PATIENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• US 20100030575A1
• Filed: 07/29/2008
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Willenbring, James E., Kilbane, Susan Heilman, Mongeon, Luc Roland, Gennaro, Christopher John, Patel, Amisha S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,290,791 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a system in which a medical device selects less than all of its stored information and provides the selected subset of information to a data mart for storage, processing, and/or communication to one or more interested parties. In many embodiments, customers, patients, or even components of the medical device or of the remote patient management system can access selected medical device information (e.g., customers can access medical device information tailored to the care they are providing to one or more patients). In many embodiments, customers can receive such medical device information according to a schedule that best suits their care (or whenever they desire such information, irrespective of a schedule). In many embodiments, providing less than full transmissions to the data mart reduces the strain on medical device batteries.

Claims

1. A method of remotely caring for a patient having a medical device, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an instruction to a medical device, the instruction calling for medical device information that (a) was collected by the medical device during a specific time period and/or (b) is related to a specific subject matter;

selecting a limited data set from medical device information stored in the medical device based on the instruction;

transmitting the limited data set from the medical device to a data mart, along with instruction information that is related to the instruction if the data mart does not otherwise have access to the instruction information; and

managing the limited data set at the data mart according to the instruction information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the instruction is provided to the medical device by a component of the medical device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the instruction is provided to the medical device from outside of the medical device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein managing the limited data set includes (i) retrieving an algorithm from the data mart, (ii) applying the algorithm to the limited data set to form an assessment of the limited data set, (iii) retrieving a full transmission from the medical device, and (iv) investigating the assessment in greater detail based on the full transmission.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein managing the limited data set includes (i) retrieving an algorithm from the data mart, (ii) applying the algorithm to the limited data set to form an assessment of the limited data set, (iii) sending verification software to the medical device, (iv) receiving verification information at the data mart based on the verification software, and (v) investigating the assessment in greater detail based on the verification information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein managing the limited data set includes (i) retrieving an algorithm from the data mart, (ii) applying the algorithm to the limited data set to form an assessment of the limited data set, the method further comprising communicating information to a customer based on the assessment.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein managing the limited data set includes (i) retrieving an algorithm from the data mart, (ii) retrieving historical information related to the patient and/or the medical device from the data mart, and (iii) applying the algorithm to the limited data set and the historical information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein managing the limited data set includes transmitting the limited data set from the data mart to a customer without performing any analysis on the limited data set.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein managing the limited data set includes transmitting modification instructions to the medical device, the modification instructions calling for modification of (i) how the medical device monitors for and/or treats conditions, (ii) how the medical device stores medical device information, and/or (iii) time intervals at which the medical device transmits medical device information to the data mart.

10. A computer-readable medium programmed with instructions for performing a method of providing less than all information stored in a medical device to a data mart, the medium comprising instructions for causing a programmable processor to:

receive an instruction calling for medical device information that (a) was collected by the medical device during a specific time period and/or (b) is related to a specific subject matter;

select a limited data set from medical device information stored in the medical device based on the instruction;

provide the limited data set to the data mart; and

provide information related to the instruction to the data mart if the data mart does not otherwise have access to such information.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instruction (i) is received from a component of the medical device upon identifying and addressing a patient episode, (ii) calls for information related to the patient episode, and (iii) asks the data mart to determine whether the patient episode was correctly identified.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instruction (i) is received from a component of the medical device upon detecting that available storage in the medical device has fallen below a threshold level and (ii) calls for information related to any patient episode(s) occurring since a previous transmission.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instruction (i) is received from a component of the medical device upon detecting a device performance issue, (ii) calls for information related to the device performance issue, and (iii) asks the data mart to investigate the device performance issue further.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instruction (i) is received from a customer and (ii) calls for information requested by the customer.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instruction further (iii) is received according to a regular schedule and (iv) calls for information that both (a) has been collected by the medical device since a previous transmission to the customer and (b) is related to care being provided by the customer.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instruction (i) is received from a patient and (ii) calls for information related to a symptom he/she is experiencing or has recently experienced.

17. A method of remotely caring for a patient having a medical device, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a limited data set at a data mart from a medical device, the limited data set having been selected based on an instruction calling for medical device information stored in the medical device that (a) was collected by the medical device during a specific time period and/or (b) is related to a specific subject matter;

receiving at the data mart instruction information that is related to the instruction if the data mart does not otherwise have access to the instruction information; and

managing the limited data set at the data mart according to the instruction information.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein managing the limited data set includes (i) verifying that the patient and the medical device are working properly and (ii) not communicating with a customer.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein managing the limited data set includes providing at least part of the limited data set to a separate computer for analysis.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein managing the limited data set includes (i) retrieving an algorithm from the data mart, (ii) applying the algorithm to the limited data set to form an assessment of the limited data set.