Physician's programmer for implantable devices having cardiac diagnostic and patient alerting capabilities

• US 20060265020A1
• Filed: 05/17/2005
• Published: 11/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Angel Medical Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Angel Medical Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Fischell, David R., Johnson, Steven R., Harwood, Jonathan, Fischell, Tim A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,801,596 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36557 controlled by chemical substances in blood
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37247 User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means

Abstract

A programmer is provided for an implantable medical device capable of detecting cardiac events in a human patient. The programmer has a two-way wireless data communication mechanism with the implantable medical device and a graphical user interface is included which has a display and input mechanism designed for use in programming patient specific parameters for the detection of ST shift related cardiac events.

Claims

1. A programmer for an implantable medical device capable of detecting cardiac events in a human patient, the programmer including:

two-way wireless data communication means with the implantable medical device; and

a graphical user interface including a display and input means designed for use in programming patient specific parameters for the detection of ST shift related cardiac events.

2. The programmer of claim 1 further including electrogram segment display means.

3. The programmer of claim 1 further including a patient database.

4. The programmer of claim 1 further including an RF interface capable of two-way wireless data communication with the implantable medical device, the RF interface being designed to operate at a separation of greater than 6 inches between the implantable medical device and the programmer.

5. The programmer of claim 4 where the RF interface includes near field telemetry means capable of initiating two-way wireless communication between the implantable medical device and programmer.

6. The programmer of claim 1 where an external alarm device is used by the programmer for the two-way communication with the implantable medical device.

7. The programmer of claim 1 where the implantable medical device is implanted under the skin of the human patient.

8. The programmer of claim 1 where the ST shift related cardiac event is an acute myocardial infarction

9. The programmer of claim 1 where the ST shift related cardiac event is ischemia at an elevated heart attack.

10. The programmer of claim 1 where the patient specific parameters include the start time for the ST segment with respect to a reference feature of each beat.

11. The programmer of claim 10 where the start time of the ST segment is programmed by entering values using the input means.

12. The programmer of claim 10 where the start time of the ST segment is programmed by selections from a menu using the input means

13. The programmer of claim 10 where the start time of the ST segment is programmed by dragging an object on the graphical user interface using the input means.

14. The programmer of claim 10 where the start time of the ST segment is programmed by selecting up or down arrow buttons using the input means.

15. The programmer of claim 10 where the programmer further includes means to calculate the start times of the ST segment for a plurality of R-R interval values, the programmer also being designed to upload the start times of the ST segment for a plurality of R-R interval values to the implantable medical device through the two-way wireless data communication means.

16. The programmer of claim 15 where the start times of the ST segment for different R-R interval values is organized as a look-up table for the implantable medical device.

17. The programmer of claim 10 where the reference feature is the R wave.

18. The programmer of claim 10 where the reference feature is the S wave.

19. The programmer of claim 10 where the reference feature is the T wave.

20. The programmer of claim 10 where the reference feature is the J point.

21. The programmer of claim 1 where the patient specific parameters for the detection of ST shift related cardiac events includes the duration of the ST segment.

22. The programmer of claim 21 where the duration is programmed by entering values using the input means.

23. The programmer of claim 21 where the duration of the ST segment is programmed by selections from a menu using the input means.

24. The programmer of claim 21 where the duration of the ST segment is programmed by dragging an object on the graphical user interface using the input means.

25. The programmer of claim 21 where the duration of the ST segment are programmed by selecting up or down arrow buttons using the input means.

26. The programmer of claim 21 where the programmer further includes means to calculate the durations of the ST segment for a plurality of R-R interval values, the programmer also being designed to upload the durations of the ST segment for a plurality of R-R interval values to the implantable medical device through the two-way wireless data communication means.

27. The programmer of claim 26 where the durations of the ST segment for different R-R interval values is organized as a look-up table.

28. The programmer of claim 1 where the input means includes a data input device.

29. The programmer of claim 28 where the data input device is a keyboard.

30. The programmer of claim 28 where the data input device is a number pad.

31. The programmer of claim 1 where the input means includes a mouse.

32. The programmer of claim 31 where the input means includes a touch-screen.

33. The programmer of claim 31 where the input means includes a trackball.

34. The programmer of claim 31 where the input means includes a touch-pad.

35. The programmer of claim 31 where the input means includes a joystick.

36. The programmer of claim 1 further including an attached printer.

37. The programmer of claim 1 further including a bios password to prevent unauthorized access.

38. The programmer of claim 1 further including a pop-up login screen for user access.

39. The programmer of claim 1 further including indicators that there is an active data communications session established with a implantable medical device.

40. The programmer of claim 1 further including means to download heart signal data recorded by the implantable medical device.

41. The programmer of claim 40 further including means to calculate ST segment shift detection thresholds by processing the heart signal data downloaded from the implantable medical device.

42. The programmer of claim 41 where the heart signal data processed includes at least one histogram representation of the ST shifts of beats of the patient'"'"'s heart analyzed by the implantable medical device.

43. The programmer of claim 40 where the heart signal data includes electrogram segments related to a detected cardiac event.

44. The programmer of claim 40 where the heart signal data includes periodically recorded baseline electrogram segments.

45. The programmer of claim 40 where the heart signal data includes recently recorded electrogram segments.

46. The programmer of claim 40 where the heart signal data includes at least one histogram representing the values of a heart signal parameter collected over a pre-set period of time.

47. The programmer of claim 46 where the pre-set period of time is programmable using the graphical user interface of the programmer.