Control unit having a deployable antenna

• US 20060200209A1
• Filed: 03/03/2005
• Published: 09/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medos International Sarl (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Codman Neuro Sciences Sarl
• Inventors: Ginggen, Alec, Pipoz, Thierry
• Granted Patent: US 7,983,760 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37229 Shape or location of the implanted or external antenna
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/22 by structural association with other equipment or articles
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop

Abstract

A control unit for an implantable medical device includes a housing and electronics within the housing. The electronics control an RF emission from the control unit. An antenna is pivotably connected to the housing. The antenna is movable between a stowed position where RF emission from the antenna is prevented and a deployed position where RF emission from the antenna is permitted. To use the external control unit to effect communication between an external control unit and an implanted medical device, the user places the external control unit within electronic communication range of the implanted medical device. The control unit antenna is moved from the stowed position to a deployed position where RF emission from the antenna is permitted. RF waves are emitted from the antenna to establish communication between the external control unit and the implanted medical device.

Claims

1. A control unit for an implantable medical device comprising:

a housing;

electronics, for controlling an RF emission from the control unit, being disposed within said housing; and

an antenna pivotably connected to said housing, said antenna being movable between a stowed position where RF emission from the antenna is prevented and a deployed position where RF emission from the antenna is permitted.

2. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the housing has a user interface, and the electronics control the user interface.

3. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the electronics are disposed on a pc board.

4. The control unit of claim 3, wherein the antenna defines an antenna plane, in the stowed position the antenna plane is approximately coplanar with a plane defined by the pc board.

5. The control unit of claim 4, wherein in the deployed position the antenna plane is not coplanar with the plane defined by the pc board.

6. The control unit of claim 5, wherein housing is made of a material that shields the electronics from external RF waves.

7. The control unit of claim 6, wherein housing is made of plastic.

8. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the antenna is a coaxial loop.

9. The control unit of claim 8, wherein the antenna is disposed in a housing that permits the transmission of RF waves therethrough.

10. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the pivotable connection between the antenna and the housing includes a switch electrically connected to the electronics to detect the position of the antenna.

11. A method for effecting communication between an external control unit and an implanted medical device, wherein the external control unit has a housing;

electronics, for controlling an RF emission from the control unit, are disposed within the housing;

an antenna is pivotably connected to the housing, said method comprising the steps of;

placing the external control unit within electronic communication range of the implanted medical device;

moving the control unit antenna to a deployed position where RF emission from the antenna is permitted; and

emitting RF waves from the antenna to establish communication between the external control unit and the implanted medical device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

stopping the emitting RF waves from the antenna; and

moving the control unit antenna to a stowed position where RF emission from the antenna is prevented.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of:

detecting the position of the antenna.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

preventing the emitting of RF waves from the antenna when the position of the antenna is detected to be in a stowed position.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

permitting the emitting of RF waves from the antenna when the position of the antenna is detected to be in a deployed position.