Systems and methods for interacting with an implantable medical device

• US 20090326610A1
• Filed: 09/07/2009
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Neuropace Inc.
• Original Assignee: Neuropace Inc.
• Inventors: Gibb, Barbara, Upton, Adrian R.M., Guzzo, Lisa, Fischell, David R., Pless, Benjamin D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,543,208 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0006 ECG or EEG signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/076 Permanent implantations telemetry using implanted circuitry A61B5/0031; implanted stimulators for therapy A61N1/3605, A61N1/362, A61N1/372
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/293 Invasive
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/375 using biofeedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4094 Diagnosing or monitoring seizure diseases, e.g. epilepsy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/686 Permanently implanted devices, e.g. pacemakers, other stimulators, biochips A61B5/6861 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36064 Epilepsy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36135 using physiological parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37252 Details of algorithms or data aspects of communication system, e.g. handshaking, transmitting specific data or segmenting data
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37258 Alerting the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37282 characterised by communication with experts in remote locations using a network
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

An interactive implantable medical device system includes an implantable medical device and a network-enabled external device capable of bi-directional communication and interaction with the implantable medical device. The external device is programmed to interact with other similarly-enabled devices. The system facilitates improved patient care by eliminating unnecessary geographic limitations on implantable medical device interrogation and programming, and by allowing patients, physicians, and other users to access medical records, history, and information and to receive status and care-related alerts and messages anywhere there is access to a communications network.

Claims

1. A method for upgrading a software program in an interactive implantable medical device system, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a new software program from a repository to an intermediate device;

awaiting a connection between a target device and the intermediate device;

sending the new software program from the intermediate device to the target device;

verifying the correctness of the new software program; and

if the new software program is correct, replacing an old software program with the new software program in the target device.

2. The method for upgrading a software program in an interactive implantable medical device system of claim 1, wherein the intermediate device is a personal control unit

3. The method for upgrading a software program in an interactive implantable medical device system of claim 1, wherein the intermediate device is a programmer.

4. The method for upgrading a software program in an interactive implantable medical device system of claim 1, wherein the target device is an implantable neurostimulator.

5. A method for programming a target device in an interactive implantable medical device system, the method comprising the steps of:

awaiting a connection between the target device and a programming device;

sending a new parameter set from the programming device to the target device;

programming the new parameter set into the target device; and

updating a record in a database.

6. The method for upgrading a software program in an interactive implantable medical device system of claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

retrieving an old parameter set from the target device; and

modifying the old parameter set to obtain the new parameter set.

7. The method for upgrading a software program in an interactive implantable medical device system of claim 5, wherein the programming device is a personal control unit

8. The method for upgrading a software program in an interactive implantable medical device system of claim 5, wherein the programming device is a programmer.

9. The method for upgrading a software program in an interactive implantable medical device system of claim 5, wherein the programming device is the database.

10. The method for upgrading a software program in an interactive implantable medical device system of claim 5, wherein the target device is an implantable neurostimulator.

11. A method for avoiding overuse of interactive capabilities of an interactive implantable medical device system, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a command input from a user;

verifying the identity of the user;

identifying the command input and associating the command input with a desired action;

accessing a history of command inputs from the user;

determining whether the action should be allowed based on the desired action, the history of command inputs, and a time of the command input; and

if the action should be allowed, performing the action.

12. The method for avoiding overuse of claim 11, wherein the step of determining whether the action should be allowed comprises querying a database.

13. A method for synchronizing an acting device in an interactive implantable medical device system with a database, the method comprising the steps of:

performing an action with the acting device;

storing a data representation of the action in the acting device;

awaiting a connection between the acting device and the database; and

transmitting the data representation of the action to the database.

14. The method for synchronizing an acting device with a database of claim 13, wherein the acting device comprises an implantable neurostimulator.

15. The method for synchronizing an acting device with a database of claim 14, wherein the connection between the acting device and the database is an indirect link.

16. A method for using an interactive implantable medical device system in a deferred mode, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying a data item to transmit from a source device to a destination device;

awaiting a connection between the source device and the destination device;

if the connection is available, performing an action and transmitting the data item from the source device to the destination device; and

if the connection is not available, performing a conditional action and queueing the data item for later transmission.

17. The method for using an interactive implantable medical device system in a deferred mode of claim 16, wherein the source device comprises an implantable neurostimulator.

18. The method for using an interactive implantable medical device system in a deferred mode of claim 16, wherein the destination device comprises a database.

19. The method for using an interactive implantable medical device system in a deferred mode of claim 16, wherein the action comprises a commanded action desired by a user, and wherein the conditional action comprises at least a portion of the commanded action.

20. The method for using an interactive implantable medical device system in a deferred mode of claim 19, further comprising the step of receiving the data item from the user, wherein the data item comprises an authentication input from the user.

21. A method for using an interactive implantable medical device system to interrogate an implantable device and synchronize with a database, the method comprising the steps of:

awaiting a connection between the implantable device and an intermediate device;

transferring operation data between the implantable device and the intermediate device;

storing a data item in the intermediate device representative of the operation data;

awaiting a connection between the intermediate device and the database; and

transmitting the data item from the intermediate device to the database.

22. The method for using an interactive implantable medical device system of claim 21, wherein the implantable device comprises an implantable neurostimulator.

23. The method for using an interactive implantable medical device system of claim 22, wherein the operation data comprises a stored EEG record.

24. The method for using an interactive implantable medical device system of claim 22, wherein the operation data comprises a parameter set.

25. The method for using an interactive implantable medical device system of claim 22, wherein the operation data comprises diagnostic results.