PATIENT DATA ARCHIVING APPARATUS

1 . A method of archiving on a removable media, desired information retrieved from a medical device implanted within a patient, said method comprising the steps of transferring patient data from said medical device to a computer, performing an operation on said patient data within said computer to separate it into a first category of desired information and a second category of undesired information, copying said desired information to said removable media from said computer, and deleting said undesired information from said computer.

2 . A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said method comprises compressing said desired information prior to transferring same to said removable media.

3 . A method as claimed in claims 1 or 2 wherein said undesired information is confidential information.

4 . An apparatus for archiving on a removable media, desired information retrieved from a medical device implanted within a patient, said apparatus adapted to engage with a computer that has patient data therein that has been transferred from said medical device, said apparatus adapted to perform an operation on said patient data that separates it into a first category of desired information and a second category of undesired information, said apparatus further adapted to copy said desired information to said removable media and to delete said undesired information from said computer.

5 . An apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , wherein said apparatus compresses said desired information prior to transferring same from said computer to said removable media.

6 . An apparatus as claimed in claims 4 or 5 wherein said apparatus and said removable media are housed within a single unit.

7 . An apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein removable media is a USB flash drive.