The present invention is related to medical device programming, and more particularly to a system and method for detecting and displaying parameter interactions arising during the programming of a medical device.
As medical device feature sets become richer and more complex, medical devices are getting increasingly complicated to program. This is especially the case in situations where modification of one feature ripples through and interacts with other selected features.
For devices such as implantable cardioverter defibrillators it can be very difficult for physicians to deal with non-compatibilities with programming. Such devices may have many features to program and, when physicians go in to program, there may be some inconsistencies that are not allowed by logic or by concerns for safety of the patient. In the past, these inconsistencies were displayed as error messages and the physician often had to wade through a series of screens to determine the nature of the inconsistency and how to resolve it.
In addition, physicians were frustrated by error messages which noted an interaction but did not tell them what to do to resolve the problem. They were often reduced to trial and error programming which might create a second parameter interaction while resolving the first.
What is needed is a more intuitive way for the physician to resolve parameter interactions.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a system and method of detecting and displaying parameter interactions is described for use in a medical device system having a medical device and a programming interface, wherein the medical device includes a plurality of features which can be programmed via the programming interface. A plurality of icons is defined, wherein the plurality of icons includes a first icon, a second icon and a third icon, wherein the first icon indicates correctness, wherein the second icon warns of a parameter interaction and wherein the third icon warns of impermissible parameter settings. Parameter interactions between feature parameters are identified and each of the parameter interactions is associated with one of the plurality of icons. A parameter value is accepted and examined to determine if it causes a parameter interaction. If the parameter value causes a parameter interaction, the icon associated with the parameter interaction is displayed.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a system and method of detecting and displaying parameter interactions is described for use in a medical device system having a medical device and a programming interface, wherein the medical device includes a plurality of features which can be programmed via the programming interface. A plurality of messages is defined, wherein the plurality of messages includes a first type of message, a second type of message and a third type of message, wherein the first type of message indicates correctness, wherein the second type of message warns of a parameter interaction and wherein the third type of message warns of impermissible parameter settings. Parameter interactions between feature parameters are identified and each of the parameter interactions is associated with one of the message types. A parameter value is accepted and examined to determine if it causes a parameter interaction. If the parameter value causes a parameter interaction, the message of the message type associated with the parameter interaction is displayed.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a system and method of detecting and correcting parameter interactions is described for use in a medical device system having a medical device and a programming interface, wherein the medical device includes a plurality of features which can be programmed via the programming interface. Parameter interactions between feature parameters are identified. A parameter value is accepted and examined to determine if it causes a parameter interaction. If the parameter value causes a parameter interaction, a message representative of the parameter interaction is displayed. The message includes a description of the parameter interaction and one or more parameters. One or more of the displayed parameters is modified and the modified parameter value is examined to determine if it causes a parameter interaction.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, a medical device system is described. The medical device system includes a medical device and a programming interface. The medical device includes a plurality of features which can be programmed via the programming interface. The programming interface includes a display for displaying a plurality of icons and rules identifying parameter interactions between feature parameters and rules associating each of the parameter interactions with one of the plurality of icons. The programming interface accepts a parameter value, examines the parameter value to determine if it causes a parameter interaction and, if the parameter value causes a parameter interaction, displays the icon associated with the parameter interaction.