Programmer for cardiac implantable medical devices, having an accelerated test mode of the parameters

Abstract

A programmer for cardiac implantable medical devices, including an accelerated test mode of the operating parameters. The programmer includes a user interface that is used to define the tests to be performed on the implant and display the results thereof. These tests includes: ventricular and atrial sensing sensitivity, ventricular and atrial lead impedance, and ventricular and atrial capture threshold. Each test step involves (i) a predetermined setting of the operating mode, pacing rate and atrio-ventricular delay of the implantable device, (ii) collection of the operating data of the implantable device according to said predetermined settings, and (iii) processing and display of thus collected data. There further exists one test step of time compression along which at least some of the ventricular and atrial tests for a same parameter are executed simultaneously during a common step, preferably the tests of sensing sensitivity and lead impedance. The user interface allows for a preliminary selection of the tests to be performed, and the programmer is operated to execute these tests, linked in sequence, without any intervention by the user.

1 . A programmer for an active implantable medical device, the programmer comprising:
 a telemetry system configured to establish a bidirectional coupling of the programmer with the active implantable medical device;   a processor configured to:
 determine a first set of tests to be performed on the active implantable medical device; and 
 execute a plurality of test steps, each step comprising (i) adjustment of one or more settings of the active implantable medical device, (ii) collection of operating data following the adjustment of the settings, and (iii) processing the operating data, 
   wherein the processor is configured to perform at least a portion of an atrial test of the first set of tests and a ventricular test of the first set of tests in a non-sequential manner during a common single step.   
     
     
         2 . The programmer of  claim 1 , further comprising a user interface configured to initiate the first set of tests to be performed on the active implantable medical device, wherein the processor is configured to perform the first set of tests including at least one selected from among the group consisting of: sensing sensitivity, lead impedance, and capture threshold. 
     
     
         3 . The programmer of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute at least one adjustment step interpositioned between two test steps, applying a change of operating mode and/or pacing frequency of the active implantable medical device. 
     
     
         4 . The programmer of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute at least one step of adjustment of an operating mode, a pacing rate and a delay of the active implantable medical device after execution of the last test step. 
     
     
         5 . The programmer of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute at least each of the following:
 one step of simultaneous testing of sensing sensitivities, over N 1  cycles, one step of simultaneous testing of lead impedances, over N 2  cycles, one step of capture threshold testing, over N 3  cycles.   
     
     
         6 . The programmer of  claim 5 , wherein the step of simultaneous testing of sensing sensitivities is executed over N 1 =5 cycles. 
     
     
         7 . The programmer of  claim 5 , wherein the step of simultaneous testing of lead impedances is executed over N 2 =1 cycle. 
     
     
         8 . The programmer of  claim 5 , wherein the step of capture threshold testing is executed over N 3 =N 3′ +N 3″  cycles, N 3′  being a predetermined fixed number of calibration cycles and N 3′  being a variable number of capture test cycles with successive pulses of decreasing amplitude, the processor configured to terminate the capture threshold test when a loss of capture is detected. 
     
     
         9 . The programmer of  claim 8 , wherein N 3 ≦18 cycles. 
     
     
         10 . The programmer of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute at least each of the following:
 one step of continuity testing of the shock coil, one step of testing of charging time of a shock capacitor, and one step of capture threshold testing.   
     
     
         11 . The programmer of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to make a preliminary selection of at least one specific action to be linked in sequence, without any intervention by a user, after the execution of the test steps. 
     
     
         12 . The programmer of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one specific action further comprises an action selected from among the group consisting of: memorization of the test results in the active implantable medical device, memorization of the test results in the programmer, print out of the test results, and activation of a diagnosis-aid module following the tests. 
     
     
         13 . A computer-readable storage medium having machine instructions stored therein, the instructions being executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
 determining a set of tests to be performed on an implantable medical device;   for each test of the set of tests:
 transmitting, from a programming device to the implantable medical device, instructions configured to cause the implantable medical device to perform the test, wherein the instructions are configured to cause the implantable medical device to adjust one or more settings of the implantable medical device to conduct the test; and 
 receiving, at the programming device, operating data from the implantable medical device following adjustment of the one or more settings; 
   wherein the instructions are configured to cause the implantable medical device to perform at least a portion of an atrial test of the first set of tests and a ventricular test of the first set of tests in a non-sequential manner during a common single step.   
     
     
         14 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 13 , wherein the processor is configured to perform the set of tests based on receiving input from a user interface, wherein the input causes the processor to determine the set of tests to be performed including at least one selected from among the group consisting of: sensing sensitivity, lead impedance, and capture threshold. 
     
     
         15 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 13 , wherein the instructions are configured to cause the implantable medical device to perform at least a portion of the set of tests in a sequential manner. 
     
     
         16 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 13 , wherein the processor is configured to transmit results based on the operating data to a display device for display to a user. 
     
     
         17 . A method of testing an implantable medical device, the method comprising:
 receiving, at the implantable medical device, instructions from a programming device;   performing, at the implantable medical device, a set of tests in response to receiving the instructions, wherein for each of the set of tests performing the test comprises:
 adjusting one or more settings of the implantable medical device; and 
 transmitting operating data of the implantable medical device from the implantable medical device to the programming device following adjustment of the one or more settings; 
   
       wherein performing the set of tests include performing at least a portion of an atrial test of the first set of tests and a ventricular test of the first set of tests in a non-sequential manner during a common single step. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the set of tests performed are determined by a processor based on input from a user interface, wherein the set of tests comprises tests configured to sense one or more of the following parameters: sensing sensitivity, lead impedance, and capture threshold. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , performing the set of tests further comprises performing at least a portion of the set of tests in a sequential manner. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising transmitting the operating data to a display device for display to a user.