Medical Data Transport over Wireless Life Critical Network

• US 20110273287A1
• Filed: 07/12/2011
• Published: 11/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David Johnson, Joe Bange, John Lalonde, Kenneth Hoyme, Mark Gryzwa, William Mass
• Original Assignee: David Johnson, Joe Bange, John Lalonde, Kenneth Hoyme, Mark Gryzwa, William Mass
• Inventors: Johnson, David C., Bange, Joe, Gryzwa, Mark, Mass, William, LaLonde, John, Hoyme, Kenneth
• Granted Patent: US 8,373,556 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.12
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0026 characterised by the transmission medium
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/747 in case of emergency, i.e. alerting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37211 Means for communicating with stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37282 characterised by communication with experts in remote locations using a network
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices

Abstract

A portable patient communicator (PPC) includes a portable housing that supports a processor coupled to memory for storing medical firmware and wireless radio firmware, first and second radios, a processor, and a power source. Communications between a patient implantable medical device (PIMD) and the first radio of the PPC are effected in accordance with program instructions of the medical firmware, and communications between the second radio of the PPC and the wireless network are effected in accordance with program instructions of the wireless radio firmware. Data from the PIMD is received via the first radio to which a priority level is assigned, such as in a tiered manner. A data transport mechanism is selected among disparate data transport mechanisms based at least in part on the priority level. PIMD data is transmitted to the wireless network using the selected transport mechanism via the second radio.

Claims

1. A portable patient communicator (PPC) for communicating with a patient implantable medical device (PIMD) and facilitating communications with a remote server via a wireless network, the wireless network supporting a plurality of disparate data transport mechanisms having differing characteristics, the PPC comprising:

a housing configured for portability by an ambulatory patient;

a processor coupled to memory, the processor and the memory provided in the housing, the memory storing wireless radio firmware, medical firmware, and data transfer instructions, the data transfer instructions executable by the processor for transferring preselected data to the remote server in accordance with a priority level;

a first radio provided in the housing and configured to effect communications with the PIMD in accordance with program instructions of the medical firmware executable by the processor;

a second radio provided in the housing and configured to effect communications via the wireless network in accordance with program instructions of the wireless radio firmware executable by the processor; and

a power source provided in the housing and configured to supply power for components of the PPC;

the processor configured to determine whether the preselected data is available in the memory of the PPC or the PIMD, and if available, the processor configured to execute program instructions for selecting a data transport mechanism among the plurality of disparate data transport mechanisms based at least in part on the priority level and transmitting the preselected data to the wireless network using the selected transport mechanism via the second radio.

2. The communicator of claim 1, wherein the preselected data comprises clinician requested data.

3. The communicator of claim 1, wherein the preselected data comprises specified patient data.

4. The communicator of claim 1, wherein the preselected data comprises specified clinical event data.

5. The communicator of claim 1, wherein the preselected data comprises specified arrhythmia data.

6. The communicator of claim 1, wherein the preselected data comprises specified episode or alert data.

7. The communicator of claim 1, wherein the preselected data comprises specified PIMD operating status data.

8. The communicator of claim 1, wherein the PPC is configured to connect with the remote server and determine if and what preselected data is to be acquired from the PIMD prior to establishing communications with the PIMD.

9. The communicator of claim 8, wherein the PPC is configured to connect with the remote server immediately prior to establishing communications with the PIMD in response to a high priority level.

10. The communicator of claim 8, wherein the PPC is configured to connect with the remote server at an off-peak time prior to establishing communications with the PIMD in response to a low priority level.

11. The communicator of claim 1, wherein the PIMD is configured to tag the preselected data for transfer to the PPC in response to occurrence of a predetermined event.

12. The communicator of claim 1, wherein:

the PIMD is configured to push the preselected data to the PPC in response to occurrence of a predetermined event; and

the PPC is configured to connect with the remote server in response to receiving the pushed preselected data.

13. The communicator of claim 1, wherein the PPC is configured to transmit portions of the preselected data at different times based on the priority level.

14. A portable patient communicator (PPC) for communicating with a patient implantable medical device (PIMD) and facilitating communications with a remote server via a wireless network, the wireless network supporting a plurality of disparate data transport mechanisms having differing characteristics, the PPC comprising:

a housing configured for portability by an ambulatory patient;

a processor coupled to memory, the processor and the memory provided in the housing, the memory storing wireless radio firmware and medical firmware;

a first radio provided in the housing and configured to effect communications with the PIMD in accordance with program instructions of the medical firmware executable by the processor;

a second radio provided in the housing and configured to effect communications via the wireless network in accordance with program instructions of the wireless radio firmware executable by the processor; and

a power source provided in the housing and configured to supply power for components of the PPC;

the processor configured to receive data from the PIMD via the first radio to which a priority level is assigned, the processor configured to execute program instructions for selecting a data transport mechanism among the plurality of disparate data transport mechanisms based at least in part on the priority level and transmitting the PIMD data to the wireless network using the selected transport mechanism via the second radio; and

at a time subsequent to transmission of the PIMD data to the wireless network, retransmitting the PIMD data from the PIMD to the wireless network if it is determined that the previously transmitted PIMD data was not received by the remote server.

15. The communicator of claim 14, wherein the PIMD data comprises preselected patient data requested by a clinician.

16. The communicator of claim 14, wherein the PIMD communicates with the remote server via an external medical system to cooperatively determine whether or not the previously transmitted PIMD data was received by the remote server.

17. The communicator of claim 16, wherein the external medical system comprises a PIMD programmer.

18. The communicator of claim 14, wherein the priority level is determined at least in part by the PPC or the PIMD.

19. The communicator of claim 14, wherein the priority is based at least in part on criticality of a patient'"'"'s condition as detected by the PIMD.

20. The communicator of claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to establish a connection with the wireless network on an unscheduled event driven basis.