US 11,918,817 B2
Remote follow-up methods, systems, and devices for leadless pacemaker systems
Matthew G. Fishler, Scotts Valley, CA (US); Suresh Gurunathan, Palo Alto, CA (US); and Benjamin T. Persson, Saratoga, CA (US)
Assigned to Pacesetter, Inc., Sylmar, CA (US)
Filed by Pacesetter, Inc., Sylmar, CA (US)
Filed on Apr. 5, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/222,242.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/033,737, filed on Jun. 2, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/005,628, filed on Apr. 6, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0308470 A1, Oct. 7, 2021
Int. Cl. A61N 1/372 (2006.01); A61N 1/05 (2006.01); A61N 1/37 (2006.01); A61N 1/375 (2006.01); H04B 13/00 (2006.01); H04W 76/10 (2018.01)
CPC A61N 1/37252 (2013.01) [A61N 1/056 (2013.01); A61N 1/3702 (2013.01); A61N 1/3706 (2013.01); A61N 1/37223 (2013.01); A61N 1/37258 (2013.01); A61N 1/37512 (2017.08); A61N 1/3756 (2013.01); H04B 13/005 (2013.01); H04W 76/10 (2018.02); A61N 1/3727 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for providing an implantable leadless pacemaker (LP) with a remote follow-up capability whereby the LP can provide diagnostic information to an external device that is incapable of programming the LP, wherein the LP includes two or more implantable electrodes used to output both pacing pulses and conductive communication pulses, the method comprising:
the LP monitoring for a presence of one or more notification conditions associated with the LP and/or associated with a patient within which the LP is implanted;
the LP periodically outputting an advertisement sequence of pulses, using at least two of the two or more implantable electrodes of the LP, irrespective of whether the LP recognizes the presence of at least one said notification condition; and
the LP recognizing the presence of at least one said notification condition, and based thereon, the LP also outputting a notification sequence of pulses, using at least two of the two or more implantable electrodes of the LP, within one or more notification transmission windows following the outputting of the advertisement sequence of pulses, the notification sequence of pulses encoded with diagnostic information associated with the LP and/or associated with the patient within which the LP is implanted;
wherein the advertisement sequence of pulses and the notification sequence of pulses and/or information encoded therein are capable of being received by an external device that includes or is communicatively coupled to two or more external electrodes used to receive conductive communication pulses from the LP or by another implantable medical device (IMD) that includes two or more electrodes used to receive conductive communication pulses from the LP; and
wherein the external device does not output any pulses or other signals that are detectable by the LP implanted within the patient, and thus, the LP is unaware of whether any instances of the advertisement sequence of pulses and the notification sequence of pulses that the LP outputs are received by the external device.