Method and apparatus for preventing excessive power drain from an implantable device

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for controlling interrogation of an implantable device such as a pacemaker, an implantable cardioverter, or a defibrillator utilizing an external device in a home environment. The method controls how frequently a patient can retrieve status information from the implantable device based on a time period elapsed since a last interrogation and a power level of a battery.

1 . An implantable device, comprising:
 an input/output module to receive wirelessly a request for information from an external device;   a monitoring module to record a last request for information from the external device and to determine whether a threshold period of time has elapsed since the last request for information; and   a telemetry unit to establish a wireless communication link with the external device, and to transmit the information requested over the wireless link based on an amount of time elapsed since the last request for the information.   
     
     
         2 . The device according to  claim 1 , further comprising memory that stores the information within the device. 
     
     
         3 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the information requested includes at least one of physiological information, programmable information, timing information, and a battery condition. 
     
     
         4 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the information constitutes physiological information that includes at least one of a heart rate, an electrical activation pattern of the heart, a strength of contraction of heart muscle, an amount of fluid in the lungs, a tachycardia rate, a bradycardia rate, a fibrillation rate, and an arrhythmia rate. 
     
     
         5 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the information constitutes programmable information that includes at least one of a tachycardia detection rate, a fibrillation detection rate, a ventricular tachycardia rate, a ventricular fibrillation detection rate, a bradycardia rate, stability algorithm settings, onset algorithm settings, specific therapies for each cardiac zone, and a duration of therapy required for each zone. 
     
     
         6 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the information constitutes battery condition that includes at least one of a low power battery status, a battery internal resistance, a number of charge/discharge cycles, battery age, a battery voltage and a remaining battery charge. 
     
     
         7 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the information constitutes timing information that includes at least one of a time the data is transmitted, a date the data is transmitted, a number of total interrogations performed, and the date and time of each interrogation request. 
     
     
         8 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the monitoring module prevents transmission of the information when the period of time elapsed since the last request for the information is shorter than the threshold period of time. 
     
     
         9 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the monitoring module prevents transmission of the information when a battery power level being less than a threshold battery value. 
     
     
         10 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the implantable device constitutes at least one of a pacemaker, an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, and a defibrillator. 
     
     
         11 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the monitoring module dynamically updates the threshold period of time to a new value based on a power level of a battery within the implantable device.