Predictive Outcomes for Implantable Medical Devices

Solution Overview

Problem

Clinicians face challenges in determining optimal operating parameters for implantable medical devices (IMDs) due to the vast number of programmable settings and the dynamic nature of best medical practices, which can be time-consuming and underutilize valuable data stored in medical databases.

Innovation Solution

A system and method that utilizes a centralized database to compare individual patient data with historical data from a medical database, sorting matching datasets by therapy interventions to generate predictive outcomes reports for clinicians, including device-related, patient-related, and cost-related outcomes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If clinicians manually evaluate multiple programmable parameter settings for IMDs, then treatment decisions can be made, but the process becomes time-consuming and inefficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of determining optimal parametersVSAvoidtime to determine optimal parameters

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-processes and stores outcome data from multiple patients with different IMD parameter settings in a database. When a clinician needs to determine optimal parameters, the system has already compiled the necessary comparative data, eliminating the need for manual evaluation of multiple settings and significantly reducing the time required for treatment decisions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary system comprising a database and computer that mediates between the clinician and the complex IMD parameter selection process. This intermediary automatically retrieves and compares outcome data from similar patients, providing evidence-based recommendations that simplify the clinician's decision-making process while maintaining thoroughness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Loss of information

If extensive patient data is stored in medical databases, then valuable information is available, but the data remains under-utilized and does not effectively improve clinical decision-making

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveutilization of database informationVSAvoideffectiveness of clinical decisions

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback by automatically querying the database for outcome data from patients with similar characteristics and treatment histories. This feedback loop provides clinicians with evidence-based outcomes from comparable cases, enabling them to make more informed decisions while fully utilizing the stored database information.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary system comprising a database and computer that mediates between the clinician and the complex IMD parameter selection process. This intermediary automatically retrieves and compares outcome data from similar patients, providing evidence-based recommendations that simplify the clinician's decision-making process while maintaining thoroughness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If clinicians rely on individual patient data or small groups, then treatment decisions can be made, but the best medical practices remain dynamic and difficult to ascertain

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereliability of treatment decisionsVSAvoidcomplexity of determining best practices

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-processes and stores outcome data from multiple patients with different IMD parameter settings in a database. When a clinician needs to determine optimal parameters, the system has already compiled the necessary comparative data, eliminating the need for manual evaluation of multiple settings and significantly reducing the time required for treatment decisions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary system comprising a database and computer that mediates between the clinician and the complex IMD parameter selection process. This intermediary automatically retrieves and compares outcome data from similar patients, providing evidence-based recommendations that simplify the clinician's decision-making process while maintaining thoroughness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS10573415B2System for using patient data combined with database data to predict and report outcomes

Publication Date: 2020.02.25 MEDTRONIC INC

AI summary

A system and associated method receives, by a database coupled to a communication network, patient medical data from multiple data sources including data retrieved from implantable medical devices implanted in patients. A processor accesses the database to generate a dataset from the medical data having at least one data characteristic matching a corresponding data characteristic of a patient group of at least one patient. At least one subset of the dataset is identified that had a therapy intervention subsequent to a time point that the subset had the matching data characteristic(s). An outcome of the subset is determined and a predictive outcome for the patient group is produced based on the outcome of at least one subset.