Medical devices and related updating methods and systems

• US 9,880,528 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2013
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Minimed Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Minimed Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Mastrototaro, John J., Keenan, Desmond Barry, Grosman, Benyamin, Parikh, Neha J., Roy, Anirban, Kim, Do
• Primary Examiner(s): Laughlin, Nathan L
• Application Number:
  US13/972,803
• Publication Number:
  US 20150057807A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,623 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/17 delivered via infusion or injection
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

Apparatus are provided for medical devices and related operating systems and methods. An exemplary medical device includes a motor, one or more data storage elements to maintain control information, and a control module coupled to the motor and the one or more data storage elements. The control module is configured to obtain updated control information via a peer-to-peer communication session over a network, store the updated control information in the one or more data storage elements, and thereafter operate the motor based at least in part on the updated control information.

Claims

1. A medical device comprising:

a motor operable to deliver a fluid influencing a condition of a user;

one or more data storage elements to maintain control information utilized by a control scheme or algorithm implemented by the medical device to determine commands for operating the medical device and network identification information for authenticating an intermediate device paired with the medical device; and

a control module coupled to the motor and the one or more data storage elements to autonomously operate the motor to deliver the fluid based at least in part on the control information and one or more measured values for the condition of the user to autonomously regulate the condition, automatically establish a temporary communication session with the intermediate device over a network in response to a request from the intermediate device, obtain updated control information from the intermediate device via the temporary communication session, overwrite the control information in the one or more data storage elements with the updated control information to store the updated control information in the one or more data storage elements, and after the control information is updated, autonomously operate the motor based at least in part on the updated control information and one or more subsequent measured values for the condition of the user to autonomously regulate the condition.

2. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the control module operates the motor based on the control information and one or more measured values for a condition of a user to regulate the condition of the user prior obtaining the updated control information.

3. The medical device of claim 2, wherein the updated control information is determined based at least in part on the one or more measured values obtained while the control module operates the motor based on the control information.

4. The medical device of claim 2, wherein operation of the motor based on the control information influences the one or more measured values.

5. The medical device of claim 2, wherein the control module provides the one or more measured values to a monitoring device, the monitoring device determining the updated control information based at least in part on the one or more measured values.

6. The medical device of claim 5, wherein the control module establishes the temporary communication session in response to an indication from the monitoring device.

7. The medical device of claim 5, wherein the control module provides the one or more measured values by initiating a first peer-to-peer communication session with the intermediate device over a first network and transmitting the one or more measured values to the intermediate device via the first peer-to-peer communication session, the intermediate device uploading the one or more measured values to the monitoring device via a second peer-to-peer communication session with the monitoring device over a second network.

8. The medical device of claim 7, wherein the control module obtains the updated control information via the temporary communication session by establishing the temporary communication session with the intermediate device over the first network and downloading the updated control information from the intermediate device via the temporary communication session, the monitoring device transmitting the updated control information to the intermediate device via a third peer-to-peer communication session with the intermediate device over the second network.

9. The medical device of claim 5, wherein the control module transmits the one or more measured values to the intermediate device via a second peer-to-peer communication session over a first network and obtains the updated control information from the intermediate device via the temporary communication session over the first network, the intermediate device uploading the one or more measured values to the monitoring device over a second network, the monitoring device transmitting the updated control information to the intermediate device over the second network.

10. The medical device of claim 1, the control information comprising a parameter value and the updated control information comprising an updated parameter value, the control module operating the motor based on the control information by determining a first delivery command based on a difference between a target value and a measured value for a condition of a user using the parameter value, wherein the control module operates the motor based on the updated control information by determining a second delivery command based on a second difference between the target value and a subsequent measured value for the condition of the user using the updated parameter value.

11. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the updated control information comprises an updated gain coefficient for a proportional-integral-derivative control implemented by the control module.

12. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the updated control information comprises application code executed by the control module to determine delivery commands for operating the motor.

13. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the one or more subsequent measured values are influenced by the updated control information.

14. A method of operating a medical device, the method comprising:

storing, at the medical device, network identification information for authenticating an intermediate device paired with the medical device;

automatically establishing, by the medical device, a temporary communication session over a network with the intermediate device paired with the medical device in response to a request from the intermediate device;

obtaining, by the medical device from the intermediate device via the temporary communication session, updated control information utilized by a control scheme or algorithm implemented by the medical device for regulating a condition of a user associated with the medical device;

overwriting, by the medical device, control information in one or more data storage elements with the updated control information to store the updated control information in the one or more data storage elements; and

after updating the control information;

obtaining, by the medical device, a measured value for the condition of the user; and

determining, by the medical device, a command for autonomously operating the medical device based at least in part on the updated control information and the measured value.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising providing, by the medical device to a monitoring device via a second peer-to-peer communication session, measurement data comprising one or more previous measured values for the condition of the user from a sensing arrangement, wherein the monitoring device determines the updated control information based at least in part on the measurement data.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising establishing, by the medical device, an association with the intermediate device on the network prior to obtaining the updated control information, wherein obtaining the updated control information comprises obtaining the updated control information via the temporary communication session over the network, the intermediate device receiving the updated control information via a second peer-to-peer communication session over a second network.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein:

obtaining the updated control information comprises obtaining one or more updated parameter values for providing closed-loop control of the condition; and

determining the command comprises;

determining a difference between the measured value and a target value for the condition; and

applying the one or more updated parameter values to the difference to produce a delivery command for operating a motor of the medical device to deliver fluid to the user.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising providing, by the medical device to a monitoring device via a second peer-to-peer communication session, measurement data comprising one or more previous measured values for the condition of the user from a sensing arrangement, wherein the monitoring device determines the one or more updated parameter values based at least in part on the measurement data.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising automatically terminating the temporary communication session after obtaining the updated control information.

20. An infusion device comprising:

a motor operable to deliver fluid to a user, delivery of the fluid influencing a condition of the user;

a sensing arrangement to obtain measurement data indicative of the condition of the user, the measurement data including one or more measured values;

one or more data storage elements to maintain network identification information for authenticating an intermediate device paired with the medical device and control information utilized by a control scheme or algorithm implemented by the infusion device to determine commands for operating the infusion device, the control information including a target value for the condition of the user and one or more control parameters; and

a control module coupled to the motor, the sensing arrangement, and the one or more data storage elements to;

autonomously operate the motor to deliver the fluid to the user based at least in part on the one or more control parameters and a difference between the target value and a first value of the one or more measured values;

automatically establish a temporary communication session with the intermediate device over a network in response to a request from the intermediate device;

obtain updated control information via the temporary communication session over the network, the updated control information including an updated target value for the condition of the user and one or more updated control parameters;

overwrite at least some of the control information in the one or more data storage elements with the updated control information to store the updated control information in the one or more data storage elements; and

thereafter autonomously operate the motor based at least in part on the one or more updated control parameters and a difference between the updated target value and a second value of the one or more measured values.