Portable programmer for providing patient status information

Abstract

A method and apparatus concerning the retrieval and storage of status information obtained from patients having implantable medical devices (IMDs). When patients are having episodes during which symptoms are experienced relating to their medical condition, the collection of the patient's status information can be helpful to the patient's physician for diagnostic purposes. Telemetered signals recorded by the IMD can be transmitted from the IMD to a programmer. Such programmer is portable and sized so as to be carried by the patient. As such, mechanisms added to such programmers for use in retrieving and storing patient status information can provide more convenience for patients.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A programmer for capturing status information from a patient with an implantable medical device during episodes in which the patient experiences symptoms comprising:
 a housing adapted to be carried by a patient;   first circuitry within the housing for communicating with an implantable medical device implanted within the patient, wherein signals stored by the implantable medical device can be telemetered to the first circuitry upon interrogation by the first circuitry;   second circuitry for receiving status information from the patient regarding a condition being experienced by the patient; and   memory for storing the signals and the status information.   
     
     
         2 . The programmer of  claim 1 , wherein the second circuitry comprises a keypad with a plurality of keys, wherein each key is denoted with a different symptom that the patient may experience. 
     
     
         3 . The programmer of  claim 1 , wherein the second circuitry comprises a keypad with a plurality of keys wherein one of more of the keys has no symptom inscription. 
     
     
         4 . The programmer of  claim 2 , wherein the symptoms comprise one or more of shortness of breath, palpitations, dizziness, and extreme tiredness. 
     
     
         5 . The programmer of  claim 2 , wherein at one of keys is denoted with a symptom that is inscribed by a physician. 
     
     
         6 . The programmer of  claim 1  wherein the programmer is a portable programmer, portable interrogator, portable recorder, portable monitor, portable sensor, or portable telemetered signals transceiver. 
     
     
         7 . The programmer of  claim 1  further comprising transmission a data transmission link. 
     
     
         8 . The programmer of  claim 7  wherein the data transmission link is a cellular phone link, a LANS link, an RF link, an internet link, or a cable modem link.