, providing a therapy to the patient, or modifying one or more settings of the IMD.