Remote Diagnostic Server for Secure Implantable Device Programming

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Patients with implanted neuromodulation devices, such as spinal cord stimulation (SCS) and deep brain stimulation (DBS), face the inconvenience and expense of frequent in-person visits to clinicians for programming adjustments, which is undesirable due to time, cost, and stress considerations.

Innovation Solution

A system comprising a patient programmer, a clinician programmer, and a remote diagnostic server enables secure remote programming of implanted devices, allowing patients to initiate and approve stimulation programs from a distance, facilitating communication between the patient and clinician for adjustments to stimulation parameters like amplitude, frequency, and electrode configuration.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If patients travel to visit the clinician in person for programming adjustments, then the clinician can directly program the implanted device, but the patient incurs time cost, money cost, and stress

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprogramming accuracyVSAvoidpatient travel time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

A remote diagnostic server is introduced as an intermediary between the patient's programmer and the clinician's programmer. The server receives programming data from the clinician, transmits it to the patient's device, and confirms successful programming, enabling remote programming adjustments without requiring patient travel to the clinician's office

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The physical mechanical interaction of in-person programming (patient present at clinic, direct device access) is replaced with an electronic communication system. Data transmission occurs through encrypted digital channels between programmers and the remote server, substituting the mechanical presence-based programming process with remote electronic programming

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If patients travel to visit the clinician in person for programming adjustments, then the clinician can directly program the implanted device, but the patient incurs expense

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprogramming accuracyVSAvoidpatient travel expense

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Reliability

If patients travel to visit the clinician in person for programming adjustments, then the clinician can directly program the implanted device, but the patient experiences added stress

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprogramming accuracyVSAvoidpatient stress

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

4Ease of operation

If the system enables remote programming, then patient convenience is improved, but secure communication between patient programmer and clinician programmer must be established

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprogramming convenienceVSAvoidcommunication system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms where the server confirms data receipt, the patient's programmer verifies successful transmission to the implanted device, and the clinician's programmer receives confirmation of programming completion. This feedback loop ensures secure and reliable remote programming while managing system complexity through structured communication protocols

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS10124177B2Systems and methods for programming implantable devices

Publication Date: 2018.11.13 PACESETTER INC

AI summary

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for programming an implanted device when a patient is remote from a clinician. A system includes a patient programmer configured to be operated by the patient, a clinician programmer configured to be operated by the clinician, and a remote diagnostic server configured to facilitate secure communication between the patient programmer and the clinician programmer, wherein the remote diagnostic server is configured to initiate a secure programming session between the patient programmer and the clinician programmer, receive a proposed stimulation program from the clinician programmer, transmit the proposed stimulation program to the patient programmer, receive an indication from the patient programmer that the patient has accepted the proposed stimulation program, and transmit an alert to the clinician programmer, the alert indicating that the patient has accepted the proposed stimulation program.