초록 ▼

Disclosed is a method and apparatus for automatically adjusting drug infusion rate to optimize treatment therapy. The implantable medical device can communicate with a database or algorithm controlled by a caregiver or physician. Thus, the caregiver may request a therapy change (e.g., infusion rate

Disclosed is a method and apparatus for automatically adjusting drug infusion rate to optimize treatment therapy. The implantable medical device can communicate with a database or algorithm controlled by a caregiver or physician. Thus, the caregiver may request a therapy change (e.g., infusion rate versus time, pump clock settings, etc. ) or a therapy management module may automatically activate the therapy change at some future time for convenience, or for technical or clinical reasons.

대표청구항 ▼

I claim: 1. An implantable drug delivery device having a performance data reporting feature, comprising: (a) a housing; (b) a drug reservoir positioned in the housing and configured to contain a therapeutic substance; (c) a pump fluidly coupled to the drug reservoir; (d) electronics positioned in t

I claim: 1. An implantable drug delivery device having a performance data reporting feature, comprising: (a) a housing; (b) a drug reservoir positioned in the housing and configured to contain a therapeutic substance; (c) a pump fluidly coupled to the drug reservoir; (d) electronics positioned in the housing and coupled to the pump and a power source, the electronics including a memory, the memory containing pump performance acquisition instructions; (d) a flow control module coupled to the memory for controlling the flow of the therapeutic substance directed from the drug reservoir through an infusion port by the pump; (e) a telemetry module coupled to the memory; (f) at least one monitoring module coupled to the memory that monitors at least one pump operation variable according to the pump performance acquisition instructions to produce performance data; and (g) at least one reporting module coupled to the memory, the reporting module configured to activate the telemetry module to report performance data. 2. The implantable drug delivery device of claim 1, wherein the monitoring module is configured to communicate vie telemetry with a therapy management module. 3. The implantable drug delivery device of claim 1, wherein the implantable drug delivery device is configured so as to communicate with an external programmer connected via a network with at least one entity selected from a group consisting of an insurance provider, a pharmacy, a hospital, a caregiver, a physician, and a device manufacturer. 4. The implantable drug delivery device of claim 3, wherein the network includes a connection over an Internet. 5. The implantable drug delivery device of claim 4, wherein the network includes a connection over a land-based line. 6. The implantable drug delivery device of claim 5, wherein the external programmer includes a therapy management module. 7. The implantable drug delivery device of claim 1, wherein the performance data is reported to an external programmer. 8. The implantable drug delivery device of claim 1, further comprising a sensing means for providing feedback to the electronics such that the flow control module can determine whether the pump should be activated so as to cause delivery of the therapeutic substance base on feedback received from the sensing means. 9. The implantable drug delivery device of claim 1, wherein the drug delivery device is configured so as to allow at least one entity, selected from a group consisting of an insurance provider, a pharmacy, a hospital, a caregiver, a physician, and a device manufacturer, to modify a program in the memory in response to the data received from the reporting module. 10. The implantable drug delivery device of claim 1, further comprising a catheter coupled to the drug reservoir, wherein the catheter configured in operation to deliver the therapeutic substance to the desired portion of the patient. 11. An implantable drug delivery device having a data reporting feature, comprising: (a) a housing; (b) a drug reservoir positioned in the housing and configured to contain a therapeutic substance; (c) electronics including a memory for storing data and programming positioned in the housing, the electronics configured to control the flow of the therapeutic substance from the drug reservoir through an infusion port; the electronics configured to monitor the flow of therapeutic substance, the electronics further configured to communicate via two-way telemetry with an external programmer so that information for use in evaluating the performance of the implanted drug delivery device can be reported and programming on the device can be modified; and (d) a sensor for use in providing feedback to the electronics; wherein the electronics is configured to accept programming via telemetry so as to control whether the therapeutic substance is delivered through the infusion port based on the feedback received from the sensor. 12. The implantable drug delivery device of claim 11, wherein the implantable drug delivery device is configured to accept programming changes via the external programmer from an entity, the entity comprising a selection from a group consisting of an insurance provider, a pharmacy, a hospital, a caregiver, a physician, and a device manufacturer, wherein the entity is connected to the external programmer via a network. 13. The implantable drug delivery device of claim 12, wherein the network comprises a connection over an Internet. 14. The implantable drug delivery device of claim 12, wherein the network consists solely of connections over land-based lines. 15. The implantable drug delivery device of claim 11, wherein the drug delivery device is configured so as to allow, in operation, delivery of the therapeutic substance through the infusion port to the intrathecal space of a patient. 16. An implantable drug delivery device wit data reporting capabilities, comprising: (a) a housing; (b) a flow means for storing and delivering a therapeutic substance the flow means positioned in the housing; (c) a catheter fluidly coupled to the flow means, the catheter configure so that in operation the therapeutic substance can be directed to the desired portion of the patient; (d) a control means for controlling the flow means, the control means is configure to provide two-way communicating with an external programming means, the control means further configured for reporting data to the external programming means; and (e) a sensing means for providing feedback to the control means so that in operation the control means can control the therapeutic substance means based on programming received from the external programming means and feedback received from the sensing means. 17. The implantable drug delivery device of claim 16, wherein the external programming means includes a therapy management means. 18. The implantable drug delivery device of claim 16, wherein the control means includes a therapy management means. 19. The implantable drug delivery device of claim 16, wherein the control means is configured to be remotely programmed via a network means connected to the external programming means. 20. The implantable drug delivery device of claim 16, wherein the control means is configured to be remotely programmed by a caregiver using in Internet connection linked to the external programming means.