Remote control of implantable device through medical implant communication service band

Abstract

A system and method for communicating data and signals through the Medical Implant Communication Service Band using a repeater or base station in the proximity to an implantable device within a patient is disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, the device is capable for early detection and monitoring of congestive heart failure in a patient. Impedance measurements, or other health parameters depending on the type of implantable device or sensor used, are sent using a bi-directional low-power radio operating in the MICS band to a nearby base station which may provide signal processing and analysis. The base station may have an interface to one or more communications networks to connect to a remote location. The system and method of the present invention permits a healthcare professional to monitor an ambulatory patient's condition at a remote location and to program the implanted device.

1 . A system for detecting and monitoring congestive heart failure in a patient, comprising: 
 a body-implantable device comprising a circuit module having surface electrodes on the device arranged and adapted, when the device is implanted, for exposure to tissue in a portion of the patient's body generally occupied by the lungs, to perform ongoing measurements of impedance of said body portion;    a radio-frequency transceiver within the body-implantable device in data communication with the circuit module for transmitting the measurements of impedance; and,    a base station comprising a radio-frequency transceiver for receiving data from the body-implantable device and sending instructions to the body-implantable device, and an interface for sending data received from the body-implantable device to a remote location and for receiving instructions from a remote location.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the telecommunications interface comprises a telephone modem.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the telecommunications interface comprises a computer network interface.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the computer network interface is an Ethernet interface.  
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the telecommunications interface comprises a radio transceiver.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the telecommunications interface comprises a modem and a cellular telephone.  
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the data comprises digitized impedance values.  
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the data represents information related to the performance of the body-implantable device.  
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions determine the interval between measurements.  
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions set a threshold value for a patient-sensed alarm.  
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the radio frequency transceivers operate at a frequency between 402 MHz and 405 MHz.  
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said body-implantable medical device is shaped to be implanted at a site on the left lower anterior lateral hemithorax of the patient's body.  
     
     
         13 . A system for monitoring the condition of a patient suffering from congestive heart failure, comprising: 
 a body-implantable medical device having circuitry including plural surface electrodes on the device for measuring impedance between a measurement pair of said electrodes from a predetermined electrical parameter injected in a circuit path between an excitation pair of said electrodes, such that when said device is implanted at a site where said circuit path includes the patient's heart and lungs said impedance measurement is indicative of lung congestion;    a radio transmitter within the body-implantable device in data communication with the circuitry for measuring impedance said transmitter adapted to transmit data representing the measured impedance; and,    a base station comprising a radio receiver for receiving data from the body-implantable medical device and an interface for sending the data to a remote location.    
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the telecommunications interface in the base station comprises a telephone modem.  
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the telecommunications interface in the base station comprises a cellular telephone and a modem.  
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the telecommunications interface in the base station comprises a two-way radio.  
     
     
         17 . A device-implemented method of detecting and monitoring congestive heart failure in a patient, comprising: 
 performing ongoing measurements of impedance of a portion of the patient's body generally occupied by the lungs;    transmitting said measurements of impedance to a base station using a radio transmitter; and,    sending data relating to said measurements of impedance from the base station to a remote location via a telecommunications network.    
     
     
         18 . The device-implemented method of  claim 17 , including injecting said electrical current in the form of a biphasic pulse wave.  
     
     
         19 . The device-implemented method of  claim 17 , including performing said impedance measurements outside the patient's thoracic cage.  
     
     
         20 . The device-implemented method of  claim 17 , including performing said impedance measurements using electrodes of the device outside the patient's vascular system.  
     
     
         21 . The device-implemented method of  claim 17 , including using said surface electrodes of the device additionally to monitor the patient's ECG.  
     
     
         22 . The device-implemented method of  claim 17 , including performing said impedance measurements with the device implanted on the lower left anterior lateral hemithorax.  
     
     
         23 . The device-implemented method of  claim 17 , wherein said body portion further encompasses the patient's heart, including performing said impedance measurements by means of a signal injected into said body portion from the device and retrieved as a signal subdivided into a cardiac portion, a pulmonary portion, and a total impedance portion.  
     
     
         24 . A method for communicating with an implantable device, comprising: 
 transmitting data from the implantable device via the Medical Implant Communication Service band to a base station; and    transmitting modifications to the implantable device from the base station via the Medical Implant Communication Service band to the implantable device, whereby the modifications are implemented at the implantable device.    
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the modification comprise modifications to settings, function, characteristics or parameters of the implantable device.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , where the base station further communicates the data and/or modification to a network.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the network comprises a telephone land line network, a wireless telephone network, and/or the Internet.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the base station comprises a wireless telephone.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the implantable device comprises a congestive heart failure monitoring device, a cardiac pacemaker, a defibrillator, a neurostimulator, a muscle stimulator, a gastric stimulator, or a diagnostic implantable device for monitoring CO 2 , blood pressure, oxygen, glucose, ventilation, heart rate, activity, posture, hormones, cytokines, or neurofunctions.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the base station is proximate to the implantable device.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the implantable device is implanted in the chest of a patient.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the data is indicative of a patient's health, and wherein the modifications are achieved through an assessment of the data at the base station.  
     
     
         33 . A base station for communicating with an implantable device, wherein the base station is capable of bi-directional communication with the implanatable device via the Medical Implant Communication Service band when the implantable device is in proximity to the base station, and wherein the base can both control the implantable device, and receive data from the implantable device.  
     
     
         34 . The base station of  claim 33 , wherein the base station can control the implantable device by providing instructions to change the implantable device's settings, functions, characteristics or parameters.  
     
     
         35 . The base station of  claim 33 , where the base station is further capable of communicating the data to a network.  
     
     
         36 . The base station of  claim 35 , wherein the network comprises a telephone land line network, a wireless telephone network, and/or the Internet.  
     
     
         37 . The base station of  claim 33 , wherein the base station comprises a wireless telephone.  
     
     
         38 . The base station of  claim 33 , wherein the received data comprises data received from a congestive heart failure monitoring device, a cardiac pacemaker, a defibrillator, a neurostimulator, a muscle stimulator, a gastric stimulator, or a diagnostic implantable device for monitoring CO 2 , blood pressure, oxygen, glucose, ventilation, heart rate, activity, posture, hormones, cytokines, or neurofunctions.  
     
     
         39 . The base station of  claim 33 , wherein the data is indicative of a patient's health, and wherein controlling the implantable device occurs as a result of analysis of the data by the base station.  
     
     
         40 . An implantable device, comprising: 
 a metallic can containing electronics;    two pairs of electrodes coupled to the electronics, a first pair for providing electrical energy to a portion of a patient's body, and a second pair for detecting a health parameter of patient's body in response to the electrical energy;    an antenna coupled to the electronics for broadcasting data indicative of the health parameter to outside of the patient's body,    wherein the pairs of electrodes and the antenna are encased in a polymer header coupled to the can.    
     
     
         41 . The device of  claim 40 , wherein the electrode pairs and the antenna are coupled to the electronics via a feedthrough between the can and the header.  
     
     
         42 . The device of  claim 40 , wherein the polymer header comprises a resin.  
     
     
         43 . The device of  claim 40 , wherein the antenna further receives data from outside the patient to program the device.  
     
     
         44 . The device of  claim 40 , wherein the antenna communicates via the Medical Implant Communication Service band.  
     
     
         45 . The device of  claim 40 , wherein the electronics comprises a memory for storing the data indicative of the health parameter.  
     
     
         46 . The device of  claim 45 , wherein the electronics is programmed to broadcast the data indicative of the health parameter to outside of the patient's body from the memory at intermittent intervals.  
     
     
         47 . The device of  claim 45 , wherein the health parameter comprises fluidic impedance.  
     
     
         48 . A method for communicating with an implantable device, comprising: 
 transmitting data from the implantable device via the Medical Implant Communication Service band to a base station in proximity to the implantable device; and    further transmitting the data from the base station to a health care provider via a network.    
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein the network comprises a telephone land line network, a wireless telephone network, and/or the Internet.  
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein the base station comprises a wireless telephone.  
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein the implantable device comprises a congestive heart failure monitoring device, a cardiac pacemaker, a defibrillator, a neurostimulator, a muscle stimulator, a gastric stimulator, or a diagnostic implantable device for monitoring CO 2 , blood pressure, oxygen, glucose, ventilation, heart rate, activity, posture, hormones, cytokines, or neurofunctions.  
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein the implantable device is implanted in the chest of a patient.  
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein the base station amplifies the data before the further transmission.  
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein the base station analyzes the data before the further transmission.  
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein the base station can further send communications to the implantable device.