Use of a progressive compression encoding of physiologic waveform data in an implantable device to support discontinuing transmission of low-value data

1. A method of retrieving a full resolution version of an electrographic waveform stored in a memory of an active implantable medical device as a progressive encoded file, said method comprising:

initiating an upload of the entirety of the progressive encoded file from the active implantable medical device to an external data retrieval apparatus;

receiving, at the external data retrieval apparatus, a portion of the entirety of the progressive encoded file from which a low resolution version of the electrographic waveform is available for analysis;

determining, at the external data retrieval apparatus, if the low resolution version of the electrographic waveform represents a clinically significant event based on an analysis of one or more power metrics derived from the low resolution version of the electrographic waveform;

providing, from the external data retrieval apparatus, an indication of such determination to the active implantable medical device such that:

uploading of the entirety of the progressive encoded file from the active implantable medical device to the external data retrieval apparatus is discontinued when the low resolution version of the electrographic waveform is determined to not represent a clinically significant event; and

uploading of the entirety of the progressive encoded file from the active implantable medical device to the external data retrieval apparatus is completed when the low resolution version of the electrographic waveform is determined to represent a clinically significant event.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining if the low resolution version of the electrographic waveform represents a clinically significant event comprises:

partitioning the low resolution version of the electrographic waveform into a plurality of time segments;

deriving a power metric for each of the plurality of time segments;

deriving a criterion, which when met serves as an indication of a clinically significant event, based on the power metrics of one or more time segments that include a baseline portion of the low resolution version of the electrographic waveform;

obtaining a metric for comparison with the criterion, the metric based on the power metrics of one or more time segments subsequent to the baseline portion of the low resolution version of the electrographic waveform; and

comparing the metric to the criterion.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the power metric is a measure of power obtained from a time domain version of the low resolution version of the electrographic waveform.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the power metric is a measure of power spectral density obtained from a frequency domain version of the low resolution version of the electrographic waveform.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the measure of power spectral density is for a particular frequency band.

6. An external data retrieval apparatus configured to retrieve a full resolution version of an electrographic waveform stored in a memory of an active implantable medical device as a progressive encoded file, the apparatus comprising:

a transceiver;

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the transceiver and the memory and configured to:

initiate an upload of the entirety of the progressive encoded file from the active implantable medical device to the external data retrieval apparatus;

receive a portion of the entirety of the progressive encoded file from which a low resolution version of the electrographic waveform is available for analysis;

determine if the low resolution version of the electrographic waveform represents a clinically significant event based on an analysis of one or more power metrics derived from the low resolution version of the electrographic waveform;

provide an indication of such determination to the active implantable medical device such that:

the upload of the entirety of the progressive encoded file from the active implantable medical device to the external data retrieval apparatus is discontinued when the low resolution version of the electrographic waveform is determined to not represent a clinically significant event; and

the upload of the entirety of the progressive encoded file from the active implantable medical device to the external data retrieval apparatus is completed when the low resolution version of the electrographic waveform is determined to represent a clinically significant event.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the at least one processor determines if the low resolution version of the electrographic waveform represents a clinically significant event by being further configured to:

partition the low resolution version of the electrographic waveform into a plurality of time segments;

derive a power metric for each of the plurality of time segments;

derive a criterion, which when met serves as an indication of a clinically significant event, based on the power metrics of one or more time segments that include a baseline portion of the low resolution version of the electrographic waveform;

obtain a metric for comparison with the criterion, the metric based on the power metrics of one or more time segments subsequent to the baseline portion of the low resolution version of the electrographic waveform; and

compare the metric to the criterion.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the power metric is a measure of power obtained from a time domain version of the low resolution version of the electrographic waveform.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the power metric is a measure of power spectral density obtained from a frequency domain version of the low resolution version of the electrographic waveform.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the measure of power spectral density is for a particular frequency band.