System and method for providing remote expert communications and video capabilities for use during a medical procedure

A system to transfer medical data from a patient site to a remote site, comprising;

• a first communications network;
• a hub operating as a communications platform and having a network connection accommodating real time transfer of various types of data;
• a programmer for an implantable medical device coupled to the hub, the programmer having a display for physiological data received from an implantable medical device and providing programmer-displayed physiological data to the hub for transfer over the first communications network;
• a video device to obtain video-formatted data at the patient site, said video device being coupled to the hub and providing the video-formatted data to the hub for transfer over the first communications network;
• a first communications channel coupled to the first communications network;
• a second communications network coupled to the first communications channel;
• a second communications channel coupled to the second communications network;
• and
• a data processing system at the remote site coupled to the second communications channel, the remote data processing system accessing programmer-displayed physiological data and video-formatted data and transmitting modification instructions to the patient site.

A system to transfer medical data from a patient site to a remote site, comprising:

• a communications network;
• a hub operating as a communications platform and having a network connection accommodating real time transfer of various types of data;
• a programmer for an implantable medical device coupled to the hub, the programmer having a display screen with a control cursor movable on the screen,
• the programmer obtaining data from an implantable medical device for display on the screen and creating physiological waveform data for display on the screen,
• the programmer providing implantable medical device data and physiological waveform data to the hub for transfer over the communications network and providing control cursor movement data to the hub for transfer over the communications network, the implantable medical device data, physiological waveform data, and the control cursor movement data being provided in a packet description of displayed screen data;
• a video device to obtain video-formatted data at the patient site, said video device being coupled to the hub and providing the video-formatted data to the hub for transfer over the communications network;
• and
• a data processing system at the remote site coupled to the communications network, the remote data processing system accepting implantable medical device data, physiological waveform data, video-formatted data, and programmer control cursor movement data,
• the data processing system having a display screen to reproduce implanted medical device data, physiological waveform data, video-formatted data, and programmer control cursor movements.