System and method for telemetry with an implantable medical device

• US 20070167995A1
• Filed: 01/19/2006
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Masoud, Javaid, Dudding, Charles
• Granted Patent: US 7,668,600 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37276 characterised by means for reducing power consumption during telemetry

Abstract

An implantable medical device (IMD) includes a telemetry module to communicate with an external device according to a given protocol. To establish a communication session, the IMD will extend active periods of reception on a given channel when some confirmed data is received from the external device. In addition, once a session has been opened, the programmer transmits a short data set (or preamble) for each cycle which the IMD is set to receive. This data set indicates whether additional data will or will not be sent. If no additional data is to be sent during that cycle, then the IMD powers down the receiver for that cycle.

Claims

1. An implantable medical device (IMD) having a telemetry module capable of operation in a synchronous communication mode alternating between a predefined transmit window and a predefined receive window, the IMD comprising:

means for powering a receiver portion of the telemetry module on during the predefined receive window and off during the predefined transmit window;

means for processing signals received during the predefined receive window;

means for decoding the processed signals;

means for identifying from the decoded signals a first data set indicating that additional data will follow in a same predefined receive window, and a second data set indicating that additional data will not follow in the same predefined receive window; and

means for powering the receiver off during a remainder of the same predefined receive window if the second data set is identified.

2. The IMD of claim 1, wherein the second data set is a preamble of a data transmission.

3. The IMD of claim 1, wherein the means for identifying include means for comparing a decoded signal to a stored value and an inverse of the decoded signal to the stored value.

4. The IMD of claim 3, wherein the first data set is a positively-correlated preamble of a data transmission and the second data set is a negatively-correlated preamble of the data transmission.

5. A method of operating an implantable medical device (IMD) comprising:

opening a synchronous communication session having alternating predefined transmit windows and predefined receive windows;

powering on a receiver during each predefined receive window;

analyzing signals received during a given predefined receive window; and

powering off the receiver for a remainder of the given predefined receive window if the analyzed signals represent a first message.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising maintaining the receiver in a powered-on status for the given predefined receive window if no signals are received during the given predefined receive window.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising maintaining the receiver in a powered-on status for the given predefined receive window if the analyzed signals represent a second message.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first message is a negative correlation of the second message.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first message and second message are negative and positive correlations of a preamble of a message transmission.

10. A computer readable medium including instructions that, when executed on a processor of an implantable medical device (IMD), cause the IMD to:

open a synchronous communication session having alternating predefined transmit windows and predefined receive windows;

power on a receiver during each predefined receive window;

analyze signals received during a given predefined receive window; and

power off the receiver for a remainder of the given predefined receive window if the analyzed signals represent a first message.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions further cause the IMD to maintain the receiver in a powered-on status for the given predefined receive window if no signals are received during the given predefined receive window.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions further cause the IMD to maintain the receiver in a powered-on status for the given predefined receive window if the analyzed signals represent a second message.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the first message is a negative correlation of the second message.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the first message and second message are negative and positive correlations of a preamble of a message transmission.