Patent ID: 7181505

Claim:
A system for at least one of monitoring the performance of an implantable medical device (IMD) implanted within a body of a patient, monitoring the health of the patient and remotely delivering a therapy to the patient through the IMD, the IMD being capable of simultaneous bi-directional communication with a communication module located external to the patient's body, the system comprising: (a) an IMD, the IMD comprising a memory having software loaded therein and means for permitting the software to be at least one of updated and reprogrammed after the IMD has been implanted, and (b) a universal communication module comprising means for at least one of updating and reprogramming at least portions of the software loaded in the IMD, the universal communication module being configured to operate in conjunction with a plurality of different commercially available implantable medical devices originating from different manufacturers and being selectively programmable to communicate with, receive data from, and download data to any of various implantable medical devices; (c) a mobile telephone operably connected to the universal communication module and capable of receiving software information therefrom or relaying software information thereto; (d) a remote computer system capable of initiating the downloading of updated or new software to the IMD; and (e) a communications system comprising a network coupling the remote computer system to the universal communications module via the mobile telephone, wherein the communication system includes means capable of performing simultaneous bi-directional communication with the mobile telephone and the remote computer system and wherein the remote computer system couples to at least one of: an automatic expert system adapted to render one or more suggested courses of therapeutic action, a clinician, an emergency dispatch facility.