Method and apparatus for controlling an implantable medical device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9545520-B2
Application number	US-65715510-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 14, 2010
Priority date	Jan 13, 2009
Publication date	Jan 17, 2017
Grant date	Jan 17, 2017

Abstract

A system and methods of maintaining communication with a medical device for exchange of information, instructions, and programs, in a highly reliable manner. Apparatus and methods for accomplishing this task include:
1) The inclusion of a locating device in the system, in close proximity to an implanted device, but which does not drain the implanted device battery. The locating device may be implanted or external to the body. 2) The use of motion detection and global positioning system devices to locate elements within a communicating system for the medical device; 3) The assessment of received signal quality by elements of the system; 4) The use of a notification system for a device user who is moving out of range of communications; and 5) Documenting the absolute and functional integrity of instructions received by the medical device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A medical treatment system having an implantable medical device, which system provides location information pertaining to a person in whom the device is implanted, to facilitate communication between the device and a remote location, said system comprising:
(1) electronic medical apparatus adapted to be implanted in a human, a so-called implantable medical device (“IMD”), comprising, in combination:
(a) a first transmitting/receiving (“T/R”) device for at least one of
(i) transmitting information to, and
(ii) receiving at least one control signal from, at least one remote location;

(b) a medical treatment device, coupled to said first T/R device, for treating said patient;

(2) a first locator device, adapted to be located in the close vicinity of said human in whom said device is implanted, comprising a wireless first locator transmitting device, operative to transmit first locator signals;
(3) a plurality of second locator devices, each comprising:
(a) a second locator receiving device, operative to receive said first locator signals;
(b) a communication quality assessment device, coupled to said second locator receiving device, for assessing the quality of the received first locator signals, and for producing a communication quality signal in dependence upon the assessed quality of said first locator signals; and
(c) a second locator transmitting device, coupled to said communication quality assessment device, for transmitting said communication quality signal;

(4) a communication device, comprising
(a) a second T/R device, for:
(i) receiving said communication quality signals from each of the second locator transmitting devices, and
(ii) transmitting a low communication quality signal;

(b) a second T/R controlling device, coupled to said second T/R device, for (i) indicating a state in which the quality represented by each of said communication quality signals is less than an acceptable value, wherein said acceptable value corresponds to a minimum acceptable communication quality, and (ii) in response to said indication, causing said second T/R device to transmit a low communication quality signal;

wherein:
(a) each of said communication quality assessment devices determines information concerning the location of said first locator device based on at least one of:
(i) the detection of said first locator signals by said second locator device,
(ii) the absence of a detected first locator signal by said second locator device, and
(iii) the quality of said detected first locator signals;

(b) each of said second locator devices is operative to transmit said information concerning the location of said first locator device to said communication device; and
(c) said second T/R controlling device is operative to provide said low communication quality signal indicating that none of the second locator devices is receiving a first locator signal with quality greater than or equal to said acceptable value;
whereby (1) said first locator device provides information about the location of said IMD, without electrical interaction with the IMD; and (2) said system indicates when said human in whom said IMD is implanted is out of communications range of said second T/R device.

2. The medical treatment system defined in claim 1 , wherein said first locator device and said IMD are mechanically linked, such that both are adapted to be implanted in said human in whom both said devices continue to be mechanically linked.

3. The medical treatment system defined in claim 1 , wherein said IMD and said first locator device are adapted to be implanted in said human, but are not mechanically linked.

4. The medical treatment system defined in claim 3 , wherein said first locator device is adapted to be implanted subcutaneously in said human and said IMD is adapted to be implanted at a deeper level than the subcutaneous layer.

5. The medical treatment system defined in claim 1 , wherein said IMD is adapted to be implanted in said human and said first locator device is adapted to be located outside of said human, touching the outer surface of the skin of said human.

6. The medical treatment system defined in claim 1 , wherein said IMD is adapted to be implanted in said human and said first locator device is adapted to be located outside of said human, and is physically linked to an article worn by said human.

7. The medical treatment system defined in claim 6 , wherein said article of clothing includes at least one of: a belt, a watch and jewelry.

8. The medical treatment system defined in claim 1 , further comprising
(5) alarm apparatus, situated in proximity to at least one of (i) said person, and (ii) another person, comprising:
(a) a notification device for producing at least one output from the group consisting of a sound, a light and a vibration; and
(b) a receiving device, coupled to said notification device, for receiving said low communication quality signal;
wherein
said receiving device causes said notification device to produce said at least one output upon receipt of a low communication quality signal indicating an unacceptable quality communication between said first and said second locator device;

thereby to notify at least one of (i) said person and) said other person that the location of said first locator device requires attention.

9. The medical treatment system defined in claim 1 , wherein at least one of said second locator devices further comprises a notification device, coupled to a respective one of said communication quality assessment devices, for producing at least one output from the group consisting of: sound, a light and a vibration; and
wherein at least one of:
(i) the absence of a received first locator signal;
(ii) the receipt of an unacceptable quality first locator signal;
causes the production of said at least one output by said notification device;
thereby to notify at least one person that the location of said first locator device requires attention.

10. The medical treatment system defined in claim 1 , wherein the IMD includes at least one sensor, coupled to said first T/R device for sensing a medical condition of said person and producing a sensor output signal in response to said medical condition, wherein said fir T/R device transmits a representation of said sensor output signal.

11. The medical treatment system defined in claim 10 , wherein said sensor is further coupled to said medical treatment device and wherein said medical treatment device automatically applies an appropriate treatment to said patient in response thereto.

12. The medical treatment system defined in claim 1 , wherein:
(a) at least one of said second locator transmitting devices is further operative to transmit a first assessment signal,
(b) said first locator device further comprises a first locator receiving device, coupled to said first locator transmitting device, for receiving said first assessment signal, and
(c) said first locator transmitting device is further operative to transmit a second assessment signal in response to receipt of said first assessment signal;
(d) said communication quality assessment device is operative to determine at least one of the receipt and the quality of the received second assessment signal, and to produce said communication quality signal in dependence upon the assessed quality of said second assessment signal;
wherein
(i) said second or device transmits said first assessment signal to said first locator device;
(ii) upon receipt of said first assessment signal, said first locator device transmits a second assessment signal to said second locator device; and
(iii) said comm

Assignees

• Matos Jeffrey A

Inventors

• Matos Jeffrey A

Classifications

• A61N1/362 Primary

  Heart stimulators (heart defibrillators A61N1/39) · CPC title

• A61N1/37264 Primary

  Changing the program; Upgrading firmware · CPC title

• H04W24/02

  Arrangements for optimising operational condition · CPC title

• H04W4/023

  using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds · CPC title

• H04L1/0015

  characterised by the adaptation strategy · CPC title