TELEMETRY APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATIONS WITH AN ACTIVE DEVICE IMPLANTED IN A PATIENT'S THORACIC REGION

• US 20070123948A1
• Filed: 09/01/2006
• Published: 05/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sorin CRM USA (MicroPort Scientific Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sorin CRM SAS
• Inventors: DAL MOLIN, RENZO
• Granted Patent: US 8,214,044 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/32
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/1281 with incorporated means for medical monitoring

Abstract

Apparatus for telemetry equipment for communication with an active device implanted in the thoracic area of a patient This equipment includes a wave collector (16) essentially sensitive to a magnetic field so as to allow an exchange of signals through magnetic coupling (i.e., an inductive channel) with the implanted device (14). The wave collector is connected to an electronic circuit package (24) for transmission/reception and signal processing of acquired data and programming. The apparatus further comprises a cloth (10) in the form of a vest to be worn by and able to cover at least one part of the patient'"'"'s anatomy, a support structure (18) for receiving and supporting the wave collector, and adjustable members able to fix the support structure at a chosen location of the cloth, for example, by means of hooking tapes (20) disposed on the support (18) and cooperating surface material on the cloth. Thus, after initial positioning of the wave collector in front of the area where the device is implanted, placement and maintaining of the wave collector will be fixed to that location each time the patient puts the cloth on.

Claims

1. Apparatus for telemetry communication with an active device implanted in the thoracic area of a patient, such as pacemaker, resynchronization, defibrillation and/or cardioversion device, or a diagnostic device, said apparatus comprising:

a wave collector sensitive to a magnetic field so as to allow an exchange of signals through an inductive channel with said implanted device,

means for connecting said wave collector to an electronic circuit package for transmission/reception and signal processing,

a cloth in the form of a vest to be worn by a patient, able to cover at least one part of the patient'"'"'s anatomy,

a support structure to receive and support a wave collector, and

adjustable means for fixing said support structure at a chosen location on said cloth, said chosen location corresponding to a position in front of the area where the implanted device is located, and defining a suitable magnetic coupling between said received and supported wave collector and said implanted device,

wherein, after an initial placement of said support structure on said cloth, at said chosen location, said placement and maintaining of the wave collector at said corresponding position occurs every time the patient wears the cloth.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, where said adjustable fixing means further comprises at least one hooking tape disposed on one of the support structure and the cloth and a material surface disposed on the other of the support structure and cloth wherein hooking tape cooperates with the material surface to fix said support structure to said material surface at said chosen location.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cloth further comprises means for supporting and embedding said electronic circuit package for transmission/reception and signal processing.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cloth further comprises means for adapting the cloth to fit to the patient'"'"'s anatomy, so as to allow, after adaptation, finely adjusted wearing of the cloth.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said adapting means further comprises at least one elastic material area integral with the cloth.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said adapting means further comprises means for adjusting a dimension of the cloth.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cloth further comprises means for embedding at least one sensor of a physiologic or therapeutic data, and means for linking said at least one sensor to the electronic circuit package for transmission/reception and signal processing.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cloth further comprises a peaking coil associated with the wave collector.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said peaking coil is disposed at a fixed predetermined location of the cloth.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cloth further comprises at least one surface shielding against stray electrical fields, said shielding surface being made of a non-magnetic conductive material essentially transparent to magnetic fields in the range of frequencies used for said exchange of signals through said inductive channel.