Systems and methods for communication between medical devices

• US 10,357,159 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2016
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Schmidt, Brian L., Juffer, Lance Eric, Maile, Keith R., Kane, Michael J., Koop, Brendan Early
• Primary Examiner(s): Natnithithadha, Navin
• Application Number:
  US15/240,756
• Publication Number:
  US 20170049325A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• Field of Search: 600302
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0024 for multiple sensor units attached to the patient, e.g. using a body or personal area network
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0028 Body tissue as transmission medium, i.e. transmission systems where the medium is the human body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/686 Permanently implanted devices, e.g. pacemakers, other stimulators, biochips A61B5/6861 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7217 of noise originating from a therapeutic or surgical apparatus, e.g. from a pacemaker
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/368 comprising more than one electrode co-operating with different heart regions A61N1/3622, A61N1/3627 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37205 Microstimulators, e.g. implantable through a cannula
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37217 characterised by the communication link, e.g. acoustic or tactile
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37252 Details of algorithms or data aspects of communication system, e.g. handshaking, transmitting specific data or segmenting data
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37288 Communication to several implantable medical devices within one patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3756 Casings with electrodes thereon, e.g. leadless stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 13/005 Transmission systems in which the medium consists of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 15/005 Reducing noise, e.g. humm, from the supply

Abstract

Systems and methods for conducted communication are described. In one embodiment, a method for communicating with implantable medical devices may comprise sensing, by a first medical device, a noise signal delivered into a patient'"'"'s body by a second medical device and delivering, by the first medical device, a cancelling signal into the patient'"'"'s body. In at least some additional embodiments the method may further comprise, while delivering the cancelling signal into the patient'"'"'s body, delivering a conducted communication signal into the patient'"'"'s body for reception by a second medical device.

Claims

1. A method for communicating with implantable medical devices, the method comprising:

sensing, by a first medical device, a noise signal delivered into a patient'"'"'s body by a second medical device;

delivering, by the first medical device, a cancelling signal into the patient'"'"'s body; and

while delivering the cancelling signal into the patient'"'"'s body, delivering a conducted communication signal into the patient'"'"'s body for reception by the second medical device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the cancelling signal is an inverse signal of the noise signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the cancelling signal at least partially reduces the amplitude of the noise signal received by the second medical device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the first medical device, a selection of a predetermined cancelling signal; and

delivering the selected predetermined cancelling signal into the patient'"'"'s body.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the first medical device, an amplitude selection for the cancelling signal; and

delivering the cancelling signal into the patient'"'"'s body with the selected amplitude.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising delivering, by the first medical device, the cancelling signal into the patient'"'"'s body only while delivering the conducted communication signal into the patient'"'"'s body.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the noise signal further includes a signal delivered into the patient'"'"'s body by a third medical device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising delivering the cancelling signal into the patient'"'"'s body only during predefined communication windows.

9. A medical device comprising:

one or more electrodes; and

a controller connected to the one or more electrodes, the controller configured to cause the medical device to;

generate an inverse signal;

generate a conducted communication signal;

deliver the inverse signal into a patient'"'"'s body via the one or more electrodes; and

deliver the conducted communication signal into the patient'"'"'s body;

wherein the controller is further configured to cause the medical device to deliver the conducted communication signal and the inverse signal into the patient'"'"'s body concurrently.

10. The medical device of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the medical device to deliver the inverse signal into the patient'"'"'s body only while delivering the conducted communication signal into the patient'"'"'s body.

11. The medical device of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the medical device to:

sense a signal from the patient'"'"'s body via the one or more electrodes; and

generate the inverse signal as an inverse signal to the sensed signal.

12. The medical device of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to receive a selection of an inverse signal, and

wherein the controller is further configured to cause the medical device to generate the inverse signal based on the received selection.

13. The medical device of claim 12, wherein the selection comprises a selection of an inverse signal that is stored within a memory of the medical device.

14. The medical device of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the medical device to deliver the inverse signal into the patient'"'"'s body only during predefined communication windows.

15. A medical device comprising:

one or more electrodes; and

a controller connected to the one or more electrodes, the controller configured to cause the medical device to;

generate an inverse signal; and

deliver the inverse signal into a patient'"'"'s body via the one or more electrodes;

wherein the controller is further configured to cause the medical device to deliver the inverse signal into the patient'"'"'s body only during predefined communication windows.

16. The medical device of claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the medical device to:

generate a conducted communication signal; and

deliver the conducted communication signal into the patient'"'"'s body.

17. The medical device of claim 16, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the medical device to deliver the conducted communication signal and the inverse signal into the patient'"'"'s body simultaneously.

18. The medical device of claim 17, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the medical device to deliver the inverse signal into the patient'"'"'s body only while delivering the conducted communication signal into the patient'"'"'s body.

19. The medical device of claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the medical device to:

sense a signal from the patient'"'"'s body via the one or more electrodes; and

generate the inverse signal as an inverse signal to the sensed signal.

20. The medical device of claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to receive a selection of an inverse signal, and

wherein the controller is further configured to cause the medical device to generate the inverse signal based on the received selection.