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Publication Number
US-9788739-B2
Publication Date
2017-10-17
Expiration Date
Abstract
A medical alarm communications system comprises a pager like device to be kept near a patient. The pager like device communicates medical alerts regarding the patient to a remote central station, which can provide therapeutic and/or diagnostic assistance by communicating to the pager like device. When the pager like device determines that an alert should be sent to the central station, it attempts to establish communication with the central station according to a primary communication protocol. If this attempt is unsuccessful according to some predetermined criteria (e.g. too much time has elapsed before communication is established), then the pager like device generates a message to the patient indicative of the failure, and The attempts to establish communication with the central station according to a secondary communication protocol.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to a cardiac monitoring system that includes a patient implanted device and an external device located near the patient, together with external equipment located remotely. The implanted device records signal data from the heart, analyzes the signal data to detect at least one type of cardiac event, and categorizes the detected cardiac event as either an urgent event or a non-urgent event. The implanted device wirelessly transmits data to the external device so that the categorization is provided to the near-patient external device.
The near-patient external device is configured to provide communication with the implanted device, the patient, and the external equipment located remotely, based upon the categorization transmitted by the implanted device. The system provides event prioritization for categorizing detected cardiac events into at least two priority levels, and the external device transmits a priority level to the equipment at the remote location. The external equipment receives data from the external device including an identified priority level and operates contingently upon the priority level received.
Operating contingently includes responding to a first priority level event type by substantially immediately issuing notification to a medical professional, and responding to second priority level event types without providing substantially immediate notification. In addition, the system supports prioritization-driven central-station workflow by using event tagging with a priority level, enabling immediate display/translation versus delayed storage at the central equipment.
The system further includes localized and centralized interfaces described as part of the overall alarm and communication framework, including audio/visual alarms for local intervention and centralized encrypted web-based interfaces with customizable components and multimedia patient interrogation. The document also describes patient/behavioral testing and recording used to generate post-event reports, including ischemia scoring and protocol-driven alert strategies.
Claims Coverage
The independent claim covers a complete cardiac monitoring and remote alarm/communication workflow with at least two priority levels, including wireless categorization, near-patient priority handling, and remote contingently operated notification based on urgent versus non-urgent event types.
Implanted event detection and urgent/non-urgent categorization with wireless transmission
The implanted device records signal data from the heart, analyzes the signal data to detect at least one type of cardiac event, categorizes the detected cardiac event as an urgent event or non-urgent event, and transmits data wirelessly to the external device.
Near-patient external priority communication and patient interaction for event prioritization
The external device provides communication with the implanted device, the patient, and external equipment located remotely based upon the categorization transmitted by the implanted device, transmits and receives data to and from the implanted medical device, and enables patient interaction with the external device for performing event prioritization.
Remote contingently operated notification based on received priority level
The remote equipment receives data communicated from the external device including the identified priority level, and operates contingently upon the priority level received by substantially immediately issuing notification to a medical professional for first priority level event types and responding to second priority level event types without providing substantially immediate notification thereof.
Claim coverage centers on implanted device detection with urgent/non-urgent categorization, near-patient transmission of a priority level for remote handling with patient-supported prioritization, and remote contingently controlled notification using substantially immediate notification for first-priority events and non-substantially-immediate notification for second-priority events.
Stated Advantages
Substantially immediate notification to a medical professional for first-priority level event types.
Avoids substantially immediate notification for second-priority level event types.
Documented Applications
Generation of post-event reports based on patient/behavioral testing and recording, including ischemia scoring and protocol-driven alert strategies.
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