Patent ID: 7787946

Claim:
A system, comprising: an implantable device configured to perform at least one cardiac-related function and including first sensors; a patient-external respiratory therapy device and including second sensors; a processing system external of the implantable and respiratory therapy devices; and a communication channel configured to facilitate communication between the processing system and at least one of the implantable device and the respiratory therapy device, the processing system communicatively coupled to the at least one of the implantable and respiratory therapy devices via the communication channel, the processing system configured to assess sensing characteristics of each of the first and second sensors and to select, based on the assessment of the sensing characteristics, between one and both of the implantable device and the patient-external respiratory therapy device to provide one or more of patient monitoring, diagnosis, and therapy, wherein the sensing characteristics include type, quality, reliability, repeatability, efficiency, availability, accuracy, resolution, dynamic range, specificity, sensitivity or predictive value.