Optimization of timing for data collection and analysis in advanced patient management system

• US 8,326,652 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2011
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Sweeney, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lubin, Valerie
• Assistant Examiner(s): Molina, Anita
• Application Number:
  US13/284,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20120041789A1
• Time in Patent Office: 403 Days
• Field of Search: 705/2, 705/3, 705/7.16, 600/301, 600/483
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/65 stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Advanced patient management systems include a unit for collecting data from a device associated with a patient, and a host in communication with the unit, the host identifying a time for the device to update data on the device. The system can identify a time for the device to update data associated with the device by developing a histogram of the availability of the device for interrogation. The system can also optimize processing loads for the system by developing a histogram of the time at which the caregiver is most likely to access the system to review the collected and processed data. Methods for optimizing device data update and processing times are also included.

Claims

1. A patient device, comprising:

a memory including instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to;

identify a time period during which the patient device is forecasted to be able to communicate with an interrogator/transceiver unit (ITU) based on a history of availability; and

determine a data update time, the data update time representing when the patient device updates patient data by updating stored physiological measurements of the patient data in a memory of the patient device, and the data update time being before the time period during which the patient device is forecasted to be able to communicate with the ITU.

2. The patient device of claim 1, further comprising instructions to schedule an update of the patient data at the data update time.

3. The patient device of claim 1, wherein the instructions to identify the time period during which the patient device is forecasted to be able to communicate with the ITU further comprise instructions to:

calculate and maintain a histogram of when the patient device is able to communicate with the ITU; and

reference the histogram to identify the time period during which the patient device is forecasted to be able to communicate with the ITU.

4. The patient device of claim 3, wherein the instructions to calculate and maintain the histogram further comprise instructions to develop a new histogram at a periodic interval.

5. The patient device of claim 3, wherein the instructions to calculate and maintain the histogram further comprise instructions to:

calculate and maintain a histogram for a first portion of a week, the first portion of the week including weekdays; and

calculate and maintain a histogram for a second portion of the week, the second portion of the week including weekends,

and wherein the instructions to reference the histogram to identify the time period during which the patient device is forecasted to be able to communicate with the unit further comprise instructions to;

reference the histogram for either the first portion or the histogram for the second portion based on which day the patient device is forecasted to be able to communicate with the ITU.

6. The patient device of claim 1, wherein the instructions to determine the data update time when the patient device updates patient data, further comprise instructions to set the data update time at a pre-selected interval before the time period during which the patient device is forecasted to be able to communicate with the ITU.

7. The patient device of claim 1, wherein the patient device is an implantable medical device.

8. A method comprising:

identifying, by a patient device, a time period during which the patient device is forecasted to be able to communicate with an interrogator/transceiver unit (ITU) based on a history of availability; and

determining, by the patient device, a data update time, the data update time representing when the patient device updates patient data by updating stored physiological measurements of the patient data in a memory of the patient device, and the data update time being before the time period during which the patient device is forecasted to be able to communicate with the ITU.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising scheduling the patient device to update the patient data at the data update time.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein identifying the time period during which the patient device is forecasted to be able to communicate with the ITU comprises:

calculating and maintaining a histogram of when the patient device is able to communicate with the ITU; and

referencing the histogram to identify the time period during which the patient device is forecasted to be able to communicate with the ITU.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein calculating and maintaining the histogram comprises developing a new histogram at a periodic interval.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein calculating and maintaining the histogram comprises:

calculating and maintaining a histogram for a first day of a week; and

calculating and maintaining a histogram for a second day of the week,

and wherein referencing the histogram to identify the time period during which the patient device is forecasted to be able to communicate with the ITU comprises;

referencing the histogram for either the first day or the histogram for the second day based on which day the patient device is forecasted to be able to communicate with the ITU.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein calculating and maintaining the histogram comprises:

calculating and maintaining a histogram for a first portion of a week, the first portion of the week including weekdays; and

calculating and maintaining a histogram for a second portion of the week, the second portion of the week including weekends,

and wherein referencing the histogram to identify the time period during which the patient device is forecasted to be able to communicate with the ITU comprises;

referencing the histogram for either the first portion or the histogram for the second portion based on which day the patient device is forecasted to be able to communicate with the ITU.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the data update time when the patient device updates patient data comprises setting the data update time at a pre-selected interval before the time period during which the patient device is forecasted to be able to communicate with the ITU.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the patient device comprises the computer system, and wherein the operations of method 7 are performed by the patient device.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein the patient device is an implantable medical device.

17. A non-transitory machine readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed by a patient device, cause the patient device to:

identify a time period during which the patient device is forecasted to be able to communicate with an interrogator/transceiver unit (ITU) based on a history of availability; and

determine a data update time, the data update time representing when the patient device updates patient data by updating stored physiological measurements of the patient data in a memory of the patient device, and the data update time being before the time period during which the patient device is forecasted to be able to communicate with the ITU.

18. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions, which when executed by the patient device, cause the patient device to schedule the patient device to update the patient data at the data update time.

19. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions to identify the time period during which the patient device is forecasted to be able to communicate with the ITU comprise instructions, which when executed by the ITU, cause the ITU to:

calculate and maintain a histogram of when the patient device is able to communicate with the ITU; and

reference the histogram to identify the time period during which the patient device is forecasted to be able to communicate with the ITU.

20. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions to calculate and maintain the histogram comprise instructions, which when executed by the ITU, cause the ITU to:

calculate and maintain a histogram for a first portion of a week, the first portion of the week including weekdays; and

calculate and maintain a histogram for a second portion of the week, the second portion of the week including weekends,

and wherein the instructions to reference the histogram to identify the time period during which the patient device is forecasted to be able to communicate with the ITU comprise instructions, which when executed by the machine, cause the machine to;

reference the histogram for either the first portion or the histogram for the second portion based on which day the patient device is forecasted to be able to communicate with the ITU.