Multiple Telemetry and/or Charging Coil Configurations for an Implantable Medical Device System

• US 20080172109A1
• Filed: 01/11/2007
• Published: 07/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Advanced Bionics Corporation (Sonova Holding AG)
• Inventors: Aghassian, Daniel, Klostermann, Daniel J., Rahman, M. Mizanur
• Granted Patent: US 8,010,205 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: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source

Abstract

Embodiments of an improved implantable medical device system for orientation-independent telemetry to and from the device are disclosed. The system includes an external controller which produces an electromagnetic field to induce a current in a coil in the implantable medical device and vise versa. In a preferred embodiment, the external controller comprises three orthogonal coils, each of which is potentially activated to generate or receive the electromagnetic field. Algorithms are disclosed to allow for the choice of one or more of the coils best suited for telemetry based on the chosen coil'"'"'s orientation with respect to the telemetry coil in the implantable medical device. Because all three of the orthogonal coils are potentially activated if necessary, the result is that at least one of the coils will be in a proper orientation with respect to the coil in the implantable medical device, thereby improving telemetry efficiency. The disclosed techniques may be used to improve induction-based powering or charging of the device as well.

Claims

1. An implantable medical device system, comprising:

an implantable medical device having at least one device coil for receiving electromagnetic energy comprising data for the implantable medical device; and

an external controller having a plurality of external coils, wherein one or more of the plurality of external coils is activated to generate the electromagnetic energy to be received by the device coil in the implantable medical device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one device coil further transmits electromagnetic energy comprising data pertaining to the implantable medical device, and wherein one or more of the plurality of external coils is further activated to receive the electromagnetic energy that is transmitted by the at least one device coil in the implantable medical device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the external controller comprises three external coils.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the three external coils are wound around axes that are orthogonal to each other.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the three external coils are wound around axes that are not parallel to each other.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the external controller comprises two external coils.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the two external coils are wound around axes that are not parallel to each other.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein all of the plurality of external coils are simultaneously activated.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of external coils are connected in series.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of external coils are connected in parallel.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein only one of the plurality of external coils is activated.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the one of the plurality of external coils is activated by the external controller using an algorithm.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the algorithm chooses the one of the plurality of external coils by choosing the external coil with the best transmission efficiency with the device coil.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the algorithm assesses the transmission efficiency by assessing the signal strength of a test signal sent from the device coil to the external coil.

15. An implantable medical device system, comprising:

an external controller having at least one external coil, wherein the external coil is activated to generate electromagnetic energy; and

an implantable medical device having a plurality of device coils, wherein one or more of the device coils can be activated to receive the electromagnetic energy comprising data for the implantable medical device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the external coil further receives electromagnetic energy comprising data pertaining to the implantable medical device, and wherein one or more of the plurality of external coils is further activated to transmit the electromagnetic energy comprising data pertaining to the implantable medical device.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the implantable medical device comprises three device coils.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the three device coils are wound around axes that are not parallel to each other.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the implantable medical device comprises two device coils.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the two device coils are wound around axes that are not parallel to each other.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein all of the plurality of device coils are simultaneously activated.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein only one of the plurality of device coils is activated.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the one of the plurality of device coils is activated by the implantable medical device using an algorithm.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the algorithm chooses the one of the plurality of device coils by choosing the device coil with the best transmission communications efficiency with the external coil.

25. A method for communication from an external device to an implantable medical device, comprising:

transmitting a test signal from a first of a plurality of telemetry coils in the external device;

receiving at the first telemetry coil a response to the test signal from the implantable medical device;

assessing the response at the external device;

repeating the above steps for subsequent of the plurality of telemetry coils until all telemetry coils have been assessed;

choosing at least one of the telemetry coils based on the assessed response for that coil; and

activating the chosen at least one telemetry coil to generate electromagnetic energy to be received by at least one device coil in the implantable medical device comprising data for the implantable medical device.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the external device comprises three telemetry coils.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the three telemetry coils are wound around axes that are orthogonal to each other.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the three telemetry coils are wound around axes that are not parallel to each other.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the external device comprises two telemetry coils.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the two telemetry coils are wound around axes that are not parallel to each other.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein only one of the plurality of telemetry coils is chosen.

32. The method of claim 25, wherein the first telemetry coil is determined based on historical data.

33. The method of claim 25, wherein assessing the response comprises assessing the signal strength of the response.

34. A method for communication from an external device to an implantable medical device, comprising:

(a) transmitting a test signal from a first of a plurality of telemetry coils in the external device;

(b) receiving at the first telemetry coil a response to the test signal from the implantable medical device;

(c) assessing the response at the external device;

(d) if the response at the first telemetry coil is satisfactory, activating the first coil to generate electromagnetic energy to be received by at least one device coil in the implantable medical device comprising data for the implantable medical device;

(e) if the response is at the first telemetry coil is not satisfactory, repeating steps (a)-(c) for a second telemetry coil; and

(f) if the response at the second telemetry coil is satisfactory, activating the second telemetry coil to generate electromagnetic energy to be received by the at least one device coil in the implantable medical device comprising the data for the implantable medical device.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

(g) if the response is at the second telemetry coil is not satisfactory, repeating steps (a)-(c) for a third telemetry coil;

(f) if the response at the third telemetry coil is satisfactory, activating the third telemetry coil to generate electromagnetic energy to be received by the at least one device coil in the implantable medical device comprising the data for the implantable medical device.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the plurality of telemetry coils are wound around axes that are orthogonal to each other.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein the plurality of telemetry coils are wound around axes that are not parallel to each other.

38. The method of claim 34, wherein assessing the response comprises assessing the signal strength of the response.

39. An implantable medical device system, comprising:

an implantable medical device having at least one device coil for receiving electromagnetic energy that provides power to the implantable medical device; and

an external device having a plurality of coils, wherein one or more of the plurality of coils is activated to generate the electromagnetic energy to be received by the device coil in the implantable medical device.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the received electromagnetic energy either provides power to operate the implantable medical device or provides power to charge a battery in the implantable medical device.