PREDICTIVE BACKGROUND DATA TRANSFER FOR IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICES

• US 20120278760A1
• Filed: 04/28/2011
• Published: 11/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Cerny, Douglas S., Snyder, Van L., Bright, Kevin L., Warren, Reginald J.
• Application Number:
  US13/096,581
• Publication Number:
  US 20120278760A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7435 Displaying user selection data, e.g. icons in a graphical user interface
• 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 1/3727 characterised by the modulation technique
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37276 characterised by means for reducing power consumption during telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5681 Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70

Abstract

Data is transferred from an implantable medical device (IMD) to one or more external devices passively in the background of an active communications session based on a prediction of data that will be requested by a user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

predicting a future request for data stored on an implantable medical device (IMD);

detecting that a telemetry session between the IMD and an external device comprises available bandwidth; and

automatically transferring data that is predicted to be requested in the future from the IMD to the external device via the available bandwidth of the telemetry session.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a state of a user interface of the external device, and wherein predicting the future request for data comprises predicting the future request for data stored on the IMD based on the state of the user interface of the external device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein detecting a state of a user interface of the external device comprises detecting an active branch in a navigation menu tree of the user interface.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein predicting the future request for data comprises predicting the future request for data stored on the IMD based on the active branch in the navigation menu tree of the user interface.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein predicting the future request for data comprises predicting a future request for data stored on the IMD that is related to one or more branches in the navigation menu tree adjacent to the active branch.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the navigation menu comprises one or more first-level branches, each of which comprises one or more sub-branches, and wherein predicting the future request for data stored on the IMD that is related to one or more branches in the navigation menu tree adjacent to the active branch comprises predicting a future request for data stored on the IMD that is related to a sub-branch of the active branch.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein predicting the future request for data comprises predicting the future request for data stored on the IMD based on a data request profile for a population of users.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein predicting the future request for data based on the data request profile for the population of users comprises predicting a future request for data stored on the IMD that is related to a branch in the navigation menu tree that the data request profile for the population of users indicates comprises the highest probability of being requested after the active branch.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein predicting the future request for data comprises predicting the future request for data stored on the IMD based on a data request profile for a user of the external device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein predicting the future request for data based on the data request profile for the user of the external device comprises predicting a future request for data stored on the IMD that is related to a branch in the navigation menu tree that the data request profile for the user of the external device indicates comprises the highest probability of being requested after the active branch.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein predicting the future request for data comprises predicting the future request for data stored on the IMD based on time.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein predicting the future request for data comprises predicting the future request for data stored on the IMD based on a time period after the IMD has been implanted within a patient.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein predicting the future request for data comprises predicting the future request for data stored on the IMD based on a time period after a beginning of a clinician visit with a patient.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring a user interaction with the external device; and

storing data related to the user interaction with the external device in a data request profile for the user.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if the data that is predicted to be requested in the future was previously transferred from the IMD to the external device; and

determining if the data on the IMD has changed since the previous transfer.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request for data stored on the IMD from a user while the data that is predicted to be requested in the future is being automatically transferred from the IMD to the external device;

ceasing the automatic transfer of the data that is predicted to be requested in the future; and

transferring the data requested by the user from the IMD to the external device.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising resuming the automatic transfer of the data that is predicted to be requested in the future after the transfer of the data requested by the user from the IMD to the external device is completed.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting that the telemetry session comprises the available bandwidth occurs after predicting the future request for data stored on the IMD.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting that the telemetry session comprises the available bandwidth occurs before predicting the future request for data stored on the IMD.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting that the telemetry session comprises available bandwidth comprises wherein detecting that the telemetry session is idle.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein predicting the future request for data comprises predicting the future request for data stored on the IMD based on a data request profile for a population of users.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein predicting the future request for data comprises predicting the future request for data stored on the IMD based on a data request profile for a user of the external device.

23. An implantable medical device (IMD) comprising:

a telemetry module configured to facilitate communications between the IMD and an external device; and

a processor configured to predict a future request for data stored on the IMD, detect that a telemetry session between the IMD and the external device comprises available bandwidth, and automatically transfer data that is predicted to be requested in the future from the IMD to the external device via the available bandwidth of the telemetry session.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the processor is configured to detect a state of a user interface of the external device, and wherein the processor is configured to predict the future request for data at least by predicting the future request for data stored on the IMD based on the state of the user interface of the external device.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the processor is configured to detect a state of a user interface of the external device at least by detecting an active branch in a navigation menu tree of the user interface.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the processor is configured to predict the future request for data at least by predicting the future request for data stored on the IMD based on the active branch in the navigation menu tree of the user interface.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the processor is configured to predict the future request for data at least by predicting a future request for data stored on the IMD that is related to one or more branches in the navigation menu tree adjacent to the active branch.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the navigation menu comprises one or more first-level branches, each of which comprises one or more sub-branches, and wherein the processor is configured to predict the future request for data stored on the IMD that is related to one or more branches in the navigation menu tree adjacent to the active branch at least by predicting a future request for data stored on the IMD that is related to a sub-branch of the active branch.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein the processor is configured to predict the future request for data at least by predicting the future request for data stored on the IMD based on a data request profile for a population of users.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the processor is configured to predict the future request for data based on the data request profile for the population of users at least by predicting a future request for data stored on the IMD that is related to a branch in the navigation menu tree that the data request profile for the population of users indicates comprises the highest probability of being requested after the active branch.

31. The system of claim 26, wherein the processor is configured to predict the future request for data at least by predicting the future request for data stored on the IMD based on a data request profile for a user of the external device.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the processor is configured to predicting the future request for data based on the data request profile for the user of the external device at least by predicting a future request for data stored on the IMD that is related to a branch in the navigation menu tree that the data request profile for the user of the external device indicates comprises the highest probability of being requested after the active branch.

33. The system of claim 23, wherein the processor is configured to predict the future request for data at least by predicting the future request for data stored on the IMD based on time.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the processor is configured to predict the future request for data at least by predicting the future request for data stored on the IMD based on a time period after the IMD has been implanted within a patient.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein the processor is configured to predict the future request for data at least by predicting the future request for data stored on the IMD based on a time period after a beginning of a clinician visit with a patient.

36. The system of claim 23, wherein the processor is configured to:

monitor a user interaction with the external device; and

store data related to the user interaction with the external device in a data request profile for the user.

37. The system of claim 23, wherein the processor is configured to:

determine if the data that is predicted to be requested in the future was previously transferred from the IMD to the external device; and

determine if the data on the IMD has changed since the previous transfer.

38. The system of claim 23, wherein the processor is configured to:

receive a request for data stored on the IMD from a user while the data that is predicted to be requested in the future is being automatically transferred from the IMD to the external device;

cease the automatic transfer of the data that is predicted to be requested in the future; and

transfer the data requested by the user from the IMD to the external device.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the processor is configured to resume the automatic transfer of the data that is predicted to be requested in the future after the transfer of the data requested by the user from the IMD to the external device is completed.

40. The system of claim 23, wherein the processor is configured to detect that the telemetry session comprises available bandwidth after predicting the future request for data stored on the IMD.

41. The system of claim 23, wherein the processor is configured to detect that the telemetry session comprises available bandwidth before predicting the future request for data stored on the IMD.

42. The method of claim 23, wherein the processor is configured to detect that the telemetry session comprises available bandwidth at least by detecting that the telemetry session is idle.

43. The system of claim 23, wherein the processor is configured to predict the future request for data at least by predicting the future request for data stored on the IMD based on a data request profile for a population of users.

44. The system of claim 23, wherein the processor is configured to predict the future request for data at least by predicting the future request for data stored on the IMD based on a data request profile for a user of the external device.

45. A system comprising:

an implantable medical device (IMD);

an external device configured to communicate with the IMD; and

a processor configured to predict a future request for data stored on the IMD, detect that a telemetry session between the IMD and the external device comprises available bandwidth, and automatically transfer data that is predicted to be requested in the future from the IMD to the external device via the available bandwidth of the telemetry session.

46. The system of claim 45, wherein the external device comprises a recharging device configured to recharge a power source of the IMD.

47. A system comprising:

means for predicting a future request for data stored on an implantable medical device (IMD);

means for detecting that a telemetry session between the IMD and an external device comprises available bandwidth; and

means for automatically transferring data that is predicted to be requested in the future from the IMD to the external device via the available bandwidth of the telemetry session.

48. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions configured to cause a programmable processor to:

predict a future request for data stored on an implantable medical device (IMD);

detect that a telemetry session between the IMD and the external device comprises available bandwidth; and

automatically transfer data that is predicted to be requested in the future from the IMD to the external device via the available bandwidth of the telemetry session.

49. An external programming device comprising:

a telemetry module configured to facilitate communications between the external programming device and an implantable medical device (IMD); and

a processor configured to predict a future request for data stored on the IMD, detect that a telemetry session between the IMD and the external device comprises available bandwidth, and automatically transfer data that is predicted to be requested in the future from the IMD to the external device via the available bandwidth of the telemetry session.