Patent ID: 8509910

Claim:
An implantable device comprising: a therapy circuit configured to provide a therapy to a subject according to a therapy mode; a communication circuit configured to communicate with an external device via a telemetry link; a logic circuit communicatively coupled to the communication circuit; and a processor, communicatively coupled to the logic circuit and the communication circuit, wherein the processor is configured to communicate information with the external device, via the communication circuit and the logic circuit, using a set of communication messages, and wherein, while in a device safety mode entered in response to detecting an error of the implantable device, the processor is held in an inactive state and the logic circuit is configured to: detect a therapy control request message from the external device, wherein the therapy control request message indicates an action to be taken by the logic circuit; change the therapy mode of the implantable device according to the indicated action; communicate with the external device using a subset of the set of communication messages; and reduce functionality of the implantable device according to tiers of functionality, wherein a first tier of reduced functionality includes reduced therapy functionality and reduced communication functionality, and a second tier of reduced functionality includes no communication functionality.