System and method for managing locally-initiated medical device interrogation

• US 20070282634A1
• Filed: 06/05/2006
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Srivathsa, Muralidharan, Somberg, Benjamin L., Johnson, David C., Simms, Howard D., Hoyme, Kenneth P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,801,612 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/70 for mining of medical data, e.g. analysing previous cases of other patients

Abstract

A system and method for managing locally-initiated medical device interrogation is presented. A noncontinuously coupleable interface is provided over which to retrieve patient data recorded and transiently staged by a medical device monitoring physiological measures of a patient. The patient data is periodically retrieved by interfacing to and interrogating the medical device per a pre-defined schedule defining autonomous patient data retrieval frequency. Further retrieval of the patient data is permitted independent of the pre-defined schedule by enabling operation of the interface based on a remotely-specifiable criteria for controlling locally-initiated patient data retrieval.

Claims

1. A system for managing locally-initiated medical device interrogation, comprising:

a noncontinuously coupleable interface over which to retrieve patient data recorded and transiently staged by a medical device monitoring physiological measures of a patient; and

a collector, comprising;

a schedule-driven interrogator to periodically retrieve the patient data by interfacing to and interrogating the medical device per a pre-defined schedule defining autonomous patient data retrieval frequency; and

a criteria-driven interrogator to permit further retrieval of the patient data independent of the pre-defined schedule by enabling operation of the interface based on a remotely-specifiable criteria for controlling locally-initiated patient data retrieval.

2. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a callback mechanism to receive modifications to the remotely-specifiable criteria in response to an attempted further retrieval of the patient data.

3. A system according to claim 1, further comprising one of:

a disablement control to disable the interface operation by limiting a number of times that the interface operation is enabled indefinitely or over a fixed period of time.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein a manual override of the interface operation disabling is allowed.

5. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a notifier to track attempts at locally-initiated patient data retrieval excluded by the remotely-specifiable criteria.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein the pre-defined schedule is provided from at least one of an external source and a default local parameter set.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein the remotely-specifiable criteria is modified on one of a one-time basis and periodically.

8. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a storage manager to provide the retrieved patient data to an external repository on a regular basis.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein modifications to the remotely-specifiable criteria are received contemporaneous to the retrieved patient data provisioning.

10. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a notifier to display a message to the patient in response to an attempt at locally-initiated patient data retrieval that has been excluded by the remotely-specifiable criteria.

11. A system according to claim 1, wherein the medical device comprises at least one of an implantable medical device and an external medical device.

12. A system according to claim 1, wherein the patient data is retrieved from the medical device through interfacing selected from the group comprising inductive telemetry, radio frequency telemetry, optical telemetry, and physical connectivity.

13. A method for managing locally-initiated medical device interrogation, comprising:

providing a noncontinuously coupleable interface over which to retrieve patient data recorded and transiently staged by a medical device monitoring physiological measures of a patient;

periodically retrieving the patient data by interfacing to and interrogating the medical device per a pre-defined schedule defining autonomous patient data retrieval frequency; and

permitting further retrieval of the patient data independent of the pre-defined schedule by enabling operation of the interface based on a remotely-specifiable criteria for controlling locally-initiated patient data retrieval.

14. A method according to claim 13, further comprising:

receiving modifications to the remotely-specifiable criteria in response to an attempted further retrieval of the patient data.

15. A method according to claim 13, further comprising one of:

disabling the interface operation; and

limiting a number of times that the interface operation is enabled indefinitely or over a fixed period of time.

16. A method according to claim 15, further comprising:

allowing a manual override of the interface operation disabling.

17. A method according to claim 13, further comprising:

tracking attempts at locally-initiated patient data retrieval excluded by the remotely-specifiable criteria.

18. A method according to claim 13, further comprising:

providing the pre-defined schedule from at least one of an external source and a default local parameter set.

19. A method according to claim 13, further comprising:

modifying the remotely-specifiable criteria on one of a one-time basis and periodically.

20. A method according to claim 13, further comprising:

providing the retrieved patient data to an external repository on a regular basis.

21. A method according to claim 20, further comprising:

receiving modifications to the remotely-specifiable criteria contemporaneous to the retrieved patient data provisioning.

22. A method according to claim 13, further comprising:

displaying a message to the patient in response to an attempt at locally-initiated patient data retrieval that has been excluded by the remotely-specifiable criteria.

23. A method according to claim 13, wherein the medical device comprises at least one of an implantable medical device and an external medical device.

24. A method according to claim 13, further comprising:

retrieving the patient data from the medical device through interfacing selected from the group comprising inductive telemetry, radio frequency telemetry, optical telemetry, and physical connectivity.

25. A computer-readable storage medium holding code for performing the method according to claim 13.

26. An apparatus for managing locally-initiated medical device interrogation, comprising:

means for providing a noncontinuously coupleable interface over which to retrieve patient data recorded and transiently staged by a medical device monitoring physiological measures of a patient;

means for periodically retrieving the patient data by means for interfacing to and means for interrogating the medical device per a pre-defined schedule defining autonomous patient data retrieval frequency; and

means for permitting further retrieval of the patient data independent of the pre-defined schedule by means for enabling operation of the interface based on a remotely-specifiable criteria for controlling locally-initiated patient data retrieval.