Remote Programming of Implantable Cardiac Devices Utilizing udReal-Time Active Telemedicine

摘要

Telemedicine is the exchange of medical information from one site to another in order to improve patient health and well-being. Telecardiology is the application of telemedicine to cardiology. With over one million pacemakers and implantable cardiac defibrillators (ICDs) implanted every year, the need for a telecardiology system that can remotely interrogate and program pacemakers has increased over the past decade. Current advances in telecardiology can greatly increase the quality of life of a patient with a pacemaker. Interrogation of pacemakers occurs every six to twelve months and involves examining the battery capacity and peak voltages of pulses that are transmitted to the chamber walls inside the heart. udCurrent telecardiology techniques only allow the cardiologist to remotely monitor a patient. The system of real-time active telecardiology implemented in this thesis allows for remote interrogation and programming capabilities through a Medtronic CareLink 2090 Programmer. The system samples touchscreen location data from a commercial-off-the-shelf touchscreen controller and transmits this information to a remote programmer which registers the data as a touch. Through this method, the cardiologist is able to remotely control a Medtronic 2090 Programmer with little change to the workflow of the cardiologist and at minimal cost to the hospital.