Apparatus and method for remotely monitoring implanted cardioverter defibrillators

An apparatus for remotely interrogating and monitoring the operation of a cardioverter defibrillator of the type which emits, upon enablement, audio tone signals coincident with sensed events, said apparatus comprising:

• a) telephone communication means for receiving differing commands from a central monitoring facility by way of a telephone communication channel thereby providing differing telephone received commands and transmitting data to said central monitoring facility by way of said telephone communication channel;
• b) means for acquiring differing patient electrocardiogram signals and coupling same to said telephone communication means for transmission to said central monitoring facility;
• c) detector means, responsive to said differing telephone received commands received from said central monitoring facility by way of said telephone channel, for selectively enabling the emission of said audio tone signals wherein said audio tone signals are representative of selected electrocardiogram signals of said acquired electrocardiogram signals thereby providing said remote interrogating and monitoring of said cardioverter defibrillator by said central monitoring facility;
• and,
• d) means for detecting said audio tone signals and coupling same to said telephone communication means for transmission to said central monitoring facility.