Automatic power control for a radio frequency transceiver of an implantable device

• US 20060030901A1
• Filed: 08/09/2004
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Quiles, Sylvia, Sridharan, Krishna, Vanderlinde, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 7,539,541 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37223 Circuits for electromagnetic coupling
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37276 characterised by means for reducing power consumption during telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/903 Radio telemetry

Abstract

Power supplied to a particular telemetry system of an implantable device having multiple telemetry systems is managed by a state machine. Power to a transceiver of a device is terminated if the particular telemetry system remains dormant or inactive for a programmable period of time and power to the transceiver is turned on if a particular signal is received by the implantable device.

Claims

1. An implantable apparatus comprising:

a plurality of telemetry circuits including a far field telemetry circuit, each telemetry circuit configured to wirelessly communicate with an external device; and

a power controller coupled to the far field telemetry circuit and a power supply; and

a processor coupled to the power controller and configured to selectively provide a power signal to the power controller after a predetermined period of inactivity, wherein the power controller manages power from the power supply delivered to the far field telemetry circuit as a function of the power signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a clock coupled to the processor wherein the clock provides a time signal upon expiration of the predetermined period of inactivity and wherein the power signal is generated as a function of the time signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 further including a memory accessible to the processor and having a value stored therein corresponding to the predetermined period of time.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the value is programmable.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the far field telemetry circuit includes a receiver having an output signal and wherein the power signal is a function of the output signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a second telemetry circuit coupled to the processor.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the second telemetry circuit includes a receiver having an output signal and wherein the power signal is a function of the output signal.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the far field telemetry circuit includes a transceiver.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the far field telemetry circuit includes a radio frequency circuit.

10. A method comprising:

monitoring for an incoming signal using at least one of a plurality of telemetry circuits including a far field telemetry circuit of an implantable device; and

generating a power control signal as a function of the incoming signal wherein a power delivered to the far field telemetry circuit is a function of the power control signal.

11. The method of claim 10 further including synchronizing the implantable device based on the incoming signal.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the incoming signal includes an instruction to extinguish power to the far field telemetry circuit or an instruction to supply power to the first telemetry circuit.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein generating the power control signal includes executing a program using a processor of the implantable device.

14. The method of claim 10 further including generating a clock signal upon expiration of a predetermined time period and wherein the power control signal is generated as a function of the clock signal.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein monitoring for an incoming signal includes monitoring using a near field telemetry receiver.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein monitoring using the near field telemetry receiver includes monitoring using an inductive telemetry circuit.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein monitoring for an incoming signal includes monitoring using a far field telemetry receiver of the far field telemetry circuit.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein monitoring using the far field telemetry receiver includes monitoring using a radio frequency telemetry circuit.

19. A system comprising:

an external transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit a synchronization signal; and

an implantable device having a plurality of wireless receivers at least one of which is configured to receive the synchronization signal and including a far field receiver coupled to an implantable processor and a power controller, the implantable processor configured to generate a control signal as a function of the synchronization signal, and further wherein the power controller is configured to provide power to the far field receiver as a function of the control signal.

20. The system of claim 19 further including an interface coupled to the external transmitter wherein the interface is adapted to couple the external transmitter to a communication network.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein the far field receiver is configured to generate an output signal as a function of the synchronization signal and wherein the control signal is generated as a function of the output signal.

22. The system of claim 19 wherein the plurality of wireless receivers includes a second receiver and wherein the second receiver is configured to generate an output signal as a function of the synchronization signal and wherein the control signal is generated as a function of the output signal.

23. A method comprising:

receiving a series of inductive synchronization signals at an implantable device;

detecting a loss of the series of inductive synchronization signals for a first predetermined period of time while a far field telemetry circuit of the implantable device remains powered;

monitoring for resumption of the inductive synchronization signal and commencement of a far field radio frequency synchronization signal upon loss of the series of inductive synchronization signals; and

terminating power to the far field radio frequency telemetry circuit after a second predetermined period of time if the series of inductive synchronization signals is not resumed following the first predetermined period of time.

24. The method of claim 23 further including powering the far field radio frequency telemetry circuit upon detecting resumption of the inductive synchronization signal.

25. The method of claim 23 further including detecting a series of radio frequency synchronization signals following monitoring.

26. The method of claim 25 further including powering the far field radio frequency telemetry circuit for a third period of time following detecting the series of radio frequency synchronization signals.

27. The method of claim 23 terminating power to the far field radio frequency telemetry circuit after a second predetermined period of time if the series of inductive synchronization signals is resumed following the first predetermined period of time.

28. The method of claim 23 terminating power to the far field radio frequency telemetry circuit after a third predetermined period of time upon failure to detect a series of radio frequency synchronization signals following the first predetermined period of time.