System for remote monitoring and modulation of medical apparatus

Abstract

A system for remotely programming a programmable medical apparatus, comprising a digital interactive communications network including an encrypted VPN tunnel interconnecting respective computers and video conferencing devices at a programming site and a remote programmed site, with VNC linkage of the interconnected computers, wherein the computers are arranged for programming the programmable apparatus from the programming site, with at least 1 megabit/second connection in both directions of interconnection, whereby audio and video signals are synchronized for the programming the programmable apparatus

1 . A system for remotely programming a programmable medical apparatus, comprising a user location attendable by a user of the programmable medical apparatus, and a remote programming location that is communicationally coupled to the remote programming location by an interactive communication capability by which the remote programming location can communicatively program the programmable medical apparatus. 
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the remote programming location is communicationally coupled to the remote programming location by an interactive communications network. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the interactive communications network comprises the Internet. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the programmable medical apparatus comprises a cochlear implant. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the interactive communications network comprises a virtual private network. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the programmable medical apparatus comprises an apparatus selected from the group consisting of audiological equipment, pacemakers, intelligent prosthetics, neural prostheses of a programmable character, hearing aids, implantable pumps, deep brain stimulation apparatus, swallowable monitoring and diagnostic capsules containing programmable devices, programmable interfaces utilized in therapeutic intervention for treatment of human or veterinary subjects, health status monitors, and devices transmitting telemetry data out of a human or animal body. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the programmable medical apparatus comprises an apparatus selected from the group consisting of cochlear implants, in-ear hearing aids, bone conduction hearing aids, implantable hearing aids, auditory feedback speech therapy devices, and voice-activated medical apparatus. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the interactive communication capability is characterized by at least 1 Mb/second communication rate. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the interactive communication capability comprises a digital interactive communications network including an encrypted VPN tunnel interconnecting respective computers and video conferencing devices at a programming site and a remote programmed site, with VNC linkage of the interconnected computers, wherein said computers are arranged for programming the programmable apparatus from the programming site. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the interactive communication capability comprises an at least 1 megabit/second connection in both directions of interconnection, whereby audio and video signals are synchronized for the programming the programmable apparatus. 
     
     
         11 . A method of remotely programming a programmable medical device, comprising use of the system of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         12 . A system for remotely programming a programmable medical apparatus, comprising a digital interactive communications network including an encrypted VPN tunnel interconnecting respective computers and video conferencing devices at a programming site and a remote programmed site, with VNC linkage of the interconnected computers, wherein said computers are arranged for programming the programmable apparatus from the programming site, with at least 1 megabit/second connection in both directions of interconnection, whereby audio and video signals are synchronized for the programming the programmable apparatus. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the programmable medical apparatus comprises an apparatus selected from the group consisting of cochlear implants, in-ear hearing aids, bone conduction hearing aids, implantable hearing aids, auditory feedback speech therapy devices, and voice-activated medical apparatus. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the programming site and remote programmed site are separated by a distance of at least 1 mile. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the programming site and remote programmed site are separated by a distance of at least 50 miles. 
     
     
         16 . A system for remotely programming a cochlear implant, comprising a digital interactive communications network including an encrypted VPN tunnel interconnecting respective computers and video conferencing devices at a programming audiologist site and a remote audiologist patient site, with VNC linkage of the interconnected computers, wherein said computers are arranged for programming the cochlear implant from the programming audiologist site, with at least 1 megabit/second connection in both directions of interconnection, whereby audio and video signals are synchronized for the programming the cochlear implant. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , which transmits and receives interconnection communications between the programming audiologist site and the remote audiologist patient site that are HIPPA compliant. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein said digital interactive communications network includes a T1 line between the programming audiologist site and the remote audiologist patient site. 
     
     
         19 . A method for remotely programming a medical apparatus, comprising use of the system as claimed in  claim 12 . 
     
     
         20 . A method for remotely programming a cochlear implant, comprising use of the system as claimed in  claim 16 .