Patent ID: 8831735

Claim:
A system for treating a human patient with an implantable device, the system including: an implanted device treatment module configured for operating according to at least a first treatment protocol; a control subsystem configured to detect at least one type of alert event; an alerting module for operating according to an alert protocol and for operating in response to at least 2 types of alert events when at least two types of operating conditions are satisfied, said conditions relating to the provision of therapy, and for providing an alert signal to a patient in response to each type of alert event; an external programmer configured for obtaining a patient response; a clock for providing time information; and, wherein the treatment protocol and the alert protocol are configured to operate to provide ongoing device operation and semi-automatic treatment in accordance with the treatment protocol being a function of the patient's treatment needs including providing the patient with the alert signal and operating according to a response of the patient in the case where the patient provides a response and also operating to automatically cause the modification of device operation across a duration for which the response is not provided by a patient, said modification including a continuance of the device operation according to at least one patient response rule defined for each of said alert events in which at least one of the group of: modification of treatment operations, modification of alerting operations, and the length of said duration, is defined according to the patient response rule.