Transmitting and receiving device

• US 20050245995A1
• Filed: 04/26/2005
• Published: 11/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Biotronik CRM Patent AG (Biotronik SE & Company KG)
• Original Assignee: Biotronik SE & Company KG
• Inventors: Diebold, Michael
• Application Number:
  US11/115,034
• Publication Number:
  US 20050245995A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/045 with a separable interface unit, e.g. for communication
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0475 Special features of memory means, e.g. removable memory cards
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37229 Shape or location of the implanted or external antenna
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37282 characterised by communication with experts in remote locations using a network
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Certain embodiments of the present invention disclose a data transmission unit for wireless communication with an electromedical implant and a data acquisition and evaluation center (home monitoring service center) wherein the data transmission unit is an electronic plug-in card which can be inserted into a base device, in particular into a mobile telephone, and which has at least a wireless data interface for the exchange of information with an electromedical implant, a wired data interface with the base device for the exchange of information between the plug-in card and the base device, at least one control unit for controlling the exchange of data by way of at least the wireless data interface, and a write/read data memory which is readable by the base device by way of the wired data interface, wherein the control unit is adapted to write data received from an external device by way of the wireless data interface into the write/read data memory.

Claims

1. A data transmission unit for wireless communication with an electromedical implant and a data acquisition and evaluation center, said data transmission unit comprising an electronic plug-in card which can be inserted into a base device, said electronic plug-in card including at least:

a wireless data interface for the exchange of information with an electromedical implant;

a wired data interface with the base device for the exchange of information between the plug-in card and the base device;

at least one control unit for controlling the exchange of data by way of at least the wireless data interface; and

a write/read data memory which is readable by the base device by way of the wired data interface, and wherein the control unit is adapted to write data received from an external device by way of the wireless data interface into the write/read data memory.

2. The data transmission unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein the write/read data memory, being readable by the base device by way of the wired data interface, is in the form of a non-volatile write/read data memory.

3. The data transmission unit as set forth in claim 2, wherein the electronic plug-in card complies with the requirements of a MMC standard (MultiMedia Card), a SD standard (Secure Digital), a SM standard (SmartMedia), a MemoryStick standard, or a CF standard (Compact Flash).

4. The data transmission unit as set forth in claim 3, wherein the data transmission unit includes an encoding unit which is directly or indirectly connected to the wired and wireless data interfaces and is adapted to encrypt medical data acquired by an electromedical implant by way of the wireless data interface or technical data concerning the electromedical implant itself in such a way that the encrypted data can be read out by way of the wired data interface.

5. The data transmission unit as set forth in claim 4, wherein the data transmission unit includes a decoding unit which is directly or indirectly connected to the wired data interface and is adapted to decrypt data received by way of the wired data interface.

6. The data transmission unit as set forth in claim 5, wherein the decoding unit is directly or indirectly connected to the wireless data interface and is adapted to check encoded or encrypted parameters received by way of the wired data interface for the operation of an electromedical implant prior to the transmission thereof by way of the wireless data interface to said implant for the integrity of the parameters and the correct transmission thereof to the data transmission unit.

7. The data transmission unit as set forth in claim 5, wherein the decoding unit is adapted to check encoded or encrypted operating software received by way of the wired data interface for operation of the data transmission unit in a base device for the integrity of the operating software and the correct transmission thereof to the data transmission unit.

8. The data transmission unit as set forth in claim 6, wherein the wireless interface is adapted to transmit data at a carrier frequency of between 401 and 406 MHz.

9. The data transmission unit as set forth in claim 8, wherein the write/read data memory is not writable by way of the wired data interface.

10. The data transmission unit as set forth in claim 8, wherein the write/read data memory is writable by way of the wired data interface.

11. The data transmission unit as set forth in claim 10, wherein the write/read data memory is in the form of a dual-ported RAM.

12. The data transmission unit as set forth in claim 11, wherein the write/read data memory is connected between the wireless and the wired data interfaces.

13. The data transmission unit as set forth in claim 12, wherein the electronic plug-in card includes a suitable energy storage means or buffer which briefly supplies the electronic components of the plug-in card with current if the current supply for the plug-in card by the base device is interrupted.

14. The data transmission unit as set forth in claim 13, wherein the electronic plug-in card has an optical display which is visible when the electronic plug-in card is inserted into a mobile telephone and is adapted to deliver a signal when a data exchange takes place by way of the wireless data interface.

15. The data transmission unit as set forth in claim 14, wherein the electronic plug-in card has an acoustic signal generating device which is adapted to deliver an audible signal when a data exchange takes place by way of the wireless data interface.

16. The data transmission unit as set forth in claim 15, wherein the wired data interface is so designed that the electronic plug-in card can be controlled and used like a standard data memory card.

17. The data transmission unit as set forth in claim 16, wherein the control unit of the electronic plug-in card is adapted to prevent simultaneous reading-out from and writing to the write/read data memory or to coordinate simultaneous writing and reading accesses in such a way that the read-out data are in their entirety either identical to those data which were present in the write/read data memory prior to the beginning of the writing access or identical to those which are present in the write/read data memory after the end of the writing access.

18. The data transmission unit as set forth in claim 17, wherein the electronic plug-in card additionally includes a second write/read data memory which is adapted to provide a copy of the information contained in the first write/read data memory prior to a writing access which is being carried out to the first write/read data memory for simultaneous reading accesses by way of the respective other data interface.

19. The data transmission unit as set forth in claim 18, wherein the electronic plug-in card has an operating element which can be operated when the plug-in card is inserted and by which data transmission by way of one of the data interfaces can be triggered.

20. The data transmission unit as set forth in claim 19, wherein the electronic plug-in card includes a ROM or a flash ROM with program instructions and data for execution by the control unit.

21. The data transmission unit as set forth in claim 20, wherein the electronic plug-in card includes a ROM or a flash ROM with program instructions and data for execution by the base device.

22. The data transmission unit as set forth in claim 21, wherein the electronic plug-in card has a RAM for the intermediate storage of data which are produced upon execution of program instructions.

23. The data transmission unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein the base device comprises a mobile telephone.

24. The data transmission unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein the data acquisition and evaluation center includes a home monitoring service center.

25. The data transmission unit as set forth in claim 7, wherein the wireless interface is adapted to transmit data at a carrier frequency of between 401 and 406 MHz.

26. The data transmission unit as set forth in claim 25, wherein the write/read data memory is not writable by way of the wired data interface.

27. The data transmission unit as set forth in claim 25, wherein the write/read data memory is writable by way of the wired data interface.